Are your 1.2TL's tweeters wired wrong by factory like mine?

RichCanDo

My 1.2TL tweeters are wired at the crossover connector as 1.2's. Are yours? My guess is many are wired wrong. These 2 models have different tweeter wiring connections to the crossover. Factory wiring error?

I would appreciate any helpful comments, and just to know if other 1.2TL's are wired like mine. You would have to look at your xover tweeter connections as listed further below.

TL model and 1.2 tweeter wiring differences:
On 1.2 model schematic the 4 tweeters Negative wires connect together at the crossover.
On the 1.2TL model schematic, the 4 tweeters Positive wires connect together at crossover.

My TL model is connected like a non TL model. All the Tweeter Negatives are tied together, which is wrong per schematic! Positives should connect together.

The trace on the xover board connects 4 of the pins on the Tweeter Array Connector together, which are all marked Negative on the board. This would be incorrect phase markings for 1.2TLs per the schematic. These 4 pins should be marked Positive for the TL model. (Each tweeter must also connect to the correct + pin.)

Looking at the 1.2TL schematic:

On Tweeter Array Connector: You will see the 4 + pins tie together. You may also notice these + pins connect to the Negative binding post. This is correct per Polk, as Darque Knight informed me; The tweeters were connected in reverse of normal phasing to correct a phase reversal caused by the xover circuit. (This phase changing wiring does not pertain to my wiring probem.)

You will also see that each of the Negative pins goes to a different component(s) of the circuit.

Are mine wired wrong? I assume so as not per schematic.

Does it matter if wired wrong?
I really do not know, but believe it does. Matter much? Maybe not as it is only the tweeters, and if still working in correct "firing order" maybe not really enough to notice. I have felt as though these TL's have no SDA effect. My previous SDA SRS's had a very noticable effect. But I think SDA effect is mostly achieved by the drivers. But also, I have not really listened to them good in about 3 years having had them on maybe 10 times. Maybe I do not use them because they do not sound as they should to me.

Why are mine not wired like the schematic?
Maybe the xover circuit board is from a 1.2 model and wired wrong by factory for use in TL model. (Positive and Negative markings on xover pin connector are different)

Purchased 2nd hand, maybe the previous owner cannot read schematics and modified the connector. (He did install silk domes.)
======================

Yes, I do have 1.2TL's, not 1.2's. Correct "C" label & parts on crossover. Correct made cabinet with brace near floor. Drivers all correct number, though marked SRS 1.2. (The tweets changed to silk domes before I got them.)

Noticed incorrect wiring as have all drivers and xover out of a cabinet as upgrading them. Decided to look for reason there is no SDA effect for about 3rd time, while I have them apart. I will upgrade the xovers maybe within next month and after that maybe I will have SDA! Maybe I'll find a bad xover component not found before when testing it on the board.

restanim

Lasareath,
What does the big screw in the back of each speaker cabinet around 10" from the top signify?

Mike

zarrdoss

restanim wrote: »

Lasareath,
What does the big screw in the back of each speaker cabinet around 10" from the top signify?

Mike

Its for a brace to mount to your wall for better bass and they don't tip over if I'm not mistaken

restanim

Yeah I know it is for the Bass Brase, but Lasareath seems to imply that the Bass Brase is on certain models.

F1nut

The Bass Brace is only on certain models, with the 1.2TL and 2.3TL the only ones I'm certain of.

Its for a brace to mount to your wall for better bass and they don't tip over

I would not rely on the brace to prevent tip over.

restanim

As I stated on another thread, I have a pair labeled SRS-1.2 that have TL tweeter's and TL crossover's. The speaker cabinets also have the Bass Brase screw hole. They must be SRS-1.2TL in a left over non-TL cabinet.

Mike

Bubinga99

Rich, I'd try wiring it as the schematic shows (and assuming the components on your crossover board match the schematic) before doing any of the other things.

Take a look at the last graph at this link:
http://murphyblaster.com/content.php?f=usher2way.html
Which shows the large response dip for tweeter wired w/ reverse polarity.

Toolfan66

I have the 1.2's with that screw on the back.

F1nut

restanim wrote: »

As I stated on another thread, I have a pair labeled SRS-1.2 that have TL tweeter's and TL crossover's. The speaker cabinets also have the Bass Brase screw hole. They must be SRS-1.2TL in a left over non-TL cabinet.

Mike

Polk often used up prior model labels, etc. before using the proper ones. Polk also had a upgrade kit for the 1.2 to 1.2TL. It also appears that the 1.2 came with the Bass Brace (thanks Larry).

Bottom line, it matters not what the external label says, it matters which crossover design you have. Therefore, you have 1.2TL's.

RichCanDo

Thanks for the replies. I would still like to know if anyone has checked to see if all the white wires from the tweeters are tied together at the xover board. If mine is wired wrong, I assume others are also. Maybe all TL's have tweeters wired wrong! I'll answer all questions above here.

I have the Bass Brace screw on the back of cabinets. I put teflon tape on it so there would be no air leakage.
I am certain mine are TL models. The crossover has TL parts. I've tested each part on the board trying to find the reason for no SDA effect.

