I've created a slightly updated picture / text version of this guide if you want to check it out: cruzctrl.gg/blogs/diy-cable-tutorials/guide-build-your-own-usb-cables-for-mechanical-keyboards
I ordered a bunch of stuff to make cables with aviator connectors off of aliexpress nearly a month ago, I can't wait for them to all come in so I can start building them, thanks for the update on this video.
@@jarvissaleh5383 I had to search for each piece individually on Ali Express and then waited a few months for it all to come in, so I can't really give you an answer that you'd want. Unless you mean just the USB connections, in which case search for " USB male connector" for the type you want. I went with USB type A and C.
A couple of points. First, the video about putting together USB cables is the best I've ever seen on UA-cam. Second, I realize that you are selling the male jacks and cable and all of that - and you deserve the profits for that - but I'm an 80-year old having to pay off a mortgage, so I would like others to carry those parts at lower prices. I greatly dislike buying anything from the anti-union employee abuser Amazon, and I don't want the two-year delay of buying those things on eBay from Chinese sources. Now, third. Why do you limit this to USB KEYBOARD cables? Those are the last things we need solid reliable USB cables for. Our main need is for charging, and secondarily, connecting digital, audio and video signals. And why do you feel you need to use mil-spec high-amperage cables for computer keyboards? Are your keyboards on gunboats or submarines? Yes, the standard USB cable of types A, Micro, Micro and C unplug with a person tripping over a wire. But USB ALWAYS does that. You don't have a mil-spec cable on any USB keyboard unless they use them in the nuclear missile launch stations. We normal, mortal civilians just want to repair the normal cables that always break on us. And maybe make something with the wire more durable, without going to 12-amp 4-conductor wires. I really want this third point explained, if you don't mind.
Have you had a chance to try a 3.0 cable? or even a micro to A or even type c? Just curious if you knew anything about 5 pin to 4 pin. Thanks for all the tutorial vids btw.
Bro HOW are you not more known with people? You have THEE content. I love your vids man. Maybe work on keeping you voice audio more consistent to the music you play during a forwarded segment but other than that there's pretty much nothing else. Keep up the good work my guy. LOVE THE CONTENT!!!!
i couldnt find my helping hand gizmo and burnt the hell out of my hands, mostly knuckles but got her done. Usb c could be tricky for beginners as it can be easy to cross solder and group connections together. If you want to learn and get the soldering supplies it is a great start. I almost threw it away when i had to put the paracord on the wire as the sheath would push back and expose the little wires inside and snag the hell out of the paracord jacket. I finally made sure the small wires inside were below the outside black and filled it with a dab of hot glue so the inside wires would not move as much. I probably did something wrong but what a pita the paracord cover was, as it was snagged so much it looked like a rat got a hold of it.
Heyo! I was getting stuck with sleeving the paracord onto the cable, then discovered the paracord I was using might've been heated in the dyeing process (it was rainbow colored) since it was plasticky and inflexible. I switched to a different paracord that was silky and scrunchy, and it worked like a dream. Thanks for your advice!
I thought the video instruction was cool, but then I saw you sell the kits and extra parts, at a reasonable price. That is awesome, I'll be buying this stuff from you for my next little project :-) Thank you sir.
Thank you for explaining how long the data/power wires should be and how the cable should sit in the housing! I forgot to "measure" those little wires and the whole thing came out ugly as sin internally. Next one should look a lot better now :)
The "little" metal fibers (that you cut of) are actually important, it's what makes the cable shielded. It's really rare but if by any chance some static energy or something get on the cable it could zap you're keyboard or even the pc. IT'S REALLY RARE but it's always better to have a shielded cable than not. ;)
please keep making such informational videos. They are truly inspiring and i learn a lot from you taking the time and effort to make these aweso-fab cables!
Amazing work man. Simple to follow instructions. Easy steps. And I absolutely like the cheerful voice that you have showing and explaining. Gives me assurance that I can also do this. Thanks a ton for doing what you do. Subscribed. 👍🏼
One thing I learned from creating my own cables, don't use 330 paracord, use 550 instead. I didn't have any problems once I swapped the included paracord for 550. Great howto vid and the kits are awesome other than that.
