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After I got off work today, I was fooling around with a few radios I haven't played lately. When I turned on my eight tube, 1942 Zenith console, I was shocked to find the speaker was rattling like crazy on bass notes. The last time I had played this radio it sounded fine. Pulled the speaker and the cone is ok, so I checked the spider next and found it is starting to pull away from the frame. Looks like the old glue (it's green) has given up the ghost. So, I am trying a repair with my speaker cement to see if that gets things going again. If that doesn't work, any other suggestions besides a full recone?
No matter where you go, there you are.
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A new speaker is usually cheaper than a full re-coning. Plus shipping. Both ways. Unless done by yourself. If you know how. And have the cone.
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If it's one with the external spider, the corrugated cloth or paper types, I would cut up some photographic film negative to use as shims to slip between the voice coil and pole piece to hold the voice coil in place while you are gluing the spider back down.
Regards
Arran
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It is the external spider. I already have it glued back down and put it back in the radio, but was waiting for it to set up more before testing today. Luckily, it wasn't loose all the way around, but in a few spots. So, it was still held in alignment enough for me to get it nailed back down. I must admit, this is one issue I have NEVER run across so far with the internal spiders that Philco and others used. I've had a few that were damaged due to mis-handling in the past, but even some of those have been able to be revived.
Update: It appears my little repair has worked. I played it for a short time today with no rattle, even on the 'lo-bass' setting. So, hopefully it will stay good for a while, though I think using 'lo-bass' is going to be a no-no from now on. It is just too hard on the speaker on some songs. Maybe it was ok when these speakers were new, but now they are showing their age.
No matter where you go, there you are.
(This post was last modified: 01-30-2014, 03:40 PM by
Jayce.)
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Jayce,
The only glue to use for repairs , I have learned, is a flexible glue with plenty of elasticity. Which they hadn't discovered yet in the 30s.
I recone all my speakers and I buy my glue from a guy on Ebay.,,and his Ebay name is
"My Audio Addiction"
It's a white glue, but it dries clear. Great stuff !
Good Luck,
Kenneth
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