Wiring 5-pin DIN to TRS including Record/Play? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Uncle Bulgaria · 5th Aug 2020, 3:53 pm

I'm making up some cables and considering whether it's possible to wire a 5-pin DIN to 3.5mm TRS so that both the record and play halves of the DIN are available.

I'm guessing it's not possible, as there's no way to separate the signals if they're both present on the DIN, thus I'll have to have a record and a play cable separately.

llama · 5th Aug 2020, 5:21 pm

Or a switch as a bulge in the cable.
Graham

jamesperrett · 8th Aug 2020, 1:30 am

If the 3.5mm record and play connectors are close together then you could probably do something similar to what is done with the standard DIN to four phono cables - just cut the outer sleeve a little way from the end and then individually sleeve the individual cores.

I have also seen DIN cables with each core having its own separate outer sleeve all the way along which could be separated with two cores going to each 3.5mm connector.

The problem will come when the recorder or source uses the same pins for record and play (as I know Philips often do). In that case you are either going to have to physically move the 3.5mm connector or use a switch as Graham suggests.

Uncle Bulgaria · 8th Aug 2020, 12:36 pm

Yes, I can imagine a twin TRS setup, but I was wondering whether it's possible to link the left/right record and play to the same TRS. When plugged into a record socket, only the three relevant recording pins would be connected at the recorder, so the play pins would be redundant. Vice versa with the play socket. The trouble would come with whether the unused pins are cut off at the unit in a combined record/play DIN socket, because otherwise I suppose the two signals would cause some confusion, rather like in a stereo-mono cable made without resistors.

Probably Graham's switch suggestion is the best.

5th Aug 2020, 3:53 pm	#1
Uncle Bulgaria Nonode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,329	Wiring 5-pin DIN to TRS including Record/Play? I'm making up some cables and considering whether it's possible to wire a 5-pin DIN to 3.5mm TRS so that both the record and play halves of the DIN are available. I'm guessing it's not possible, as there's no way to separate the signals if they're both present on the DIN, thus I'll have to have a record and a play cable separately.

5th Aug 2020, 5:21 pm	#2
llama Octode Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Osyth, Nr Clacton, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,482	Re: Wiring 5-pin DIN to TRS including Record/Play? Or a switch as a bulge in the cable. Graham __________________ Half my stuff is junk - trouble is, I don't know which half!

8th Aug 2020, 1:30 am	#3
jamesperrett Octode Join Date: May 2007 Location: Liss, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 1,873	Re: Wiring 5-pin DIN to TRS including Record/Play? If the 3.5mm record and play connectors are close together then you could probably do something similar to what is done with the standard DIN to four phono cables - just cut the outer sleeve a little way from the end and then individually sleeve the individual cores. I have also seen DIN cables with each core having its own separate outer sleeve all the way along which could be separated with two cores going to each 3.5mm connector. The problem will come when the recorder or source uses the same pins for record and play (as I know Philips often do). In that case you are either going to have to physically move the 3.5mm connector or use a switch as Graham suggests.

8th Aug 2020, 12:36 pm	#4
Uncle Bulgaria Nonode Join Date: May 2016 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 2,329	Re: Wiring 5-pin DIN to TRS including Record/Play? Yes, I can imagine a twin TRS setup, but I was wondering whether it's possible to link the left/right record and play to the same TRS. When plugged into a record socket, only the three relevant recording pins would be connected at the recorder, so the play pins would be redundant. Vice versa with the play socket. The trouble would come with whether the unused pins are cut off at the unit in a combined record/play DIN socket, because otherwise I suppose the two signals would cause some confusion, rather like in a stereo-mono cable made without resistors. Probably Graham's switch suggestion is the best.