Planning a Project With SDA-CRS+ guts...

westmassguy

Very nice Mark. Hope the little Lady is doing OK as well

F1nut

That's looking good, love the crossover work.

Toolfan66

Wow!! Very nice job, as Jesse said love the crossover work..

vcwatkins

Excellent work! Thanks for taking the time to share. Looking forward to your impressions on standalone sound, dispersion, and matching with the 2's. Thanks also for mentioning Duracoat. Should be very useful and I was not aware of the product.

Craig

markamerica

Craig,

Duracoat is a bake-on coating available for use with a airbrush or in an aerosol spray-can form used on firearms and firearms parts. In my case, simply clean the parts, use the degreasing solvent included in the kit, and spray. Afterwards, put it in the oven and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You can also do plastic parts at lower temps, although the baking time is longer.

Westmassguy, she's doing much better. We were both very lucky.

F1Nut, thanks! Toolfan66, it's a labor of love... Or OCD... Not sure which.

I wound up including the polyswitches because on occasion, my daughter house-sits, and...

pitdogg2

stupendous work..

voltz

markamerica wrote: »

I wound up including the polyswitches because on occasion, my daughter house-sits, and...

I think that was a good idea Mark

F1nut

I'm curious about the connectors. I don't recall seeing those before, where did you get them?

markamerica

F1Nut, I spent a good deal of time looking for connectors that I thought would work best. I bought these from Mouser. The contacts are gold-plated, both male and female, at least on the connection end. The headers are 42819 series, the plugs are 42816 series... What Molex calls Mini Fit Sr. You do have to buy the contacts for the plug side separately. I can get you the exact part numbers if you like. I think I got the contacts on a different site because Mouser's minimum order was 100, or about $200. See the bottom of this post for part numbers, etc, for connectors with 2-6 circuits.

Thank you Pittdog! Voltz, I figure given her history with accelerator pedals, my speakers and my windows will survive longer.


Mouser #: 538-42815-0012-CT
Mfr. #: 42815-0012 (Cut Strip)
Manufacturer: Molex
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings MN-FT TERM 10-12G F Cut Strip of 100

Mouser #: 538-42816-0612
Mfr. #: 42816-0612
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings RECEPTACLE 6 POS

Mouser #: 538-42816-0512
Mfr. #: 42816-0512
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings RECEPTACLE 5 POS

Mouser #: 538-42816-0412
Mfr. #: 42816-0412
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings RECEPTACLE 4 POS

Mouser #: 538-42816-0312
Mfr. #: 42816-0312
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings RECEPTACLE 3 POS

Mouser #: 538-42816-0212
Mfr. #: 42816-0212
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings RECEPTACLE 2 POS

Mouser #: 538-42819-6223
Mfr. #: 42819-6223
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings MiniFit Sr Hdr Vert 093 Clip 6 Ckt Gold

Mouser #: 538-42819-5223
Mfr. #: 42819-5223
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings MiniFit Sr Hdr Vert 093 Clip 5 Ckt Gold

Mouser #: 538-42819-4223
Mfr. #: 42819-4223
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings MiniFit Sr Hdr Vert 093 Clip 4 Ckt Gold

Mouser #: 538-42819-3223
Mfr. #: 42819-3223
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings MiniFit Sr Hdr Vert 093 Clip 3 Ckt Gold

Mouser #: 538-42819-2223
Mfr. #: 42819-2223
Desc.: Headers & Wire Housings MiniFit Sr Hdr Vert 093 Clip 2 Ckt Gold

markamerica

F1Nut,

If you decide you want to use these, I've created custom object files for these with ExpressPCB's tool, if you happen to use their service.

drumminman

Really nice work Mark. Looking forward to your listening impressions.

dpowell

I purchased a LSiM706C to use with my 2.3TL's and have never looked back. Is it timbre-matched by the book? Nope. However, the vocals are stunning and it blends beautifully with the SDA's. Having tried four other speakers as centers (CS400, CS1000P, SRT Center and a Monitor 5), I can't imagine a better center than the 706C for my taste.

Looks like you have done some beautiful work and I'm interested to learn your impressions.

PolkieMan

Very nice, looking forward to your input on how they sound

F1nut

markamerica wrote: »

F1Nut,

If you decide you want to use these, I've created custom object files for these with ExpressPCB's tool, if you happen to use their service.

Thank you for the parts list and I see what you mean about the contacts, stupid way to sell them. If you recall where you bought those, please let me know.

I'm doing point to point these days, but thanks for that offer.

markamerica

F1Nut, I have remembered where I bought the contacts at unit of one(1): digikey.com:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/0428150012/WM9166CT-ND/3829574

markamerica

F1Nut, The thing I like about these is that they will accommodate 10-12 awg wire, and that they smoothly engage and lock. Disconnect is almost as easy, depressing the unlock tab. I think they're much nicer than standard Molex types, particularly on crowded boards because the unlock tab is elevated up away from the board. Easier access, if you can picture it.

