Altec for Heath?

[mondonitro]

Hey, first time poster here. I found, at a junk shop some Altec made for Heath horns and drivers. The horns are 811b but the driver looks like 401-150. Is 200 too much to offer ? they work, but it was hard to judge in that invironment if there were any problems. The horns and drivers are green and really really clean. I have been iching to do a diy project, i have friends with outstanding woodworking skills and would love to build some model 19's. Would these be the proper start? Thanks for any help.

[speakerdave]

That's a good price for those components, working. Are the crossovers included? You could use them to make a Model 19-like speaker, but the sound will be different because the woofers and horn drivers are not exactly the same and the crossover frequency is different. If you made your 19-like speaker using these components you could later change the horn driver and crossover without making changes in the cabinets, but not the woofers. The woofers in the Model 19 are the 416-8b, which has a slightly larger frame and bolt circle. You could anticipate that by making a removable baffle and making a new one when, and if, you change to the 416-8b. The Heathkit compression drivers are comparable to the Altec 804 or 806 (can't remember which). Model nineteen uses the 802G horn driver. It has a stronger magnet, better high frequency extension, and a different phase plug, which many people say they prefer (it apparently improves HF extension still more). The model 19 crossover circuit is available on line, so you could replicate it when you choose. If you stay with the 800 cycle frequency of the Heath original those crossovers could be of higher quality than the stock Altec. If I remember correctly they used paper in oil capacitors and large air core coils.

David