Clarification on 803, 804, 805 & 806

**magnarc** · September 14th, 2014, 02:25 AM

Hey wise Altec members.....

I'm tidying up my database on Altec pricing, and just want to clarify the model numbers of the 803, 804, 805 and 806 series.

To my knowledge:

803 - May have been a tar filled multicell?? As the 803? H803? 803H?
803 - Was there a non suffixed LF driver noted as just an 803, or was it always an 803A??

803A - LF driver, three versions, the early (grey) 6 hole frame, the 4 hole dark grey crinkle, and then the later 15 inch frame, green, with the two piece clamping rim.

803B - LF Driver. The LF driver was renumbered to the 416A, with no real change.
803B - Open multicell horn, 300 cycle.

804 - Tar filled multi cell. I've seen 1 mention in the 1945 VOTT catalogue.

804A - HF driver, green, renumbered to the 806A with no real change.

804B - Did this exist as a HF driver?? Or had the move to the 806A happened before the 806 went B? I've never seen a photo, but I've made a note of two sales of an 804B HF driver, and a couple of the charts have it mentioned.
804B - Open multicell horn, 400 cycle.

805 - Tar filled multi cell. Was there just the one tar 805, or was there a version 805H/H805?

805B - Open multicell, 500 cycle.

806A - HF driver, generally green, later black, was the 804A.

806-8A - HF driver, generally black.

806-8B - OEM only version, being the later version of the 806-8A with a tangerine. See the thread 806-8b

Thankyou!

**bowtie427ss** · September 14th, 2014, 07:14 AM

806-8B - OEM only version, being the later version of the 806-8A with a tangerine. See the thread 806-8b

Prove it beyond whimsy.

Prove that a 23746 is an 806B with documentation, or citation from someone employed there during their period of manufacture..

Fact, not all have tangerines. Tangerines in 23746 are likely the minority.

**Altec Best** · September 14th, 2014, 07:27 AM

Fact, not all have tangerines. Tangerines in 23746 are likely the minority.

Fact the 23746 never came with tangerines.It was proprietary to the 9849 monitor before it was replaced by the 902. The timing is right and this driver disappeared when the 806-8A,B was designed and manufactured..And they are so very similar in size,performance..Another interesting tidbit is the 23746 came with only the 23744 "Lite" diaphragm.So IMHO the 23746 driver ended somewhere near '76-'77..

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bxpsbgncj...ull-page11.jpg

806-8A's are gray as well.

I'm not sure the 803 or the 805 had the H suffix. I think that was for the 1505 or the 15 cell multi's.

The 804A was a little different than the 806A. IIRC it had an even smaller magnet than the 806A..The 804A being one of the worst HF drivers that Altec made IMO.

GM · September 14th, 2014, 11:05 AM

If memory serves [very iffy nowadays], all early Altec horns had a 'H-' prefix to differentiate them from the fact that they were Lansing horns and disappeared when tar damping was omitted.

GM

**bowtie427ss** · September 14th, 2014, 07:01 PM

Fact the 23746 never came with tangerines.It was proprietary to the 9849 monitor before it was replaced by the 902. The timing is right and this driver disappeared when the 806-8A,B was designed and manufactured..And they are so very similar in size,performance..Another interesting tidbit is the 23746 came with only the 23744 "Lite" diaphragm.So IMHO the 23746 driver ended somewhere near '76-'77..

I would strongly opine that your information is NOT correct.

Either RonSSS, or Cal Weldon has also posted pics of both their tangerine and non-tangerine equipped 23746's

You MIGHT take a close look at the pics in this auction for a pair of 23746 drivers that the seller has ASSUMED are 806-8B's

Altec 806 8B Drivers RARE Version | eBay

There is NOTHING indicating 806-8B.

23746 is CLEARLY stamped on both covers.

They CLEARLY have TANGERINES.

**Cal Weldon** · September 19th, 2014, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by bowtie427ss

Either RonSSS, or Cal Weldon has also posted pics of both their tangerine and non-tangerine equipped 23746's

My ears they was a burnin'
EDITED:
IIRC I have 802, 808, 908 and 288's Do any of those match up with the 23746? The ones I have with Tangerines are the 908's and the tweeters in the 604-8H's AFAIK. I could do some research if it's needed.

**Altec Best** · September 24th, 2014, 11:31 AM

Yes the last 2 photos are a large format driver... The only relevant pics are the first 2 IMO.

**bowtie427ss** · September 24th, 2014, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Altec Best

Yes the last 2 photos are a large format driver... Thew only relevant pics are the first 2 IMO.

............. and they are from the ebay auction you posted earlier in this thread AB.

Check my last post on page 4. ............... and add this correction because i'm losing my mind too! It was magnarc that posted the auction that the russian fella stole his first 2 pics from. I could have sworn i saw the link in one of AB's posts.

**Altec Best** · September 14th, 2014, 09:17 PM

That is the first ones I have seen..I stand corrected.. I also agree with you that they are not 806-8B's. I think a more correct statement would be maybe ... That the 806-8A or B replaced the 23746 driver..As I don't think they made it anymore after '76-'77..

Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Altec !

**magnarc** · September 15th, 2014, 06:56 AM

Does or doesn't that little squabble mean that there was a labelled 806-8B, or that there never was?

GM thanks, that makes sense.

I'm trying to gather up a consensus on these drivers, for reference.