Damaged Fostex Center Cap - Help!

[AnaKinDV8]

Im feelling real bad, i work on my first DIY - a Frugel Horn, and after finishing the cabinet (a real labor of love) and mounting the drivers i find the center caps pressed in - ive only listened to it for a couple of hours! The culprit - my two year old daughter. It was my fault of course, i should have known better than to just leave those lovely round seemingly soft things exposed like that. While i haven't had the courage to listen to them again, id like to know the extent of the damage and if there's any remedy to this. Is there a way to pop them out again? Is replacing possible? Id hate to leave them like that even if there's no effect on sound. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[AnaKinDV8]

Found a solution, ill post it anyway for those with the same problem:

Fostex 127E phase plug install

[Cal Weldon]

You can sometimes pull them out with double sided tape, a vacuum, silly putty, ticky tack, your lips, a curved pin or by blowing or poking from the back through the vent hole.

If you are going to the trouble of pulling the dust cap, talk to planet10 Dave about getting some pole fillers, I mean phase plugs.

[planet10]

The nature of the caps on the dustcaps of the FE126/127 is such that a dent like this is indeed an excuse to install phase plugs. You do have the option of trying to find something you can use as a new dustcap once you have removed the old one (very carefully).

Do note that you will gain in sonics (with a stock driver -- an EnABLed driver much less so) at the expense of reducing the excursion capability in the bass. That shouldn't be a big issue with a horn loaded FE126 as it is with the nominally BR loaded FE127.

dave

[Graham Maynard]

Domes, bass, FR, it does not matter, why is it kids always go for the centre ?

I have used gaffa/duct tape types. A short sharp jerk can often pull a dinge out, and then I would slowly pull the tape off afterwards; but this cannot be used on all dome surfaces.

I have also had success with a domestic vacuum cleaner using a rigid card tube made to fit the entire dome and sealed to the hose with sticky tape. I made a hole in the tube to bleed suction and then momentarily applied my finger to cause a sharp increase in suction.

The hose etc. has much volume, so it is necessary to apply and then *pull* your finger off again after increasing delays until the suction becomes just sufficient to pop the dinge back out again. Crease marks often remain but do not seem to affect reproduction as long as the original shape is approximated.

If these methods don't work or do not appear acceptable then dust cap surgery would be necessary,
whereafter you might even end up thanking your little one for making you do something you might not have otherwise dared to attempt.

If you can build a cabinet - you can fit a phase plug.

Cheers ............... Graham.

[AnaKinDV8]

Thanks for all the inputs guys. Its such a relief to know all my efforts have not gone to waste, and in fact there's much more to be done with EnABling and the phase plug. While popping it out seems doable and the simplest solution, there's always my precious daughter and there are no guarantees. So anyone care to spare me the lengthy search and share the phase plug dimensions?

Btw ive since moved the horns to the study (where there's limited 2-year old activities) and im listening to them again. I love how they improve over the break in period - what a revelation. I am now trying to resist studying those Dallas and Austin plans, the 8" Fostex 206e's are just looking so right for my living area....

[loninappleton]

Mesh grilles installed permanently with the trim ring can protect the
center of the speaker. Some grille assemblies have removable centers
for listening and then replace for protection.