Clipcord vs RCA vs RCA adapters vs MonoJack

[fkirons]

Did not find a specific thread that talks about this topics so here you go.

My Take: clip cords worked for me until I realized that RCA is a much more stable connection (as there are no parts swinging against the contacts), smaller and easier to bag. That alone, makes me never look back at clip cords.
Also RCA allows a cleaner design of a Rotary Machine.

However I know that there are some "die hard clip cord fans "that may prefer them for many reasons. One of them, is the fact that clip cords can swing and articulate while moving your hands in different angled positions.

Angled RCA solve that problem but they can be bulky as well.
I have to say that I haven't seen and RCA that is perfect.

I've been experimenting with mono jacks lately and really like the lack of weight and how streamlined most monojack cables are.
Whats your take on this subject.

[nivek]

If there was a locking right angle, you'd be on to something ! The concern is the lockin mech, it can really make more work when switching machines.

I got one of the locking AL Bro ones and really liked it, as great as it was, became a pain when switching machines, and I also found most machines didn't need to lock. Now I wear long cuff gloves and got into the habit of wrapping the cord around my wrist to reduce the pulling out of the cable.

Mono jacks work well, but no one wants to switch again, that an bagging becomes a pain. A RCA with a sort of push button lock or release would be ideal but the costs on something like that would probally be more restrictive. I have an idea but honestly can't see it coming to fruition.

[bretttattoos]

I was die hard RCA til I got an ego v2 and used a mono with right angle end. It swivels fine and is light weight and clean connection. I wish all my machines had an upward facing mono connection to use that cable lol. Also you don't have to worry about it getting loose and falling off your machine while working since the plug is up and down and not straight off the back

[jasonadelinia]

Mini jacks/mono make so much more sense to me, like the ego V2. Especially the right angle ones. They "swing" like a clipcord, well can rotate in the socket, and due to how small and lightweight they are, that aspect doesn't bother me either way. Personally I love the idea of cordless, so naturally the smaller, and less evasive the cable, the better. The only thing that annoys me about mini jacks are that only the ego seems to use it, and I hate having to bag and use more than 1 cable. Just my take.

[cagelavey]

I like rca , but like I said on another thread they do seem to break or separate quite a bit inside the cable. I think that this is way less likely if the ends are secured with shrink wrap and we can do this ourselves but I think that with what rca cables cost, they should come that way. I dont ever really have a problem with the rca coming apart from the machine just the wire breaking at the connection points. I know there are high quality rca out there, the prices for them can be ridiculous sometimes. I like a 3.5 mono jack, I think they work probably the best but like nivek said it would be a pain because of having to switch shit out.

[No Iron Machines]

never have problem with CLIPCORD, i try for a while RCA, is very good connection, but i get problem, with machine vibrations push me out the plug, only on coils, for rptary is awesome, sure, specially the ANGLE RCA PLUG, reduce the size

another point that i prefere normal CLICORD to RCA , is the EASY HANDLE, with normal CLIPCORD, u can put down on the table the machine and with the same hand u can take out cord and go to another machine, with RCA for remove the plug u need use booth hand, u cannot done with 1 only, sound stupid things, but i work very fast and this small detaill for me don work

anyway, RCA is very good, for sure, and MONO JACK even better, maybe in future more machine gonna use this sistem

[evlink2006]

I have converted all my machines to 3.5 mini jacks. I like the positive connection and the free swing of the cord. plus a cord is never farther away than radio shack. lol

[Deakon]

I prefer high tension clipcord personally, http://www.eikondevice.com/product/fk-irons-high-tension-clipcord that kinda thing. I never have a problem with consistency, easy to bag don't need to fanny about with tape. I make my own with decent cable and they last for ages.

RCA I find get loose and slip off, try and tighten the fit and the little fins snap gah. I'll stick with clippy. I may however make a converter so I can try this direkt.

[peter clements]

I used to use mono -jacks they're an easy conversion and used to be standard on Danny Harkin machines. I found that they pull out too easy, and went back to clippy but high tension ones, and now also like RCA .

