False rumor -> GPA to stop repairs of Altec products.

[BillWojo]

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...udio-no-longer-support-altec-products.380721/

This doesn't sound good, hopefully someone picks up where GPA let off.

BillWojo

 

[bowtie427ss]

Following Jay BL's business model? You'll sell a lot more of your expensive new drivers if you stop fixing the old ones.

As far as i'm concerned the real GPA left off a couple years ago. When the new blood arrived, diaphragm quality went south and prices exponentially went north.

It was a huge red flag signifying the end of Bill and Steve's kind of service and reasonably priced genuine diaphragms/parts.

Now, if Radian would just step up and make the 1228 in Beryllium...

 

[Fat Point Ja]

Out of caution, should I get a pair of diaphragms to keep on hand for my Model 15's?

 

[Nyjblbob]

Now, if Radian would just step up and make the 1228 in Beryllium...

Not only if they Radian would make 1" Beryllium phrams for the Altec's and JBL's, but if they can lower the price where they can sell them
for a reasonable price? Last I checked for the 4" Large format 2" throat JBL's they cost Mid 700's$ for one.
I spoke about them ,with John Wolf from Classic Audio Reproductions about it.
He uses them in his Field Coil conversion Drivers, using tired JBl 2440's and 2441's

And again, Radian makes their own Drivers with the Unobtanium Beryillium$$$

 

[bowtie427ss]

Last I checked for the 4" Large format 2" throat JBL's they cost Mid 700's$ for one.

You can get em from US Speaker for just a bit over 600.

That's really quite reasonable for Be diaphragms, Truextent and TAD Be diaphragms are 3 times that entry fee. Genuine Be replacement for a TAD 4002 is $1850.

Now here's the real skinny, Materion is the company that developed and marketed the Truextent Be diaphragms to fit JBL. Radian is now making Be diaphragms for Materion!

https://audioxpress.com/news/materi...h-end-truextent-acoustic-beryllium-diaphragms

https://materion.com/-/media/files/electrofusion/a_truextent_info/tds2003_bex4008_16.pdf

 

[elitopus]

Well they should sell their reguassing machine to someone closer to the east coast. That would be sweet

I figured they wouldn’t be around forever. The shitty thing is it will just make good working Altec gear go up in price even more. It’s good if you already have it, but bad if you want to buy it.

We have people here on AK that can do better recone work anyways. People like GordonW. I’d send a driver his way before I’d send it to GPA. The only issue is he can’t remag drivers.

 

[bowtie427ss]

People like GordonW. I’d send a driver his way before I’d send it to GPA. The only issue is he can’t remag drivers.

If he had the space, interest, and inclination, we should all pool our resources and put a magnetizer/de-magnetizer in his hands.

I bet there are some in industrial surplus in the SYR vicinity, just gotta find one that's suitable.

 

[Nyjblbob]

I don't really buy into the whole thing about Alnico loosing that much strength.
yea maybe if really hard driven, but most times if pushed that hard, the VC's would just burn out!
My 604G's while really in rough shape, when I got them, After the new cones, and fragms,
they play just as loud if not better than my mint Orig 604E's
Same thing with my 2231a's in my 4343's. no different than the Ceramic magnet 136H's.

 

[bowtie427ss]

When the poles become out of alignment, and it happens, they will need to be re-magged as part of the repair process.

 

[billyz]

Alnico losing significant magnetism is possible but not likely . Going out of alignment is more likely , usually from being dropped real hard. The only speakers I ever had go out of alignment were Ceramic magnet ones.

 

[elitopus]

It does seem like shifted magnets happen more with ferrite vs AlNiCo drivers. I have half a dozen ferrite drivers with shifted magnets, but only 1 AlNiCo driver.

I always wondered why GPA would remag drivers if it wasn’t worth it. They were doing it for free with any recone or diaphragm replacement. It’s not like they were making extra money from it.

 

[Selmerdave]

For what it's worth, I just called GPA and spoke to Bill since all of this hoopla seems to come from a single source.
I asked if they still servicing Altec drivers since there were posts circulating that they no longer were.
He said that was the first he'd heard of it and that of course they are still servicing them.

Don't believe everything you read folks.

 

[elitopus]

Nice. Lol.

 

[BillWojo]

That's great information! I was just relaying a post I had seen elsewhere. Whewwww!

BillWojo

 

[billyz]

I believe the reason speaker manufacturers use gaussing machines is the magnets are not charged prior to construction. Makes it easier the align the pole piece and frame. It is almost impossible to do when they are magnetised.

 

[BillWojo]

Also a alnico magnet field strength will collapse if not contained in a magnetic circuit. Once that happens it must be remagnitized. That's why there are warnings to not take apart a Altec driver. Ceramic magnets don't do that.

BillWojo

 

[Nyjblbob]

View attachment 2425827 How much stronger do you need?View attachment 2425827

This Alnico slug was removed, by me over 55 yrs ago, when i beat the crap out of the speaker housing with a hammer to get it out.
it's Still pretty strong. so how long does it take to demagnetize one??? 100 yrs, what %?

 

[elitopus]

Isn’t there a way to test the magnetic strength in the gap with no cone or VC installed? Altec posted magnet strength specs right? The hardest part would be getting a baseline. Unless the drivers could be tested the same way Altec did, and their numbers could be the baseline.

When GPA remags drivers is there a little strength scale on the machine? Just remag for 60 seconds like a bag of popcorn, etc?

 

[BillWojo]

I think the way the remag machines work is with a huge magnetic jolt. I believe there is a big bank of caps that are charged up and released into a big electro magnet. This is all from the little tidbits of information I have read over the years. I'm definitely not one to quote on this. Hopefully someone who has seen or done this before chimes in.
@Nyjblbob, that magnet lost a substantial about of it's power once it was released from the magnetic circuit. It still contains some residual magnetism.

BillWojo

 

[Nyjblbob]

that magnet lost a substantial about of it's power once it was released from the magnetic circuit. It still contains some residual magnetism.

Understand I'm not being combative. I always like to" Question the Science". It always encourages further discussion.
But Why? Because, I say so, never worked for me. All just in Fun.