N3 TL build question

bprochford · « **on:** 7 Apr 2011, 05:45 pm »

I'm building a pair of N3 towers (I'll post some build photos soon) and am about halfway through the project. I'm having a crazy good time with the build.

I'm putting together the crossovers, and would like to use single boards instead of separate woofer and tweeter networks mounted on the braces. I remember Danny posting a comment that a single crossover board could be mounted on the back wall of each speaker, below the bottom 'B' brace. The board I have is roughly 4" x 9" and I'm curious as to whether that is too long to mount in that location. Aside from length, are there any other considerations to take into account if mounting the crossover there?

Or, am I better off separating the networks and mounting them on the tops of the 'B' braces?

Thanks,
Bradley

Danny Richie · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Apr 2011, 11:57 pm »

I like going one small board now myself, but two smaller ones works fine too.

grimace · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Aug 2011, 11:46 pm »

Quote from: Danny on 7 Apr 2011, 11:57 pm

I like going one small board now myself, but two smaller ones works fine too.

Hey Danny, getting ready to do my first crossover ever for the N3TL and wondered if you have a picture / instructions for the one board setup. I see lots of examples of the two board, but not one.

Thanks

jtwrace · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Aug 2011, 12:16 am »

If I were doing the N3TL I would defintely do one board. I only did two in the N3S as it seems to be a little bit easier. I had a blast building them though!

ebag4 · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Aug 2011, 12:22 am »

When I built my sister's N3TLs I built the crossover on two boards as I recall. This enabled me to locate them right behind the drivers on top of the braces without overhang into the open space of the brace.

I checked but do not have any pics of the crossovers unfortunatley.

Best,
Ed

Danny Richie · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Aug 2011, 03:19 am »

I don't have any pictures of them on one board, but it is pretty easy. The layout can vary a little so long as the inductors aren't turned the same way.

jparkhur · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Aug 2011, 07:44 pm »

I truly don't remember who posted this way back, but it is easy to look at and understand what Danny is talking about with Coils. The second image is a V2 cross i believe, maybe that will help you on your path to a nice layout.

JP

Hope this helps, I also prefer one board for all the N3/s/or tis

grimace · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Aug 2011, 12:12 am »

Thanks JP. As I said above, this is a first time for me (complete newbie). Is the pictured layout of the crossover that you posted for the N3?

jparkhur · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 Aug 2011, 01:38 am »

No, see description. V2 i think

grimace · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Aug 2011, 12:53 am »

Looks like I'm going to have to do the two board approach anyway to fit them thru the holes in the enclosure. So, I will copy Ron's and JT's layouts.

How do you marry-up the inputs (+/-) to the electratubes from the two networks? I've looked at all of the pictures and see the two inputs on each board, but am not sure how to wire from there. Did I mention I'm doing this for the first time

jtwrace · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Aug 2011, 01:02 am »

Just make a "Y" so the two "+" and the two "-" come together and then solder a piece to the two wires and use that. Be sure to heat shrink that joint together.

Make sense?

bprochford · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 Aug 2011, 04:05 am »

I built my crossovers on a single board for my N3 towers. I posted pics in the forum post here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=94105.msg938809#msg938809

and I also have photos of the crossovers installed here (scroll down):

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=94320.msg941092#msg941092

I've had to put my build on hold for a short while, but all I left to do is the veneer. I'll post more shots when they're done.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Aug 2011, 01:32 pm »

Just take your wire strippers and strip out a piece of insulation in the middle of the wire. Wrap it around the tweeter input, solder it, and then slide up a piece of heat shrink on it. Then let it continue on to the woofer input. Doing it that way means you don't even put a break in the wire.

Read this post: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=83325.msg805419#msg805419

grimace · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Aug 2011, 06:51 pm »

Cool. Thanks for all of the help guys.

grimace · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Sep 2011, 10:41 pm »

Just wired up the first speaker and thought I'd ask for some help before I do the second. I had trouble wiring up the 3 wires together on the low pass filter (the input and 2 negs to the woofers in parallel) and couldn't get the shrink wrap around it.

Any tips for these parallel wire ups?

Danny Richie · « **Reply #15 on:** 5 Sep 2011, 03:47 am »

I don't run two pairs of wires from the crossover to the woofers. I run one pair to the first woofer and from there daisy chain up to the second woofer. I also never cut or break the wire from one to the other or from the negative all the way back to the tube connectors.

grimace · « **Reply #16 on:** 5 Sep 2011, 12:21 pm »

Quote from: Danny on 5 Sep 2011, 03:47 am

I don't run two pairs of wires from the crossover to the woofers. I run one pair to the first woofer and from there daisy chain up to the second woofer. I also never cut or break the wire from one to the other or from the negative all the way back to the tube connectors.

Thanks Danny, I did that where I could per your suggestion above on the inputs from the tube connectors (BTW, those connectors were a breeze to install thanks to your instructional post), but I'm not sure how I could've done the one wire run for the woofers.

Maybe you or Ron could add some pics/instructions to your crossover sticky post on more detailed wiring for us newbies.

grimace · « **Reply #17 on:** 5 Sep 2011, 01:32 pm »

So, I went back and reviewed your Crossover 101 post and here are two pictures that show the wire wrapping/connection type that I'm struggling with:

See the area circled below:

Then you added in the second run circled below. I'm having a hard time with the two crossover boards on my N3 wrapping that many connections together without it getting too big for the shrink wrap:

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Danny Richie · « **Reply #18 on:** 5 Sep 2011, 03:41 pm »

Let the solder weld the connection without making a pile of it.

Also, slide the heat shrink down over some needle nose pliers and gently stretch it out a little. Rotate it a little at a time and stretch it out all over. Then it will slide over it.

Jonathon Janusz · « **Reply #19 on:** 5 Sep 2011, 04:20 pm »

If all else fails, you can get different diameters of heat shrink tubing. If I remember right, Radio Shack sells a multi-pack pretty cheap that has about six inch sections of a half dozen or so sizes.