Pair of WH6 Lites build

Post your build odyssey here.
Message
Author
User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#31 Post by Seth »

I had to take the pin nailer apart a couple times today and make alignment adjustments between the magazine and the hammer/head portion of the gun. Seems to be working fine now.


The plans mentioned predrilling the top and bottom before assembly. I assume that's for assembling with ½" ply and screws. But, I took it as a que to utilize the method in some of the other plans of marking where to drive the fasteners in from the other side. So, I got a little piece of ¼" scrap, marked the width, and drilled a hole through the end of each panel location.
20201116_152623.jpg


I flipped the panel over and connected the dots. These lines should indicate the centerline of the attaching panels.
20201116_152828.jpg


Two bottom horn panels ready to go. I got tired of wrapping everything in wax paper and just put blue painters tape on the temporary guides. Hopefully it's not too difficult to remove later. Guides are tacked in place with a couple 23 gauge pin brads/nails.
20201116_153547.jpg


Top and bottom horn panels installed. They're on their sides in this pic, top of the horns together in the center.
20201116_155119.jpg


Horn sides attached. Left one is right-side up, right one is upside down
20201116_163944.jpg


Another angle, this one's upside down.
20201116_163956.jpg


And... another angle, also upside down.
20201116_164009.jpg


Detail showing how much I removed and how much I left from the original design. The oval lightening holes aren't centered. I was originally going to thin those parts, and the holes were drilled/cut based on those dimensions. But changed my mind, so the holes are not centered. Not worried about it. Wasn't worth my time to shave a couple grams of weight off the build.
20201116_164015.jpg
Screenshot (52).png



The horns are done for now, other than gluing on the woofer spacers, phase plugs, and tweeter supports (which are all later in the plans anyway). Looks like I'll be getting started on the outer shell assembly tomorrow.
Last edited by Seth on Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

Dale Hammer
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:30 pm
Location: Topeka, Kansas

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#32 Post by Dale Hammer »

Those look real nice.

User avatar
Chris_Allen
Posts: 3355
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:43 pm
Location: Huddersfield, UK

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#33 Post by Chris_Allen »

I've built 6 DR200s but the thought of building these makes me suck air through my teeth! Good job!
Built:
6xDR200, 2xT39, 2xT48, 2xJack110, 1xOmni10.5, 1xAutotuba, 1xT18, 1xSLA Pro, 1xW8, 1xW10

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#34 Post by Seth »

Dale Hammer wrote: Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:36 am Those look real nice.
Thanks Dale. I appreciate the mention :thumbsup:
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#35 Post by Seth »

Chris_Allen wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 3:50 pm I've built 6 DR200s but the thought of building these makes me suck air through my teeth! Good job!
Thanks Chris :thumbsup: Praise from you and Dale is really taken with value. I know you both have extensive experience, having assembled multiple designs from Bill's plans, with an apparent high level of woodworking craftsmanship.

That's interesting, I'm apprehensive about DR's. I specifically chose to build the WH6 Lite's before the DR's to get my woodworking chops up and get some experience building with ¼" ply in preparation for a DR build. Which, as you might guess, I aim to construct out of ¼" BB (slight break from the plans) for an ultra-light DR200 cabinet with 2.4 pound neo drivers, PRV Audio 8MB500-NDY (no longer in production). I already have all the hardware, minus lumber, to build 8. Just a little timid in getting started. I suspect (hope) that, like this build, it's more daunting in my mind than in practice.

I really like the ¼" ply so far. Working with it in contrast to ½" is easier. It's cuts easier and is less bulk/weight when handling the panels and assembly, yet is also surprisingly rigid. It is a little more difficult to hit with the brad nailer. Lot's of misses. But in the long run, that's not a big issue. The 23 gauge pins usually break if I try to pull them out. My latest method of dealing with them is to snip them off with flush-cut side cutters and a couple passes with a grinder or file (depending on accessibility) over the tiny remaining nub to get it completely flush and smooth. Works well and isn't too much trouble. Honestly, if I wasn't so OCD with the build, I wouldn't grind/file them in areas that wont be touched. Wouldn't even need to snip them in areas not seen.

Skipped a day yesterday to give my sore back a break. About to head out the door now and put at least one of the outer shells together.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#36 Post by Seth »

I dropped the phone that took good pics and the screen wont come on anymore. Crappy photos today. Gonna have to figure something else out for pics in the future.

Both outer shells are put together. After careful consideration and review of the SketchUp renderings, I'm fairly certain a top hat pole mount will just barely fit in the rear of the bottom panel, which I plan to recess into the panel so the top hat mounting flange is flush with the cab surface. So, to accommodate that modification, I glued a backer to the inside of the bottom panel, between the support braces to keep the area rigid when the recess gets routed out. Pics I took of that are no longer accessible, so here's part of the SketchUp to get an idea of what I did.
Screenshot (54).png


I also cut the matching angle into the rear edge of the backer to match up with the braces and adjoining panel.
Screenshot (55).png

I think I'm going to put a SpeakOn in this panel too, on the bottom of the cab, as well as add a ¼" TS plug to the upper right corner of the upper rear panel. That way, if they're stacked and on a pole for PA duty, I can connect on the bottom of the lower cab and run a short jumper with right angle plugs in the rear from the lower cab to the top cab. Seems like a slick setup... in my mind, anyway. Who knows if they'll ever do PA duty. Really, I'm just having fun with the project.



Here's the completed outer shells:

Not sure why these next two are showing in the wrong orientation. If you click on them, they'll show in the correct orientation. Enjoy!
20201119_155220.jpg


You can see the additional backer I added in these next few.
20201119_155228.jpg

20201119_155247.jpg

20201119_155254.jpg


Gonna do a little more reading ahead and make a plan for tomorrows goals. Maybe take on doing the melded arrays.



