SDA upgrade thread 2

honestaquarian

pitdogg2 wrote: »

well that is a mess... I'm sorry
Would the twisted pairs NOT fit into the quick connect? I know from experience that you can get the same size quick connect but bigger hole in back for larger wire. You should of bought the 10-12 gauge size. It also looks like that was not near hot enough to accept the solder, it never flowed into the wire.

"Should of"?????
What language is this??
Don't you mean "Should have"?
Or the correct contraction "Should've"????
Not the neatest job ever done no. However since it's going to be covered up never to be seen again and I ain't paying a pro to do it. I'm happy with it.

pitdogg2

So I get an ENGLISH lesson ??? REALLY!!

Dude Jesse was correct I have stood back and watched , but this is a lesson in WHAT NOT TO DO Thread. That black tape will fall off one day and a bad short is in your future. My god man you SHOULD HAVE USED SHRINK TUBING NOT TAPE

SEE That I used proper English ^^^^^^^^^

This thread should be deleted!!

honestaquarian

As I said at the beginning of this thread it is open to everyone to share their upgrade experiences/pics.

heiney9

Yikes! That certainly is a how not to do it. But, I can understand being out of practice.

I don't understand why the terminals were jumpered?

Why not take the 2 wires tied together for + and - and feed them to each of the 4 terminals on the connector. 1 wire each for +1 and +2 and 1 wire each for -1 and -2 and just make sure they correspond through out the hook up that way?

Maybe there is a reason to use a jumper, but not sure why?

honestaquarian

heiney9 wrote: »

Yikes! That certainly is a how not to do it. But, I can understand being out of practice.

I don't understand why the terminals were jumpered?

Why not take the 2 wires tied together for + and - and feed them to each of the 4 terminals on the connector. 1 wire each for +1 and +2 and 1 wire each for -1 and -2 and just make sure they correspond through out the hook up that way?

Maybe there is a reason to use a jumper, but not sure why?

This is what @VR3 instructed me to do if you look at the previous posts above. He is doing my crossover upgrades and said doing it this way will use all of what he is doing with the cable and crossover. I do not fully understand it, but I am following his instructions since he knows what he is talking about!

honestaquarian

Two layers of two different electrical tapes.


I would like to apologize if my posts on my upgrade, that I am doing to my own equipment, in my own apartment, that I paid my own money for have offended the obviously very sensitive pallets of some of the more experienced electricians on this forum. However since we are all adults here can we please try to keep it civil?

honestaquarian

Surgery is complete. Time to close nurse.

Now where did I put the screws???

Toolfan66

It's ok to take a little criticism as well being an adult is it not??

I have to agree, it is a mess, there is no reason for that jumper, also crimping the connector? Why not cut that plastic piece off solder it, and use shrink tubing?

Toolfan66

honestaquarian

Toolfan66 wrote: »

It's ok to take a little criticism as well being an adult is it not??

I have to agree, it is a mess, there is no reason for that jumper, also crimping the connector? Why not cut that plastic piece off solder it, and use shrink tubing?

Again Trey told me to use jumpers. Please read his posts above.
Oh and yes you are correct in that is IS okay to be able to take a little criticism if one is an adult. So long as it's constructive. However when one wants to dish it out and cannot take it in return. Then responds as if in 7th grade. Then it just becomes an unnecessary fight about nothing.
I do not have a car to just jump in whenever I need to and run ten miles across town to the hardware store whenever I please (*no that is not an exaggeration*) I bought some shrink tubing as you can see in the previous pics above and it is too small. So I used two layers of two different electrical tapes instead.

honestaquarian

Thanks again to Larry @Toolfan66 for making such an excellent case.
I still have PLENTY of black screws for the Neutriks if anyone wants some to match the color.
Now to Dynamatting the drivers......

ken brydson

Dude, you need to call the guy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6C0b3AAFCs

VR3

I can't 100% tell the wiring from the pics...

As long as 1+/2+ and 1-/2- are tied together you will be fine.

I use shotgun wiring for the SDA cable, so on the speaker end, there are jumpers installed as well to make the SDA cable an effective 9awg

honestaquarian

Thanks Trey

Again for those who are looking in on this, the jumpers are there because of the crossovers that @VR3 is building for me and not because everyone should be doing this!!!

honestaquarian

To quote the lyrics of a song by Whitney Houston called Whatchulookinat.
"I don't understand why you keep peepin' me, when you don't even like me"...........................

Since this is a free country and we all have free wills. If you do not like me or this thread, you DO have a choice not to keep looking in on it. OR even putting me on your ignore lists. Instead the same guys keep coming back over and over again trolling me on various threads and/or trying to gang up on me (*and many others I have seen*) when they do not agree with them/us (*then blaming the OTHER person for YOUR actions as grown a$$ men. As well as using excuses like wanting to show everyone how wrong the other person is. How very adult of you all*)

I think it shows more about you guys level of maturity in this "Audio Greek College Fraternity" to all of those who read this stuff, but wisely choose not to get involved.

