/ exocontralto / exocontralto / exocontralto Music By: Alex Walls goo.gl/vyFgt6 / sxsic Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...) EXOcontralto Bassheads Unite 2017
That's a 100 volt inline PA speaker. It's designed to work with an old tube PA amp. The transformer sends the remaining voltage down the line to the next speaker. This way you can power many speakers over a large distance on a single channel amplifier. They are for old school public address systems, like in a school, a department store or an army base. This speaker needs around 100 volts to operate, it's probably not broken, that little 9volt battery just wasn't enough to get it going. They make modern 100 volt PA amps and speakers and they are still in use for the same applications today.
NO ! this is a "Cone speaker" from the early battery and "early AC" era of radio (1927-28). It was used directly coupled to the audio output tube, so its high impedance (2000 ohms is typical). the "100V" speakers for distributed speaker systems are actually called "70 volt line" type... so the peak of the signal doesnt exceed 100 volts thus the wire doesnt need to be inside conduit. If you want good answers to questions of vintage audio or radio gear, ask questions on the "Antique Radio Forum" online.
it's cool that you and you're mom are that close . Make sure you look her in the eyes and tell her that you love her . lost mine years ago . enjoy these times .
That my friend is a rare moving iron speaker, and what a pristine one at that. Those speakers usually require a higher voltage to drive them along with a DC blocking capacitor, which I think is in that can shaped part with 3 terminals. You can use a standard 220V to 12 volt power transformer to drive this beauty from a modern solid state amplifier. Connect the output of your amplifier to the 12 volt secondary winding of the power transformer. Then connect the 220V primary to the speaker. The transformer will in effect boost the voltage to what the speaker needs (in the 100-200 volt range). Not sure if that old capacitor still works or not though, you can bypass it for short term tests until replacing it if bad. Without that capacitor, you risk weakening the magnet. Another problem is the horseshoe shaped magnet on these can lose its magnetism as the material science of the era was limited. They are "semi-permanent" magnets at best and require occasional rejuvenation/recharging. To rejuvenate (only do this if the magnet is dead), wind 8 or 10 gauge wire about a dozen times around the bendy part of the horseshoe magnet. Dump a fully charged super cap into the wire a few times, keeping the polarity the same each time to saturate the magnet. Ideal to remove the magnet first if possible, or you can dampen the mechanism with foam pieces here and there to protect it from the shock of the magnet charging pulse. Lot of energy you are dumping to renew that magnet. The polarity of the speaker cannot be determined with a battery as you would a modern moving coil speaker; these react to AC signals only. Correct polarity is when the sound is louder. If you reverse the polarity, you will quickly neutralize the magnet, making the speaker mute in short order again. These speakers have a very warm and cozy sound to them unlike anything you have probably heard, albeit lacking in bass and treble as our modern counterparts. It will bring a nostalgic 30's era sound to anything played through it. A real museum piece and the best thing ever to listen to talk radio shows through.
Hey Buddy, This is an RCA 100 Speaker made in 1927. It would have been paired with a Radiola 18 or similar radio. That speaker should be an electro-dynamic speaker rather than fixed magnet like today's speakers. Very nice find! By the way, that is a transformer, not a capacitor. The speaker probably still works with the proper voltage. I restore stuff like this but on mine, I put a modern speaker in it since I didn't need an electrodynamic.
Back in the day those speakers were high impedance and ran on high voltage cus small tubes were only able to conduct few mili amps to about an amp but at few hundred volts.
Kevin Dickson from about a week ago is correct. This is an old open field coil loudspeaker. That "can" mounted on the side is a transformer and gets its voltage from the B+ from the amplifier which runs anywhere between 70v all the way up to 420v, some even up past 800v depending on the amplifier and its particular design/topology. So in your video, the little 9v battery won't do a thing to that vintage loudspeaker. I bet you more than anything, that speaker does in fact still work perfectly fine. Keep up the good work! Love watching your videos!
