Help with my Altec speakers

[CauYem]

I just picked up another pair of Altec speakers. They are actually a pair of Heath S-31, which consists of a pair of 414A & a 804A driver/811 horn.

One of the speakers works fine, the other is sick. There is no sound at all. I opened the 804A to check on the diapharm (I've learned this from my model 19 problem). The diapharm is OK, no broken wire.

I switched the crossovers, the bad speaker is still not working. So there is no problem with the crossover.

Then I removed the 804A from the both speakers and switch side. One of the 804A, the one I opened to check the diapharm, is dead. Where should I go from here to make the 804A sings again?


Thanks,
cauyem

[Tom Brennan]

Send the driver to Great Plains Audio in Oklahoma. They'll fix it right up for about $90---clean, install new diaphragm and remagnetize. Or just get a new diaphragm from GPA, as you please.

Here's one of my AS-21s, gorgeous speakers.

Can you post a photo of the crossover?

[CauYem]

The diapharm is intact, nothing wrong with it. There was no wire broken nor any physical damage that I could see (not like the problem with my model 19 that I got 3 weeks ago). FYI, I paid $850.00 for the 19s, and $600.00 for these S-31.

Where can I find the information about the HF driver (i.e. assembly instruction)?

I can't find any info on the Xover (no P/N nor any mark) on the housing.

The speakers were built in 1956 (according to the owner's wife. He passed away years ago). He bought the kit while he was in military service & built the cabinets himself.

[TnTn]

If you have a multimeter, take a resistance reading of the bad driver. Disconnect the wires to the driver terminals first. The correct reading should be between 6 to 14 ohms or so. If it's too low or too high or even infinite (open circuit), then the driver might be no good. Do the same with the 414A's since you said the whole speaker is dead.

[Tom Brennan]

"There is no sound at all."

Ooops, I missed that. Was distracted by that "greenie" Altec porn.

[jim campbell]

while i was at it i would check those wires for continuity all the way back.

[RKLee]

If you have a multimeter, take a resistance reading of the bad driver. Disconnect the wires to the driver terminals first. The correct reading should be between 6 to 14 ohms or so. If it's too low or too high or even infinite (open circuit), then the driver might be no good. Do the same with the 414A's since you said the whole speaker is dead.

Don't have a VOM/VTVM handy? Connect a 1.5V D battery on the speaker in question, you should hear a click when you make/break the circuit. But the multimeter is th most accurate.