I love your videos. you really make it look fun and easy to make cables. I purchased some of the stuff to get started on my own cable, last night. I cant wait for it to get here. I am going to be making mines red black and white, and adding the aviator link. I'm pretty excited!
Your videos are fantastic. You are very detailed and pleasant to learn from. Thank you so much for this, I'm looking forward to practicing making my own cables in the coming weeks!
Somehow ended up on your channel but I love the videos! Great detail and easy to follow along. I joined your discord server as soon as I realized that it can be used as a resource to learn more. I'm excited to get started with making my own cables and watching your other videos!!
Just some constructive criticism, and you don't have to do this because I know how hard editing videos is, but maybe you could have a closer camera angle for the soldering. It was a bit hard to see, and I know how to solder but I remember how much I depended on seeing exactly how people did things. Other than that, great video!
Great guide! Sadly it seems like the mini USB connector is really difficult because it's so small and the connectors are so close together so I completely messed up that side when soldering so much so that I ended up having to order a new one from your store. Hopefully I can do better next time. The USB-A side was much easier
hello great video!! I need help, after soldered the cable when i connect it to my pc ,says device not recognized, i am using micro usb and type A , any ideas?
LOVE the CSGO skin refrence. just working through building my first keyboard and was looking at cables and thought screw it why not built the lot. great tutorial.
at about 4 min in you remove the guts from the cord. during this step would it be worth attaching maybe like cotton thread or a thin bit cable that you could then attach to your wire to assist in threading it through??
what ever happened to Clear USB cables that came clear or blue or purple tint? I wonder why they stopped being made and sold. I see some clear cables on ebay with older style tips but new USB-C ones you can't get clear blue tint or clear anymore.
Will a standard 4-pin wire carry USB 3.0 signal? I use a Drop ALT and use the second type c port for my mouse to make for an easier setup transfer, was wondering if a standard 4pin would carry enough power to power board + hub.
Hi! May I kindly ask how do you test the custom cable using a multimeter to check if the item doesn't short? I am still learning how to use multimeter.
Does the wiring order differ for a usb-a to usb-micro cable? I just put together a kit of yours and the devices are powering but not recognized by the pc. thanks,
Man, everything went well for me, until I tried to solder to the USB A connector. The USB C side went without a hitch, but the A side I tried for an hour and couldn't do it. I prepped the contacts with solder, prepped the wires, and then went to connect them and...nothing. The solder just wouldn't melt and connect them. The plastic began to melt before the solder did. After an hour of trying the USB connecter was unusable. I think my iron is crappy or something, I don't know what went wrong, but now I have to wait 2 weeks for another type A connector :(
if anybody is having problems with sliding the cable inside the paracord, put a little nob of hot glue on the cable so that it forms a rounded surface for it to slide even more smoothly, i've never had a problem but if anyone has this could help
I tried to make this cable, it worked when I tested it after wiring. But when i install the USBC housing, it gives my keyboard power but the keys no longer work. Not sure what the problem is? Maybe an issue with the soldering that might push the connections on to each other. Any advice?
If I wanted to make an usb-c to usb-c cable would that be doable? I've trying to investigate if that would be an issue or not as I started reading and there was some mention about setting one of the sides as a sub-device and if that's the case I was wondering I could make it in such way that any side could be a sub-device.
Hey Dude! Nice guide! Just want to ask a question tho, can any nylon braided PET sleeve do? Or only techflex is super flexible? I tried with the nylon braided PET sleeve but it doesn't have the flexibility and see-through characteristics like the one you have in video. thanks!!
Hey! How would you make this kit if you also buy the aviator connector. Would you sleeve it before and snip the cable in half or would you sleeve it after you attach the aviator
Just made my first custom cable and it only kinda works. It will transmit data fine but does not seem to charge my phone (although i get the lightning icon on my battery). Any tips or suggestions that i may have got wrong. Its an A to C cable. Thanks
Hi! I'm using your videos to build my first cable. You mention that you usually heat shrink the soldered connections. Can you detail how you do this so that it still fits in the housing please? Thanks!
