Replace Jack
on Earbuds
Earbuds are small stereo headphones commonly used for MP3 players and other hand-held devices. They are more comfortable to wear than regular headphones and infinitely more portable. The small size makes them prone to common shorts and breakage if not handled carefully. Even cautious care of your earbuds can result in a short near the jack. You can replace the jack on your earbud headphones to save money instead of buying a new set.
Instructions
1. Take a sharp pair of scissors or razor blade and remove the old jack from your headphones.
2. Purchase a 3.5 mm replacement stereo jack plug from an electronics supply store. Search for one that contains an outer case and a clamp to avoid having to replace your jack in the near future.
3. Strip the red and green cables in your stereo cable with a sharp knife or razor blade to reveal an inch of exposed wiring on each cable.
4. Merge the two exposed copper wires by twisting them tightly together. This should leave you with only three wires: one green, one red and one copper.
5. Burn off any insulation on the tip of the wires by using a match or lighter to quickly heat the ends. This is needed to ensure you can make a proper connection to your headphones. Wipe the wires to remove any residual insulation.
6. Remove the outer casing on the jack plug by carefully unscrewing it. This should reveal three terminals.
7. Secure the plug to the table with the use of small locking pliers or other device. Ventilate the room before beginning soldering operations.
8. Solder the three wires to the terminals in this order: copper ground wire to the largest outer terminal; green to the center terminal, and the red to the remaining terminal. Keep all three wires separated when soldering-if they connect to each other during the operation, you can short them out.
9. Screw the outer casing back onto the jack plug.
Tags: jack plug, three wires, Jack Earbuds, outer casing, razor blade, Replace Jack