Speaker polarity
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
Speaker polarity
I've got a cheap speaker bar in the back of the vette.
Wiring in it is very spindly but it doesn't sound too bad at fairly low volume.
Of course the speaker lights flickering might be a worse problem.
Crimped on some connectors, folding the wire to give it more to crimp; came out anyway. So I figured I'll just rewire the speakers internally.
3 speakers per side; woofer, mid, tweeter. BUT there is no crossover, just capacitors on the midrange and tweeter which are wired in parallel with the woofer.
The wiring is reversed on the midrange.
I find this unacceptable and shoddy workmanship.
How might I, with unmarked speakers, determine the correct polarity?
I don't believe the cap is electrolytic but haven't cut off the plastic covers to see.
Wiring in it is very spindly but it doesn't sound too bad at fairly low volume.
Of course the speaker lights flickering might be a worse problem.
Crimped on some connectors, folding the wire to give it more to crimp; came out anyway. So I figured I'll just rewire the speakers internally.
3 speakers per side; woofer, mid, tweeter. BUT there is no crossover, just capacitors on the midrange and tweeter which are wired in parallel with the woofer.
The wiring is reversed on the midrange.
I find this unacceptable and shoddy workmanship.
How might I, with unmarked speakers, determine the correct polarity?
I don't believe the cap is electrolytic but haven't cut off the plastic covers to see.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 45
From: Cameron Park CA
You can determine speaker polarity by taking a 1.5v dry cell, like a D cell, and using short jumper wires, connecting the battery across the speaker terminals. Make and break the connection and watch which way the speaker cone moves. Reverse the polarity and the cone will move the opposite direction. Mark the terminals plus and minus depending on which way the cone moves. Doing this to all the speakers will allow you to determine each speaker's polarity.
Cheers,
Pete
Cheers,
Pete
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
You can do it with a 9V battery too. You know the little ones from your TV remote? Touch the POS of the battery to the posts on the speaker. If the cone pushes out and stays out, you have POS to POS. If the cone pulls in and stays in, you have POS to NEG.
That's all their is to it.
That's all their is to it.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
Thanks guys,
I'd like to get it rewired and back in today since I'm off work.
Putting decent gauge wire all the way around first.
I'd like to get it rewired and back in today since I'm off work.
Putting decent gauge wire all the way around first.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,801
Likes: 0
From: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women TX
Internally I'm putting something like 18 gauge. 16 for the main feed.
1.5v shows me the woofer polarity fine. Used a 3.6 flashlight battery to show the excursion on the mid (bypassing the cap). Can't determine the tweeter so well. It's a mylar 1" dome with a cover affixed and grid. Even tried balancing a tiny piece of wire insulation on the dome. Guess I've got a 50/50 chance. Guess I'll wire them + to cap as the mid is set up.
1.5v shows me the woofer polarity fine. Used a 3.6 flashlight battery to show the excursion on the mid (bypassing the cap). Can't determine the tweeter so well. It's a mylar 1" dome with a cover affixed and grid. Even tried balancing a tiny piece of wire insulation on the dome. Guess I've got a 50/50 chance. Guess I'll wire them + to cap as the mid is set up.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Internally I'm putting something like 18 gauge. 16 for the main feed.
1.5v shows me the woofer polarity fine. Used a 3.6 flashlight battery to show the excursion on the mid (bypassing the cap). Can't determine the tweeter so well. It's a mylar 1" dome with a cover affixed and grid. Even tried balancing a tiny piece of wire insulation on the dome. Guess I've got a 50/50 chance. Guess I'll wire them + to cap as the mid is set up.
1.5v shows me the woofer polarity fine. Used a 3.6 flashlight battery to show the excursion on the mid (bypassing the cap). Can't determine the tweeter so well. It's a mylar 1" dome with a cover affixed and grid. Even tried balancing a tiny piece of wire insulation on the dome. Guess I've got a 50/50 chance. Guess I'll wire them + to cap as the mid is set up.
Because of how bright some tweeters are I have sometimes wired the tweets out of phase, just to dim them a bit. Not always a good idea, but you should be able to hear the difference and change them accordingly if you get it wrong.
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