[cagelavey]

there are cables like the one Cheyenne gives you to convert the mono cable to rca so that conversion is easy. just instead of removing the rca from the machine you can remove it from where the rca meets the mono convert.cable. I would definitely prefer the mono cable over anything else. works great with the ego, worked great with the og neotat and works great with the Cheyenne machines.

[cagelavey]

raido shack has saved my life on more than one occasion. I have at least three of their 6.99 rca cables as back ups because it seems like anytime I buy an "expensive cable" its just a matter of time until it breaks. never have a problem with the rs rca's. granted it might be better to have a heavier duty wire rca system but I really cant tell any difference between the cheap RS rca's and the premier rca's out there.

[TattoosByRob]

I definitely prefer RCA over Clip Cords the contact is much better and if they ever get loose I just grab the pliers and give a squeeze and it fits snug and secure

[bretttattoos]

My deathless RCA is dope but it was $114 and weighs a little but it's suppose to be bulletproof. I still think 1/8" mono like the ego v2 and neotat's is the shit. Long as it's vertical and use a 90 degree cord you won't pull it out of the machine

[slicksteel]

Like high tension clip cords for coil machines. And RCA for rotary. Don't like clip cords on rotary because of motor fluctuations and they tend to throw the balance off very light machines and cause back drag. Tried mono plugs and they always seem to have problems-the wire in the cords are so thin they break from light use. Also if a rca plug wiring does break it is easy to strip it back and re solder. Try that with those mono cords-they pretty much have to be tossed.

[FRANCO VESCOVI]

Im glad to see this post and in great timing. I have a few opinions i wish to share.

I personally have switched to RCA after 21 years using mostly clip cord. this was for the streamline look as Gaston mentioned, and also I was able to make a cord that lacked what I originally didnt like in an RCA cord. There always seemed to be 2 main issues with RCA.

ONE: The shield always gets loose and loses connection. THE SOLUTION was for us to add a custom segmented shield and slap a restrictive metal housing around it so that it never enlarges therefore maintains a solid connection. Also we used a split tip center pin so if for some reason it got loose from the male portion, you simply split the tip with a razor and wala you are back to a tight connection.

TWO: Most RCA cords on the market were WAY too heavy duty, meaning it made the machine weigh a lot more and put a drag on it. Also the barrel alone on most cords were always an inch and a half long and uber thick (extra strain) and the heavy duty RCA cords seemed to actually break the connection even faster because of this extra weight/strain on the barrel. THE SOLUTION was for us to use a Micro barrel that was Lightweight and also use a silicon cord that was flexible and lightweight so overall you almost can't even feel our cord. Being that its Lightweight, it will last even longer.

One important fact that we all probably will agree on is that no cord wether RCA or CLIPPY (as my UK buddies call it) will ever last over a year or 2 because of the nature of it being a highly movable part, but I along with a few co workers have been using the prototype for over 8 months and still works perfect.

I will end this with another question, I opted to make the cord 6 Ft instead of 7 or 8 Ft because many people I talked to wanted a shorter cord. It seemed to be that the longer the cord was, the more drag and strain it put and many people felt that you could accomplish any tattoo in any position just fine with a 6 Ft cord.

What are your thoughts on this fellas and gals?

[ATS]

For me RCA all the way.. for all the reasons already stated above.. Must say though I haven't tried mono jack connection.. I use 12€ silicon RCA cables and have had hardly any problems apart from the loosening of the outer ring (which is easily remedied).
6' Cables are ample imo, any longer and it just adds to the spaghetti.

[slicksteel]

I think 7 feet would be ideal. I have some 8 foot ones made and they are just abit to long but 6 feet seem just a bit to short.. so i think 7 foot long would be right on the money.

[cagelavey]

I hate when a cord is too long, cant stop from running over it, lol.

[bretttattoos]

I like the 8 footers but that's because of how I route my cord from me cx1 ,mounted on the back corner of my toolbox, around the rear corner and then out to my machine so that I have my power unit handy but don't have my cord on top of my paper towels or knocking ink caps or anything on top of the toolbox. That's just me though. I think at some point the cord loses a little current depending on the material but I like and 8 footer but don't have much issue with shorter ones, just have to scoot my power unit around a little

[cagelavey]

I have a tool box I use as a trolly type cart and I always just stick my cx1-v2 on the side out of the way closest to the customer. usually facing up so I can push my settings easily.