Btw That is a diaphragm speaker , made for repelling insects using very high frequencies about 100k herts so no one can hear that and they are mounted outdoors to repel insects.its big to increase effective area of repletion. like this so Exo can see! | | \/
Geez Exo! I feel like I'm part of your family in away! All the videos and family members you've introduced to us is well appreciated! Awesome speaker too!
This is a field coil speaker it requires something like 15W@60volts or so to operate. You had absolutely no chance with your little 9V battery ^^ and no offense dude but your mom looks gorgeous ! What a family T-T !!!
You and your mom are great! She was adorable all excited, she reminded me of my mom when she does things she is proud of. Hope you all have a great year!
The idiots in the comment section talking about this lady is why I hate reading comments. I looked to see if there were comments RELATED TO THIS TYPE SPEAKER and all there is are disrespectful comments toward her. This isn't tinder guys. Grow up.
This look like 100V speaker and that round thing is transformer.. you need special amplifier for it (search for Extron ceiling speakers and amps) they are commonly used in big conference rooms
My father in law used to repair those speakers before he died. They can be fixed. Basically you have a piece that looks like a cross with could of wire on each arm. It's wound from one side until it has enough wire on it then it crosses over to the other sides to be wound the same number of wire turns in it. The cross fits inside the gap of a horseshoe magnet, like bugs bunny and the coyote always seemed to have hanging around. The wound areas of the cross fit in the gap of the horseshoe magnet acting just like a voice coil in a newer speaker. These windings tend to burn out after years of use because of the super thin wire they used. There are antique radio enthusiasts that can still repair them. Good luck if you decide to go that way!
You hinted at what's wrong when you said "no meter" here.The RCA 100A loudspeaker is a high impedance unit.The circuit it is used in is choke/ capacitor output coupling where a choke of suitable impedance is in the plate circuit of the radio output tube and this is then connected from the output tube( usually a type 71A or CX-310)plate to cathode or ground.The can is a capacitor to block the DC from polarizing the speaker mechanism.If you had an early tube radio like the RCA Radios 17 or 18 this speaker would most likely work fine.NO,it is not a field coil unit.
this isn't the first time I've seen her in ur videos I don't think -but this is the first introduction I think ...... family is everything man! great video!
This will probably be the last time we see his mom on camera seeing all the sexual comments. I don't understand why people have to treat good people this way. I loved the video by the way.
My Respects to both of you Brother, its so cool sometimes to have a Mom that goes along with our crazy tastes for what we Enjoy in life!, It's the little things in life that stay with us till the end!, cheers bro. Life is Beautiful no matter, what!. God Bless you both!. 👍
What you need is a transformer to drive the speaker. A simple way to do it is get an antique radio that is beyond repair and rob the audio transformer from it. You can then get a mono bluetooth speaker and use that to drive the transformer. Measure the transformer windings. The winding with the lowest resistance will connect in place of the speaker in the bluetooth speaker. The winding with the higher resistance connects to the speaker.
Needs to rejuvinate the magnet as they almost always go flat and I believe that can shaped part is a 3 terminal autotransformer. Renewing the magnet is very simple to do. Wind about a dozen turns of 8 gauge on the horseshoe bend and dump the output of a super-cap into it a few times. These speakers work by "shading" the magnetic field with a solenoid coil to move a steel diaphragm mechanically coupled to the paper cone. It is normal for these magnets to lose their field over time... they are in reality "semi-permanent" and require renewing as described from time to time.
Made me think of my grandpa. He was an old school audio guy and electrician. He not only wired navy ships, he war an organ repaiman on the side. Collected organ speakers and old aidio. Loved his rotary woofers.
That black can lookin thing is a Transformer. It's to match the high impedance of the coil to the impedance of the amp. So dc from your battery wo t get through as transformers need ac to do there thang. That solonoid coild will need a reasonably high voltage to start moving. And they were designed to be ran by valve amps. So they need a pretty high voltage on the input side of the Transformer. I'd use an extra d class amp on the output of your Bluetooth gear. Something like 150wrms capable and at that impedance it would probably only put out something like 20wrms which would use up all that drivers potential. Really, since it's covered, I'd stick a different driver in there. Maybe a coaxial. Exo, if you want some advice on projects like this I do them all the time. Your bound to have some good advice for me too. Send a message back to this comment if ya want some more Info on stuff like this. I do this kinda thing all the time but I make the pcbs and design the electronics from the ground up. Excluding Bluetooth modules which are soo ooooo cheap there's literally no point lol.
