[Kevin Haskins]

They are double set-screws.   Thanks for pointing that out.   I'll correct it.

Apparently, this error never got corrected.

Hmmm.... I thought this had been licked.    Check it now.

[kfr01]

I know it sounds funny to have a sale on a banana but I ordered way more of these things than I should have.    My loss your gain.... these are a good part.    $4.48 for the matching pair

Exodus Expanding Banana

I just ordered a couple pairs of these along with some other DIY Cable gear to put together some Canare 4S11 speaker cables.  Gotta say, Kevin's parts make constructing durable cables -very- easy. 

Oh -- and this expanding banana is a steal.  Serious grip. 

Here's a pic of the result...

[Kevin Haskins]

Nice job!   Once I get a couple other projects I'm going to do a working man's cable for speaker cable.   The Canare L-2T2S is my version of what a interconnect cable should be without the snake oil.    The 4S11 is good but I've got an even simpler lower cost approach for the working man's speaker cable.   All of them look and function extremely well and should last through decades of use.   They are a basic 12AWG twisted pair plenum rated for in-wall use and would use the Exodus bananas & spades.    I'm thinking starting them out at $35 8ft/pr in kit form.   

It would allow anyone to cable their entire system with stuff that performs the basic engineering functions that cable should.   They would be built to last and function and cosmetically they would look better than most hideously expensive cables.    I think you could cable an entire system for less than $200.   
 

[kfr01]

Nice job!   Once I get a couple other projects I'm going to do a working man's cable for speaker cable.   The Canare L-2T2S is my version of what a interconnect cable should be without the snake oil.    The 4S11 is good but I've got an even simpler lower cost approach for the working man's speaker cable.   All of them look and function extremely well and should last through decades of use.   They are a basic 12AWG twisted pair plenum rated for in-wall use and would use the Exodus bananas & spades.    I'm thinking starting them out at $35 8ft/pr in kit form.   

It would allow anyone to cable their entire system with stuff that performs the basic engineering functions that cable should.   They would be built to last and function and cosmetically they would look better than most hideously expensive cables.    I think you could cable an entire system for less than $200.   

Awesome idea, Kevin.  While some will always be looking for the latest cyro'd-silver-whatever cable, most of us are after sensible cable options.  Keep up the great work!

[Voodoo Rufus]

Real engineering =

[dhiebert]

The 4S11 is good...

I just got my expanding banana plugs last night, which I was expecting to use with my 4S11 cable. However, I found that the screws wouldn't go far enough to hold the conductors. I took the two white conductors and twisted them together, inserted them into the banana plug and even with the screw tightened all the way, the conductor was not securely held. Why is this not working?

[ooheadsoo]

What I think I ended up doing was using one screw to pin down the wire with the pvc still on it, which is secure, and using the other screw to make contact for signal.

[95bcwh]

The same problem I have with these expandable plugs, the screws was a little too short and the barrel was a little too large. You will need to find some very big wire, even then because the barrel was big, when you tighten the screw, the screw will just split the wire apart inside the barrel. I still haven't found a solution to this and I don't know how to solder.

[John Casler]

The 4S11 is good...

I just got my expanding banana plugs last night, which I was expecting to use with my 4S11 cable. However, I found that the screws wouldn't go far enough to hold the conductors. I took the two white conductors and twisted them together, inserted them into the banana plug and even with the screw tightened all the way, the conductor was not securely held. Why is this not working?

Strip away the sheilding to expose 2 X the amount of bare wire you wish to put in the plug and then bend the bare wire back on itself (making it 2 X as thick)  That should give you enough bare wire to get a grip on.

[ooheadsoo]

Ah, a nice idea, I think I'll do that when I get a chance.  I haven't had any trouble with my method, though.

[Kevin Haskins]

Ah, a nice idea, I think I'll do that when I get a chance.  I haven't had any trouble with my method, though.

I like to tin the exposed copper.  It does a couple things... it prevents oxidation and it gives the set-screws more to bite into.   

[kfr01]

The 4S11 is good...

I just got my expanding banana plugs last night, which I was expecting to use with my 4S11 cable. However, I found that the screws wouldn't go far enough to hold the conductors. I took the two white conductors and twisted them together, inserted them into the banana plug and even with the screw tightened all the way, the conductor was not securely held. Why is this not working?

Strip away the sheilding to expose 2 X the amount of bare wire you wish to put in the plug and then bend the bare wire back on itself (making it 2 X as thick)  That should give you enough bare wire to get a grip on.

This is what I did, worked great.  I'm personally glad they were designed like they were.  Nothing is worse than making those screws too long and then not being able to screw the barrel back on (happened with a cheaper part from another supplier I had some time back).

[dhiebert]

I like to tin the exposed copper.  It does a couple things... it prevents oxidation and it gives the set-screws more to bite into.

The problem with this approach is that, as the cable flexes, the strands eventually break where untinned copper meets the solder (which cannot flex) due to metal fatigue. Crimping is always deemed a more reliable connection than soldering for anything which recieves flexing.

[Kevin Haskins]

The problem with this approach is that, as the cable flexes, the strands eventually break where untinned copper meets the solder (which cannot flex) due to metal fatigue. Crimping is always deemed a more reliable connection than soldering for anything which recieves flexing.

That is what a strain relief is for.  There are two set-screws.  One of them makes physical contact with the connector and the other bites into the jacket of the cable to provide strain relief.   I agree that you have to always be aware of the physical issues of movement and flexing but its just not an issue when terminating 8-16AWG stranded speaker cable with these connectors.

Also... the cable would flex at the junction of a crimped connection also.   The reason it doesn't is that most are designed with a strain relief to distribute the force across a larger length of the cable and prevent metal fatigue.   Its the strain relief, not the termination that determines metal fatigue issues. 

[lonewolfny42]

Thank You Kevin !

Banana's arrived in fine shape today....quick delivery !! It was easy to order....a very solid product....and a very nice price....excellent job, thanks again !!!

Chris

[TIC]

Kevin,

Do you have any more at the sale price? Website shows $8.95.

Thanks,

TIC

[Kevin Haskins]

Kevin,

Do you have any more at the sale price? Website shows $8.95.

Thanks,

TIC

Yes... the sale ended in Aug.   Since the web site was down and nobody could order for the last week of Aug I'll update it for the remainder of this week.   Wait until Tuesday after the holiday when I can get to the office and make the changes to the system.