My Serial numbers are both: SRS 1.2 61xx. (Higher than Lasareath's if I remember correct from one of his posts)
Label on rear shows Pin/Blade interconnect.
On cabinet interior, bottom right rear panel is stamped: 1.2 12 22T_ (9?) Left cabinet does not have this stamp unless in another location I have not seen yet.
All 16 drivers are stamped Feb 1989. Some have 2 different day stamps though both Feb. (Some stamped SRS 1.2, some only stamped SRS)

As for Bubinga99 suggestion, I'll rewire tweeters to match the schematic after I upgrade the xover parts and get the speakers working again. I would have done this anyway because I assume this was a factory wiring error. I do not know if the 1.2 and TL model crossovers used the same trace layout for the board. If they are the same but with different parts, then all that would be required by the factory was a different wiring harness for the 2 different models and the wrong harness was used on mine. Yet the Pos and Neg markings on the TL board would still be incorrect for high Freq's. If the same board was used for both models and the phase markings were not corrected, it means to be wired correctly, all TL models would have color coded tweeter wires where (+) connects to the xover pin marked (-) (And each tweeter (-) wire must connect to the correct (+) pin on xover for correct tweeter "firing order")

While I had the cabinet components removed I ran a bead of wood glue around all of the interior corner seams. Did this just in case there were any air leaks at the seams because the original glue did not fill in the seam cracks in some places. I will also use some sort of seal around the 4 bolts that connect the top and bottom end caps. Maybe a thin rubber washer after sealing the MDF around the bolt through holes.

F1nut

Maybe all TL's have tweeters wired wrong!

Not a snowball's chance in hell.

madmax

My 1.2 non TL's have the bass brace, my SDA-SRS did not. On the wiring don't assume the lighter color wire is the positive, it is the negative. The darker color is generally the positive.
madmax

vmaxer

All the negatives on mine are tied together by the board, 1.2tl's...

Toolfan66

The wide blade on the tweeters is the positive correct? (SL3000/RDO-198's) I will have to look at them again. I will be pulling my drivers out soon so I will take a look.

vmaxer

I just happen to have been working on my speakers so I thought I would look into this a bit moore...Than schematic I have calls out that all the negative wires are white, then the positives are red, blue, yellow, and green. Look at the attached photo, going by the label on the crossocer board and the way the plugs are wired....something is wrong..

Is the small or large terminal plug on the tweeters the positive?? The sequence that the schematic calls out the colors doesn't match the way the plug is wires either?? This is confusing..

george daniel

If you flipped it, it would be correct,,not saying that is what the problem is,,interesting,it looks completely reversed, hmm,,.

vmaxer

george daniel wrote: »

If you flipped it, it would be correct,,not saying that is what the problem is,,interesting,it looks completely reversed, hmm,,.

You can't flip the plug, it won't go in the board if you do due to flat spot on a couple of the locations...see the photo. You think maybe this is a mistake from polk??

vmaxer

Even flipped it wouldn't match the schematic?? I The colors aren't in the same order??

michaeljhsda2

Although the green, red, blue and yellow are supposed to be positive, obviously in the photo above they are not. Make sure the green, blue, red and yellow wires are on the negative post of the tweeters by tracing it up to the tweeters. I discovered this quirk recently. See post #34 http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1150285#post1150285

michaeljhsda2

BTW, when I discovered this anomaly a couple of weeks ago I pulled the other Xo'ver and interestingly those wires had the white wires on the negatives of the board as well as on the negative posts on each tweeter.

RichCanDo

vmaxer wrote: »

All the negatives on mine are tied together by the board, 1.2tl's...

If you look at the 1.2TL schematic, the 4 tweeter Negative wires should not be tied together. The Positives should be tied together.
The Negatives tie together on the 1.2 non TL model.

RichCanDo

vmaxer wrote: »

I just happen to have been working on my speakers so I thought I would look into this a bit moore...Than schematic I have calls out that all the negative wires are white, then the positives are red, blue, yellow, and green. Look at the attached photo, going by the label on the crossocer board and the way the plugs are wired....something is wrong..

Is the small or large terminal plug on the tweeters the positive?? The sequence that the schematic calls out the colors doesn't match the way the plug is wires either?? This is confusing..

Yours appear to be wired correctly. The wide pin on the RDO tweeters is Negative and connects to the white wire. (Mine have a paint dot to indicate (+) by the small pin.)

White is used for Negative. But you will notice that it is connected to the Positive pin at the xover connector. This is as it should be per the 1.2TL schematic.

Your photo indicates you have the same xover board that I have. Also indicates the 1.2 blank xover board was used for the 1.2TL models because the +/- markings on the board are correct for 1.2 models, but incorrect for the cicuit used on TL models.

The possibility that Polk used the same board for both models, and that all that the factory needed to do was use a different wiring harness, I mentioned above . It would actually be the same harness, but the wires would connect to different pins on the connector. The white (-) wires would connect to (+) at the crossover. (All white would not connect to the (-) markings on the connector for non TL models)

michaeljhsda2

RichCanDo wrote: »

Yours appear to be wired correctly. The wide pin on the RDO tweeters is Negative and connects to the white wire. White is used for Negative. But you will notice that it is connected to the Positive pin at the xover connector. This is as it should be per the 1.2TL schematic.

