[fields 100]

Part of my 16B 11"speaker's back is covered with a some sort of gauze material, and, needless to say, had a better days.What is the purpose of it? Is it for the audio base improvement? How important is it and what kind of material one should use for replacement? Thanks.

[morzh]

If you mean this cobweb style on top openings, I think it is simply to prevent dust accumuation. Radio is oen (unlike close speakers today) and dust fall from above.

[Joeztech]

Some manufacturers made it a practice to add screening or gauze material to the speaker basket area behind the cone. This kept debris out of the back side of the speaker and gave some degree of protection to the speaker cone along with the front grill cloth. Hopefully people would not make a practice of poking around inside their radios. Unfortunately many early radios had no back cover at all.

There were very few speaker arrangements that incorporated any sort of enclosure in the early years of radio. The appearance of Altec speaker/enclosure combinations for theater sound systems were an early example of bass reflex enclosures. You can do an internet search on loudspeakers and find a wealth of information on the subject.

Joe
KC5LY

[fields 100]

Joeztech,

I see your point. However, not only on my set, but on many others the gauze covers only 1/2 of the basket and only the right side of it looking from the back, having the left one open(?)

[gregb]

Fields100, the speaker is mounted in the cabinet wrong, the gauze was meant to be on the top, not to the left or right, to prevent dust and debris from settling into the voice coil.

Gregb

[fields 100]

Gregb

All respectable sites on the web to name a few show the gauze on the right side looking from the back.I agree with you, it is only one logical way for it's location and, honestly, I would not feel bad putting it on the top, on the bottom or just omit it whatsoever, there are other things more important to be concerned about. It just very curious. There must have been the reason for it.
Thanks.

[gregb]

Well maybe I am mistaken, but it seems logical that it would be on the top. Maybe Ron might know one way or the other.

Gregb