It's a 3/8in inner diameter Polyolefin tubing. The walls do have to be incredibly quite thin. Not too sure exactly what the specs are, I believe I found the roll I've been using for years at a local electronics shop.
if im adding a gx16 connector in the middle can i just use a built usb c cable, cut around the middle then insert the paracord then put heatshrink to secure it instead of buying the connector and cable separately ?
I made one of this but i have no idea why my cable cannot charge my phone, when i connected my phone with a power bank, it charge the power bank by my phone but not charging my phone. I am so confuse with this. Even I changed the charging setting of my phone, it still not working
What do you look out for when done or what process do you use to ensure 100% confidence/testing in your cables? Too scared to straight up plug in and test cable on PC/keyboard.
I've created a slightly updated picture / text version of this guide if you want to check it out: cruzctrl.gg/blogs/diy-cable-tutorials/guide-build-your-own-usb-cables-for-mechanical-keyboards
Dude, we're still waiting for that reverse coil video. Well done!
100k sub goal haha
jk, iunno if you would call what i do "reverse coiling" but it's something
@@CruzCtrl Background music?
your soothing voice convinced me to try making my own cable.
blutch222 how did it go?
@@masterkahn1 still waiting on stuff to ship lol
@@blutch222 Oh lord... just ordered my stuff today.. hopefully it doesn't take 2 months to ship -,-
Tristan Gosselin I order mine a week ago it came today
How did it go
I ordered a bunch of stuff to make cables with aviator connectors off of aliexpress nearly a month ago, I can't wait for them to all come in so I can start building them, thanks for the update on this video.
what are they called bro like the connectors i cant find them anywere what are they called
@@jarvissaleh5383 I had to search for each piece individually on Ali Express and then waited a few months for it all to come in, so I can't really give you an answer that you'd want. Unless you mean just the USB connections, in which case search for " USB male connector" for the type you want. I went with USB type A and C.
@@GC3DC alright thanks bro alot a in one search USB type c and a male connecter
@@jarvissaleh5383 you're welcome but search for the separately, usb a male connector and usb c male connector
@@GC3DC thanks alot bro
Thank you for taking the time to create this tutorial. Excited to start making cables for my mech keyboard!
Glad to hear, best of luck learning!
A couple of points. First, the video about putting together USB cables is the best I've ever seen on UA-cam. Second, I realize that you are selling the male jacks and cable and all of that - and you deserve the profits for that - but I'm an 80-year old having to pay off a mortgage, so I would like others to carry those parts at lower prices. I greatly dislike buying anything from the anti-union employee abuser Amazon, and I don't want the two-year delay of buying those things on eBay from Chinese sources.
Now, third. Why do you limit this to USB KEYBOARD cables? Those are the last things we need solid reliable USB cables for. Our main need is for charging, and secondarily, connecting digital, audio and video signals. And why do you feel you need to use mil-spec high-amperage cables for computer keyboards? Are your keyboards on gunboats or submarines? Yes, the standard USB cable of types A, Micro, Micro and C unplug with a person tripping over a wire. But USB ALWAYS does that. You don't have a mil-spec cable on any USB keyboard unless they use them in the nuclear missile launch stations. We normal, mortal civilians just want to repair the normal cables that always break on us. And maybe make something with the wire more durable, without going to 12-amp 4-conductor wires. I really want this third point explained, if you don't mind.
Have you had a chance to try a 3.0 cable? or even a micro to A or even type c? Just curious if you knew anything about 5 pin to 4 pin.
Thanks for all the tutorial vids btw.
i wasnt excited for my kit to arrive until you said there's hi chew in it
a DIY iPhone cable like you mentioned would be a nice video for sure.
the hi chew is the selling point, imma buy a kit rn
Bro HOW are you not more known with people? You have THEE content. I love your vids man. Maybe work on keeping you voice audio more consistent to the music you play during a forwarded segment but other than that there's pretty much nothing else. Keep up the good work my guy. LOVE THE CONTENT!!!!
