geekhack
geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => Topic started by: fenugurod on Wed, 22 July 2020, 08:28:34
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Where I can find good USB housing?
I'm looking for things like this. Metal housing at the USB part, not at the middle connector, that is easy to find.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.zfrontier.com%2Fpost%2F20191021%2FFhCUTuRs4Skt6AJPnZh0WhcbAJ6Q%3FimageView2%2F2%2Fw%2F700%2Fq%2F85&f=1&nofb=1)
(https://preview.redd.it/h0ccsnrbjac51.png?width=340&format=png&auto=webp&s=775ec72c6a55dd18d9441a468c56c74cdb68abcb)
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think the connector in the keyboard pic is a lemo connector (not cheap).
looks like digi-key carries some. could also check mouser electronics
did a quick search and zap cables came up (i have no experience with zap)
or search for custom usb cable makers
some fancy cable makers were also using older/larger aviator connectors (not sure of the brand)
- edit 1 - shy of buying a premade cable with metal ends and adapting it to what you want, i have not seen any bolt together metal usb connectors. the housing looks awfully large.
- edit 2 - ha, those came from melgeek
https://www.melgeek.com/products/melgeek-handmade-custom-usb-cable-type-c-mini-usb-micro-usb-cable-accessories-kit
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Define "good".
While those look nice, their size makes me nervous as they will put lots of stress on the port, particularly at the keyboard.
On any keyboard with unsuported cable, I HIGHLY recommend a magnetic connector. The other end, meh, it's on back of the PC or at a hub which I keep hidden anyway.
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Off the back of another thread talking about static electricity dangers, are metal connectors a bad idea?
I've always distrusted audio connectors where the housing forms part of the signal path (fancy RCA connectors seem to do this) as it just seems a flawed design.
Fortunately for the past couple of decades, I have lived in countries where static is not a problem.
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Off the back of another thread talking about static electricity dangers, are metal connectors a bad idea?
I've always distrusted audio connectors where the housing forms part of the signal path (fancy RCA connectors seem to do this) as it just seems a flawed design.
Connectors have the same issue as aluminum cases.
I suspect the reason no one grounds the keyboard case it is that from an electrical standpoint it doesn't need it, it's isolated from the mains or anything else. We're only doing it to deal with static from us, not mains power or lightning strikes. Keep in mind, as I always say, I'm not an electrician, there may be good reason for not grounding the case. I do ground mine, no one has ever taken issue with it and I know quite a few do the same.
RCA is only 2 wire and really meant to be limited in use and contact, however the ground/shield wire is still technically a ground wire in most cases or protected some other way (or at least you hope).
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Define "good".
While those look nice, their size makes me nervous as they will put lots of stress on the port, particularly at the keyboard.
On any keyboard with unsuported cable, I HIGHLY recommend a magnetic connector. The other end, meh, it's on back of the PC or at a hub which I keep hidden anyway.
This is a good point. That thing looks way too big to me. I imagine it would get in the way of everything around it on a desktop's rear IO and/or block what other few USB ports and video outputs may be available on a laptop.
Remember how I said I have never broken a usb connector? One of my giant rubber hose cables snapped the plastic off of one of the USB 2.0 ports of the front IO on my poor old gaming rig, from excessive weight over time. I think I'll only use those cables with relatively light hubs, or ports that are relatively close to a flat surface for it to rest on from now on. If only we had just stuck with 5-pin Din. lol
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there are two pre-built cables listed on drop at the moment
melgeek (https://drop.com/buy/melgeek-geekcable-handmade-custom-aviator-usb-cables)
space cables (https://drop.com/buy/space-cables-laser-aviator-custom-usb-cable)