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fEARful™ Part Twelve (12)

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#161
Thanks, BurningSkies. I'm debating NOT using the printed circuit boards. Obviously, they are conductive and very sensitive to component placement, solder bridges, screws in the wrong place, etc.

Putting the components on wood (like most others have done) seems like a much safer bet to me. Very little chance of an inadvertant short circuit. Plus, then I can lay out the components differently. Whether it be for ease of wiring, cooling, etc. I will be securing the components with zip ties and a hot glue gun.

Switch? To shut off the tweet? I have the L-pad for that. What am I missing?
 
#162
mikeddd said:
Thanks, BurningSkies. I'm debating NOT using the printed circuit boards. Obviously, they are conductive and very sensitive to component placement, solder bridges, screws in the wrong place, etc.

Putting the components on wood (like most others have done) seems like a much safer bet to me. Very little chance of an inadvertant short circuit. Plus, then I can lay out the components differently. Whether it be for ease of wiring, cooling, etc. I will be securing the components with zip ties and a hot glue gun.

Switch? To shut off the tweet? I have the L-pad for that. What am I missing?
Click to expand...

A switch if you're possibly going to use a sub cab with your 15/6. That way you can take the L-Pad for the mid in and out of the circuit if you want. Remember, with resistors (the L Pad) you don't want them hot glued to the board if you can avoid it. I used Hunt resistors that were screw-mount then raised them off the board to create air flow beneath them. Also, spade connectors or the like in between the different boards and where you'd insert a switch makes for much easier tweaking later on if you need.
 
#163
The problem was not PCB or difficulty. It was misunderstanding the Speakon wiring convention, correct? Either way, the basic crossovers are not that tough unless one gets it all blown out of proportion in their mind. Color coding wire with colored tape or colored magic markers or whatever and just building the flow like the schematics makes things easy. Using the PCBs, it's a little different but there's that Sundogue photo with labeling on it to clarify what is what.
 
#164
greenboy said:
The problem was not PCB or difficulty. It was misunderstanding the Speakon wiring convention, correct?
Click to expand...

That's exactly what it was. If I had known how to hook up to the Speakon jack, it would have worked the from the get-go. I just started doubting my wiring/soldering skills when it didn't immediately work.

Don't be afraid of the crossover! If I can do it, anybody can!:bassist:
 
#165
#166
ronaldpdbrandt said:
So, you're saying I should twist the positives together for both speakers and the negatives together for both speakers, then put them both onto the +1/-1 spades only? If so, I'm beginning to see light at the end of this tunnel!

Yes, now it makes sense! then the #2s go out to the #1s on the other jack, to go out to another cab, right?
Click to expand...

Just to clarify. Your speakons get +1/-1 to the main in on the crossover. From there the +1 feeds each of the filters, low pass & high pass, and tweet if you're using it. The -1 is the ground.

Parallel to the +1/-1 of your second speakon so that you can plug into either or use either for daisy chaining.

Passinwind said:
Nope. You need to parallel connect both sets of 1+ 1- terminals.
Click to expand...

This.

mikeddd said:
Thanks, guys. The L-pad for the mid is just the 5 big resistors (white rectangle "pack of gum" components) correct? I assume there's a schematic of this on GB's forums/website? They are blocked at work, unfortunately.

I found this tutorial for crossover assembly. It was in fEARful Part V. Great guide!
‪Parts Express - DIY TriTrix Destroyer Speaker Crossover Assembly Video - Parts Express‬‏ - YouTube
Click to expand...

Yes, that's the L-Pad for the mid...and where the switch becomes involved if you're going to use one.
 
#167
Anyone have any pics or schematic of where the mid L-pad bypass switch goes? I'd rather just put it in now then have to open the cab up later, should I need it.

Thanks for the tip about not hot-gluing the L-pad resistors, BurningSkies. I was going to do just that. :o Do they really get hot enough to melt glue? That's pretty hot. I guess I will just use zip ties as that's what everyone else (who doesn't have the resistors w/the screw holes) uses.
 
#168
mikeddd said:
Anyone have any pics or schematic of where the mid L-pad bypass switch goes? I'd rather just put it in now then have to open the cab up later, should I need it.

Thanks for the tip about not hot-gluing the L-pad resistors, BurningSkies. I was going to do just that. :o Do they really get hot enough to melt glue? That's pretty hot. I guess I will just use zip ties as that's what everyone else (who doesn't have the resistors w/the screw holes) uses.
Click to expand...

12+6_23.png


This is the CBG for the 12/6. It has the implementation for the switch, marked in purple...It goes in the same place for the 15/6, just the component values are different. Seen?