[Heath]

I use an 8 footer because I go Myke Chambers style and drape it over my shoulder and neck while working. Then if I have to stand up for a piece, I like them to be further away and a 6 footer is just too short for comfortable space for me. Hopefully you'll be like Lucky's and offer an extra foot to custom lengths for $1 per foot cause I'd probably buy one if you did. :cool:

[fkirons]

We had a design ready for a magnetic cable/ connector, super streemlined and small until our patent attorney told us that the concept will conflict with Apple's on their Mag-Safe patent... A couple of weeks of designs thrown to the garbage. ;(

I cannot believe that no one can make a magnetic connector!!!! Damn Apple!

[Ryanbluebirds]

I really don't like RCA. I have several rotaries that use them and two of the RCA jacks have busted on me causing me to have to replace motors or send them in to get repaired. My RCA cables don't seem to last as long as my clip cord ones as well for some reason. I'm actually holding off purchasing a rotary at the moment, because even though I hear it's great, it's RCA only at the moment. I'd be very interested in mono as I hear people have way less issues with them.

[cagelavey]

Hey Gaston you better talk to your lawyers again, because I think that you definitely have a way around that magnetic connection issue, read this article, brother. http://mikegyvercomputech.blogspot.com/2013/06/apple-magsafe-patent-vs-microsoft.html

[cagelavey]

like they said in the article, deep fryers have used that same thing way before apple did. along with magnetic phone chargers, and other computer companies like lenovo http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608040822400682288&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mP2p-EjZvrJjpDirL7TkKPw.jpghttp://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.608000295095829389&pid=1.7http://image.dhgate.com/albu_479267403_00-1.0x0/1m-3-3ft-magnetic-usb-charger-charging-cable.jpg

[rjdadio]

I personally think the mono / phono plug is the best. I originally produced my machines with only 3.5 phono plugs but soon had to offer RCA and clipcord versions.
Now I see a change in the industry where more artists are changing over to phonos. Once they really work with them they realize how much easier the connection is. And as far as I am concerned, the best there is! The cheap cables from an electronics store is the main complaint ..... they break down too fast from the constant bending. So better cables make the difference. Having an electronics background, I never liked RCAs....

[Jack Steel]

dont forget the danger of reverse polarity on a clipcord rotary *drasticly reducing motor life*

i have read that the 3.5jacks used to give issues after a while , spaulding and rogers used to have problems with their rotaries back in the day
i have used the 3.5 in a few machines ; but indeed they need to be vertical and with an angled connection else with a to heavy cable you can loose connection
my new model with a brushless motor will be using the 3.5jack placed vertical

[rjdadio]

Yeah I still am going to make a modification to the Vivace to have it come off the top vertically......just been on the back burner. This would shorten up the machine a lot.
Now what I have been doing for years is using a double connection phono connector in my machines. What I mean is......use a stereo jack and wire it with the tip as the positive and wire the ring and shank together as the negative. I found that as the mono connector wears it will loose connection, but with the double connection it can move around and still keep a good connection......there I go giving away my trade secrets again!

[No Iron Machines]

HEY GASTON, i saw MAGNETIC CONNECTION already couple of years ago from ITALIAN SUPPLY, WAS NOT VERY GOOD ACTUALLY, HA HA HA HA.....

IM SURE YOUR GONNA BE ROCK...