Then just because (most) people choose not to enter the fray, the trolls just naturally assume everyone feels the same way that they do about their "righteousness".

If some of you feel this thread should be deleted, because you think I am doing something wrong with the upgrades that I am doing to my equipment that I paid my money for (*and NOT ONE of you has contributed one dime towards, but feel you have the right to tell me what to do with it*) that is fine.

Again stop looking at it.

Seems simple enough yes?

Again my thanks to @Toolfan66 for making such excellent cases and rings for everyone who got involved in the Dreadnought group buy!
Mad props to @250GTLusso2 and @vcwatkins for making the group buy a success!

heiney9

honestaquarian wrote: »

Thanks Trey

Again for those who are looking in on this, the jumpers are there because of the crossovers that @VR3 is building for me and not because everyone should be doing this!!!

Then it should have been a private message not part of this 'educational' thread.

honestaquarian

heiney9 wrote: »

honestaquarian wrote: »

Thanks Trey

Again for those who are looking in on this, the jumpers are there because of the crossovers that @VR3 is building for me and not because everyone should be doing this!!!

Then it should have been a private message not part of this 'educational' thread.

I never said this thread was educational.
You just did.
I started this thread for everyone who participated in the group buy like yourself, who also bought Larry's rings and the Dreadnought case. Who will, like myself be doing a lot of upgrades this spring as a result to show what they are doing and hopefully share pics and trade tips.
That statement is in the very first message that I started this thread with.

No one else has thus far chosen to come in and show what they're doing. Then I noticed the large amount of views that this thread was receiving and decided to just keep blogging my experiences doing the upgrades. Kind of like I did at the Washington,D.C. audio show.
Although I have gotten plenty of negative and positive reviews and feedback on what I am doing (*I feel like a rock stah! -OH PLEASE!*)
This again is my first time doing this sort of thing like a lot of others on here and I ain't no speaker builder, electrician or wood shop owner!
I don't think I am too different from a lot of others on here in that I have some experience with a soldering iron, screw driver, drill and other such tools. However I ain't got no garage, basement or fancy, schmancy shop like some of the guys on here have to do all of this work in. I am simply doing all of this work (*and it never ceases to amaze me just how much work it is. I agree wholeheartedly with @DarqueKnight *) on my days off in my living room-Which is why it is taking so long to do-bit by bit a little at a time.

msg

Good job so far, Carlton, and thanks for having the guts to share your project here, given the difficulties you've shared in your disclosure of less than optimal work space and easy access to mod tools, parts stores and such. Some people love it, but I've always known that an urban lifestyle would never be for me, partly for similar reasons to what you detail here - mobility, access to shops, etc. Makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about it!

So, I know you’ve gotta be extremely excited at this point in the process, being so close to the finish after all this time and hard work. And waiting. I do want to encourage you to have another look at your Dreadnought connections, though. Every one of these mods is about refinement, right? Agreed, soldering can be sketchy if you haven’t done it for a while, or don’t have a lot of experience (me), but I do have to agree, I think that connection you’ve made should be revisited. As I’m sure you’re aware, soldering isn’t just about holding metal wires together. It’s about making a clean, solid bond, and probably some other stuff I don’t know anything about. In that connection, it looks like the solder hasn’t flown into the leads, like the iron was too hot or no flux. Personally, I’d probably go crimps if you can’t get the solder working right, but definitely rework it and seal it up right. If you have to use electrical tape, make sure to use some good stuff, like 3M or something, and stretch it.

One of the things I do sometimes with connections is to use a combinations of crimps and solder. I'll strip the plastic off the crimp, tin my wires, and then lightly crimp them. After, I'll heat the connection, and flow in some solder. I couldn't solder for crap before I got a decent iron and started using good solder. It really helps, but we work with what we have. At the very least, make sure you're using flux, and if the iron is super hot, use a thinner solder, and keep your contact times down. Play around with it on some scrap wire to get a feel for how your tool and materials work. I'm no expert, but just a couple of tips that may be helpful.

Again, thanks for sharing. You're a brave dude I think you know the guys mean well, even if their delivery sucks sometimes, and yes, not much consideration for how much more difficult this project is for you given the limited access to optimal work space, tools, and shops. I gotta hand it to you, I don't think I'd have to the guts to take it on without all the little extra tools one might need. Heck, I have most of the tools and still haven't done mine! But don't slack off now, though - you're almost done!