The connections on the DPDT switch are as follows:

3 ø ø 6
2 ø ø 5
1 ø ø 4

1 = Positive in to L-Pad
2 = Positive from high pass
3 = Jumper across to 6
4 = Positive out from L-Pad
5 = Positive to 6", (reversed polarity, actually hooks to negative at speaker)
6 = Jumper across to 3
 
#169
Wow, thank you! The schematic AND the pinouts for the switch. Please allow me to buy you a Virtual Beer (your choice of brand and drinking temperature :D )

I have seen this before; just couldn't remember exactly where/what it was. Many thanks.
 
#170
mikeddd said:
Wow, thank you! The schematic AND the pinouts for the switch. Please allow me to buy you a Virtual Beer (your choice of brand and drinking temperature :D )

I have seen this before; just couldn't remember exactly where/what it was. Many thanks.
Click to expand...


I originally laid it out by PM request for someone. I've posted it a bunch of times, but its easier for me to dig it out of my messages.

On the switch, the easiest way to remember is that the contacts pivot around the center posts.
 
#171
Just to clarify, the pinout for the switch is exactly the same on the 15/6 as it is on the 12/6? Also, does the fact that I'm building a 15/6/1 change anything with this switch? Thanks again very much.

Is this the switch I want? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Or do I want an "ON-OFF-ON" switch like this? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Final questions (for now): All three crossovers ALL get paralleled on the +1/-1 Speakon terminals, correct? Just want to make sure that the tweet xover doesn't feed off one of the other xovers somehow.

Where is the negative input on this tweet crossover?
fFhighpass.jpg
 
#172
BurningSkies said:
Just to clarify. Your speakons get +1/-1 to the main in on the crossover. From there the +1 feeds each of the filters, low pass & high pass, and tweet if you're using it. The -1 is the ground.

Parallel to the +1/-1 of your second speakon so that you can plug into either or use either for daisy chaining.
Click to expand...

Yep. Think of the two circuits (1 & 2) in the speakon as corresponding to two separate amplifiers, or two separate channels of a multi-channel amplifier. Because really, that is what they are for. Two distinct channels carried in a single cable, through a single connector.

If you are just using a single channel of amplification (whether a mono amp, or one channel of a multi-channel amp, or the bridged output of a bridgeable amp), all you need to worry about getting into your cab and to your speakers (via the crossover) is +1 and -1. (Bridging may involve both +1 and +2 on the amp end, depending on the amp, but no matter... at the cab it should be +1 and -1.)

The purpose of +2/-2 is to carry another channel of amplification. It is convenient for bi-amping, simply because you can can get both channels into the cab with a single connector.

For the second speakon connector, just connect the whole thing in parallel to the first connector... +1 to +1, -1 to -1, +2 to +2, -2 to -2. So you can daisy-chain cabs together. (For you, most likely all on +1/-1. But there are ways to put some cabs on +1/-1, and others on +2/-2. Simple example: two mono mains on 1, and a sub on 2.) Just have to pay attention to how the two circuits are being used to distribute your power among the cabs, and the resulting load on each channel of the amp.
 
#173
mikeddd said:
Is this the switch I want? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Or do I want an "ON-OFF-ON" switch like this? [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Both operate the same (Double Pole, Double Throw).

Before choosing a switch for anything, I'd want to know how much current will be flowing through it. That small switch is 3A. The medium is 10A. There is a bigger one, 15A: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Someone else should answer which one is adequate for that part of the circuit.
 
#175
Frankly anyone who is the least bit uncomfortable with the basic crossover stuff should skip any switches until they have a working crossover and have gone through the process of making that happen. It certainly takes variables out of the "follow the wires to where they go" and the almost inevitable troubleshooting which unfortunately is not an experienced person in the same room, but someone who's looking if they are lucky at good photos on the internet, but often photos that don't show enough ; }

THEN start fooling with additions/options, AFTER YOU UNDERSTAND more. These options are certainly easy enough to add after the fact, and mainly pertain to things that might not be needed at first anyway. Hopefully you will have had some A-HA moments doing the basic working item first, which will aid you to get on the next plateau. I think it's more important to understand things than to just blindly try to build them; that's always made it easier for me anyway.
 
#176
I'm not ranking on anyone here, I hope. I'd love to tell everybody what they want to hear, but DIY can be daunting to first-timers, so I'll veer toward what I think they need to hear when the two are not one and the same. The satisfaction of doing the basic things and getting to hear them first without too much frustration - and how utterly they kick ass - will give more immediate satisfaction, and that will help when wanting to go to the more intermediate complexities.
 
#178
Point well taken, GB. It would be easy enough to add the switch later. I'm looking forward to getting started on the crossovers; I think once I start putting the pieces together the little light bulb will go off over my head (aka the "clue indicator"). :D
 
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