Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
WyTex - 08-21-2018
Hi guys -
My model 90 lowboy's speaker needs all new wiring. The plug end looks to be two wafers riveted together. Since I want to terminate new wire directly to the 4 pins, if I drill out those rivets will that plug separate relatively easily? There's no glue or anything binding it together? I should then be able to rewire and rivet the two bake-lite pieces back together.
Thanks,
Paul
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
EdHolland - 08-21-2018
If it is anything like the 2 wafer plug on my 16X. Carefully prise up the rivet end that was pressed over at assembly, and it might be reusable. Nothing to lose vs drilling.
Ed
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
morzh - 08-21-2018
Don't disassemble the wafer plug: it wires without needing to be taken apart.
The backelite plug (which is what is typically on 70/90/20 radios) does have to be taken apart.
You just solder the new wires to the old you are taking out and pull them through.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
WyTex - 08-21-2018
Thanks for the help Ed and Mike. Just to make sure I described this correctly, I'm referring to the plug end that connects to the chassis. I can see the insulation has worn away inside the bakelite section, it's making some awful crackling noises. I don't see any other way to fix this other than separating the two plug halves?
Mike - are you referring to the other end that routes through the speaker frame? There's another type of plug there that seems to have the same issue of exposed wiring. I had planned to work the plug out so I can run new wires through the frame.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
morzh - 08-21-2018
Which one do you refer to?
If the latter, I never tried to rewire it but all my speakers that use this one had wiring that was just fine.
The former is the one I was referring to. Easly rewiring without having to take apart.
But I am sure this can be done to the other one too: it is open and so things could be threaded through.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
WyTex - 08-21-2018
My 90 is the type 3 chassis with the two 47's. The plug I'm initially working on is the smaller picture at the top of your post.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
morzh - 08-21-2018
That's good news. I dealt with two of these, in an 18 and a 118 radio, and both times it was done without disassembly. I thought I documented that in the 18 thread from 5 years ago, but alas, I did not. It is self-explanatory though.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
WyTex - 08-21-2018
The bakelite plug on my set cannot be re-wired to the pins without separating the plug. The two halves are sandwiched together with no space. I was assuming the rivets needed to be drilled or perhaps pried up as Ed suggested. There isn't any access to the back end of the pins. Just want to make sure I'm doing this correctly and not hack it up.
Thanks again.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
KCMike - 08-21-2018
Found this old thread of Mike's. It might help you.
http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=6326&highlight=speaker+plug
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
EdHolland - 08-21-2018
Paul,
Keep us posted please on your chosen method, and good luck
Cheers
Ed
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
Steve Davis - 08-21-2018
Both style plugs can be rewired without drilling the rivets. Take a look here
http://www.philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=17924
Steve
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
morzh - 08-21-2018
This was exactly what I did on one of the wafer connectors. And had I not rushed to action, I would do it on the backelite one also.
You simply use old wires to pull in the new ones.
That is what I was saying before.
The thread KCMike found is the one where I did drill the rivets out. Next time I realized I didn't have to.
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
WyTex - 08-22-2018
Thanks Steve. That's very helpful! Breaking/cracking the plug halves is my biggest concern.
Appreciate your help Mike, as always.
Paul
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
WyTex - 08-23-2018
An issue I'm running into with these solutions is I don't want to cut the wires initially because I need to trace them through the plug halves and then to their correct pins. I suspect the four connections are traceable on the schematic, which is one of my Achilles heals in this hobby. Same issue at the speaker end. I have to identify which wire connects to each pin first.
Paul
RE: Model 90 lowboy speaker rewiring question -
morzh - 08-23-2018
Just do them one at a time.