Drumminman, Dpowell, and Polkieman, thank you all for your kind words. As soon as I have the time to wire this up, I will be spending some time listening and will report back to you.

F1nut

Thanks again Mark. I like them as they appear very well thought out.

markamerica

Wow! I decided based on my compressed schedule this weekend that I would wire it up, and try to get it in place for some testing. One thing after another interfered. I realized that if I wanted to hear it today(Labor Day) I would need to dispense with the prettying-up of the wiring until I took it apart to veneer the cabinet. Therefore, building the wiring became the prime goal. At about 11pm, I buttoned it up and moved it into its permanent home, naked as it is, but wanting to get it hooked up and listening to it. I had to jack around with my Outlaw 990 preamp a bit, and I'll do a more thorough calibration later, but on to the listening.

One of my favorite pieces to listen to when evaluating a speaker is "Take Five" by Al Jarreau, Live (in London, I believe). I shut off the amps that drive the SRSs and powered on the MA5002A that will power the center channel. I brought the volume up slowly, listening for anything ugly. The wife was already in bed, so I had to keep it within reason anyway.

I cannot believe it took me this long to do this. I don't mean the project delays... I mean the thinking about it for a decade before deciding "I can do this..."

After about thirty seconds of slowly bringing up the volume, and hearing nothing untoward, I decided to risk a little more, and to restart the piece to hear it from the beginning. I am thoroughly impressed. I had worried that the tweeters would be a bit too hot. No sir. I worried that I wouldn't get the passives right, and that bass would suffer. Nope. Having never built a crossover before, I worried that I would foul that up. Not today.

The Erse caps sound really good. I think what surprised me was that the speaker sounded amazingly clear, but there was also a fullness or richness to the sound I hadn't anticipated. Now I can't wait to start on my SRS rehab project, but I guess I should put some skin on this Center first.

Tomorrow evening, I will give it a go with the SRSs for a while, time permitting. I can't wait to move the volume up a bit.

I'm now one step closer to my goal of a 7channel all-vintage Polk system. While it's true that the box itself isn't vintage, the four 6501s, the two SL2000s, and all the passives are.

When I get the veneer applied, and the grill cloth in place, I'll take a few more pictures. I want to thank everyone who has helped me and encouraged me to this point. Particularly, I want to thank Westmassguy for some technical tips and assistance, and Trey also, as he supplied a number of the components used on the crossover, and put up with almost as many dumb questions as I asked of Westmassguy.

Thanks to all! More to follow.

Mark

F1nut

It's always nice when a plan comes together.

Something to seriously consider, upgrade all those SL2000 tweeters to the RD0194-1's from Polk. You will thank me.

headrott

F1nut wrote: »

It's always nice when a plan comes together.

Something to seriously consider, upgrade all those SL2000 tweeters to the RD0194-1's from Polk. You will thank me.

Absolutely DO THIS. The RD0-194's are infinately better than the SL2000's.

Great center channel project Mark! Enjoy it! You'll enjoy it even more after receiving the RD0-194's.

markamerica

Thanks F1Nut, That is in the long list of "things to do as funds come available." At present, I could spend $1000+ on tweeters to change 'em all (including the 1.2TLs to the RDO198s,) to say nothing of other projects that have been floating around in my head for a while now.

And you're right, it is nice for a change...

markamerica

Headrott, As I mentioned to F1Nut, it's definitely on my list. I wonder if Polk gives a discount if you order by the dozen...

F1nut

Mark, understood.

I believe they probably would discount for quantity. Talk to either Kim or Helen.

westmassguy

Mark, glad you finally got to listen to your baby. Enjoy it. The RDO-194s will smooth everything out nicely.

drumminman

Wish I was closer so I could get an ear on them. Congrats on getting them to this stage!

markamerica

Drumminman, Thanks! I wish you could hear it too. Thanks for all your help along the way. Westmassguy, I absolutely will be doing that. Just a matter of when... F1Nut, not sure I could swing them all at once even with a discount, but over time, I'll upgrade them all.

markamerica

Well, now that I've had time to listen to the new center along with the SRSs, one thing is clear: It's time for me to upgrade those SRS crossovers. I've already gotten all the inductors and resistors from Trey, so now it's going to be about getting my various capacitors. Thus far, I'm really thrilled with the performance of the Erse caps, so I'm thinking about sticking with them for my SRS build. That, and I need to start acquiring RDO tweeters all around...

I guess next will be to put some skin on this center. Looks a bit nekid. It's an excellent sonic match for the SRSs generally, but as I said, having that spiffy crossover versus the aged crossovers in the SRSs, you really can notice the difference. It's been almost 28 years since I heard SRSs in an AAFES listening room where I was stationed in Germany, and I'm not nearly as trim or as sharp as I was back then, so it's only fitting that the speakers need a serious overhaul. I've ordered up a set of rings, and I know most here like point-to-point wiring, but I may do up some boards for these too.

But one thing at a time. I'm going to get the cosmetics finished on this Center before I do anything else. Right now, I'm very pleased with the sound of this Center thus far. I expect the RDOs will help too. Pictures when complete.

Thanks again!