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Altec XO recap experience anyone?

gogofast

gogofast

Addicted Member
has anyone recapped altec crossovers?
i have santiago and seville pairs that i'm restoring, and they sound really good as is now. these caps are glued inside the metal casing and looks like a messy job. any advice? anyone with cap values for these crossovers? thanks.
 
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I bought new caps to do my Nineteens but the things sound so good I just let it go.

I was gonna redo the crossovers from my old 605As but instead I bought an active. Easier and better for 605s. I wouldn't go active with Nineteens though, the Nineteen crossover has EQ built in.
 
878x Santiago = N801-8A for 806-8A on 811B plus 413-8A (A) or 411-8A (B) LF.
Click to expand...
Many of the systems using the 411 woofer also had HF compensation networks in addition to the crossover, my 9846's also have a zobel for the woofer. The comp/zobel are built on a board seperate from the N501 network. Looks like 878A used the 413 woofer and the 878B used the 411........ FWIW.
 
gogofast said:
has anyone recapped altec crossovers?
i have santiago and seville pairs that i'm restoring, and they sound really good as is now. these caps are glued inside the metal casing and looks like a messy job. any advice? anyone with cap values for these crossovers? thanks.
Click to expand...

I'd start over, that waxy tar substance they sealed some of those with can be really messy, I'd just design new crossovers with modern inductors and caps, just my opinion of course!! I've done a few crossovers in past 2 years;

Model 19 before and after;
Altec_Model19_Xovers_02-1.jpg


Altec_Model19_Xovers_01-1.jpg


Altec_Model19_Xovers_08-1.jpg


Altec 846B Valencia, N800-8K crossovers;
Altec_N800-8K_03.jpg


Altec_N800K_01.jpg


Altec_N800-8K_01.jpg



Altec N1209-8A;
Altec_A7_AKFest2005_N1209-8A_01.jpg


Altec_A7_AKFest2005_N1209-8A_02.jpg


Altec N801-8A;
Altec_N801-8A_04.jpg


Altec_N801-8A_02.jpg


Altec Santana;
Altec_Santana_Xovers_02.jpg


Altec_Santana_Xovers_01.jpg


Altec_Santana_Xovers_03.jpg
 
Hey, I thought you might have something to say about this! Man, I love those pictures! Nicely executed.
 
holy cow!:jawdrop:
you know, you're not encouraging me here...with those overwhelmingly well done xo's....i'll just change caps.
 
Dave, how's that last-pictured crossover doing for you? I bought a pair of them for my rebox-the-valencia in the distant misty future project... Are you happy with the results you've had so far with them?

I'm beginning to imagine you with wild hair and wilder eyes laughing like a loony person with flickering lightning skittering across huge wooden boxes...muahahahahaha.... That's pretty much your living room, right?
 
geaugafletcher said:
Dave, how's that last-pictured crossover doing for you? I bought a pair of them for my rebox-the-valencia in the distant misty future project... Are you happy with the results you've had so far with them?

I'm beginning to imagine you with wild hair and wilder eyes laughing like a loony person with flickering lightning skittering across huge wooden boxes...muahahahahaha.... That's pretty much your living room, right?
Click to expand...
Those 18db/12db - 800hz XO's work excellent, I'm thinking about putting them back in my A7's!!

That's not my living room, that's my basement, my wife can't get enough of my Altecs, she listens to them for about 90 minutes every evening while I work on light bulb orders, hmmm, what's wrong with this picture?? No time to enjoy my speakers!! Dave. :music:
 
dgwojo said:
Those 18db/12db - 800hz XO's work excellent, I'm thinking about putting them back in my A7's!!
Click to expand...

Very Nice!
Are those home-brewed or purchased? Very nice layout.
I'm looking for a pair of 800hz crossovers for my A7 "type" Altec's, and was going to build a pair. Can you give me any more information on those XO's?

Glenn
 
I did a total rebuild of my Model 19's xovers from a new design, and they sounded very good! Got all the parts from Erse including 4 new L-Pads for about $130. That was the best money I spent on them!!
DC
 
vfr800fiman said:
Very Nice!
Are those home-brewed or purchased? Very nice layout.
I'm looking for a pair of 800hz crossovers for my A7 "type" Altec's, and was going to build a pair. Can you give me any more information on those XO's?

Glenn
Click to expand...

I started with crossovers from PE, re-capped them, added an Lpad and terminals then mounted it with nylon screws to Altec Santana crossover chassis's, Dave.

PE 290-632
 
Thanks for that information!
Funny, I searched PE for pre-built XO's and didn't get any results for an 800hz crossover.
I think I'm going to actually just re-build my existing Altec N1209 crossovers to the N801-8A schematic. It's still a little less expensive than buying those pre-built XO's and reworking them.

Thanks again.
Glenn
 
vfr800fiman said:
Thanks for that information!
Funny, I searched PE for pre-built XO's and didn't get any results for an 800hz crossover.
I think I'm going to actually just re-build my existing Altec N1209 crossovers to the N801-8A schematic. It's still a little less expensive than buying those pre-built XO's and reworking them.

Thanks again.
Glenn
Click to expand...
Personally I wouldn't do that to N1209's, the 1209's had some EQ built in EQ for the A7 cabinet, the model was the 1236, I bought a pair of 1236's new in 1977, still have them. If building a simple 2nd order Butterworth, I'd just mount everything to a piece of wood, just my thoughts, Dave.

Altec A7's

XO_800hz_2nd_Order_Butterworth.jpg



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vfr800fiman said:
I think I'm going to actually just re-build my existing Altec N1209 crossovers to the N801-8A schematic. It's still a little less expensive than buying those pre-built XO's and reworking them.
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This would be a bad idea.

N1209-8A is the basis of the improved crossover Dc270 built.

Everyone should be using HF comp to shut down A7 midrange "shout" and extend the VHF.

N801-8A must be followed with 30904 or 30923 for similar effect.

See Markwart.... :yes:
 
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Altec_N800-8K_01.jpg


This is a perfect example of how not to install inductors.

First, mounting them with a metal bracket through the core will alter their value.

Second, one should be mounted on it's side so they don't "talk" to each other. Here's a good page that illustrates how coils should be situated. http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/coils.htm
 
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