Gonna build mine right now, the Hi-Chew is very good aswell haha! :)
How did it go
You're awesome. I really want to make my own cable and there aren't many videos this good on the subject.
i couldnt find my helping hand gizmo and burnt the hell out of my hands, mostly knuckles but got her done. Usb c could be tricky for beginners as it can be easy to cross solder and group connections together. If you want to learn and get the soldering supplies it is a great start. I almost threw it away when i had to put the paracord on the wire as the sheath would push back and expose the little wires inside and snag the hell out of the paracord jacket. I finally made sure the small wires inside were below the outside black and filled it with a dab of hot glue so the inside wires would not move as much. I probably did something wrong but what a pita the paracord cover was, as it was snagged so much it looked like a rat got a hold of it.
Just received my DIY cable package. Going to grab some tools and learn from you. Thank you for the inspiration.
Heyo! I was getting stuck with sleeving the paracord onto the cable, then discovered the paracord I was using might've been heated in the dyeing process (it was rainbow colored) since it was plasticky and inflexible. I switched to a different paracord that was silky and scrunchy, and it worked like a dream. Thanks for your advice!
I thought the video instruction was cool, but then I saw you sell the kits and extra parts, at a reasonable price. That is awesome, I'll be buying this stuff from you for my next little project :-) Thank you sir.
Thank you for explaining how long the data/power wires should be and how the cable should sit in the housing! I forgot to "measure" those little wires and the whole thing came out ugly as sin internally. Next one should look a lot better now :)
Yes this is a very common mistake. You gotta have something for the housing to latch onto :)
You should try changing the cable on a mouse with a custom cable!
This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for! Thank you SO MUCH FOR THIS!
Glad I could help :)
The "little" metal fibers (that you cut of) are actually important, it's what makes the cable shielded. It's really rare but if by any chance some static energy or something get on the cable it could zap you're keyboard or even the pc. IT'S REALLY RARE but it's always better to have a shielded cable than not. ;)
Just finished my first CruzCtrl cable and it turned out glorious. Thanks for the great videos and products.
Your Soldering is Great but i would use the outer shield as a drain wire too, connected to the metal connectors
please keep making such informational videos. They are truly inspiring and i learn a lot from you taking the time and effort to make these aweso-fab cables!
Nice, work this video inspired me to buy the kit on your site and give it a try!
Hope you enjoy it!
that heat shrink looks a little big for that. Usually we put it in before the connector. It should hug the cable a little tighter, I think.
My Guy should make his own podcast
Amazing work man. Simple to follow instructions. Easy steps. And I absolutely like the cheerful voice that you have showing and explaining. Gives me assurance that I can also do this. Thanks a ton for doing what you do. Subscribed. 👍🏼
Subscribed. You have some of the most fair pricing for parts. Dude thank you for existing. I tipped on my order:)
One thing I learned from creating my own cables, don't use 330 paracord, use 550 instead. I didn't have any problems once I swapped the included paracord for 550. Great howto vid and the kits are awesome other than that.
Whats the size of your cable and your paracord?
I just had a thought sewing a leather covered cable & tech-flex with a yc8 would look dope..
I love your videos. you really make it look fun and easy to make cables. I purchased some of the stuff to get started on my own cable, last night. I cant wait for it to get here. I am going to be making mines red black and white, and adding the aviator link. I'm pretty excited!
I'm watching this video until I realize that I'm the one who created your logo. lol
nice channel mate!
Yes sure buddy
my mans be lookin like Asian Andy
all jokes aside though, nice video!
cX
Your videos are fantastic. You are very detailed and pleasant to learn from. Thank you so much for this, I'm looking forward to practicing making my own cables in the coming weeks!
Somehow ended up on your channel but I love the videos! Great detail and easy to follow along. I joined your discord server as soon as I realized that it can be used as a resource to learn more. I'm excited to get started with making my own cables and watching your other videos!!