Your photo indicates you have same xover board that I have. Also indicates the 1.2 blank xover board was used for the 1.2TL models because the +/- markings on the board are correct for 1.2 models, but incorrect for the cicuit used on TL models.

"The wide pin on the RDO tweeters is Negative" It is? I could have sworn the wide blade is positive on the tweeter, whether it's an RDO or an SL3000.

michaeljhsda2

RichCanDo wrote: »

Yours appear to be wired correctly. The wide pin on the RDO tweeters is Negative and connects to the white wire. White is used for Negative. But you will notice that it is connected to the Positive pin at the xover connector. This is as it should be per the 1.2TL schematic.

Your photo indicates you have same xover board that I have. Also indicates the 1.2 blank xover board was used for the 1.2TL models because the +/- markings on the board are correct for 1.2 models, but incorrect for the cicuit used on TL models.

The possibility that Polk used the same board for both models I mentioned above and that all that the factory needed to do was use a different wiring harness. It would actually be the same harness, but the wires would connect to different pins on the connector. The white (-) wires would connect to (+) at the crossover. (All white would not connect to the (-) markings on the connector for non TL models)

You are correct sir. Positive has the narrow blade post on the tweeter and negative has the wide blade post. Note: this is on the right channel speaker. The left channel speaker has the quirk (or is this how the SDA wiring is designed/supposed to be?) All I know is that the speakers sound and image great.

RichCanDo

michaeljhsda2 wrote: »

Although the green, red, blue and yellow are supposed to be positive, obviously in the photo above they are not. Make sure the green, blue, red and yellow wires are on the negative post of the tweeters by tracing it up to the tweeters. I discovered this quirk recently. See post #34 http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1150285#post1150285

You cannot connect the green, red, blue and yellow wires to the Negative terminals of the RDO tweeters because the wire terminals are different sizes for Pos & Neg. You would have to change the wire terminals on the harness. Easier to change the wire locations at the pin connector. But if done, you have to be sure the white wire from each tweeter (1-4) connects to the correct (+) pin at the connector as shown in the schematic.

RichCanDo

michaeljhsda2 wrote: »

"The wide pin on the RDO tweeters is Negative" It is? I could have sworn the wide blade is positive on the tweeter, whether it's an RDO or an SL3000.

The wide blade on my RDO's is Negative because the small blade has a red paint dot near it. Paint dots usually are used to indicate the (+) connection on speakers.

I stated earlier it appears your TL's are wired correctly. If the white wire connects to the wide blade (-) on RDO tweeter, and other end of white wire connects to (+) mark at xover connector, yours are wired correctly.

RichCanDo

michaeljhsda2 wrote: »

You are correct sir. Positive has the narrow blade post on the tweeter and negative has the wide blade post. Note: this is on the right channel speaker. The left channel speaker has the quirk (or is this how the SDA wiring is designed/supposed to be?) All I know is that the speakers sound and image great.

Not sure what your quirk is. (Have to read your post again.) But both speakers should be wired the same.

RichCanDo

michaeljhsda2 wrote: »

Although the green, red, blue and yellow are supposed to be positive, obviously in the photo above they are not. Make sure the green, blue, red and yellow wires are on the negative post of the tweeters by tracing it up to the tweeters. I discovered this quirk recently. See post #34 http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1150285#post1150285

If you have the TL model, the green, blue, red and yellow wires SHOULD NOT connect to the Negative speaker terminals. They connect to (+) at the speaker. At the xover pin connector they should connect to the pins marked (-) Look at the schematic.

michaeljhsda2

Ok here's the left channel speaker. The green wire from the bottom tweeter is on the positive post of the tweeter, small blade and I traced it to the negative on the xover.

The right speaker crossover tweeter wire orientation is different and I'll post those pics in a few minutes after I pull it out of the cabinet.

RichCanDo

vmaxer wrote: »

All the negatives on mine are tied together by the board, 1.2tl's...

Check again. On the xover board the trace should connect 4 connector pins together. These pins are marked (-) on the board. But your colored wires (+) from the tweeters should connect to these. From your photo it looks like they are, meaning your 4 (-) white tweeter wires do not connect together at the board. (The 4 (-) wires should not connect together at board on TL models. The 4 (+) wires should connect together)

michaeljhsda2

michaeljhsda2 wrote: »

Ok here's the left channel speaker. The green wire from the bottom tweeter is on the positive post of the tweeter, small blade and I traced it to the negative on the xover.

The right speaker crossover tweeter wire orientation is different and I'll post those pics in a few minutes after I pull it out of the cabinet.

Ok here's the right channel speaker. The green wire from the bottom tweeter is on the positive post of the tweeter, small blade and I traced it to the negative on the xover. It's exactly the same as the left channel xo'ver!!! I could have swore it was different from the left channel. Guess my memory is on the way outta here.... Sorry about adding confusion to the discussion.