Trigger cable?

[~Spyne~]

OK, here's my dumb question for the day....what cable do I use to connect the trigger out > trigger in on my PS Audio set-up (Stellar Gain DAC/Pre > S300 power amp)

Is it any 3.5mm cable, or specific connector / wire rating?

 

Cheers

[Guest thathifiguy]

It looks like a 3.5mm mono cable. I have one that came with my power amp and it looks pretty generic to me.

[aasza]

3.5mm mono 12v trigger cable, can be purchased from the likes of Jaycar for ~ $5

 

https://www.jaycar.com.au/audio-cable-3-5mm-mono-plug-to-3-5mm-mono-plug-1-5m/p/WA7006

Edited May 18, 2018 by aasza

[~Spyne~]

Thanks guys. I thought it would be simple, but didn't want to assume.

[~Spyne~]

8 minutes ago, aasza said:

3.5mm mono 12v trigger cable, can be purchased from the likes of Jaycar for ~ $5

 

https://www.jaycar.com.au/audio-cable-3-5mm-mono-plug-to-3-5mm-mono-plug-1-5m/p/WA7006

Does it have to be "mono" or would a 3.5mm - 3.5mm stereo do the same job?

[aasza]

5 minutes ago, ~Spyne~ said:

Does it have to be "mono" or would a 3.5mm - 3.5mm stereo do the same job?

 

Depends on the manufacturer of the components, most use mono but some specify stereo and then others ie: Parasound use a 2.5mm trigger.

 

If you have a stereo one just try it and if it doesn't work then purchase a mono one (nothing ventured nothing gained) kind of scenario.

[powerinnumbers]

I'd love to revisit this thread as I am rather having a difficult time here with 12V triggers.

The whole mono 3.5mm male jack to male is simple, very simple, until you need it to be 20 meters long!!

I can;t find any easy way of purchasing such cables and so i go about making my own.

 

Here's what I tried.

 

Using a test piece of wire , single core without shielding, I soldered a 3.5mm mono jack on each end, tested on my subwoofer and pre-amp very well.

So then I have gone to run a 15m and a 20m cable ( 2 subs ) through ceilings and walls, only to find this time it won't work.

I'm wondering if it's my solder skills or I am wiring it wrong, if indeed maybe i do have to use a shielded audio cable and not a single core electrical cable?

From what I understood, an audio cable works fine ( mono ) but the shielding is not required only the hot main wire, thus I'm using single core electrical.

 

Does anybody know exactly how to wire your own 12C trigger wire, I cant even find any YouTube on it.

 

[betty boop]

38 minutes ago, powerinnumbers said:

I'd love to revisit this thread as I am rather having a difficult time here with 12V triggers.

The whole mono 3.5mm male jack to male is simple, very simple, until you need it to be 20 meters long!!

I can;t find any easy way of purchasing such cables and so i go about making my own.

 

Here's what I tried.

 

Using a test piece of wire , single core without shielding, I soldered a 3.5mm mono jack on each end, tested on my subwoofer and pre-amp very well.

So then I have gone to run a 15m and a 20m cable ( 2 subs ) through ceilings and walls, only to find this time it won't work.

I'm wondering if it's my solder skills or I am wiring it wrong, if indeed maybe i do have to use a shielded audio cable and not a single core electrical cable?

From what I understood, an audio cable works fine ( mono ) but the shielding is not required only the hot main wire, thus I'm using single core electrical.

 

Does anybody know exactly how to wire your own 12C trigger wire, I cant even find any YouTube on it.

 

can make own, mono plugs each end and simple bell wire cable

 

https://www.jaycar.com.au/bell-wire-sold-per-metre/p/WB1700

 

 

[powerinnumbers]

Thanks but do you need two wires

[betty boop]

15 minutes ago, powerinnumbers said:

Thanks but do you need two wires

Of course. That’s what a mono socket has two terminals forward tip, insulator rear body. And 2 connectors to hook 2 wire cable up to 

[powerinnumbers]

yes but thats for purpose of mono audio, not 12V trigger. Why would you need insulator for a simple electrical pulse? Like in smoke detectors I use this same wire to connect all my units together for multiroom alarming. There is no shielding just a single core 12V signal.

As mentioned,. I tested with a short 3 ft cable and it works fine with no insulator. Unless someone can explain to me otherwise

[betty boop]

11 minutes ago, powerinnumbers said:

yes but thats for purpose of mono audio, not 12V trigger. Why would you need insulator for a simple electrical pulse? Like in smoke detectors I use this same wire to connect all my units together for multiroom alarming. There is no shielding just a single core 12V signal.

