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LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:51 am
by Charles Warwick
Hey guys so I've got a not quite tuba question but you're the guys I go to for this stuff

I built a Selenium Pro audio folded horn about 3 years ago using these plans

I built it (before I found you guys of course :lol:) and made it half the width (20'') of the plan for easier transport using this15'' woofer
Specs:
300 watts RMS
Fs: 33 Hz
Vas: 11.1 cu. ft.
Qms: 5.13
Qes: 0.32
Qts: 0.30
Xmax: 3.0 mm

This thing has been sitting in my garage for a while now acting as a table and garage sub so I decided to sell it on Craigslist to fund my T39 build :hyper:

Now here's my question the guy I had come over listen to it wanted to put some more power into it as I was only using an old 100w peavey, but I don't want it to blow during the demo. I agreed to meet him again tomorrow, take the sub outside so he can hear outside without a room since he'd like to be able to do outdoor shows with it, and put some more power into it.

What frequency should I low pass it at, and what recommendations for my xti 2000 do you suggest? -6 or -12 db limiting? The horn is probably a 10 ohm load, so the xti would give about 69 volts, so a -6db is about 34V (115 watts) and -12db is 17V.

I'm awful at measuring path length since I'm never sure where to place my line, but if I place the tape measure along the path it's about 4-5-ish feet, which tells me this thing is like a 60hz horn. :conf:

Does it really mean that, that huge heavy thing that is bigger than my TT only goes to 60hz?? :noob:
I guess I'm just spoiled, but that just seems awful... :fruit:

The plans for the sub says it "can be used from 40 to 200 Hz with maximum efficiency" but I'm not sure I believe that after looking at the numbers...

What do you guys think, cross at 50hz and call it a compromise? :roll:

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:59 am
by Bill Fitzmaurice
Charles Warwick wrote:
Does it really mean that, that huge heavy thing that is bigger than my TT only goes to 60hz?? :noob:
As far as the horn loading goes yes, that's it. Below that it works as a direct radiator, with direct radiator sensitivity. With only 3mm xmax I wouldn't put more than 100 watts per driver into it, high-passed at 40Hz.

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:19 am
by SeisTres
:shock: This thing looks ALOT like the design I've been playing with. I think this is going to help me, thanks man. :D And yeah, as Bill said, with that xmax, I'd high pass at 50hz and no more than those watts.

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 3:14 am
by Dave Non-Zero
I'm awful at measuring path length since I'm never sure where to place my line, but if I place the tape measure along the path it's about 4-5-ish feet, which tells me this thing is like a 60hz horn
Plans say on page 2 that the medium length of the horn is 147.2cm.

Saves any tape measures. ;)

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 1:45 am
by Charles Warwick
Dave Non-Zero wrote:Plans say on page 2 that the medium length of the horn is 147.2cm.Saves any tape measures. ;)
:slap: Hahaha, nice, I'm so unobservant. :lol:

Here's a picture of it in case anyone is curious: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a104/ ... SC2308.jpg It effectively looks like a T30 without the extension. :roll:

So, the guy came over today and I hooked up my xti 2000, -6db limiting 48dB HP at 45 hz and 110hz LP, on one channel and the two OT12's on the other.

Sounded quite loud wedged in a corner of the garage, not so much when the guy pulled it out of the corner to see what it sounded like 5-6 feet out (well duh), and pretty decent when we moved it outside. A good bit weaker outside especially when he choose some dubstep as a sample material so it wasn't especially loud since part of the bassline seemed to be below 50hz. :?

But regardless, he seemed satisfied and hauled the monstrosity away and left me with 200 bucks! :hyper: The damn thing was made of 3/4 MDF and weighed far too much.

Now I get to go to Lowes tomorrow to buy some plywood for 2 t39s. Excellent. :ugeek:

Thanks for the advice guys! :mrgreen:

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 3:36 am
by Dave Non-Zero
hauled the monstrosity away and left me with 200 bucks!
result! :loler:

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 10:42 am
by Mikey
Glad to hear that you're "on the road to recovery"!
:clap: :hyper: :clap:

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:12 am
by DJPhatman
Charles Warwick wrote:Now I get to go to Lowes tomorrow to buy some plywood for 2 t39s.
Unless your Lowes carries 1/2" 5-ply Arauco, don't bother. If there is a Menard's close by, phone them and ask for "Baltic Birch" or 5-ply fir or pine. Tell them you are building cabinets, but you don't want any thin veneers.

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 11:43 am
by SeisTres
DJPhatman wrote:
Charles Warwick wrote:Now I get to go to Lowes tomorrow to buy some plywood for 2 t39s.
Unless your Lowes carries 1/2" 5-ply Arauco, don't bother. If there is a Menard's close by, phone them and ask for "Baltic Birch" or 5-ply fir or pine. Tell them you are building cabinets, but you don't want any thin veneers.
+1, call around first since (in my area) only a few lowes carry it, not all of them.

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 3:13 am
by Charles Warwick
DJPhatman wrote:Unless your Lowes carries 1/2" 5-ply Arauco, don't bother. If there is a Menard's close by, phone them and ask for "Baltic Birch" or 5-ply fir or pine. Tell them you are building cabinets, but you don't want any thin veneers.
I have checked around various places and still have yet to find BB in the central iowa area for a reasonable price. Our local lumber yard used to carry it but went out of business a few years back :cry:

I can get BB in Des Moines (about 45 minutes away) for about 70 bucks a sheet, but I can get the 1/2 Arauco from our Lowes here in town for 20 bucks a sheet, so the Arauco wins for me.

On a side note, has anyone been noticing a good amount of voids in the Arauco they've been buying? These are the mouth panels for 4 J110:
Image

It might have just been that sheet, I don't know, but I feel like there are more than there used to be...

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:38 am
by Bill Fitzmaurice
Voids are a problem with cabinet designs that use large unbraced panels. We don't.

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 2:20 pm
by SeisTres
Wow, that sucks. My three arauco that I got about three weeks ago are almost flawless, even better than the ones I used first and those were better than what you posted.

Re: LP recomendation for non BFM folded horn

Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 12:23 pm
by subharmonic
Looks about like most of the acuaro I get.