Fixing an HDMI cable

[Kraven]

Anyone w/ experience on fixing an HDMI cable? A mate made a rookie mistake and accidentally tore the HDMI male lead off the cable exposing the 16 or so wires.

Anyone ever repair this?

Am surprised he called in 2 "guys" who both told him its unrepairable despite the wires being in tact.

Cheers, K

EDIT: sorry...unrepairable

 

[bigjohnok]

if the wires are straight you might be able to put the plug back on but more and likely it wont work.

just go buy a new hdmi cable.

 

[primestar31]

They cost like $1.00. Why fix one? Even if you pay $5.00, trying to fix one isn't worth the time beyond maybe straightening a bent pin.

 

[bigjohnok]

They cost like $1.00. Why fix one? Even if you pay $5.00, trying to fix one isn't worth the time beyond maybe straightening a bent pin.

you never know he might have some $100 hdmi cables.

 

[Kraven]

Here's more details. its a commercial grade cable I installed when he was building the house. We wired every room w/ RG-6, CAT5 and HDMI....

He doesnt want to make any holes in the walls so running a new one isn't the first option (or 2nd). I figured since the wires are all straight if ti was possible to repair...

 

[bigjohnok]

in that case.
youtube is your friend


another option

 

[harshness]

If you don't have the tooling to build an HDMI cable, you probably don't have what it takes to repair one. Greenlee makes a DataShark repair end and they run about $18 each. The Amazon reviews have been less than stellar.

I'm sick to death of these wimpy connectors that seem to have taken over. HDMI isn't the worst of them. The Micro USB and SATA connectors are also awfully fragile. I'm kinda surprised their isn't more trouble with Lightning connectors (other than the fact that they're wicked expensive).

 

[Claude Greiner]

If you don't have the tooling to build an HDMI cable, you probably don't have what it takes to repair one. Greenlee makes a DataShark repair end and they run about $18 each. The Amazon reviews have been less than stellar.

I'm sick to death of these wimpy connectors that seem to have taken over. HDMI isn't the worst of them. The Micro USB and SATA connectors are also awfully fragile. I'm kinda surprised their isn't more trouble with Lightning connectors (other than the fact that they're wicked expensive).

Same here, but the problem is that with everyone selling cheap cables, there is no incentive for anyone to make a decent cable anymore, unless you want to get into one of those $100 crazy expensive cables.

I wouldn't bother trying to fix the cable, even if the cable cost $100 unless it was run inside a wall and you had no choice but to fix it.

I saw one connector once where the back of the HDMI plug had screw terminals for use inside of a wall plate.

I would probably say you may be better off cutting the end off of another cheap HDMI cable, and then carefully soldering the wires together and sealing it up with some heat shrink tubing.

 

[StevenD]

This is why you run conduit, not cables through the wall during construction. Then, once you are in, run the cables you need at the time.

 

[harshness]

This is why you run conduit, not cables through the wall during construction. Then, once you are in, run the cables you need at the time.

The problem with conduit in interior walls is it is difficult to use tubing that is large enough to pass all but the smallest HDMI ends. Using sweep elbows required by most coaxial cables is not usually in the cards. This is where CAT6 wins most every time.

 

[harshness]

Same here, but the problem is that with everyone selling cheap cables, there is no incentive for anyone to make a decent cable anymore, unless you want to get into one of those $100 crazy expensive cables.

I'm not convinced that there is any way to make a sturdy micro USB connector.

 

[raoul5788]

The problem with conduit in interior walls is it is difficult to use tubing that is large enough to pass all but the smallest HDMI ends. Using sweep elbows required by most coaxial cables is not usually in the cards. This is where CAT6 wins most every time.

It's not a problem to install 2" conduit in any 2x4 wall which will accommodate most HDMI cables. You must use different HDMI cables than I do. Mine have connectors that are less than 7/8". Also, sweep elbows are easy to get. What's your issue with them?

 

[harshness]

It's not a problem to install 2" conduit in any 2x4 wall which will accommodate most HDMI cables.

Given that 2" conduit is typically 2-3/8" and a 2x4 leaves just a little "meat" (9/16ths) on either side, it seems like you need to make sure it isn't a load bearing wall.

Also, sweep elbows are easy to get. What's your issue with them?

Availability isn't the issue. If you're running them around a corner, the geometry doesn't work all that well. The bend radius of a 2" standard sweep 90 is 9" to the center of the conduit and that's not going to be swallowed up by a 3.5" wide gap without some magic (two elbows connected vertically at the "corner"?).

I'm guessing it can be done as I suggested, but I'm pretty sure it requires considerable planning and or a lot of experience. Fortunately for HDMI cabling, bend radius isn't all that important but the point of conduit is flexibility in future wiring and if you're a fan of coax, bend radius is something to be very careful with.

 

[raoul5788]

Given that 2" conduit is typically 2-3/8" and a 2x4 leaves just a little "meat" (9/16ths) on either side, it seems like you need to make sure it isn't a load bearing wall.Availability isn't the issue. If you're running them around a corner, the geometry doesn't work all that well. The bend radius of a 2" standard sweep 90 is 9" to the center of the conduit and that's not going to be swallowed up by a 3.5" wide gap without some magic (two elbows connected vertically at the "corner"?).

I'm guessing it can be done as I suggested, but I'm pretty sure it requires considerable planning and or a lot of experience. Fortunately for HDMI cabling, bend radius isn't all that important but the point of conduit is flexibility in future wiring and if you're a fan of coax, bend radius is something to be very careful with.

Whether or not a wall is load bearing has nothing to do with having a conduit in it. Nothing. You can use flex pipe to go around a corner, and as I noted, most HDMI cable ends are less than 1" anyways. Your arguments have no merit.

 

[harshness]

Whether or not a wall is load bearing has nothing to do with having a conduit in it. Nothing.

Drilling a 2-1/2" hole through a 3-1/2" board doesn't compromise its structural strength in any way?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightening_holes

 

[raoul5788]

Not if it's a bottom or top plate.

Edit: It never occurred to me that you meant running the conduit horizontally. That would be stupid. Besides, like I said, you only need 1" id to run most HDMI cables.

 

[Kraven]

I would probably say you may be better off cutting the end off of another cheap HDMI cable, and then carefully soldering the wires together and sealing it up with some heat shrink tubing.

Ideally yes, but this wouldnt work and it would be near impossible to match up the wires properly. IIRC, there's 3 yellow, 2 red, 2 blue....up to 19. IE- which goes where?

Thinking of buying an HDMI crimping tool through work. If its successful, I might start making them here as we're spending nearing 15k a year in HDMI cables alone.

 

[raoul5788]

Get a new cable and use the old one to pull the new one through.

 

[jayn_j]

Get a new cable and use the old one to pull the new one through.

code probably required that the old cable be stapled inside the wall.

 

[raoul5788]

code probably required that the old cable be stapled inside the wall.

Probably. I was thinking of it being in a conduit, otherwise you wouldn't be able to pull it if it was affixed.