Just some constructive criticism, and you don't have to do this because I know how hard editing videos is, but maybe you could have a closer camera angle for the soldering. It was a bit hard to see, and I know how to solder but I remember how much I depended on seeing exactly how people did things. Other than that, great video!
This is awesome, especially the google spreadsheet! Thanks
Great vid my man.
Probably late to the game, but i just ordered a kit. I'm going to use it for the KBD 8x Mk II.
Can't wait!
just ordered a diy kit, hope ill make it as good as you
Love your videos. Would like to see one on building and programming a 60% keyboard
i've built one 60% board before, but I have a pretty crazy TKL Build im working on
Nice tutorial.
Would be great if you could make a video of making a USB C to USB C cable. Thanks
Great videos, thank you for all the information!! I have watched all of your vids in the last 24 hours :)
Glad you like them!
Literally just watched your old keyboard! I am about to order this stuff and get going thank you! 😭🤩🥰
Ay thanks! Hope your first build goes well. :)
was waitiing for this 😳
how long tho? lol
YEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! round 2 baby lets go
probably gonna be a round 3 once I get an overheadcam in the future too lol
@@CruzCtrl thats sick. the production value will be muey bueno
this is amazingly helpful tutorial! thank you so much 😊 can’t wait to make my cables
This is awesome!! Thanks so much for making this video.
This dude has smiles for miles
Dude I was just making my cable a few hours ago and was using your videos as a guild.
Glad to hear, hope it was helpful:)
thank god i found treasure. thank you for this video
Great Video! After watching this i got one of the DIY Kits
Wish me Luck
This might be a dumb question but can you use this wire for usbc to c?
once again you are a legend man. best info out here. thank you
appreciate it :) Thanks for checking out the video
Great video, I am wondering if I could use cold heat soldering for the USBs
I'd love to see how you coil/reverse coil with techflex on!
You never fail to disappoint me bro. All my DIY MKB needs is in your channel lmao. Subscribe +1
man this is awesome, thanks for the info! Keep up the good work
Great guide! Sadly it seems like the mini USB connector is really difficult because it's so small and the connectors are so close together so I completely messed up that side when soldering so much so that I ended up having to order a new one from your store. Hopefully I can do better next time. The USB-A side was much easier
Yeah I will say mini usb is probably the most difficult. I think the next video I’ll do will go over how to do mini and micro soldering and assembly
Hey, can I use a moderately strong hair dryer instead of a heat gun? Thanks for the awesome content :)
hello great video!! I need help, after soldered the cable when i connect it to my pc ,says device not recognized, i am using micro usb and type A , any ideas?
LOVE the CSGO skin refrence. just working through building my first keyboard and was looking at cables and thought screw it why not built the lot. great tutorial.
at about 4 min in you remove the guts from the cord. during this step would it be worth attaching maybe like cotton thread or a thin bit cable that you could then attach to your wire to assist in threading it through??
Thanks for sharing. 😉👌🏼
what ever happened to Clear USB cables that came clear or blue or purple tint? I wonder why they stopped being made and sold. I see some clear cables on ebay with older style tips but new USB-C ones you can't get clear blue tint or clear anymore.
Great video mate, thx for sharing. Question what is the best cable to buy and where can I buy it..thanks
I couldn't find a usb connector with a metal housing. Do I need to apply heatshrink if the housing is plastic?
Why do you put the techflex over the paracord? Can you put the techflex under the paracord?
Will a standard 4-pin wire carry USB 3.0 signal? I use a Drop ALT and use the second type c port for my mouse to make for an easier setup transfer, was wondering if a standard 4pin would carry enough power to power board + hub.
love your site, love your products.. just a shame I live in the uk as shipping is stoopid expensive..
Hi! May I kindly ask how do you test the custom cable using a multimeter to check if the item doesn't short? I am still learning how to use multimeter.
