None of the inter-connects that I have purchased to date have had locking RCA's so I don't have any basis for comparison.

Since I have few mechanical bones in my body and don't have a screwdriver at hand, I could easily be wrong about this but isn't a screw tightened by turning it clockwise (looking from the top of the screw head)? Ditto with a jar cap?

If I am wrong, I owe Outlaw an appology. Otherwise, it would seem that turning the locking mechanism clockwise to open is counter-intuitive.

[This message has been edited by 73Bruin (edited May 23, 2003).]

Agree, definitely counter-intuitive. But that's the way they work.

The problem is deciding what you are unscrewing. Think about this (it occurred to me last week): You drive a screw into something by turning the screw clockwise and extract it by turning counter-clockwise. If the same thread patterns are transferred to locking RCA's (plug body as screw and barrel as "something"), then turning the plug body clockwise would tighten it and counter-clockwise would loosen it. But you can't turn the plug body because it's got a long cable attached, so you turn the barrel instead -- so loosening the locking RCA is like removing a screw by holding the screw in place and turning the object it is screwed into. Intuitive? Hardly. But it would allow them to use existing machine tools to thread the body and barrel.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

gonk:

Your explanation sounds reasonable, and it matches a few items that I have had where you have to turn a barrel.

However, I still believe that putting some indication on the cables of the way to tighten or remove seems like a relatively easy and potentially cheap way for Outlaw to help protect their customers from making an error that might damage an expensive piece of equipment like a 950 or 770.

[This message has been edited by 73Bruin (edited May 27, 2003).]

There is a conspicuous warning sheet packed with the cables explaining the proper procedure to utilize, and that ignoring the info could result in damage to your equipment.

I think that I will start a petition for the U.S. government to outlaw (no pun) RCA connectors RETROACTIVELY, that is, any manufacturer who has used them whenever must immediately change out every one on every unit sold with the much superior BNC connector. They must also swap out all interconnects with RCAs with ones with BNCs. It'll give George B something to do here at home

I'm, like, totally with Soundhound on this, like, ya know. Totally.

I would like to add that as a settlement for mental anguish (for having to deal with the much inferior RCA plugs and jacks for so many long painful years), the BNCs will be mil-spec: made out of nasa-audiophile grade unobtainium of an isotope that maintains quantum temporal alignment acrost all frequencies of audiophile interest.

p.s.

I have, or can readilly get my hands on, so much old equipment that when I get my mil-spec BNC connectors, I can sell them on the used market and make a killing.


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the 1derful1

[This message has been edited by Paul J. Stiles (edited May 27, 2003).]

I just rcvd some 0.5m PSCs. There were no instructions, to start with - makes me mad.
Let me ask this simple question. Does unscrewing the barrel, loosen the grip of the plug. if that is so, then should this be the operating procedure:
1. To insert the cable, unscrew the silver part. insert the plug into the RCA socket on your equipmnent.
2. screw the silver barrel on, to tighten the connection.

I for one is going to try this on my old VCR, to make sure that I have the hang of this before I go and ruin my new sony DVD player.

--taizoon

taizoon -- Unscrewing the barrel a couple of twists (until it is level or slightly forward of the gold collar beneath it) will unlock the RCA. Then screwing it back down so that it looks like this will lock it.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Hi Khaled,

If you are still trying to get those locking PCA's off of your components you MIGHT want to try the following: Grab a pair of pliars, and using a piece of cloth to protect the plug, rotate the silver plug clockwise while holding onto the gold portion of the plug with your hand. The pliars will make it easy to apply a lot more torque than your hand can, so start with a light amount of pressure, you probably don't want to hurt your cables.

Ryan