Small Format Symbiotik, Your Thoughts, Opinions, and Experiences Please

[Art J.]

Here is some pics from the stock setup.

http://webpages.charter.net/artj/802-8d1.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/artj/802-8d2.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/artj/802cap.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/artj/21597.JPG

[Art J.]

quote
"As far as i can tell from the copious amounts of literature i have gleaned, ALL of the systems produced by Altec using the 411-8A and 413-8A woofers came from the factory equipped with symbiotik diaphrams."

Hi Gang, my 9846-8a's came as shown in the reference with the 21597 aluminum element.
802-8d
Definitely not symbiotic
Does yours have the 21545 as shown with the 9846a ?? Altec throws us again.
I think yours is an uncommon exception.........................

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...ers/page11.jpg

[Art J.]

Hello Bowtie, Did you find out which phram is in your 802?

The 9846 info says it was also used for auditorium and
church applications. Not just a studio monitor.
That may explain the Symbiotik.
Apparently they delivered enough of them that way
to warrant printing the foilcal.
Would be good to know which environment they came from.
Buyer beware. Thanks for the heads up.

[bowtie427ss]

Hello Bowtie, Did you find out which phram is in your 802?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The jury is still out. I tested them for continuity and one is open, so i'll do a full autopsy of the dead one and dissection of the working one as time permits later today.................... with pics!

[bowtie427ss]

Victim number one has given up the ghost multiple times, note the previous repairs to both lead in conductors.



Victim number two is ready to give up the ghost, it's difficult to see in the pic but the lead in conductor on the right has a very definite "kink" about 3/16 of an inch above the adhesive where it passes thru the diaphram.



Sad because both domes and surrounds look pristine with no evidence of "hammer" marks or other signs of over excursion.



Both are stamped 21597 on the inside of the coil former. I think it's safe to say these were original to the drivers, at least from the date code perspective as these are "311" and the cabinets themselves are stamped with a 329 date code.

[Art J.]

If you want to try a repair, you can sleeve some
soldering braid over the cleaned broken end then a half a drop of
hot solder to seal it. Then attach the braid to the terminal.

I think you have the patients and craftiness needed
from your instrument repair skills

This stuff is actually high quality hollow braid copper.

http://webpages.charter.net/artj/braid.JPG

[bowtie427ss]

Thanks Art J, for both the excellent suggestion and the vote of confidence.

My folks owned/operated a Radio Shack franchise/hifi shop during my teens, and i vividly remember the desoldering braid.

Any recommendations for cleaning up the broken ends for soldering?

My current thought is careful scraping with an exacto knife.

[Art J.]

"My current thought is careful scraping with an exacto knife"

Yes, that's what I did. Careful is the word. My first attempt,
I was not calm enough, so I waited till I was.
One false move and its over.
I had the phram in a bench vice and worked under a magnifying
light. Carefully close the braid on with needlenose and use a
soldering pen with a little solder on it. When the solder starts to
flow in you must stop to prevent overheating. Too much heat
will ruin it for good. Too much solder will run up the braid.
A risky job, good luck.

[bigjunglejim]

Bowtie.... For my $.02, I wouldn't buy used phrams on ebay. Buy them new from Bill at GPA, they're not all that expensive. With new pieces, you'll know exactly what you have.

[bowtie427ss]

Bowtie.... For my $.02, I wouldn't buy used phrams on ebay.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think you misread OG's suggestion, when i still had all under the impression that the 802-8D's contained symbiotik phrams.

He was suggesting i flip the symbi's on eprey, and then do exactly as you suggest in getting new ones from Bill........................ which of course would be the only "sane" thing to do.

I'm going to give repairing the lead in's on the 21597 phrams a college try.

Since these 9846's have definitely been fed some power in the past and the aluminum phrams seem only to be victims of fatigued lead ins, i'm tempted to replace them with Bill's aluminum phrams if replacement is required. That would allow me to do some direct A/B comparing between the two types as i currently have an "extra" pair of 802-8G bodies on hand.