G'day all from sunny Australia,
I've read many threads in the this forum over the past few months while attempting my first stereo installation in my car, aged close to 60. When I say first stereo installion, it wasn't really, but this install involved my very first amplifier and subwoofer. Despite working as a Technical Officer, I have very limited knowledge of electronics (I'm more of an operator, rather than fixer, being a weather observer).
After working on the car and playing with a component speaker setup in the rear of my Soarer (tweeter placement) I played some music on my indoors stereo, only to find out that the tweeters were blown on my Wharfedale 510s. I found an article by a NZ member here, Dave Bullet, describing changing the tweeters on his similar 505s, but I've reached an impasse- I can't remove the tweeters (or indeed the drivers) from the cabinets, which are sealed (no screws or other fasteners). Can anyone here describe how drivers can be removed from older Wharfedale cabinets? Any help would be much appreciated. At the moment, I can't even order new tweeters (not going to get Wharfedales) as I don't know the specs. The label on the back tells me the system is 4 Ohm, so I'm working on the assumption that the tweeters are 4 Ohm also, the faceplate is 100mm so need to be close to that sizing also.
Cheers,
Mike
I've read many threads in the this forum over the past few months while attempting my first stereo installation in my car, aged close to 60. When I say first stereo installion, it wasn't really, but this install involved my very first amplifier and subwoofer. Despite working as a Technical Officer, I have very limited knowledge of electronics (I'm more of an operator, rather than fixer, being a weather observer).
After working on the car and playing with a component speaker setup in the rear of my Soarer (tweeter placement) I played some music on my indoors stereo, only to find out that the tweeters were blown on my Wharfedale 510s. I found an article by a NZ member here, Dave Bullet, describing changing the tweeters on his similar 505s, but I've reached an impasse- I can't remove the tweeters (or indeed the drivers) from the cabinets, which are sealed (no screws or other fasteners). Can anyone here describe how drivers can be removed from older Wharfedale cabinets? Any help would be much appreciated. At the moment, I can't even order new tweeters (not going to get Wharfedales) as I don't know the specs. The label on the back tells me the system is 4 Ohm, so I'm working on the assumption that the tweeters are 4 Ohm also, the faceplate is 100mm so need to be close to that sizing also.
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike, and welcome to diyAudio!
I'm not familiar with your speakers, but I'm assuming that the tweeters are glued in? I've never seen a speaker with drivers that could not be removed.
Are the faceplates of the tweeters metal? If so (and they are glued, and you are sure they are toast) then you could possibly try heating them up with a hair dryer this may be enough to losen the glue so they can be pulled out. Note I've not tried this so it would probably be best to see if anyone else can chime in with some suggestions 🙂
Tony.
I'm not familiar with your speakers, but I'm assuming that the tweeters are glued in? I've never seen a speaker with drivers that could not be removed.
Are the faceplates of the tweeters metal? If so (and they are glued, and you are sure they are toast) then you could possibly try heating them up with a hair dryer this may be enough to losen the glue so they can be pulled out. Note I've not tried this so it would probably be best to see if anyone else can chime in with some suggestions 🙂
Tony.
Thanks for the welcome, wintermute.
The Wharfedale cabinets are glued, not sure about the tweeters and other drivers. There is an alloy ring in which the drivers sit, I suspect the alloy rings are glued. The mid and woofer have radial slots which look like they might take a special tool, the teeth of which might allow the drivers to rotate out (which sounds silly, and they could rotate too far without pulling wires off terminals)... perhaps it's a "twist & lock" mechanism.
On another topic, I fitted an old subwoofer (made for the car, it was an option on my model though, had to take a blanking plate out) to my car's rear parcel shelf, the rubber/foam suspension seems very hard, and sub sound output minimal. Is it possible that the sub isn't moving enough (before I refitted shelf, it was vibrating, but cone movement was minimal)? I used the old sub because it came with the required mounting frame, making one for a new sub would have been a lot of MDF work, and in a 2-door coupe, with an old 1.9m/6'3" fella hunched up under the rear glass.
The Wharfedale cabinets are glued, not sure about the tweeters and other drivers. There is an alloy ring in which the drivers sit, I suspect the alloy rings are glued. The mid and woofer have radial slots which look like they might take a special tool, the teeth of which might allow the drivers to rotate out (which sounds silly, and they could rotate too far without pulling wires off terminals)... perhaps it's a "twist & lock" mechanism.
