Vintage record player set up

[needhamgraham]

Thanks both for the replies. Really useful.

Just to clarify on the speaker cables... ok great the two core mains flex needs a connector on each wire (red 3mm and black 4mm). are they both banana type connectors? can you get a dual connector block that both wires go into but has both a 3mm and 4mm pin?

Other than that can you get these wires pre set up?

Thanks

Also as a side note, is it safe to have wires wrapped around speaker terminals close proximity to where children will be?

Are they live?

[dseymo1]

Yes, you've got it
The correct 'dual connector block' is shown in post 13, but as far as I know they're no longer available new.
If you use individual connectors, it's just a case of finding something which fits - banana plugs of appropriate sizes will be fine: they are common in 4mm, but the 3mm might have to be a modification, depending on what you can find. Some here have used brass split pins for similar purposes.
There may be someone making up suitable cables (at a price, no doubt), but you can't get them 'off the shelf'.
The bare speaker terminals are quite safe in this case, as the voltages involved are low. There's really no cause for concern, but just for your own peace of mind you could always stick a patch of gaffer tape or similar over them.

[Refugee]

I have seen those 3mm pins that really are just split pins with a two piece plastic top that screws on to hold the wire.
A brass split pin with a dab of solder and a short bit of heat shrink will work well.
The output at the speaker terminals it unlikely to be more than 12 volts unless the volume is turned up far enough to shake everything off of the mantle piece.

[TonyDuell]

Earlier it was stated that this amplifier gives 15W per channel. If the speakers are 8 Ohm impedance, that implies a maximum RMS voltage of around 11V at the speaker terminals. I wouldn't worry about getting a shock from that.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
There is no danger of shock from the speaker terminals at all.
The only thing to be very careful about wiring them up is to make sure there's no possibility of short circuiting the speakers or terminals.
If you do, you may be lucky and just blow the fuse for that channel. If you're unlucky the output transistors can fail in a fraction of a second.
Cheers, Pete.

[Refugee]

Is it not a valve amplifier where the risk is more likely to be an open circuit blowing the output transformer?

[ajgriff]

Leak 30 Plus is a transistor amplifier. Main risk with young children is the destruction of your nice vintage equipment.

Alan

[needhamgraham]

Hi all,

Thanks again for the input. Are these what I'm looking for?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-PIN-SPEAKER-PLUGS-and-voltage-adjusters-VALVE-AMPLIFIER-Leak-Guitar-amp-qty232868574557

I presume they are pretty easy to connect up to the twin core cable?

Graham

[llama]

I think those are too small. I'd want to know the dimensions before splashing out.
Graham

[Nickthedentist]

Personally, I'd buy a few metres of halfway decent flex (e.g. cheap, no-name, 79-strand speaker cable or even 1.0mm2 mains flex like you'd find on a vacuum or mower), open up the Leak, feed the prepared ends through the holes where the speaker plugs' pins are meant to go, and solder the ends neatly onto the sockets' tags, where the wires from the amp's outputs terminate.

This would give you a robust, electrically perfect connection without spending anything on plugs, and if done carefully, would be entirely reversible too.

N.

[needhamgraham]

Apologies if my questions are getting tedious and seems obvious to most......

Ok so as much as id like to hard wire it in, I may test my non existence soldering skills on a homemade wired first. In which case am I safe to get the following and solder the 3mm connectors onto the pre striped wire ends and screw on the 4mm connectors?:

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/qed-79-...SABEgJpaPD_BwE

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1pair-Nicke...75.m4096.l9055

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Banana-Sp...from=R40&rt=nc

[Edward Huggins]

Looking at your Links in Post #31:
1: An ideal cable.
2: These are OK, but you will need to solder the cable in. Your best option.
3: These might do, but you will need to twist the 79 stands very tightly to get inside the connector before you tighten the screw. Note that 42 strand may be easier to work with, but has far less conductors.

[llama]

Should be fine so long as, when you get the cable, all those strands physically fit into the 3mm plug's solder-pot. If not you could just snip a few strands off.

79 strand should go into the 4mm plugs OK. I've had some of those 4mm plugs myself and not taken enough care subsequently and blown up an amp. Luckily it was only one of those 99p jobbies from China. The solution was to wrap the insulation of the banana plug with electrical tape since otherwise the screw protrudes.

Graham

[needhamgraham]

Ok sounds promising....apart from blowing stuff up!!! When you say “didnt take enough care” with the 4mm banana plugs, what did you do that i may want to be careful of?

[Edward Huggins]

You need to be careful that there are not any loose strands of the cable that might short to the other cable when they plugged in side by side. You seem to be struggling with this. If in any doubt, do seek hands on help from someone local to you.

[Radio Wrangler]

The danger is stray strands left sticking out that short the output (The Leak will most likely not survive a short on its speaker output) or of sticking out screws.

Valve amps can be damaged if run into an open circuit
Solid state amps can be damaged if run into a short circuit.

Careful work, and careful inspection before switching on can avoid a lot of trouble.

David