DCM Timeframe TF-350 restoration

DCM TimeFrame TF-350 crossover schematic

I drew a schematic for the crossovers inside these things. It's for the later ones I'm currently working on right now. If I ever come across an earlier pair, I'll do one for those as well.

Lee.

TF-350 crossover.gif
 
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Here are the crossovers. I don't usually use the Pulse-X capacitors from Erse Audio, instead I use the yellow PEx series. It just happened that they didn't have the values in stock of the PEx that I needed, so I paid a few bucks more and bought these.

TF-350-13.jpg

The cabinets on these are made from some very flaky particleboard. Before I installed the foam lining, I took some wood glue and brushed it on the edges, which seemed to strengthen it up a bit.

TF-350-14.jpg
 
Agreed, baco.

And that crossover looks nothing like the one I redid on my TF-350's. Wish I had kept those. Great sounding speaker.
 
I found I could cover both cabinets using a single sheet of material 60" x 72". They sell the headlining material by the yard at a local fabric store, and it's 60" wide on the roll. I cut the width of the baffle (13-1/2") from the shortest edge, this made a piece enough to cover both baffles. With the large piece left over, I was able to cut that in two to wrap the cabinets. I glued the back and sides, then wrapped it around the front, and glued about 1/2" onto the front baffle. Had I wanted to wrap the whole thing and make a join at the back, I would have needed to buy an extra yard of material. The circumference around the top of the cabinet is 36", but at the bottom the cabinet tapers out and it's 39".

TF-350-15.jpg

Here they are both done. Now I just need to get some black cloth to make the sock from.

TF-350-16.jpg
 
Thanks for the write-up, Lee. This is my first post; I joined the forum just for this info.

Pardon me, while I go off on an audio-emotional tangent. I'm sure you all understand.

It's sentimental for me. My brother is a few years older than me, and in my early teens I'd bike 5 miles over to his place to watch SportsCenter on his "extended cable" lol (showing my age and his, here). He was a local radio DJ at the time, and listening to music with him was an experience I'll never forget.

His stereo setup at the time consisted of digital Onkyo components and four DCM TimeFrame TF-350's. I had a digital Pioneer stereo receiver and some cheap Fisher boxes...my stereo got louder, but his was just...better. Those DCM's were magical.

Times, they change, and my style now is more vintage receiver with a lighted radio dial and quadraphonic sound. His style? Well, he gifted me a pair of the TF-350's a few years ago, if that tells you anything. The other pair went to a family member...I'm going to try and get the foursome back together. Meanwhile, I'm in the beginning stages of refinishing the pair I have. I'm anxious to get them going again...they may not be the most glamorous speakers, or the most accurate, but they're special to me in a way no other speaker could be.

It ain't always about the measurable specs.

Thanks again for the write-up :)
 
Welcome to AK Dr_Jones. Good luck on your refurb. As you say, Lee's thread is a great one to light the path! Be sure to start a thread of your own and document the adventure!
 
-reverb- said:
Welcome to AK Dr_Jones. Good luck on your refurb. As you say, Lee's thread is a great one to light the path! Be sure to start a thread of your own and document the adventure!
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Yes as reverb stated. Welcome to AK!

350's are a great speaker. I preferred them to the 600's. Worth the effort imho 4sure.

Good luck and again as reverb posted start your own thread and get er done!
 
Thanks for your kind compliments on my thread, and welcome to AK!

Unfortunately, this project has ground to a halt. I need to find someone that can stitch the two pieces of cloth together. I went to a local upholstery shop, and they wanted $40 to run a stitch down the edge. If I had a sewing machine, I'd do it myself.

Lee.
 
I've been using these without grill socks for a while. I managed to get some made up, I just need to pick them up. At the moment, I just throw a piece of grill cloth over them.

tf-350-17-jpg.jpg
 
leesonic, setup looks great. Bet the speakers sound even better. Great work! Like the turtle. What are the other speakers next to the TFs? What are you driving the speakers with? I have a 3140 I need to recap after 36 yrs. After seeing what you could do with the 1020,3020 units, I wonder what the result for a 3140 would be? I knew Nad had something good when the 3140 impressed a friend who had Snell Type A's (Class A Amp, Denon TT MC).They played at a decent volume, with very good detail and soundstage. The 3140 replaced a Marantz 2230.
 
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leesonic said:
The cabinets on these are made from some very flaky particleboard. Before I installed the foam lining, I took some wood glue and brushed it on the edges, which seemed to strengthen it up a bit.

View attachment 672741
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I did the same thing with my TF-700 & TF-1000 cabinets. The particleboard on some of these cabinets will chip away if you look at them wrong. :D
 
I can't wait to get my refurb project started! The only local shop to offer refoaming wanted $130 to refoam both woofers, so I'll be following your instructions and will save $100 by doing the work myself. I'll do my best to document the process, and then post it all to a new thread. Man, I can't wait to get these babies up and running again!
 
Dr_Jones said:
I can't wait to get my refurb project started! The only local shop to offer refoaming wanted $130 to refoam both woofers, so I'll be following your instructions and will save $100 by doing the work myself. I'll do my best to document the process, and then post it all to a new thread. Man, I can't wait to get these babies up and running again!
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Welcome, Dr. Jones! Can I be so bold as to offer advice on restoring these?? New caps are a must (in my opinion) but the largest cap you can go with an electrolytic. The others should be some nice poly caps, I've had great luck with the Dayton 5% because they're spec'ed out at 2 to 3% and quite cheaper than the Dayton 1%'s.

And please, note the top and bottom of the woofers BEFORE you pull, and re-install 180 degrees. That allows gravity to straighten up a possible bent basket (mine were bent).

Take your time, impatience leads to mistakes. Ask if you have any questions, some great minds here.

I regret selling my TF-350's as much as any speaker I've sold recently, and that includes Bose 601 series 2's, INfinitys, CV's, more Infinitys....
 
Erse Audio caps are very keenly priced, and I've always had good results with them.

I still haven't got any socks made for these yet.

Lee.
 
I picked up a pair of TF-350s with bad woofers. Refoamed them but didn't use shims so they buzz. I decided to contact MTX Audio, the company that took over DCM, and they have new replacement woofers in stock. $50 shipped. Yes, I could have saved a lot of money by refoaming them correctly in the first place. But if you are thinking of taking the woofers to get refoamed, it might be cheaper to get new woofers. MTX was very helpful, too.
 
organicdonut said:
I picked up a pair of TF-350s with bad woofers. Refoamed them but didn't use shims so they buzz. I decided to contact MTX Audio, the company that took over DCM, and they have new replacement woofers in stock. $50 shipped. Yes, I could have saved a lot of money by refoaming them correctly in the first place. But if you are thinking of taking the woofers to get refoamed, it might be cheaper to get new woofers. MTX was very helpful, too.
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Same experience, with the same woofers, and had the same treatment from MTX. Basket sag seems pretty common on these, and that was why mine buzzed after a refoam, even using the test tone method.

If I ever find another set of 350's, I'll just buy two new woofers and call it good.
 
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