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Zilch's AK Design Collaborative - Econowave Speaker

packrat said:
Nice to see that someone else uses the top of the freezer as a 'work bench'! Crossovers look good - what's the bottom end going to be?
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Heh, the freezer is the only clean space available in my disaster of a basement...
I should have taken more pictures of my "shop." Freezer = solder station, Utility sink = (with a storage bin lid on top) laptop desk, Dryer = parts cache (no, not inside). Hereafter referred to as "FUD." :smoke:

The cabinets and LF provided by a pair of very good condition JBL L56. I'm planning to do the upside down test first, with the leads coming out of the port (which will be sealed with tape :D ) and the waveguide and network resting on the cabinet base.

If that goes well, the final destination will be cabinet mods to accommodate the EWG, new binding posts, and L-pad. My trademarkable DIY trick for this project will be to have the L-pad knob sitting in the port recess, affixed to a "plate" at the inside of the port.
[DarkHelmet] "Everybody got that?!?" [/DarkHelmet]

:yes: :no: :tresbon:

Who knows if i'll be able to make good progress tonight.
 
HatchetJack said:
Question, would I be giving up much if when converting my hpm 100's I used the Dayton 4.5" x 4.5" elliptical waveguide?
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Too small, I'd say; that's really a tweeter waveguide, with a minimum frequency of 3.5 kHz, as I recall, whereas E'Wave's nominal acoustic crossover is 1.6 kHz.

No harm in trying it, I wouldn't think, but you're not going to achieve E'Wave performance levels with it. You can always swap on the "correct" waveguides for comparative evaluation.

Generally, I have to recommend sticking with the program here for initial builds; that doesn't mean we can't try other stuff as well, though, with the standard version as baseline. The larger Dayton elliptical worked for me and several others in KLH-17, for example, but good as the result may be, it's not E'Wave. :no:


von.ah said:
I couldn't wait for the 20 ga. coil from PE, so I had them send me the 18 ga. one instead. It was a little too tight (too close or over other connection points) laying down. That's a precision angle of orientation, mind you. :yes:
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Jack and I both prototyped using the 18 Ga., but settled on the the smaller one for "Econo" purposes.

"Where there's a will...," and your way works nicely! :thmbsp:

von.ah said:
Question: are there disadvantages to using solid 18AWG wire for the L-pad, input, and driver connections?
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None that would deter me from using it, if that's what I had, or all that I could get conveniently.... :guitar:

von.ah said:
Just passing through Berkeley on my way home from work I yoinked yer zip ties....
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You forgot to leave me that nice Vacu-Vice, apparently.... :pity:
 
Ok just a heads up here that might help a few out. I ordered my waveguides from JBL(Part# 338800-001) 2 weeks ago and figured id call to see if they had a tracking number. They are out of them and are waiting for delivery from manufacturer in around 3 weeks he said. He did have a few in mexico that hes gonna try to get expedited to California to help out but it might be awhile for them so be advised. He said that since this has been posted on the net they have had a increase in sales recently that wasnt expected(way to go AK:thmbsp:). So I guess my project is on hold for a couple weeks.
 
Revoke my DIY License, please!

Well, I was just preparing to clean up my crossover wiring and switch from the original econowave board, to the new Bi-wire board and made a discovery. The last couple of weeks I have been swinging to the tunes like a smuck, and now I see I wired BOTH pots backwards. Of course pin #2 is correctly wired at least, but where pin #1 should come frome the (-) tab of the driver, and attach to said pin #1 of the L-pad, then go on to the (+) tab on the crossover, it went to the pin#3. Coming from the crossover, the (-) tab should go to pin #3 of the L-pad. I had it hooked to pin #1, which then went to the (-) post of the driver.
What the heck was I listening to?

I am reasonably certain that this act without doubt tops Rex Everythings 16H vs H91 deal. Apparently I'll listen to anything and like it.:sigh::gigglemad:nutz::drunk:
Yeah, that's right, I'm the guy who said I could tell the difference in polarity of speakerwires. I'm surprised I figured out to sit in front of the speaks!
Russellc
 
HatchetJack said:
Just my luck,I was going to order a pair tonight."I cant have nothing"
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Do not despair; get your order in.