Does the wiring order differ for a usb-a to usb-micro cable? I just put together a kit of yours and the devices are powering but not recognized by the pc. thanks,
Man, everything went well for me, until I tried to solder to the USB A connector. The USB C side went without a hitch, but the A side I tried for an hour and couldn't do it. I prepped the contacts with solder, prepped the wires, and then went to connect them and...nothing. The solder just wouldn't melt and connect them. The plastic began to melt before the solder did. After an hour of trying the USB connecter was unusable. I think my iron is crappy or something, I don't know what went wrong, but now I have to wait 2 weeks for another type A connector :(
if anybody is having problems with sliding the cable inside the paracord, put a little nob of hot glue on the cable so that it forms a rounded surface for it to slide even more smoothly, i've never had a problem but if anyone has this could help
Love this content!! I want more :)
Wires on my usb cord are black, green, orange and white. So I don’t know what order they go in?? Any help?
What is the purpose of the tech flex? It kind of obscures the pattern on the paracord. Is it necessary?
this is very helpful, can this be use as a read and write cable for phones? :)
I tried to make this cable, it worked when I tested it after wiring. But when i install the USBC housing, it gives my keyboard power but the keys no longer work. Not sure what the problem is? Maybe an issue with the soldering that might push the connections on to each other. Any advice?
i like your DIY tutorial... now i have an idea how to start another skill... By the way are you Pinoy?...
Love the channel! JUMBO COILS!!!
If I wanted to make an usb-c to usb-c cable would that be doable? I've trying to investigate if that would be an issue or not as I started reading and there was some mention about setting one of the sides as a sub-device and if that's the case I was wondering I could make it in such way that any side could be a sub-device.
Hey Dude! Nice guide! Just want to ask a question tho, can any nylon braided PET sleeve do? Or only techflex is super flexible? I tried with the nylon braided PET sleeve but it doesn't have the flexibility and see-through characteristics like the one you have in video. thanks!!
My heat shrink has words and markings on it, where do you get "unmarked" heat shrinks.
Hey! How would you make this kit if you also buy the aviator connector. Would you sleeve it before and snip the cable in half or would you sleeve it after you attach the aviator
This is a specific cable for USB or a common 24awg/28awg cable to transfer data? I'll try to do one of this here in my country.
which soldering iron "TIP" are you using from your soldering kit you are recommending from the link?
if you happen not to wire it up right can it damage the device it gets pluged into
How much difference should there be between the diameter of the inner cable and the paracord?
Quick question, does D+ goes to D+? If so, does it applies the same for aviator connectors?
Just made my first custom cable and it only kinda works. It will transmit data fine but does not seem to charge my phone (although i get the lightning icon on my battery). Any tips or suggestions that i may have got wrong. Its an A to C cable. Thanks
Hi! I'm using your videos to build my first cable. You mention that you usually heat shrink the soldered connections. Can you detail how you do this so that it still fits in the housing please? Thanks!
It's a 3/8in inner diameter Polyolefin tubing. The walls do have to be incredibly quite thin. Not too sure exactly what the specs are, I believe I found the roll I've been using for years at a local electronics shop.
if im adding a gx16 connector in the middle can i just use a built usb c cable, cut around the middle then insert the paracord then put heatshrink to secure it instead of buying the connector and cable separately ?
can you use any type c charger on using the keyboard??
planning to convert my wired keyboard to type-c detachable.
i made a cable once and while i was using it once i heard it shorting out and then my pc shut off so i dont know if this is for me
I made one of this but i have no idea why my cable cannot charge my phone, when i connected my phone with a power bank, it charge the power bank by my phone but not charging my phone. I am so confuse with this. Even I changed the charging setting of my phone, it still not working
What do you look out for when done or what process do you use to ensure 100% confidence/testing in your cables? Too scared to straight up plug in and test cable on PC/keyboard.
You could use a multimeter to test that all your contacts are continuous.
with the tekflex on there, could you then coil the cable ? or can you coil the cable without the tekflex and with just the para cord?
Is there any latency on these cables?
what awg is the wire? i bought 28awg but cant fit it in 550 paracord