DIY Altec 2 Way Build ala JELabs - 802/32/414

Do It Yourself
Next question: any idea where I can get replacement terminals for an 802D driver? I found a matched pair with sequential serial numbers for a Nice price. The seller, in his infinite wisdom, did not put any packing in the box and one of the terminals snapped off. Please see the attached photo. Any idea where I can get a replacement? Many thanks.

There always eBay...these are a bit pricey for what they are but look identical to the originals.

 
I have been hoping to reproduce this crossover in my own delayed Altec two way project. I have gathered the parts to make a high level version, including a pair of Altec crossovers to provide the small choke for HF equalization.

However, I recently unwrapped the crossovers and found they were 9849A crossovers, not 32343 crossovers. They appear to have the same HF equalization and are second order like the 32343. The only reference I can find is from an old Audiogon ad. The ad referred to the 9849A as 900hz And the 32343 as 1,500hz with Zobel. Description.

I haven’t taken the crossover apart to read/measure values. Any thoughts?
 
Roscoe, I believe the HF equalization components are identical in the two crossovers. Altec’s ads and literature regarding the 9849 indicate they changed the crossover frequency at some point but I am not aware of any change in the eq for the 802.

The small air core choke was the only part from the Altec crossovers that I ended up using in mine. I wasn’t able to find anything else that sounded as good so the Altec crossovers are worth buying in my opinion just to get that choke.
 
I would have to read or measure the LF components to determine the actual crossover point. I imagine without the Zobel a lower nominal crossover point may be effectively higher due to rising voice coil impedance. The LF of the 32343 crosses over at about 1800hz. If the VC impedance at 900hz is 16 ohms (as it appears to be from curves I’ve seen of the 414-8B) the effective crossover frequency should be 1,800hz if the same values are used. The 414-8B has a fairly flat response (in contrast to the 414A/Z, which have a rising response) even with the rising impedance. I can see a nominal 900hz crossover being -3dB down at 1,800hz If the amp doesn’t mind rising impedance, like a tube amp.

The 9849 was made from the 1960’s at least through the late 1970’s. I would imagine the later crossover with a Zobel network would achieve better response from solid state amps more likely in use by the mid 1970’s.
 
Next question: any idea where I can get replacement terminals for an 802D driver? I found a matched pair with sequential serial numbers for a Nice price. The seller, in his infinite wisdom, did not put any packing in the box and one of the terminals snapped off. Please see the attached photo. Any idea where I can get a replacement? Many thanks.


I’ve got a spare vintage terminal after one of our cats, in his infinite curiosity, wondered what it would be like to see an 804A on an irreplaceable horn fall to the floor. (Somehow one broken compression driver terminal was the only damage.) I removed and replaced both terminals, and I still have the remaining unbroken one—assuming I can find it. I was gonna charge a fortune and a half on eBay ... but it’s yours in exchange for your address if you want it. (It’ll be a better match to your one good one.) Let me know and I’ll get the search party going.



Looks innocent. Isn’t.

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Nice looking speakers Jim. I’d like something of similar size designed for close to wall (not corner) positioning.

I cleaned cat vomit from my right monoblock this morning. No damage. Bless.
 
I’ve seen the plans and they call for an Altec p/n for the port. I see you used a section of PVC pipe.

Yes. Now that I think back, I had to do a little calculation to match the tuning to the original cabinet based off the size PVC that was available. Sadly, I did not write down or save any of that.

I used a free program to calculate how long the ports would be at the size pvc that I had. I bought the pvc at Lowe’s.
 
Yes. Now that I think back, I had to do a little calculation to match the tuning to the original cabinet based off the size PVC that was available. Sadly, I did not write down or save anybought the pvc at Lowe’s.
Oh no!😱 You didn't source the tube straight from Japan? The stuff carefully rolled by hand over years by nubile unsullied virgins. One can see the inner fire when held up just right at the vernal equinox if it has the potential to allow all the veils the young women are wearing to be lifted.
You didn't really get it a Lowes, did you?
 
Oh no!😱 You didn't source the tube straight from Japan? The stuff carefully rolled by hand over years by nubile unsullied virgins. One can see the inner fire when held up just right at the vernal equinox if it has the potential to allow all the veils the young women are wearing to be lifted.
You didn't really get it a Lowes, did you?

Sure did. Hopefully I didn't lose any audiophile street cred with that confession. ;)
 
I’ve seen the plans and they call for an Altec p/n for the port. I see you used a section of PVC pipe.
The drawing isn’t quite to scale but close, with that in mind the tube would be 4 1/2” long (based on said drawing). You could use a port calculator too as @marantzfan noted.
 
The drawing isn’t quite to scale but close, with that in mind the tube would be 4 1/2” long (based on said drawing). You could use a port calculator too as @marantzfan noted.

I wish I remembered where to find it, but I recall asking an Ebay seller to measure the depth of his port tube. The number 6” sticks in my head, but I would check that by scaling from the drawing. The drawing gives an ID of 2.98”. The 3.33” counterbore suggests a 3.25” OD. This sounds a little like a heavy duty 3” cardboard shipping tube. I scaled off the drawing on my iPad with a tape measure and come up with 3” ID x 5.5” L.

@John Frum ran a couple Bassbox Pro simulations with a 414-8C that showed that changing the port dimensions with this drivers results in very incremental differences response.
 
Always a bit dangerous to scale off of a drawing, but I scale the port tube length at between 4.5 and 4.75 inches long depending on what reference dimension I start with.

The dia. is called out as 2 21/32.
 
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I measured from the front of the baffle to the end of the port.
The tube looks to be recessed 3/8” into the front baffle. I expanded the drawing so the 3/4 baffle was 1/4“ on my ruler and came up with the 4.5”. I can’t imagine 1/4” making much of a difference. @marantzfan can you stick a tape measurer in your tube and measure the length?
 
Always a bit dangerous to scale off of a drawing, but I scale the port tube length at between 4.5 and 4.75 inches long depending on what reference dimension I start with.

The dia. is called out as 2 21/32.

I zoomed in on the drawing at Lansing Heritage: 2 31/32” dia. 3 21/64” counterbore 3/8” deep.

I was able to scale the drawing 1:1 on my iPad. With a ID of 3” the total port length is 5.5”. That’s 4.75” plus .75” front baffle. If you follow the plans exactly, the port tube should be 5 1/8” inserted 3/8” into the baffle.
 
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