Speaker connection

[Blaketon]

I am looking to fit a radio cassette to my Traveller (It came out of a VW Scirocco Storm I once had), along with a pair of speakers, one of which is attached. Which is positive, terminal 1 or 2? I'm guessing it's the larger one.

Also, being out of touch with so called ICE, are there now alternatives to the kinds of aerials that required the body to be drilled?

[geoberni]

Yes, the Larger should be the Positive.
Though with the amount of background noise in a moving Minor, so long as both are the same way round, even someone with pitch perfect hearing wouldn't be able to tell you they were reversed.

[svenedin]

Yes, the Larger should be the Positive.
Though with the amount of background noise in a moving Minor, so long as both are the same way round, even someone with pitch perfect hearing wouldn't be able to tell you they were reversed.

That's why with a soft-top even as a teenager I thought fitting a radio was pointless!

Stephen

[panky]

I fitted one similar to this to my old Mini

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305115602118 ... BM1persa5n

Reception was a bit patchy but it worked well enough.

Just noticed this one is in China but there are similar ones available from UK sellers

[Blaketon]

Yes, the Larger should be the Positive.
Though with the amount of background noise in a moving Minor, so long as both are the same way round, even someone with pitch perfect hearing wouldn't be able to tell you they were reversed.

As a child, I was found to have perfect pitch. Maybe that was why I could often tell what kind of car was approaching before I saw it. I can't do that now....unless it's an old one, though when I use my bus pass I can tell when the bus is coming by the noise of it's transmission.

My MG Midget 1500 has a radio cassette but with twin Dellorto 40s, that can make the radio redundant.

The Traveller has got quieter since I swapped the single 1 3/4 SU for twin 1 1/4 HS2s. Both set ups had/have K&N filters, the only difference being that the HS2s have stub stacks inside the air cleaners. I may add some extra sound deadening before I fit the new parcel shelf.

[Blaketon]

I fitted one similar to this to my old Mini

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305115602118 ... BM1persa5n

Reception was a bit patchy but it worked well enough.

Just noticed this one is in China but there are similar ones available from UK sellers

Thanks for that. I don't expect I'd use the radio part that much (Not enough to justify drilling the wing) but since there is an aerial socket, may as well put something in it.

[mike1864]

There is no positive or negative, as the audio signal is AC, not DC.
On a solo speaker, you won't hear the difference, whichever way round you wire them.
BUT
(and as mentioned upthread), for a pair of speakers, ensure the + (or red) terminal on the amp's left and right channels gets connected to the same sized terminal on the respective speakers. The size difference of the terminals is intended to help maintain this relationship.
It won't do any harm to get it wrong, but you'll ruin the stereo image, and lose some of the centre bass, as one speaker will be "sucking back" the waveform that the other one is pushing out.

[geoberni]

There is no positive or negative, as the audio signal is AC, not DC.
On a solo speaker, you won't hear the difference, whichever way round you wire them.
BUT
(and as mentioned upthread), for a pair of speakers, ensure the + (or red) terminal on the amp's left and right channels gets connected to the same sized terminal on the respective speakers. The size difference of the terminals is intended to help maintain this relationship.
It won't do any harm to get it wrong, but you'll ruin the stereo image, and lose some of the centre bass, as one speaker will be "sucking back" the waveform that the other one is pushing out.

Correct, they're not Pos/Neg with regards the vehicle, but for the reasons you've stated the convention is to mark them as such, it's the simplest way to identify the connections and save a lot of hassle for the installer.

speakers.JPG (38.37 KiB) Viewed 4607 times

[mike1864]

If your setup's wires aren't colour-coded or reliably identified by the connector size, you can check the polarity is correct by placing the speakers face to face (if possible). Then play some music/speech (preferably mono) into them. Then (best with the amp turned off) reverse ONE of the speaker's connections. Turn it all on, and play it again. One of these setups (the wrong one) will sound noticeably quieter and/or tinnier than the other.