fini Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 I just got this from Rick, via Bob Crites (thank you both for the quick work!). I need to solder on a new lead. How careful do I need to be with this? I'd hate to fry something inside the tweeter. Looks like 14 or 12 gauge will work there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 fini, There is no need to go nuts with wire to the tweeter. It handles such low power that 12 Ga is definately overkill. Plus the larger guage used, the more heat required for soldering. I'd reccommend a good quality 16 Ga like the fine tinned wire that came originally. As a matter of fact, that is what I use for tweets and squakers reserving the heavy stuff for the higher current woofers. MHO YMMV. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEC Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Fini, Keeping the wire size to 16 AWG will help with the soldering job. If you use a larger wire, you will get the terminal hotter. A small alligator clip used for a heat sink will help also to keep heat away from the plastic housing and away from the joint where the diaphragm lead is soldered. Just make sure you don't end up soldering the alligator clip to the terminal also. Main thing is to get the joint made as quickly as possible giving very liittle time for the heat to be conducted to places you don't want it. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 11, 2005 Author Share Posted August 11, 2005 Thanks, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Always use a heat sink. Go to Radio Shack and get one of those little $5 soldering tool kits. The alloy clip in that packet is perfect, and the only type I use -- it won't hold solder so it doesn't stick to the work. Make sure you clean the area you are going to solder with denatured alcohol and a Q-tip. For that kind of work you want to get in and get out -- you don't want to be sitting on that tab too long with the soldering iron. Use just a bit of flux because it halves the heat transfer time. Use 60/40 solder with a .32 diameter -- the thicker the solder the longer it takes to melt. Make sure the tip of the iron is clean and tinned, and put it on the backside of the tab where the lead is sticking through the hole. Touch the tip to the tab and the wire. If the flux is there, the solder will start flowing almost immediately. Count to three and get the hell out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 11, 2005 Author Share Posted August 11, 2005 Here's a silly question: Regarding "tinned wire", is it simply wire that has had its ends tinned (with solder)? I am guessing pre-tinning helps the solder joint ( i.e. when the wire is sildered to the tab, it's more of a solder to solder joint). Am I right? So Dean, soldering tweeter leads is a lot like sex, huh? Except I usually count to 4 or 5... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 ---------------- On 8/11/2005 9:47:34 AM fini wrote: Here's a silly question: Regarding "tinned wire", is it simply wire that has had its ends tinned (with solder)? I am guessing pre-tinning helps the solder joint ( i.e. when the wire is sildered to the tab, it's more of a solder to solder joint). Am I right? So Dean, soldering tweeter leads is a lot like sex, huh? Except I usually count to 4 or 5... ---------------- LMAO!!!!! Pretinning reduces the amount of heat to do the job. The Lead/tin/copper bond is already made on the wire. The wire in the original white Klipsch wire is tinned along it's entire lenght prior to twisting and coating to eliminate oxidation of the copper conductors. Oh. I forgot you live in Californica. You aren't allowed to have any lead in your solder, or pencil... 1,2. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 11, 2005 Author Share Posted August 11, 2005 I got the lead out of my ***, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 That'll teach you not to sit on your pencil. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 ---------------- On 8/11/2005 8:50:31 AM BEC wrote: Fini, Keeping the wire size to 16 AWG will help with the soldering job. If you use a larger wire, you will get the terminal hotter. Bob ---------------- If 16 AWG is hunky dory, why does my Khorn have that big thick monster wire to all the drivers? (I say that with the belief that the thick wire to the tweeter is WAY overkill) So is it only marketing? (my suspicion) If the thinner wire is sufficient (realize I just put Al's ES networks in there and need to put some spade ends on the clipped off wires to mount them properly to the screw panel), would it be BETTER for me to swap out that thick wire for some thinner stuff that will fit in the spade lug easier? As it is, I've already cross threaded one of those screws in an attempt to have it make do until I can fix it right. Swapping out to a thinner wire would make the spade bit go a lot easier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEC Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 16 AWG would be fine if you were feeding up to around 50 of those tweeters. You should see the wire that the voice coil is made of. About like a human hair. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scriven Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 ---------------- On 8/11/2005 7:41:08 PM Coytee wrote: ... If 16 AWG is hunky dory, why does my Khorn have that big thick monster wire to all the drivers? (I say that with the belief that the thick wire to the tweeter is WAY overkill) So is it only marketing? (my suspicion) ... ---------------- Bingo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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