My first ribbon speaker

[CoolbeaN]

I got so excited about building a ribbon speaker after reading all the wonderful articles that I just couldn't wait. So I built one using stuff I found around my office.

The "frame" is a drink mix box.
The magnets are from a Magnetix building set
the ribbon is scotch tape
the coil is a very thin wire I had for a different project.

Very very inefficient, but it actually sounds half way decent. Very surprising range.

[tinitus]

good start

[srinath]

Abso - freaking - loutely cool.
I have a similar one in mind using some serious magnets and the guts of the heil I just bought. But this is cool.

Now with the way your magnetic field is, the coils will get pushed outward and inward. That would in time tear the scotch tape ...
That is one reason the pleated diaphragm and magnets facing it works.

But hats off to you ... absolutely cool.
Cool.
Srinath.

[CoolbeaN]

Thanks

I found the extra magnets didn't do anything so I took them off. I built another one and mounted them on stands... Best 2 hours of wasted work in a long time.

[a.wayne]

Stands .... ...... nice .................

[geraldfryjr]

very cool !I did something similar years ago.It resembled a (mini-micro) maggie using rectanglar magnets from radio shack,monokote for the digphram and some magnet wire super glued to it using a balsa wood frame.Much to my suprise it sounded really good, and took every bit of 150watts without burning up!but it wasn very loud though.It was ony about 2 1/2" by 5 1/2" or so.But it was allot of fun to build and try. jer

[CoolbeaN]

Well I'm only giving this one like 15 watts, and if you turn it up it buzzes like crazy. It doesn't get very loud, but loud enough for an open office area.
Hrm.. balsa and monokote... you don't happen to fly model airplanes do you? That's my other hobby. Course I do that the DIY way too. I build SPADS.

[geraldfryjr]

yes,i have built many small ones.the only rc one i made was the eagle ll.but i never got the chance to fly it at a open field.i still have it but it needs a new motor and radio.it is another one of my several hobbies.when i get bored i just jump from one hobby to another. it's a never ending circle. jer

[Few]

Am I correct when assuming the side of the ribbon closest to the red magnets produces the low frequencies and the side closest to the yellow magnets produces the mid frequencies? If you could incorporate a few blue magnets you could reach all the way into the treble. Violet magnets would give you a supertweeter!

By the way, you might flipping one of your two ribbons over so that the red magnets are on the outside and the yellow ones are on the inside. Much better imaging with a mirror imaged pair.

Thanks for adding a bit of light hearted fun into this game which seems to get way too serious at times.
Few

[tinitus]

Try some medical "skin tape" instead
Having an office, maybe you will find it in a first aid box

If what I see is a roll of wire to get high impedance, it may significantly roll off highs, or if worse, most of its output

Maybe try and make it half as wide
It would no doubt play louder