I need to vent: blown driver...

[lomky]

I hate when gear breaks down! I have a SWR SM-400s and an Ampeg BSE-410HLF rated at 400W RMS, and 800W Program. Anyway, I was playing last night and terrible farting sound!! The cone has completely seperated! I don't think it was overdriving, it was loud, but it should be, no?

Maybe I had something connected improperly I don't know. Man I wish I was an Electrical Engineer! Now after I get this fixed I'm going to be worried about it every time I play, expecially when we are on tour. It's not like our truck has room for a backup cabinet.

I just HATE when gear breaks, it's like getting into a car accident.

vent closed.

 

[Big Poppa]

It really does suck when your rig lets you down. (hehehhehhe) I think that after fifty years of amplified music that you should not need to be an engineer to hook it up and the speakers should be able to handle the rated power.......

 

[lomky]

You'd think, wouldn't ya? I guess it's the price to pay when playing that loud rock 'n' roll! Damn drummers and there loud accoustical instruments that have no volume knobs!!! But damn my MusicMan sounds gooood!!

 

[strummer]

I hate when gear breaks down! I have a SWR SM-400s and an Ampeg BSE-410HLF rated at 400W RMS, and 800W Program. Anyway, I was playing last night and terrible farting sound!! The cone has completely seperated! I don't think it was overdriving, it was loud, but it should be, no?

Maybe I had something connected improperly I don't know. Man I wish I was an Electrical Engineer! Now after I get this fixed I'm going to be worried about it every time I play, expecially when we are on tour. It's not like our truck has room for a backup cabinet.

I just HATE when gear breaks, it's like getting into a car accident.

vent closed.

Yeah, that sucks!
The cone was "separated"? Do you mean the surround came loose from the basket or cone?

 

[lomky]

Yeah, that sucks!
The cone was "separated"? Do you mean the surround came loose from the basket or cone?

I'm not sure the proper termanology (sp?), I think the "orange" part that moves is called a spider (something) it came completely seperated from the black part (cone). and it is not moving as freely as it used to, and it is obviously not springing back in place.

I do need to know the names of these parts so that when I call around I can ask for the right things.

Does anyone happen to know a place in Edmonton, Alberta that recones speakers?

 

[strummer]

I'm not sure the proper termanology (sp?), I think the "orange" part that moves is called a spider (something) it came completely seperated from the black part (cone). and it is not moving as freely as it used to, and it is obviously not springing back in place.

I do need to know the names of these parts so that when I call around I can ask for the right things.

Does anyone happen to know a place in Edmonton, Alberta that recones speakers?

No, you don't need to know lot's of technical terms. Just about the only thing you will need to know is the price of a replacement driver. A recone is usually between 1/3 and 1/2 the price of a new driver.
A recone kit consists of everything except the metal parts (magnet assy, basket, back plate etc.) and if you are a handyman you can do it yourself if you want to. But if you get someone else to do it you have someone to blame, so I suggest that course
Good luck

 

[Oldtoe]

It won't be long before I'll be replacing another 12" driver in my Bergantino HT322. My basses really abuse that speaker. The 10's have always been fine handling whatever I throw at them. Oh well. Darn Bongos and their low end!

 

[tkarter]

I blew one in my ampeg 2x10. Wasn't a horrible fix. Just called em and ordered me a new driver for 60 dollars.

Mine blew cuz I was seeing how much stuff I could tear up with the B string on the Bongo 5 H.

About half that volume keeps up with two guitars and a hard hitting drummer while still shaking the floor.

tk

 

[lomky]

I find getting parts and such in Canada is a problem but I need to look into this this afternoon. But, I'm still worried about where the problem came from so it doesn't happen again.

Thanks for the words boys, I really appreciate it!!

 

[tkarter]

I just PM'd ya the email address for getting replacement drivers. They will let you know if they can ship to Canada. And or give you the illusive part numbers for their drivers.

tk

 

[lomky]

Thank you

 

[SteveB]

I wonder if the wiring between the individual speakers in the cabinet is intact?

If a wire is not connected in there, the impedance of the whole cabinet could change, and who knows what damage that could do.

I think with amps though, speaker damage usually happens when the amp is underpowered for the speaker load, and thus it clips and sends damaging waveforms to the cones.

Was the AC power at the gig substandard? Maybe your amp couldn't pull enough power from the outlet..?

Lots of possibilities.

 

[lomky]

hmm, OK step by step:

"I wonder if the wiring between the individual speakers in the cabinet is intact?"

Should be, When I took the driver out everything looked OK, Once I get a new/reconed driver I'll take my cab in to get tested.

"I think with amps though, speaker damage usually happens when the amp is underpowered for the speaker load, and thus it clips and sends damaging waveforms to the cones."

This is what I thought also, so that's why I'm a little conserned as in anything I'm overpowering the cab a little. Maybe it was time for the speaker to die.

"Was the AC power at the gig substandard? Maybe your amp couldn't pull enough power from the outlet..?"

It was at our jam spot (Drummers house) it was built in the '80's wiring and panel looks good. We've jammed there for awhile and no problems until yesterday.

"Lots of possibilities."

I know!!! Short term, I have some feelers out for prices on drivers, and we'll go from there.

Thanks all

 

[tkarter]

It probably was clipping that caused it as your amp doesn't have any overhead to deal with that cab. ( how's that for a lousy explanation?)

Does the SWR have some kind of protection against that?


tk

 

[lomky]

hmmm, but the SWR is rated at "500 Watts into 4 ohm loads" bridged and the Ampeg is RMS 400 Program 800. But the amp could possibly have been clipping. Nothing was cranked, and the clipping light was coming on a few times, as the manual says it should.

 

[SteveB]

RMS 400 and program 800? That sounds odd. Usually you get RMS *or* Program values cited, accompanied by the 'peak' rating.

 

[tkarter]

I would just pay attention to the RMS value.

I am not much in the knowing when it comes to controlling the SWR.

Your cab should be 4 ohms. Either way you run the SWR doesn't allow much overhead.
And to get loud clipping will probably be the result.

IMNPHO

tk

 

[lomky]

I don't think RMS (root mean square, right?) and program power are the same. Ampeg site states

"Program Handling: 800 Watts
RMS Handling: 400 Watts"

As far as my research goes, I think program is about double the RMS, but it looks like a pretty useless spec.

But everything is looking like I was overpowering the Speakers. So I guess I need to turn down

 

[tkarter]

You need someone that really knows the SWR amp to advise you


tk

 

[maddog]

If any one is interested, here is a drawn profile of a loudspeaker with notation:

As far as the clipping thing, I've seen it kill tweeters but never a woofer. Not saying it can't happen but I've never seen it.

Also, don't rule out manufacturing defects and such. Could have been that it was just time to give up the ghost.