I could do with a bit of help please.

I have a speaker that is totally dead,its an unknown brand.I have pulled it apart and all the wiring is in good order,there is tiny cylindrical thing hanging next to the 2 wires that power the larger speaker.It has 100v and 1.5u/vf written on it.I can see nothing else that could be stopping the speaker working,can someone enlighten me as to what it is,and how would i go about getting one.Any comments will be apreciated. thanks.

 

It is a capacitor. With volume turned low, bypass it with a piece of wire. If the speaker makes sound then simply replace the cap. The value is 1.5 microfarads, and the cap is rated at 100 watts. A buck or two from Parts Express. I like Dayton polypropylene (PP) caps but you can buy more expensive boutique caps some claim sound better. The job of the cap in a crossover is to limit bass going to a driver lower than what it can reproduce, so is aka a high pass filter. It protects the speaker. That is why you keep volume low when you bypass the cap to test the speaker, so that it won't be damaged, or cause a lot of distortion.

When the cap is bypassed, if there is no sound then the speaker's voice coil may be toast. Replace the speaker. PE has some of those, too.

 

Thank you for that.I cant find a 1.5mf 100v one,but i have found this,a 1mf 100v.would it be any use to me.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1mf-100v-...-105C-1-QTY-/231913244718?hash=item35ff1b482e

 

Use two that add together to make 1.5... often it is easy to find a 0.47mfd cap, and that is entirely close enough combined with the 1.0. Just connect them in parallel, not in series with one another. You know, side-by-side, not end-to-end.

Also, the Voltage can be higher, makes no dif. IOW, a 250V cap is rated high enough to replace a 100V - you just don't want to go lower. It's the mfd which must match, or come very, very close.

 

I am assuming that you mean to just twist the wires together and conect them as one,is that right.

 

exactly. Use solder for long-term reliability.

OOPS!! I just looked at your link. Get the type that has a leg on each end, not the one you referenced. You want a bi-polar aka non-polarized cap for crossover duty.

 

here it is:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MKT-Hifi-...050555?hash=item4d011b563b:g:oAUAAOxyBPZTfHkg


just the one, perfect

 

That looks the same as the one thats on there now,but i will look for the one you suggest.Thanks very much for your help mate.

 

These bipolar have both legs on the same end,they all have from what i can see.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1UF-100V-...207703?hash=item45efb2acd7:g:ixAAAOxy5jxSa4Qy

 

I posted a link, but because I am new here, it was held up for review - I see it now, look up. No, it is still held up. Guess I'll move along to another place.

 

The link has been approved now . As it was posted late at night (UK time), it can take a few hours for a moderator to see the post to approve it - sorry about that. The anti-spam software will occasionally place legitimate posts in the moderation queue for new users - sorry about that!

 

Yaay! No worries.

 

I bypassed the capacitator and got no sound.So now i need a speaker,the one i have is 8ohm 50w, and is 6.5 in across,it shares the cabinet with another small speaker.I realise that speakers vary a lot,so i am looking for one with a bit of bass to match the other one.Can you reccommend a replacement please,another link would be great.

 

As a matter of interest have you measured the resistance of your drivers.
I have restored a few speakers.
This is how i go about it.
First do i really want to restore these speakers.
Strange question . Maybe . I like the sound that certain loudspeakers make. So for me its a must.
It won,t be cheap.
First thing is to remove drivers.
Depending where you live find a driver repair specialist. Get them repaired.
Remove x/over and send then to a good audio repair shop . Sometimes a driver specialist will also repair x/overs. Being as he has drivers can connect up and try out on test bench.
This could take a
few months( mine took 6 months!
You could use the time to rub down and restore the cabinets.
I
Usually resist the urge to up rate the wiring .
This May seem like overkill, but results are spectacular !
It goes without saying that restoring cabinets should be researched first. I can give some tips! But am sure that there are people better qualified.

 

Thanks for the reply,but the speakers could be replaced for about £50 so i wont be sending them off to be expensively repaired.Like everything else,as soon as you pass it over to a specialist,you are leaving yourself wide open to charged a fortune for work that often is either not nessasary,or is not even done.

 

It's well worth restoring if the sound is to your liking. Some loudspeakers are unique to the person who loves them.
I use Leak 2060,s because I love the sound they produce.
Both bass drivers suffered cone rub or collapsed suspension .
Both were recondioned. They are superb!
The x over ,s were o/hauled.
Cabinets were restored.
If original drivers are available i would go for it. X/over overhaul and they are as new.

 

I got them for nothing to use on my camping trailer.But i will look out for another small,but decent sounding pair. Thanks.