I've had them tell me "2 weeks," and they're here two days later.... :D


Russellc said:
Of course pin #2 is correctly wired at least, but where pin #1 should come frome the (-) tab of the driver, and attach to said pin #1 of the L-pad, then go on to the (+) tab on the crossover, it went to the pin#3. Coming from the crossover, the (-) tab should go to pin #3 of the L-pad. I had it hooked to pin #1, which then went to the (-) post of the driver. What the heck was I listening to?
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I wouldn't know, Russell, as I have never EVER done anything like that!

[Well, not yet this week, anyway. ;)

It half-ass works, is what....]
 
hhibrownsbac said:
Ok just a heads up here that might help a few out. I ordered my waveguides from JBL(Part# 338800-001) 2 weeks ago and figured id call to see if they had a tracking number. They are out of them and are waiting for delivery from manufacturer in around 3 weeks he said. He did have a few in mexico that hes gonna try to get expedited to California to help out but it might be awhile for them so be advised. He said that since this has been posted on the net they have had a increase in sales recently that wasnt expected(way to go AK:thmbsp:). So I guess my project is on hold for a couple weeks.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I ordered a pair Tuesday evening (EST) and the lady that took the order said they would ship yesterday and I would have them in 4 or 5 work days.
 
Zilch said:
Do not despair; get your order in.

I've had them tell me "2 weeks," and they're here two days later.... :D


I wouldn't know, Russell, as I have never EVER done anything like that!

[Well, not yet this week, anyway. ;)

It half-ass works, is what....]
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I actually had people over to hear this!

Russellc
 
ROSSO said:
FWIW, I ordered a pair Tuesday evening (EST) and the lady that took the order said they would ship yesterday and I would have them in 4 or 5 work days.
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Both times I've ordered they came just that quick. Very good and speedy those JBL folk. Welcome aboard, I'm sure you'll love the project.:yes:

Russellc
 
Russellc said:
Both times I've ordered they came just that quick. Very good and speedy those JBL folk. Welcome aboard, I'm sure you'll love the project.:yes:

Russellc
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Thanks for the warm welcome.

To keep in spirit with the "econo" theme, I bought a pair of eBay junkyard-grade Yamaha NS-1235 towers for 77 cents to econo-mize. I pick them up on Saturday. They have working 12" Yammy woofers, but I can't find any T-S specs on them on line. Probably use them in the short term to see how they sound. Maybe shop around for a suitable pair of junkyard-dog JBL 12" woofers.
 
ROSSO said:
To keep in spirit with the "econo" theme, I bought a pair of eBay junkyard-grade Yamaha NS-1235 towers for 77 cents to econo-mize. I pick them up on Saturday. They have working 12" Yammy woofers, but I can't find any T-S specs on them on line. Probably use them in the short term to see how they sound. Maybe shop around for a suitable pair of junkyard-dog JBL 12" woofers.
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Heh!

The E'Wave spirit in full measure.... :thmbsp:
 
Ok, as promised here`s some pics of my newly aquired L55s. I love the way these sound already , can`t wait to convert to ewave. I`ve upgraded the binding posts and will put them on some kind of stand or legs. The cabinets are a little rough so eventually i`ll reveneer.
How hard is refoaming? I`m pretty handy but i`ve never done this before.
Cheers, Steve.
 

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castlesteve said:
How hard is refoaming? I`m pretty handy but i`ve never done this before.
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Commonly done by AKers everywhere.

Get the right kit and follow the instructions. Unless you REALLY screw up, as in removing the original surrounds from the front of the cone, (you want the white Aquaplas to remain intact,) the job can be redone.... :yes:
 
Zilch said:
Commonly done by AKers everywhere.

Get the right kit and follow the instructions. Unless you REALLY screw up, as in removing the original surrounds from the front of the cone, (you want the white Aquaplas to remain intact,) the job can be redone.... :yes:
Click to expand...

Since you mention LE14A's - I have a pair with white cones (front and back) and foam surrounds that were apparently reconed with foam-edged factory kits in the mid 1980's. Nothing ever glued to the front edge. Do I now have a functional equivalent of LE14H-something, or do I still have LE14A's?:confused:
 
LE14As have an alnico magnet vs the ferrite magnet of the LE14H. They have slightly different specs. The latter has a slightly stronger motor and lower fs along with having more excursion capability. There are probably more differences, I just don't know what they are.
 
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