Bug Screens

I couldn't reach the screens on my 604's for some reason...theres a metal piece with some small round slots in it just behind the phram and I couldn't figure out how to move it. So all I did was the Markwart suggestion of removing the loading caps and felting the inside of the rear covers. I used the peel and stick loop part of some velcro I bought and covered the whole inside of the rear cover. It has excellent stickyness so it'll stay where it was put. I will admit it was close to a vast improvement in clarity and soundstaging although one other point was that when I opened up the push on connector phram the red dot was by the terminal on the right side of the phram and when I opened up the other speaker phram the silver L1 was by the left side terminal of the phram so for once in their life both the red wires from my crossovers are hooked to the proper terminals. I'm still trying to dial them in but I like how much nicer they sound now. :) Thanks Jeff.

Yes......felting the inside of the back covers is really very good for home-use, as it will mellow down that almost jarring Altec brightness quite a lot.

My Valencia's that I purchased new in the 70's did not come with bug screens so if bug screens were taken into account with the design the question is which design home or pro?

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Originally Posted by endeeinn

My Valencia's that I purchased new in the 70's did not come with bug screens so if bug screens were taken into account with the design the question is which design home or pro?

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This is interesting info..., at least for me. Does the Valencia use a standard Altec crossover or it has its own specific model ? Like many others here I am no Altec expert to know all these, but if the bug screens were taken into account, then the xover should be model specific.

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Originally Posted by RonSSS

I have done this on all my small format drivers.

I noted the biggest effect in the imaging.
Try this. Listen to pink noise from your listening position. Move your head back and forth a foot to either side and note the phasey sound.
Remove the screens. Note that for the most part, the phasey sound disappears.
The sweet spot gets bigger.
This is my experience.

On the 900 series drivers it's easy as the screen is simply glued to the driver face underneath the gasket. Easy to remove and replace if you so desire.
800 series drivers you have to cut it out with an exacto or similar. I suggest you remove the diaphragm when doing this and suck any debris out (from the front) with a shop vac.

Ron

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I'm going to leave my 802-8G's alone (Model 19's). I just can't bring myself to take a knife to them. However, from what you're saying it sounds like it will be easy to remove the screens from my 902-8A's (Model 14's) and reversible if I don't like the change. If I do like the change, I will still keep the screens in a safe place so they can be returned to their "home" i.e. drivers returned to their original factory condition at any time. BTW, I have never removed or attached a h.f. driver from a horn. Yes, I'm still very much a rookie in a technical aspect with Altecs especially as far as the nuts and bolts end of them--but hopefully not as far as the strictly audio side of them--speaker placement, acoustics, putting together the "right" combination of components for a great stereo system, setting the crossover EQ, etc. (and general appreciation)....... As far as "nuts and bolts"--I've recapped crossovers (and replaced diaphragms in my old A7's), and that's about it......

QUESTION ONE: If the screen is "simply glued to the driver face underneath the gasket" does that mean all I have to do is unbolt the driver from the horn and the screen is right there? Just peel it off and that's it? Or will there be a gasket in front of it that I have to remove first to get to the screen and if so, is that glued to the screen or will it just come right off?

QUESTION TWO: If I'm careful not to over-tighten the bolts when reattaching the 902 to the (plastic) Mantaray, there's no danger of damaging the Mantaray in this process, right?

QUESTION THREE: Is there any danger of having the alignment "off kilter" when reattaching the driver to the Mantaray or if the bolts are tight is it automatically aligned properly? (I'm assuming no need for shims, etc.) Sorry for all the questions, but this is a new tweak for me and if I mess up my Model 14's, I'll be wishing I wasn't tinkering/striving for improvements.....

Someone on the Audio Karma thread mentioned this. "I leave my screens in for two resons on the 802/808 drivers, I hate crawling bugs and removing the screen can cause the throats to resonate as it leaves play in the space taken up by the screen (the throat moves up and down without it)."