As mentioned,. I tested with a short 3 ft cable and it works fine with no insulator. Unless someone can explain to me otherwise

Welcome to do as wish. There no shield and I mentioned none. However every triggercable I’ve known some 35 years used 2 wire cable

[powerinnumbers]

1 minute ago, betty boop said:

However every triggercable I’ve known some 35 years used 2 wire cable

That's because they were made as an audio cable i presume. 

I'll give it another go today. Who knows, perhaps somehow I was using the wrong end and sending signal to the other cable . ( I really thought I made sure not to but I've done dumber things before )

I'll report later

thanks

[betty boop]

Just now, powerinnumbers said:

That's because they were made as an audio cable i presume. 

I'll give it another go today. Who knows, perhaps somehow I was using the wrong end and sending signal to the other cable . ( I really thought I made sure not to but I've done dumber things before )

I'll report later

thanks

Am not using an audio cable I pointed to jaycar bell wire. It’s just a simple 2 wire cable to connect between positive tip of mono plug each end and negative outer connection each end.

[powerinnumbers]

I get that but it is in effect an audio cable ( not a good one ) I wonder if you only connected the tip wire would it still work or not.

[powerinnumbers]

Went to Jaycar and he thinks the processor isn't outputting enough amps on the trigger wire to make it 15m

 

Integra DHC9.9 , from the manual

When triggered, the output from a 12V TRIGGER OUT goes high (+12 volts, 100 milliamperes max).

 

Whats the point of trigger outs if you can't go 15m or so.

[powerinnumbers]

My problem is solved!!

 

After trying again with new mono plugs, today it works. I must have had a dodgy plug.

So to put this to bed this is what I used.

 

1. 100M roll 1mm single core electrical cable 

https://www.bunnings.com.au/olex-100m-1mm-white-single-core-electrical-cable_p4430102

 

2. Mono plugs

https://www.jaycar.com.au/3-5mm-metal-mini-plug-with-spring/p/PP0116

 

No soldering required. All i did was strip the core wire about 1/2 inch , slide it through the pin and bend it back, then lightly crimp with pliers. It seems it does not matter if the core wire touches the other earth part of the plug either.

 

 

 

[bob_m_54]

I'm very surprised it works with only a single conductor, unless the two devices have their grounds connected via another cable. A voltage is only a voltage, when it has a reference, usually to ground. So what you would normally have is one wire as "trigger", and the other wire as "trigger ground", as in the schematic here.

 

 

 

 

The ring on the 3.5mm plug, trigger ground, connects to chassis, and the tip is the trigger input.

 

Pics are from the manual for the Integra DHC-9.9

Edited February 8, 2020 by bob_m_54

[powerinnumbers]

The sub and processor both have proper 3 pin grounded electrical IEC connections. Is that why it works? I dont know much about electricity

 

 

[bob_m_54]

6 hours ago, powerinnumbers said:

Went to Jaycar and he thinks the processor isn't outputting enough amps on the trigger wire to make it 15m

 

Integra DHC9.9 , from the manual

When triggered, the output from a 12V TRIGGER OUT goes high (+12 volts, 100 milliamperes max).

 

Whats the point of trigger outs if you can't go 15m or so.

The other thing I was thinking about, is that due to the low current during the pulse, voltage drop would be minimal. So even if the wire was 28AWG (0.08mmsq), the voltage drop over 20M is about less than 1V during the pulse, giving a pulse amplitude of over 11V, which should be ample. The main problem though, is the capacitance and inductance of the cable, degrading the pulse shape ie the leading or trailing edges would be indistinct. Using the single wire, and the common chassis ground, has probably overcome this problem?

[powerinnumbers]

You're telling the story

 

Yes I also worked out with the help of a voltage drop calculator the drop was only 0.8 volt over that distance, thus making Mr Jaycar's theory incorrect.

But it does work just fine, if something is incorrect it surely can't damage anything at those ratings.

 

[bob_m_54]

Nope, it can't damage anything. Glad to hear you got it working though.

[jmouss]

Hi everyone,  I just purchased a elektra 4 channel power amp.  I'm going to connect my denon x3100 to it.  When I use the 12v trigger port, does that mean when I turn on the denon, the elektra will turn on automatically?  Is that what the trigger is used for? And can someone tell how to connect. 

[betty boop]

2 minutes ago, jmouss said:

Hi everyone,  I just purchased a elektra 4 channel power amp.  I'm going to connect my denon x3100 to it.  When I use the 12v trigger port, does that mean when I turn on the denon, the elektra will turn on automatically?  Is that what the trigger is used for? And can someone tell how to connect. 

yes that is correct. you just connect with a mono 3.5mm headphone lead that 12V triggers use...

 

can pickup from likes of jay car or even make yourself or check ebay.... 3.5mm mono

 

[koputai]

Don't forget, if you use a specifically designed directional trigger cable, it will transform your system.

 

Oh yeah,

 

Cheers,

Jason.