On another topic, I fitted an old subwoofer (made for the car, it was an option on my model though, had to take a blanking plate out) to my car's rear parcel shelf, the rubber/foam suspension seems very hard, and sub sound output minimal. Is it possible that the sub isn't moving enough (before I refitted shelf, it was vibrating, but cone movement was minimal)? I used the old sub because it came with the required mounting frame, making one for a new sub would have been a lot of MDF work, and in a 2-door coupe, with an old 1.9m/6'3" fella hunched up under the rear glass.
Welcome to the forum Mike.
Some of the wharfedales i have parted out -- particularily from the Rank era -- have decorative bezel covers which need to be peeled off to reveal the fasteners.
dave
Some of the wharfedales i have parted out -- particularily from the Rank era -- have decorative bezel covers which need to be peeled off to reveal the fasteners.
dave
Hello Mike - and Welcome to diyAudio!!!! 😀😀😀
I have some experience maintaining and repairing things Meteorological equipment wise such as radars etc. It's good to see another "Weather Weenie" around here.
Attached below you will see a rather unusual cloud formation..... 😉
Just an interesting formation - nothing personal intended so please don't take any offense....
I have some experience maintaining and repairing things Meteorological equipment wise such as radars etc. It's good to see another "Weather Weenie" around here.
Attached below you will see a rather unusual cloud formation..... 😉
Just an interesting formation - nothing personal intended so please don't take any offense....
Attachments
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Nice to meet you, Thomas. I don't have much to do with radars at present location, there isn't a weatherwatch radar within 500km. In the past I used them for windfinding i.e. tracking a weather balloon and target. Our main radar is from US- the WF100. We use them for windfind also at selected stations- the US-made spinners, which as you'd know are required for windfind mode, had to be remade here for our punishing conditions/schedules🙂 Upper air equipment at present station is a Finnish-made automatic balloon launcher. Horrible things, really, but our organisation loves them because they can get rid of staff
We were the overhaul and maintenance depot for USAF weather stuff so we took the dents out of the gear and sent it back out to the troops. Took care of the NAV/AIDS stuff as well. I loved the weather gear - real science there!!!
I finally managed to get the tweeter out. I poked around with my Swiss Army knife, and lifted what turned out to be a plastic fascia over the faceplate, exposing the screws. However, when I got the dead tweeter out, there were no markings on the magnet or elswhere, just a paper label with "0123 B MHR 10050 CB" printed on it. Searching was fruitless, all I could gather was that maybe the "0123" is the model number but no specs for it.
I also found one of my Wharfedale bookshelf tweeters was dead, when I unscrewed it, I found only the faceplate and dome were in place, the magnet had actually fallen off (it's only glued on to the back of the faceplate) and attached itself to the magnet of the woofer underneath. On the front of the faceplate, there was an oily, rusty fluid which I assume is ferrofluid, which was why I'd pulled it out. Again, no specs on the magnet, only a paper label. The crossovers (what I can see of them) look extremely crude, especially on the large cabinets. I can just see a large inductor, quite roughly wound, wrapped partially in what looks like masking tape, and the number "39" handwritten on it. It's all so crude, it reminds me of my days owning (and occasionally riding, when they were running🙂) British motorcycles.
I also found one of my Wharfedale bookshelf tweeters was dead, when I unscrewed it, I found only the faceplate and dome were in place, the magnet had actually fallen off (it's only glued on to the back of the faceplate) and attached itself to the magnet of the woofer underneath. On the front of the faceplate, there was an oily, rusty fluid which I assume is ferrofluid, which was why I'd pulled it out. Again, no specs on the magnet, only a paper label. The crossovers (what I can see of them) look extremely crude, especially on the large cabinets. I can just see a large inductor, quite roughly wound, wrapped partially in what looks like masking tape, and the number "39" handwritten on it. It's all so crude, it reminds me of my days owning (and occasionally riding, when they were running🙂) British motorcycles.
For me stripping audio gear has a lot in common with other things in life. There are things that are even better when the mask is off and others that you wish you had two mask on hand for them to wear - if you get my drift..... 😉
I've torn apart expensive and not so expensive gear - sometimes it is rewarding - and sometimes you find out just how cheap expensive gear is.....
This is one of the main reasons I enjoy putting my own gear together - I know exactly where I put the cheap parts!!!! 😀😀😀
"That needs ironing, Dear" is not an appropriate comment when seeing your wife naked.
"That needs ironing, Dear" is not an appropriate comment when seeing your wife naked.
Bring an extra mask - for yourself......
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