QUESTION FOUR: Anyone know if removing the screens will leave play in a 902 (and cause the throat to resonate) or since the screen in a 902 resides between the driver and the horn is that only a (potential) problem with other Altec drivers, not the 902 series?

QUESTION FIVE: Is the (glued in) screen likely to be ruined/disintegrate when trying to remove it due to it being glued in place or will it come out pretty easily and in one piece?

My Model 14's are in a relatively high traffic area of my house (the living room). For that reason, I keep the grills on them at all times except when listening to them. Then I take a minute to remove them, and promptly put them back on when done listening. (don't want something or someone accidentally hitting the exposed woofer or spilling something into the horn, etc. when I'm not in the room.....) I would think having the grills in place at all times would be sufficient protection from dust etc. and we have no insect "problems",

QUESTION SIX: The screens aren't really necessary for protection under these circumstances--correct?

QUESTION SEVEN: Are this many questions excessive--am I being a real pain in the @ss this morning? ;) On a side note (philosophical note--no pun intended) I guess I'm being this cautious before proceeding because my Altec collection (three pair of speakers--not a huge collection granted) is probably my most precious possession. I try to not be overly-attached to material possessions--family, friends, health, etc. all come first for me (in most cases!) However, when I have yelled at my wife for setting a drink on a speaker (the Valencias I used to own) she once commented that I love my speakers more than I love her. Not really true I guess, but I can't help but wonder if they'd be harder to replace than she would! (that's just wrong!).........

Thanks again in advance to everyone for any input. I'll be sure to report any audible changes (hopefully improvement) if any after I've pulled the screens. I probably wouldn't attempt bug screen removal for P.A. speakers. I'm guessing that a home hi-fi set up may have a lot more to gain (and less to lose) by pulling the screens (more critical listening environment with less debris and dangers for the screens to prevent) so it just might be a worthwhile tweak.....

OK, maybe six questions was a little excessive to expect a response! :) I think the answer to just three of them would do the trick for me.

QUESTION ONE: If the screen is "simply glued to the driver face underneath the gasket" (as RonSSS mentions) does that mean all I have to do is unbolt the driver from the horn and the screen is right there on the front of the driver? Just peel it off and that's it? Or will there be a gasket in front of it that I have to remove first to get to the screen and if so, is that glued to the screen or will it (most likely) just come right off?

Someone on the Audio Karma thread mentioned this. "I leave my screens in for two resons on the 802/808 drivers, I hate crawling bugs and removing the screen can cause the throats to resonate as it leaves play in the space taken up by the screen (the throat moves up and down without it)."

QUESTION FOUR: Anyone know if removing the screens will leave play in a 902 (and cause the throat to resonate) or since the screen in a 902 resides between the driver and the horn is that only a (potential) problem with other Altec drivers, not the 902 series?

QUESTION THREE: Is there any danger of having the alignment "off kilter" when reattaching the driver to the Mantaray or if the bolts are tight is it automatically aligned properly? (I'm assuming no need for shims, etc.) Sorry again for all the questions, but this is a new tweak for me and if I mess up my Model 14's, I'll be wishing I wasn't tinkering/striving for improvements.....

1, 4] No clue.

1a] None of mine did/do, so no clue what they're referring to. What it does do is leave a sharp groove that ideally needs to be filled/honed since it will cause some reflections back to the throat, though just smoothing it out with play doh or similar is sufficent.

3] The gasket is the shim and properly torqued, the driver lines up good enough for prosound and evidently the vast majority of Altec consumers. For the few, there's some audible wide spectrum improvement gained by ditching the cardboard gasket for a metal one and align honing the horn/shim/driver to tight specs to mimic the tight throat of the WE 555, using wax paper or similar for gaskets, or if you're as anal as I was in my youth and got a buddy with a machine shop, mill everything flat to tight tolerance and use a little bit of lubricant for gaskets, then DIY hardwood or similar alignment dowel to align them up if the driver is ever removed.

GM