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Thread: Altec 817 / 817A cabinet plans ?

  1. #1
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    Altec 817 / 817A cabinet plans ?

    I am halfway into building a pair of 817, my drivers are 416 8A. I have seen different plans but none is complete with all dimensions. Is there different cabinets for the 416 vs 515 ?
    Is there anyone with a complete drawing ? the size of the opening at the speakers and reflex holes is a bit confusing... please help !

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    Senior Member RMC's Avatar
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    Welcome to LH.

    I have the plans and the two versions of the 817 spec sheet. I don't have time right now, i will be back later tonight.

    Richard
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    This is the official Altec 817 plans.

    ALTEC 817 PLANS .pdf

    Unfortunately the speaker mounting board info on the drawings has somewhat faded away, but the rest seems ok to read. Maybe the size of the speaker openings are on that mounting board info but its not clear for sure.

    Some cabinet designs can be used with the same driver and for others its a different matter. Sometimes older Altec woofer spec sheets indicated in which cabinet(s) the driver would be a good fit physically and acoustically (See example only on the picture).

    Richard

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    Thanks ! I miss the size of the side openings, the curved inner parts are already made. I suppose the width of the inner opening are important as well as the bass reflex.

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    It says that 416 is ok for 816, I think 817 is kind of a double 816 ?

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    Timelens,

    I had a look at other older Altec documents i have and didn't see the info you're missing. I guess you will have to figure it out. You can do a LH forum search on the 817 to see if other people might have posted that info.

    I have a similar impression, 416 roughly comparable but for one woofer. However for the 816A cab its the 416-8C driver that is being specified. I don't recall seeing the A and B specified here, but they might be or work anyway.

    Over the years the 416 has evolved from A version (yours), to B and C. Some driver T/S parameters may have changed a little, plus it seems that some tech info had errors that an Altec author corrected.

    Are you thinking about changing cabinet from 817 to 816 or using some 816 info to help complete the 817 project?

    Richard
    POWERED BY: QSC, Ashly, Tascam, Rolls Mosfet, NAD, and Crest Audio

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    No, I already have the difficult parts made, the "wings" and it is just the outer box left. I am very focused at 817. I have been reading/asking a lot about 416 but so far my impression is that 416A has a different basket, B the newer basket and C is "not Alnico" ferrites but I am not sure. Different voice coils for more power also but basicly the same.
    The French version has bass reflex opening under the horn as well and it might be possible to recalculate the area.
    The French has an 190 mm mouth width inside the horn and I would really like to know if it is the same at 817, if I get that measurment right the reflex openings will automaticly be correct (I hope) so please look around for a original 817 and measure it ! There is not many 817 around in Sweden.

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    I found one 816 drawing that specified 200 mm mouth width so 190 or 200 ?!
    My plan is to change from Edgarhorns 80Hz to 817 and keeping the Altec 1503, it has the same width as 817 so it will look and sound good. Edgar has a single K130.
    The bass is a pair of Jensen Imperial so 817 does not need to be working too low. I know 515 might be a better choise for 817 but I have four 416 already...
    And yes I have a girlfriend

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    Hi,
    Mine have 200 mm (+/- 2mm) for the mouth and for the vents 70x350mm x 4.
    They have 416-16As. I believe that the 416A were no longer in production when the 817/816 boxes were introduced, hence the lack of a reference.
    Music is emotion.

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    Thanks a lot ! Nice to hear that 416 is working, I will complete the drawing and start looking for material. Unfortunatly we have a increase of wood prices by 400% but it will not stop me. I have great expectations for this speaker...

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    416-8A goes back to 1972 according to the spec sheet date, so Macsic is probably right about the A being discontinued when the cabs were introduced.

    Richard
    POWERED BY: QSC, Ashly, Tascam, Rolls Mosfet, NAD, and Crest Audio

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    Yes, it is probably so, I remember the Onken 360, It is supposed to use 416 8A but worked fine with all 416 even if Hiraga himself svore by 8A ...
    I will start this project now and see and hear how it is like ! Thanks all for helping.

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    Hi,
    I recovered the 817 which came from a Club in my region, they were equipped with PHL drivers and it is very heavy, I had to restore them but I like the result. For my use the 416s are better because they are more efficient and the former owner a sound engineer told me that 416s would do the trick and that the low frequency response would be even better than with 515s but you will need subs to dig more anyway. It's one of my systems on which I tinker, here is a recent photo but since then it has already changed a little bit, I know I'm a little crazy.
    Have fun
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    Thx Google translate...
    Music is emotion.

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    @ macsic

    Very nice group of boxes you have there!

    @ timelens

    One item i forgot to mention previously when you first asked questions, the one regarding the vents (bass reflex part of the cab).

    Somewhat hidden in one of their technical papers i have Altec mentions that slot vents, like the ones on the 817, should not have proportions of more than 5:1 in terms of length vs width (JBL has something along these lines too as i recall). Altec doesn't explain why but loudspeaker building writer David Weems explains that long and narrow vents don't behave the same as others or normally. Hence why extreme proportions slot vents should be avoided.

    Well, my reflex was to look at Macsic vent dimensions when he posted them in post # 9 and they do meet Altec's 5:1 proportions. So your best bet is to follow his: "for the vents 70x350mm x 4."

    Richard

    P.S. The type of frequency response front loaded LF horn cabs usually provide is similar to that shown on the picture (from JBL, in Eargle's Loudspeaker Handbook p. 210. Please don't repost on other site). Moreover, the 817 tech sheet does refer to that horn part as well as the reflex one. This is SR high output territory, not the land of the most linear response.

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    A very nice collection ! I wish I had that kind of mancave... I have not measured if it is possible to keep 200 mm AND 70 mm vent but since the outer box is not made yet I will adjust it to be correct if it is not adding up.

    I see a Smith horn ? I have never heard one in real life, interesting ! I will pair the 817 with my dear Altec 1503 multicell but I would like to hear your impressions on the Smith horn.

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