PS.
Your thread needs more callouts to people.
I don’t think they’ve heard you

honestaquarian

@msg
Thank you sir!!!
The pics that you see are of the first wires to be soldered and they do not tell the entire story. I had already revisited the solder joints before I closed everything up. It also got easier with each successive one. You are correct in your assertion that it's about the integrity of the joints. I made sure the solder joints were solid before moving on to the next. It might not look clean and professional like some peoples work that they post, but it is real. I'm not one to ONLY post the stuff that looks pristine and professional for fear of criticism. I don't mind constructive criticism. What I DO mind is trolling and offensive and insulting posts.
My question is that if this is to be closed up never to be seen again WHY must it look absolutely pristine and professional??
Again my thanks for your support sir!

heiney9

Carlton, take a chill pill, my posts weren't meant to be offensive. You seem to be wound pretty tight and are really reading too much into some of the comments and twisting words around. You gave an English lesson so I therefore thought this was an educational thread, my bad. roll eyes

Chill and enjoy

H9

honestaquarian

@heiney9
I apologize if I somehow offended you or put you off. However I am scratching my head and wondering how or why you thought what I was saying was all about you???
It was not about you at all and methinks that maybe you should have a look at your own advice??

P.S. YES I am wound a bit tight!

msg

honestaquarian wrote: »

I had already revisited the solder joints before I closed everything up
...
My question is that if this is to be closed up never to be seen again WHY must it look absolutely pristine and professional??

Ah, good deal.

It doesn't have to look clean and professional. It's your gear and you can do what you like. I think it's more just part of the mindset that what we're after here with these mods is a measure of refinement. I'm trying to refrain from using the word "perfection", but let's face it, that's really what we're after, isn't it? Our own version of perfection? I'm a bit of a perfectionist, for sure. Certainly OCD, and across the board. Even though no one sees it, I would know what's inside my case, and I know that if I did something not quite up to my potential, it would gnaw at me, at the very least. In a case like this, I would also wonder whether it was affecting the sound quality in some way, even if I didn't have any obvious symptoms. I would wonder whether it could be better. That's the main reason I would want clean connections, which, coincidentally, happens to be how proper solder connections look - clean, shiny, and smooth. It's a beautiful thing, good soldering work, you know what I mean?

The other thing, too, is that, at least for me, audio isn't even just about the music. It's the whole thing, from stuff like appreciation for gear ergonomics, to features, to physical appearance and aesthetic design. It's artful. Even before the music. Every cable, every connection, every component. So much time, effort and money spend acquiring each piece, having everything just so. I've caught myself sometimes late evenings just sitting quietly in the listening seat, systems powered up, with nothing on. Nothing playing, I mean, to say. I'm realizing as I write this that that's me still spending time with my systems; enjoying. Tell that to someone who's not involved in the hobby and they'll think you're a freak

In a way, you've been paid a series of backhanded compliments here. We've all seen your efforts to this point in spite of the hassles, and everyone here knows you're capable of better, obviously, or no one would call you out on it. That's all, just keepin' you in check, man, so you get the full benefit of your time, money and efforts in this process, and don't fry anything when wire busts loose under the strain of that tremendous sound heading your way

honestaquarian

You just sit and look at your system with nothing playing???
FREEEEEEK
GEEEEEEEK
KILL IT
KILL IT BEFORE IT SPREADS!!
Okay all kidding aside I too have done that, BUT WITH MUSIC PLAYING
I also have two different solders. One is Silver Solder that I use for stuff like this, which I bought from Radio Shack yeeeeeaaaars ago (*remember THEM?? *)
That is what I am showing in two of the pics. So while I'm not as OCD about this, I DO have some proclivities which lean in that direction.......

VR3

So, I had time to really look at the pictures...

I will send you heat shrink and connectors if you are open to redoing it like this

honestaquarian

VR3 wrote: »

So, I had time to really look at the pictures...

I will send you heat shrink and connectors if you are open to redoing it like this

@VR3
Okay thanks
Are the crossovers nearing the finish line?

honestaquarian

As some of you can glean from my comments here. I am simply taken aback at the amount of attention that some solder joints that I did have received. People are starving and dying all over the world and right here in this country and this is garnering so much attention and ink.
It just blows me away and I do not get it at all.
Thank you all for your feedback good and bad and I will continue to blog my progress.
Again as I have said repeatedly throughout the course of this thread, it is for any and everyone to post their progress as well.
Just remember though if yo s#!Г ain't perfect, they gonna come for ya

BlueBirdMusic

Carlton/Trey

Fixed those pics for you:

pitdogg2

honestaquarian wrote: »

As some of you can glean from my comments here. I am simply taken aback at the amount of attention that some solder joints that I did have received. People are starving and dying all over the world and right here in this country and this is garnering so much attention and ink.
It just blows me away and I do not get it at all.
Thank you all for your feedback good and bad and I will continue to blog my progress.
Again as I have said repeatedly throughout the course of this thread, it is for any and everyone to post their progress as well.
Just remember though if yo s#!Г ain't perfect, they gonna come for ya

Carlton,
you stated yourself it is your money and your gear so why should we care?

