AR 7 external wiring...

[diksmuide]

can anyone explain why my beautifully restored AR 7's have to have tape over the external wiring?

having spent many evenings on the cabinets, getting them 'as new' and have sourced replacement grille cloth & badges...do I really need to replace 'like-for-like' the black paper tape covering on the external wiring?

I know it's the sound that matters, but it just seems criminal not to finish off with something less of an eye sore.

pls can someone explain why this method was/is used and if I can update using something more aesthetically pleasing...

stephen
belgium

[speaker dave]

I assume you are refering to the black electrical tape that covers the tweeter wires on the way to the solder posts. This is just the way AR built the tweeters in this era. Wires came out the cone rather than through the back and through the chassis. If I recall they were bare wires so the two layers of tape would insulate them and keep anything from touching.

Remember also that in this era grilles generally stayed on and speakers didn't look so pretty underneath.

If you want to find a more artful and tidy way to finish the wires, then "knock yourself out". They may be some nice insulations, "spaghetti", that you can find for the wires. There is no acoustical reason for the tape, its just electrical insulation.

David S.

[diksmuide]

david s.

cheers for being a font of knowledge...here in belgium it's impossible to find anyone..

the black (now brittle) insulation tape has been carefully removed BUT alas, the wiring underneath seams to have snapped? it looks as if the core is human hair thin silver wire, shielded with braided copper. what remains for me to work with is x2 'stumps' of this extremely thin wire protruding to a maximum of 5mm from the contacts to the ring of the inner dome.

was the original state similar to a co-ax whereby the sheath of copper actually assisted in the conduction process...? I cannot believe that the thin mtl. left was all that was/is required to work?

q. how to graft on extension as what is left to work with seems so small.

don't want to go down plan B route: replacement tweeters with rear connectors as the units themselves are in great condition and upto now sounded lovely.

can new contacts be established to anywhere else?


as with previous posts, am indebted to you or anyone that can help.


kind rgds
stephen
diksmuide
belgium

[speaker dave]

Oops, a shame about the broken wires. I'm a little confused because you talk about thin silver and also about braid. A picture would help.

If the wires are broken then you will have to splice on extensions. This is no problem if copper, but make sure they weren't aluminum as was sometimes used for tweeters. If aluminum you will likely need to crimp splice or conductive glue (yes, it exists).

You are at the limits of my specific knowledge. Please go to classicspeakerpages.net which deals largely with the classic AR models and search or post your question there. There are many knowledgable people to help you there.

David