MWM K43 replacement question

[Coytee]

Anyone ever heard of a RCF L15P-200/A K ??

I just opened up the covers on the MWM singles and this is what I found. When I saw the picture I was thinking it was not a K43 and now it's confirmed.

Is this good, bad or indifferent? Should I chunk these and get some 43's?

I don't even yet know if these work. Just got them home, off truck, into garage and took cover off. I might try to throw a line to them tomorrow and see if they belch anything at all.

I found this http://www.usspeaker.com/rcf%20-%20L15P200ak-1.htm

At least they put a pair of them in (for better or worse). If they work fine then I'm good to go, if they suck then they both suck and I'll start out with fresh 43's.

[colterphoto1]

might be, those MWM's aren't really picky as to what you load them with. RCF isn't bad stuff, give it a try. Got measurement rig?

M

[djk]

Those RCF L15P-200 are great drivers.

[Coytee]

Those RCF L15P-200 are great drivers.

This is good to know. Given the price on that site for them it seems they should be! I did however, find them substantially less on ebay but those might have been used for all I know.

I saw something about these being used in ported speakers... then more words about (if I recall) "being used WITH a compression driver". I would have thought the K43 would have BEEN the compression driver so these should have been a compression driver. Net effect of that comment is it confused me.

So, straight up.... would these be considered a good even swap for the K43?

Good news. I strung a bass line from my amp to a 100' line and took it to the garage.

Both work at the very low volume I used (I also had the program for the Jubilee bass bin in my dx...some oaf forgot to change it. Not that it matters for the sake of testing to see if they work)

So, it seems both bins have these RCF drivers, both drivers work. The only issues I seem to have is getting some new screws for the front hatch. I found most of the old ones but might swap them out. I might need some new gasket material on at least one door....but will probably do both.

The real problem is, both input jacks on both speakers need replaced.

[colterphoto1]

MWM woofer door bolts are machine screws 1/4"-2- TPI 2" will do the trick. Some are round head, some are flat head that I've seen

gasket tape available at Parts Express

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=260-540

I use a sharpened putty knife or wood chisel to remove the old glazed gasket first, vacuum out the nasties, apply new tape. Take care NOT to stretch the new tape as you install it as it will snap back and cause voids in the seal.

For the dual banana plugs, just buy the standard replacement sets at PE (sadly the red post is more of a burgundy), and steal the parts you need to fix you speaker. They are standard parts. The red conductor usually goes on the right as you look at the jack cup.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-475

Remember to keep the fuse holder in the circuit with the appropriate fuse installed.

Quick story on that last one. I rented out my small system last night (Behringer 8 ch mixer, DOD 2x15 eq, Crown D150A, Klipsch KP301's. Some idiot plugs a SM58 mic in with it's volume at half mast and starts some squealing feedback that pops both 1.5a HF fuses. Luckily I had the correct fuses in place, that could have been 4 HF drivers instead of fuses.

[colterphoto1]

yeah and I wouldn't be in a hurry to toss those RCF drivers. Let's dig up the T/S specs for K43 and compare. At the least, install the K43 and sell the RCF to someone building a set of monitors or other LF bins.

M

[colterphoto1]

love this little letter from Jim Hunter. Check out the last sentence where his wry sense of humor comes through....

MWMfuse3amp.pdf

[Coytee]

gasket tape

Was just at Home Depot and remembered about gasket... Would "Mortite" (or something like that) work? It was only $5.00 and some kind of caulk clay. I picked it up since I was already there.

[Guest " "]

If you want to unload those rcf drivers I'll swap you for a a pair of k-43's.

Those rcf drivers would make great bass guitar drivers.

[colterphoto1]

gasket tape

Was just at Home Depot and remembered about gasket... Would "Mortite" (or something like that) work? It was only $5.00 and some kind of caulk clay. I picked it up since I was already there.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo-, it'll get all melty and greasy if you leave that MWM out in the sun.

Gasket tape. I've used exactly the type I showed on both the set I refurbished for Kevin Harmon and the ones I use in the shop today. There's a thread on the rebuild (in Commercial) and everything!