Man it's called Pride of ownership. If you seen something that may end up toasting gear which in turn could be a fire hazard, would you stand by and watch? Or would stand up and say "Hey this might no be a good idea" You have put good dollars into Trey's XO mod so should we stand back and just let you toast them up? You get a direct short going and let all the magic smoke out of amp, XO or anything else in the chain should we stand back and say "HEY it's his money who cares?"

Trey comes in offers you some help on the ends and then you post something above that I interpret as a smack in the face. If it is not I'm sorry but to me it reads as "whatever wheres my crossovers"

I'm sure Trey don't want to see his hard work get fried and your money go to waste.

Many here have helped me over the years. I have learned a ton here from those who you are sideways railing at. There are those here who have PM'd me over the years who gained NOTHING from passing on their experience other than PRIDE to help out and pass on knowledge. Have I got in over my head? YOU BET I HAVE but I was not to large headed to STOP ask, think, and get another perspective I was over thinking or not thinking at all. You state you do not have the area to do these as well as others. Dude I'm in the same boat I have a small 2'x4' table I set up in the corner on my bedroom there were times gear sat torn apart for months while i researched, asked questions got ideas and other things before I started anything. When I ran into problems I stopped until I could find the right parts ask more questions and so forth. 10 miles would not of stopped me if I knew I had the wrong part I would of walked if need be or bought more sizes than I needed to be sure I had the right stuff. It could always be returned later if need be. Heck I have a tool box full of stuff I over bought that came in handy at another time.

Anyway I'm not trying to sound like I'm better than you(I'm not) or anything else just a guy who listened took advice and wanted it to look the best when or if I ever did want to show someone. You just seem to have the wrong idea many here are trying help you achieve the best for YOUR money


My .02

honestaquarian

Trey comes in offers you some help on the ends and then you post something above that I interpret as a smack in the face. If it is not I'm sorry but to me it reads as "whatever wheres my crossovers"

One of the things that people who actually meet me in person and get to know me find out is that I am VERY literal minded and say exactly what I mean. NO interpretation is needed.
If I did not type "whatever where's my crossovers" then that is not what I meant.
Where I'm originally from (*Hartford, Connecticut*) most would say to you MYOFB about that.
I would not be so rude.
Some would call such a statement speaking their minds or being direct or freedom of speech.
Others would call it being a rude a$$hole.
I tend to go with the latter.
Humans have always bewildered me in that when we should be looking at the big picture,we get caught up in the details. Or when we should be looking at the details, we get caught up looking at the big picture. Which point of view is the correct one depends on the situation and ones own point of view and can be argued Ad-Infinitum, Ad-Nauseum.
I will NEVER understand the level of fanaticism that I have seen on this forum sometimes.

You may call it "Pride of ownership".
I call it fanaticism.
Kind of like the difference that I often see between the way old money and new money act out in public.
Example of new money
True story. I work at an auto shop as a sales associate and one day I answered the phone and a customer was calling to get a progress report on their vehicle that they had left earlier in the day before I arrived. So I asked what their name was and what kind of vehicle they had. They come back with the following-"Oh it's the only one you have there. It's a Lexus RX-400h hybrid SUV. They don't sell to many of those."
Now when this person said "Oh it's the only one you have there". I was thinking Lamborghini. So when I looked in the computer-NO surprise here-I see there are two in the shop and they're both getting the exact same services. When I came back to the phone and asked the customer which one was theirs, they responded "what do you mean??" When I told them there were two in the shop, their ACTUAL RESPONSE was "WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!??????"
My thing is why bother to make this stuff up when people come in or call and just hand you the material?
Old money is driving a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 150,000 miles on it and you would never know they had a dime to their names. I know this because while I ain't never really had much money. I grew up around a LOT of old money back home in Connecticut.
Some would call that customers behavior "Pride of ownership"
Some would call be straight Boojie.
I fall in the latter camp.

Big picture here (*for me at least*) The solder connections-while not pretty-are SOLID. I made sure of that before I finished. I used two layers of two different electrical tapes and wound the second one tight. Once the case is closed no one will ever see them again.
To me since I am not selling this to anyone or asking to be graded on my delivery AND IT WILL NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN. What diff does it make whether they are ugly or pristine as long as the connections are good and not going to come apart and they are insulated from one another properly???

I see I will never convince the fanatics on here.
However you will never get me to see what the big flippin' deal is about some solder connections that will never be seen again.
Big picture.

pitdogg2

everybody like a good train wreck as well.......