OH! I almost forgot to mention that using the blue painters tape in leu of wax paper worked like a charm. Didn't stick to the glue at all. It's way easier to work with it than futzing with the wax paper. I recommend you give it a try on your next build.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#37 Post by Seth »

I'm starting to get the hang of using SketchUp... and I'm liking it more and more. You guys weren't kidding about it being an invaluable tool. I'd say it's especially the case when wanting to make customizations. Here is an example, I want to know where to drill my hole to put in the ¼" jack on the top right of the upper right side panel. Move everything out of the way so I can see and measure the space available, avoiding other parts in the area. Then get the measurements I need without having to futz with penciling it out in the workshop.

I need to drill my 15/16" hole, 1 1/8" from the top and 15/16" from the side to have the jacks mounting flange land ¼" down from the top and directly between the side and the access panel flange.
Screenshot (56).png
What a GREAT tool! Took less than an hour of YouTube's and fiddling to get the basics down. Kinda fun too!

If you're bored some evening, give it a go!
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#38 Post by Seth »

Sliced, scraped, and chiseled all the PL squeeze out off the parts today. Closer inspection of the outer shell revealed that I could have done a better job getting all the panels aligned to one another. It's not horrible though. It'll clean up one way or another.

I also ran one horn through the table saw to knock the upper and lower horn panels to size. Shoulda taken smaller cuts like the plans say, but got a case of the just-do-it's and ran it through in two cuts. It's not bad. But could have turned out a better result if I took my time. Wasn't in a take time mood, so decided to put off doing the other horn for another day.

Here's the daily horn porn.
20201120_150632.jpg
20201120_150637.jpg
20201120_150643.jpg
20201120_150749.jpg
20201120_150758.jpg

Admittedly, I've become a little obsessed with the idea of using these for PA duty. Something about it just tickles my fancy. Whether or not they'll be up to the task is still to be discovered. In any case, I plan to do some experimenting with these little guys.

Most of the designs that use piezo tweeters have a little dip at 5kHz. Not a big deal, is what it is. But, I noticed the SLA Pro does not have this dip in the response. The SLA Pro also doesn't use a low pass filter for the mid drivers. It relies on the driver's natural decay of high frequency response. Granted, the WH6 is not the SLA Pro from multiple aspects, but I'm going to perform a trial with and without the low pass filter (unless there's a strong objection from Bill) and just see what the outcome is.

SLA Pro, no 5kHz dip... compared to the OT12, with the dip.
Image


I'm also planning on testing the standard 4 element melded array wired parallel as per the plans and also a 6 element array wired series/parallel from the WH8 plans (which have them wired parallel as the standard recommended assembly, or series/parallel to slightly reduce the tweeters sensitivity). Looking at the graphs, I think fiddling with the low pass vs. no low pass filter and 4 element parallel tweeters vs. 6 element series/parallel tweeters sounds like a fun little project within a project to play with.
Image


Plus, it will give me something constructive to do with SMAART before my 90 trial runs out in January.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#39 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

SethRocksYou wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:29 pm The SLA Pro also doesn't use a low pass filter for the mid drivers.
The W6, and for that matter all of the horn loaded cabs, crossover to the piezos is at 2kHz. That's because horn loading the woofers reduces their high frequency limit. They use high Q Chebyshev low pass filters on the woofers that increases sensitivity in the upper mids. The SLA Pro woofers aren't horn loaded, they don't have high frequency loss, allowing the high pass at 3.5kHz, and eliminating the need for low pass filtering of the woofers.

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#40 Post by Seth »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 10:29 pm
SethRocksYou wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:29 pm The SLA Pro also doesn't use a low pass filter for the mid drivers.
The W6, and for that matter all of the horn loaded cabs, crossover to the piezos is at 2kHz. That's because horn loading the woofers reduces their high frequency limit. They use high Q Chebyshev low pass filters on the woofers that increases sensitivity in the upper mids. The SLA Pro woofers aren't horn loaded, they don't have high frequency loss, allowing the high pass at 3.5kHz, and eliminating the need for low pass filtering of the woofers.
Thanks for the insight and explanation Bill. :thumbsup: It will be interesting to see the measured results with and without the filter.
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#41 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

Look at the high pass filter components for W6 versus SLA Pro. They're not the same. SLA Pro doesn't use a low pass filter because it doesn't need to.

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#42 Post by Seth »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:09 am Look at the high pass filter components for W6 versus SLA Pro. They're not the same. SLA Pro doesn't use a low pass filter because it doesn't need to.
Now that you mention it, I see that the capacitor and inductor values are different. What is the effect of the different high pass filters on tweeter output?
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#43 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

The SLA Pro runs the woofers to a higher frequency because being direct radiating with small diameter it can. The horn loaded cabs run the tweeters to a lower frequency because if they didn't both response and dispersion from 2kHz to 3.5kHz would suffer.

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#44 Post by Seth »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Sat Nov 21, 2020 4:29 pm The SLA Pro runs the woofers to a higher frequency because being direct radiating with small diameter it can. The horn loaded cabs run the tweeters to a lower frequency because if they didn't both response and dispersion from 2kHz to 3.5kHz would suffer.
That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation Bill :thumbsup:

What frequency is the SLA Pro tweeter high pass? From what you've said, I'm guessing higher than 2kHz. Is it 3.5kHz?
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Pair of WH6 Lites build

#45 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

3.5kHz.

Post Reply