[colterphoto1]

Richard, just for you I"m going to fix one of my dual banana plugs (I think a KP682 has a broken one) and also show how to update a pro speaker to Neutrik type SpeakOn connector. Look for an upcoming thread in Commercial.

M

[Coytee]

If you want to unload those rcf drivers I'll swap you for a a pair of k-43's. Those rcf drivers would make great bass guitar drivers.

Ok... question to you before I say that I'd like to talk about that...

As you know, you are the one who found these (my wife has been sticking pins in a voo-doo doll of you since their arrival []). I know nothing more about these drivers than what I've shown in this thread AND that they make sound when I touch wires to the leads. I've not yet hooked up my K402 with them to see if they sound balanced (bass alone to me, sounds pathetic, I need the rest to make it work for my ears)

I would not want to take you up on this...and these arrive to you with something wrong with them that I'm totally unaware of. What can I do to check them to make sure they are ok other than hooking them up to play Freebird for the bazillionth time?

Perhaps I could ship them to you first so you can be sure they are ok and upon that result you could either send them back (if something is wrong) or if everything is ok, ship the K43's??

I don't want my ignorance of them to make you think I 'dumped' them on you (if something is wrong with them).

Thoughts?

Michael, I have that clay stuff back in the car to go to the return desk. I will get some of the stuff you showed above.

Regarding the bolts that actually hold the woofer in place, are they the same 1/4" bolt that hold the front cover on (though perhaps shorter?)

[WMcD]

Attached are specs on the K-43..

On other matters. I have used More-tite. I don't doubt that what Mike says is correct. If it gets warm it will soften.

Wm McD

K-43 Specifications.pdf

[HudsonValleyNoah]

Coytee,

Nice price brake at 10 pc on those duel female bananas that Michael showed you.

I could use a few of those...

Bet others might as well.

Would you buy 10 and sell me a few?

Or would you like to buy a few from me if I buy 10?

Noah

[colterphoto1]

Mor-Tite is the stuff that guys used to put on their metal horns. Bob hates the stuff when it drips down on his nice networks. It gets soft, real soft, when hot. Trust me.

The banana jacks I showed work fine for fixing up Klipsch, been using em for years. Could always use a couple more pairs if someone wants to hit the quantity price point.

Yes, put the woofers back in and RUN THEM. Beat em to death if you want, if you're buying new K43 and want to test em good. With the size of the woofer rear chamber and the xmax of the RCF driver I doubt if you could hurt them.

The woofer door bolts of 1/4-20 is the same thread as the woofer hold-down bolts, except the woofer bolts have to be round head. I think Klipsch uses 1 1/2 or 2" here also. I crank them down using a square shaft screwdriver and adjustable wrench.

[colterphoto1]

Richard, if you don't mind- if you make additional repairs/adjustments to your cabinets- could you post under Commercial (use my MWM thread if you wish). That way all this info and photos will be in one place for the next MWM guy in line (yes there will be more).

[Coytee]

for the next MWM guy in line (yes there will be more).

Interestingly, I think you might be right [Y]

[Guest " "]

"" (my wife has been sticking pins in a voo-doo doll of you since their arrival ). ""

Ok, as long as she is not doing chants, and is not dancing around the yard in war paint.

"I would not want to take you up on this...and these arrive to you with something wrong with them that I'm totally unaware of. What can I do to check them to make sure they are ok other than hooking them up to play Freebird for the bazillionth time?"

If the drivers work, don't rub (with the drivers removed, using both hands, you can spread your fingers across the cone and gently push down about 1/16th of an inch and listen/feel for voice coil rub) , the cones are good (wringled and ripped), and don't smell like barbaque (you can smell them throught the vent screen) it will be fine.

I'll send you the k-43's and you can use that same package to send the RCF's to me.

[Coytee]

gasket tape available at Parts Express

GACK....don't you know it.... currently out of stock!

[]

Oh well... I can always add it later, it won't eliminate playing around with the speakers like a broken input jack might.

[colterphoto1]

Get the 1/2" width (works fine on MWM, but not other types). I may have a roll around here I could send you if you need to get moving quickly.

M