[skullsugar@lucky13]

Wayne taylor built me an rca lead has lasted me almost a year now, all my machines are rca, there super easy to bag, i found the hawk cables nice due to their weight but break far too easy and also come off the machine while working far too easy. Bottom down rca for me, rca on my old ego gen1 used to strain my wrist really badly as the weight of a decent rca pulled back so much

[fkirons]

dont forget the danger of reverse polarity on a clipcord rotary *drasticly reducing motor life*

i have read that the 3.5jacks used to give issues after a while , spaulding and rogers used to have problems with their rotaries back in the day
i have used the 3.5 in a few machines ; but indeed they need to be vertical and with an angled connection else with a to heavy cable you can loose connection
my new model with a brushless motor will be using the 3.5jack placed vertical
off topic: Dig the Avatar bro! lol

[Mog]

I have a neotat with jack, the cable I got with it lasted a good two and a half years before needing replacing. Whereas I've gone through around 8 RCA in the last year-higher and lower end, I've tried loads, drives me mad. I also have an old dannys coil that's jack, no issues with connection, but as mentioned earlier RCA on coils work loose as you work.

[Jack Steel]

off topic: Dig the Avatar bro! lol


hahahah

thanks

btw did u ever make light rca cords?

i am working on microcord rca , the wire is 0.7mm thick innercore and 1.3mm outer
ive made quite a few testbangers and they hold up real nice

[Patrick]

I'm really not sure what all the fuss is. Takes 5minutes to make your own RCA cable, ten for clip cord. I've been making my own for most of my career. Yeah, some don't last long. But some have lasted over two years. Plus, it's easy to have a couple of spares always on hand.
That being said, clip cords were fine. I just hated the flopping. Especially when trying to line. 3.5 always seemed insecure and would pop out every time I'd try to move my cord around with the machine. I've been really happy with RCA so far. And when using carts, where you've only got one machine set up, a locking RCA is perfect.

[rjdadio]

I have a neotat with jack, the cable I got with it lasted a good two and a half years before needing replacing. Whereas I've gone through around 8 RCA in the last year-higher and lower end, I've tried loads, drives me mad. I also have an old dannys coil that's jack, no issues with connection, but as mentioned earlier RCA on coils work loose as you work.
Nice to hear that cable held up that long, but some don't. I drives me nuts that same manufacture of cables will be so inconsistent. I once hired a company to make cables for us....a big medical cable company. These were very nice looking Kevlar core ones that you could pick up your toolbox with one but they too failed at the end from the constant bending. We have found the angled ones last pretty well....just a pain to get thru the cable cover

[cagelavey]

the key to a good cord I think, is the heat wrap, you put around the ends. that's always been the problem with cords ive gotten, they aren't reinforced at the contact points and it always breaks/separates at the contact inside the sleeve.

[Joshuarowlands]

Never tried an RCA cord. Never really felt the need. I prefer clip cord simply because I use both rotary and coil and it just seems to make sense.


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[lab rat]

hey gents

check out this rca clipcord combo from worldwide tattoo supplies..

interesting...

http://www.worldwidetattoo.com/english/tattoo-products/tattoo-pedals-clip-cords-phono-plug25463

[throwhammers]

The on from worldwide is total junk. I had one (ordered one from Paul Reynolds but never got it, and got this as a cheap alternative). Mine developed a short in a week.
For adapterss, get one of the Tres Marias ones (rca to clip or clip to rca). They are small and very well built. It's what Dan Kubin offers with his machines now.

[fkirons]

The on from worldwide is total junk. I had one (ordered one from Paul Reynolds but never got it, and got this as a cheap alternative). Mine developed a short in a week.
For adapterss, get one of the Tres Marias ones (rca to clip or clip to rca). They are small and very well built. It's what Dan Kubin offers with his machines now.

Stay away from anything that worldwide sell. Nothing but cheap junk

[cagelavey]

Yeah I hate world wide. We have a couple head shops here in Indy that sell tattoo supplies to anybody! If you have money you can walk in and buy any tattoo products they have, experience or not. And all the stuff they sell is world wide products. So not only do they sell to scratchers, now they have local distributors pushing their stuff! Anyway sorry for ranting and highjacking the thread but things like this are killing this city.

[John]

Yeah I hate world wide. We have a couple head shops here in Indy that sell tattoo supplies to anybody! If you have money you can walk in and buy any tattoo products they have, experience or not. And all the stuff they sell is world wide products. So not only do they sell to scratchers, now they have local distributors pushing their stuff! Anyway sorry for ranting and highjacking the thread but things like this are killing this city.

The head shop out here sells superior tattoo crap to anyone too.