Best DIY power cable. Why not make?

@williewonka 

Thank you! I visited your site last night but didn't see the Helix instructions, which answered all of my questions. Disregard my last question, you already answered it.

So I think I'm going to make the cable with the items I have onhand, as a good practice run. May not even plug it into any audio equipment at first, but since it's my first cable, choose a sacrificial lamb with an IEC connector instead :) If it runs fine for a bit, I'll move on to trying the helix as I build a parts list of the things you mentioned. I have a good set of Klein crimps from my time in audio, and I use Cardas quad-eutectic solder so I think that will be ok? Also recently got a nice soldering station so that will get some use as well.

 Mainly I just need to procure some of the Sonar Quest connectors (for the price, I don't feel I need to look further, honestly), and the TFA wire, based on the equipment I need to cable.

Thank you again, and congrats on all your hard work!
Todd

Todd - the Cardas solder is as good as any I mentioned - it will perform well.

BTW: I have been using eutectic solder for the past few months and now prefer it to the silver solder because it hardens quicker, which I think makes for a better joint. The sound has not suffered at all, so it seems to work very well

Like you, I started with bulk cable. Once I tried the Helix geometry I simply "re-purposed" the wires from my Furutech and DH Labs cables as the Live conductors in my Helix Cables - and they worked extremely well  
But it did seem almost "criminal" to cut away all that insulation AND the  braided screen from the Furutech bulk cable.

FYI - the helix neutral and ground wires do provide a very effective screen for the live wire, protecting it from EMI/RFI and limiting the EMI/RFI from the live wire also.

So when you decide to make  Helix cable - re-use the wires inside the bulk cable you purchased

Good luck with your cables - Steve

" There is no logic, reason, or justifictation for not using spades on power cables and in fact use of such terminations can insure a proper connection, contact, and conduction."

You are just adding one more, unnecessary, connection point to the chain. Spades can come loose or break. Speaker cables yes, A/C power cords no, there is no need and no benefit.

@williewonka 

Unless I'm missing something, TFA doesn't seem to have 10 awg Mil Spec silver plated copper cryo treated (I'm finding the others in that category under the Belden name). Have you ordered that from the recently by chance? I can always email them to find out too, that's no big deal.

Todd - they are in the process of re-sourcing that gauge wire.

However - they do have some stocks left of the previous wire, but in order to purchase it you have to send them an email and they will setup a manual order

Here is the email they sent to me...

Hi Stephen,

 We are replacing this wire with 10 awg product that is of the same Mil Spec as the rest of our Mil Spec wires so although we do have stock we have removed it from our site. If you would like to order some Lyn can put through an offline order for you. We have 250 ft of each colour in stock cryo treated.

Alas, I do not know what that manual process involves - sorry

Try emailing them at - sales @ takefiveaudio.com 
- I had to put the spaces each side of the @ in the address to prevent this interface from removing it

A fellow DIYer could not get TFA to deliver to Bulgaria, so he sourced this  wire and reported excellent results
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Red-37-0-4-10AWG-PTFE-teflon-silver-plated-copper-wire-speaker-wiring-/171102498724?hash=item27d680efa4 

Hope that helps - Steve