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Grado recabling problem!

post #1 of 31
6/14/10 at 5:38pm
Thread Starter 

I was attempting to install mono jacks into my grado sr 325's. One went successfully the other not so much. I applied heat to the solder and remove the old wires and then soldered the new wires on and check my connections and there is no continuity between the driver contacts. Removed the wires, still nothing 'OL' 

 

 

What could I have done??? I do not have a desoldering pump and cannot remove the large blob of solder on top of the contacts. But I don't understand why one would work and the other not. 

 

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post #2 of 31
6/14/10 at 5:46pm

One of 2 things - you either burned the little magnet wire off the driver and it went missing or simply got disconnected.  Look CLOSELY for a tiny little wire going from the contact point down into the middle of the driver, if you find it, solder it back in place gently, if not, it's a lost driver.

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post #3 of 31
6/14/10 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 

on the back side of the driver?

 

From my searches it seems I may also have ripped off the solder pads. 

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post #4 of 31
6/14/10 at 6:58pm

Uhm... time for photos

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post #5 of 31
6/14/10 at 7:50pm
Thread Starter 

cannot take pics till later.

were are the wires that go to the driver supposed to be? In relation to the solder pads do they go to the outside of the driver?

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post #6 of 31
6/14/10 at 9:46pm

From the driver magnet to the solder pads.

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post #7 of 31
6/15/10 at 3:31am
Thread Starter 

I don't even see this wire on the one that works is the thing so im not sure what exactly to look for. I'll take pics after work. 

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post #8 of 31
6/15/10 at 10:32am

The wire is very VERY thin.  Look at the solder terminals, there is a wire leading from each down into the actual driver, likely through a little slice in the plastic and also likely covered with epoxy or some other type of glue.

 

Just take high resolution macro shots of the driver and solder pads.

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post #9 of 31
6/15/10 at 11:00am

The voicecoil wires on a Grado enter from the outside. 

 

It can be seen (well, it cant) in this photo under the little heart shaped dab of something white:

 

aDSC_0007.jpg?t=1276623782

 

If this were an SR-(whatever) you would be looking down the tube and that little dab of white stuff would be up against the wall of the tube.

 

I would test EVERY connection systematically: Both channels at the plug as well as at the drivers. Some multimeters will not work if there is a layer of flux over the solder joint. 

 

If you had torn the solder pads off you would know. BUT if excessive heat is applied it is possible for the voice coil wires to basically burn up, as mentioned. 

 

I would get a solder sucker, and clean everything up. After that remeasure. If you still cant find continuity chalk it up to experience and use the cups to make a headphone stand in the fashion of headphile. Use the functional driver to experiment with DIY dynamic microphones, and use the busted driver as a reminder to practice on cheaper stuff.

 

Plan B is to call Grado and explain your predicament to them. In the past they have been quite helpful to DIY'ers whose projects have gone awry, although they cant be expected to warrant this kind of problem and do take a bit of your money for it (not much really).

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post #10 of 31
6/15/10 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 

Well I am waiting for a response from grado, I emailed them asking about buying a driver or two. But im gunna go to radioshack and get a desoldering pump and see what I can see.

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post #11 of 31
6/15/10 at 2:38pm
Thread Starter 

Ok pics first one is the good one:

DSC_4235.jpg

DSC_4234.jpg

DSC_4230.jpg

DSC_4225.jpg

 

 

sorry for the poor pics, its not my camera. And the owners do not know how to use it.

 

I am going to try to desolder it now but by the looks i may had burnt up that wire.


Edited by lozanoa11 - 6/15/10 at 2:39pm
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post #12 of 31
6/15/10 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 

Ok de soldered now, looks like on the left side you can see a wire and on the right side by the edge I can see a spec of copper. I'm hopping that is the remnets of my wire.

 

DSC_4240.JPG

 

DSC_4243.JPG

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post #13 of 31
6/16/10 at 3:34am
Thread Starter 

well if no one has any ideas, Grado said they can return it to factory specs for $45. 

 

I could just do this and leave it or retry modding it. 

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post #14 of 31
6/17/10 at 2:21pm

Why don't you test teh connection of the drivers to see if its still alive.

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post #15 of 31
6/17/10 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lozanoa11 View Post

well if no one has any ideas, Grado said they can return it to factory specs for $45. 

 

I could just do this and leave it or retry modding it. 

 

 

You can always send it to me and I can try and fix it.

 

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