And by the way, ignore all the idiots slinging disrespectful comments at your mam. (that Is spelled right, sorry I'm from North East England). Ignore the ignorant!
The electro magnet on the speaker is also a ballen coil for the dc power supply in the radio along with the capacitors smooth out the rectified ac voltage so there is a very clean dc b+ For the tubes. It was cheaper than a permanent magnet and served a duel purpose as well. Plus the magnet never gets week, in fact was stronger making the speaker more efficient at a lower power. Usually 1or 2 6v6 tubes for a7 or 15 watt audio output.
People who are watching this video, would definitely love you MOM, not because of her beauty but her energetic attitude. She can motivate any person with what she got. Simple. Positive, Childish but Genius character. YES.. You're so lucky to have a great mom like this always beside you. I Wish all the best for you two. (: Thanks for the video.
This is awesum to see more youtubers createing Real Good(not just Entertaining) videos. You should do alot more videos like this, i lost my mom a couple years back and seeing stuff like this makes me smile, Enjoy thoes moments and share them with the world! Great job.
Those old PA loudspeakers need a higher voltage to get moving, find an old solid state amp to plug it into, it probably still works as they're pretty hard to kill.
That's a "field coil" type loudspeaker which were standard long before permanent magnet technology was ready for the task . What you thought was a cap is the transformer (required substantial and continuous DC current) that in turn provides the current to two coils (voice coil and humbucking coil) needed to generate the magnetic field . Some data may be be little off because this hasn't come up for me in while. :-) Audiophiles with cash and electricity to burn are the only people using modern field coil speakers today. Put the speakers on eBay (200 bucks easy -1000 had you left the housing in it's original form) and go with your mom's bluetooth idea. :0) Sweet find!
This is a VERY old "armature" speaker. It looks pristine. Expect the thing's lost its magnetism, and that can thing, as others have said, is an output transformer. It would've been used when it was a PA speaker mounted outside, but many of these used the same idea in old radios, and the like. :-)
That is the external speaker for an RCA Radiola 18 (also 1928) It is an electrodynamic speaker. It requires high voltage (around 350 volts) for the electromagnet. Speakers of that era did not have permanent magnets. They used an electromagnet powered by the radio. Chances are the speaker is good, it just wasn't powered. What you did is a good use for the housing though. It allows you to use and display it without damaging the housing. It's great you and your mom appreciate stuff like this.
that's awesome man.. used to do small projects with my mother years ago.. now she lives in Florida and I'm stuck in Maryland. . also great idea moms, swapping out that old speaker for a newer, still functioning Bluetooth speaker .. turned out great for someone trying that for the first time ..
that speaker may need a high line voltage to drive it. Defiantly worth a return trip later with tools and a small test amp. but for now try digging online for more info about it.
It's a vintage RCA mono speaker that works with an RCA mono amp radio that I have. The amp is built around vacuum tubes and sounds great. I have the large amp but don't have the speaker. Nice find!
It is crazy the disrespectful things that people say about your family, that would be willing to fight if anybody sad about theirs. Just wanted to come back and watch this video again your mom seemed super awesome and just like my mom she keeps a thousand magnets on the fridge, But my kids love to play with them now lol. The speaker look super interesting had to Google to find out more 😂. 👍
Doesnt work like that. Speaker coil is the secondary part of a output transformer coupled directly to the anode of a tube. Needs hundreds of volts to react. Do not try to connect a tube amplifier if you dont know how, can kill you. Do not destroy the speaker, it,s valuble, sell on ebay and make money and do more crazy videos :)
You should definitely pursue the Bluetooth idea using a simple full range driver and a Bluetooth amp board from parts express or something like that. Good sound and vintage look.
