Original Clarion radio speaker spec?

[Ped]

I'm having a look at the radio in the Zed. I've established that my car only came with one single speaker from new and I am pretty sure it is duff.

I am planning to get hold of some basic speakers to try them out in the rear side panels. The wiring is all there, so it's just a case of plugging them in.

My question is: will the following speakers spec work with the stock radio, assuming the radio is still working? Also does anyone know which way round the wires should go, does it matter? (Brown/White and Green/Black?) I don't know what the original spec speakers would have been.

I'm not that bothered about quality as the radio was never great anyway.

Type: 5-1/4" coaxial car audio loudspeaker
Peak power handling: 105W
Power handling, continuous average: 35W
Frequency response: 70Hz – 20kHz
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
Sensitivity (2.83V/m): 93dB[/B]

 

[Ped]

I found what I was looking for on the speaker wiring colour, took a bloody age, but basically:

GB = Green/Black = (-) Common ground all speakers
GL = Green/Blue = (+) Rear speaker Left
BrW = Brown/White = (+) Rear speaker Right

Here is where I got the info. NB: I haven't tried this yet, so don't know for certain if it is correct.

http://www.zdriver.com/forums/240z-280zxt-s30-s130-tech-tips-275/280zx-aftermarket-radio-install-wiring-diagram-29074/

 

[Ped]

50w speakers ordered up, only the finest quality will do, no expense spared... £13.99 including delivery off ebay.

Bit of an experiment really, no point in going high end the radio probably puts out 8w!

 

[Ped]

Does anyone know what spec the centre dash speaker in a 280zx 2+2 1979 model would have been???

I found a couple of pics online so I think it is either:

8 ohm - 7.5w - 20w
or
8 ohm - 5w - 8w

Would be very helpful as am going to see if i can connect my 2 new speakers to the mono amp output.

 

[Ped]

Update on speakers…

The speakers arrived the other day, so got round to testing out the radio to see if it, or the dash speaker, was dead.

I roughly wired up one of the new speakers to the port on the back of the radio which connects to the dash speaker… and the radio works fine!

This confirms that the speaker in the centre of the dash is duff, and it looks like you need to take pretty much the whole dash apart to change it out, so I really don’t fancy it.

All I wanted to do from the start was to connect up the new back speakers, which were never fitted to my car, to the radio. All the wiring is there for the rear speakers, and it looked like they just needed plugging into the back of the radio.

Here is one of the speakers mounted up. I made a cutter guide, so if someone else wants to do this it should speed things up a bit. I used 6mm MDF. Note I had to trim off the ends of the speaker mounts to get it to fit.

NB: Trying to get the speaker covers off the side trim is a real pain. They are push fitted onto metal tabs from new, they don’t unscrew, you need to just pop (rip) them off and hope you don’t break the plastic pins on the back (I broke a couple). The only way to do it otherwise is to take the whole side trim off, which may result in breaking something else.

Here is a PDF to print off (at actual size!)

http://www.intrepiddesign.co.uk/zclub/speaker-hole-cutter-guide.pdf


I assumed Datsun were just saving the cost of the rear speakers by not fitting them, but it turns out my radio does not have a port for them (although it looked like it did on the wiring diagram). It is only mono (Clarion model number RP-508L), hence the single dash speaker.

I connected both speakers up to the one output for the single front speaker and it works fine. Got hold of some correct spade connectors and used my crimping tool to get a good connection. I am not a fan of the pre-insulated ones.

I decided to just connect one of the back speakers for now, until I can find out if my radio will be able to handle it. I don’t want to fry the amp. I will just forget about the dash speaker in the front for now.

If I can establish the spec of the centre dash speaker, I can then decide if I can connect up both speakers safely.

I emailed Clarion UK to find out more. They don't have any records for my model but, here is the response, just back this afternoon from their Service & Parts Centre UK: “I have seen that unit before and it is only mono output. You can run two speakers in series, but the volume will be slightly less.”

Here is the spec for my new speakers:

Phonocar Alpha dual-cone 50 Watt Ø 130mm
Article number: 66123
Product class: Dual Cone

Description:
Speaker Alpha dual-cone 50 Watt Ø 130
Power 60 Watt Max.- Frequency response 70÷13.000 Hz - S.P.L. 1W/1m 90 dB - Impedance 4 Ohm - Membrane Woofer Polypropilene - Woofer Stainless basket - Dimensions Ø 130 - P 43
Packed 2 pcs.

The packaging says: Watt 50 - RMS 20. Impedance 4 Ohm (2 pcs)

Anyway, I have a working radio again after a few years and the sound quality really isn't too bad...

 

[Huw]

Great stuff that you got the radio to work! I looked through my parts bins and could not find the original dash speaker from when I did the car up. I think I binned it.

I think it was an 8 ohm 20 watt job from what I've found on the internet. I wouldn't worry to much about running those two speakers from the stereo output. The wattage rating is only the maximum the speaker can handle and not what it draws from the unit. If you were trying to run lower impedance speakers than 4 ohms then you may have had an issue, but it should be fine with those.

Huw

 

[Ped]

Great stuff that you got the radio to work! I looked through my parts bins and could not find the original dash speaker from when I did the car up. I think I binned it.

I think it was an 8 ohm 20 watt job from what I've found on the internet. I wouldn't worry to much about running those two speakers from the stereo output. The wattage rating is only the maximum the speaker can handle and not what it draws from the unit. If you were trying to run lower impedance speakers than 4 ohms then you may have had an issue, but it should be fine with those.

Huw

My only thought was that it looks to me like the stock rear wiring would mean that the speakers are running 'in parallel', so total impedance would be 2 ohms. Not sure if this would cause a problem with the radio? Also not sure if I'm talking guff... my physics is rubbish.

This is the easy way I would like to hook up the two speakers (so far have just connected one):

Can't get my head around an easy way of changing this to 'in series' without having to rummage under the back seat?

 

[uk66fastback]

I applaud you for doing this ... when there are easier ways (remain as was, take it somewhere etc)

 

[Huw]

Apologies I thought you were going to run them in series. Two ways either:

a) run fly lead from the positive of the left speaker (or right your choice) to the negative on the other speaker under your rear seat and use the cable loom negative on left speaker and positive on the cable loom of the other.

b) looking at your diagram. Remove the join on the LH speaker (-) Green Black to RH Speaker Green Black wire to Brown White (BrW?) wire (this is the negative on the Stereo Connector plug). Remake the connection to the RH speaker Green Black (-) to the Brown White going to the Stereo connector plug Plug (-) Now reconnect the disconnected LH Speaker Green Black (-) wire to the Brown White (+) on the RH Speaker. Now cut the Brown White (+) at the Stereo Connector Plug. So you should only have a Green Blue (+) and a Brown White (-) connected at the Stereo connector plug. Presto two speakers in series. You might want to redraw that out to check.

 

[Ped]

I applaud you for doing this ... when there are easier ways (remain as was, take it somewhere etc)

"Remain as was" = no radio. I have tried that for the last couple of years and its wearing a bit thin.

"Taking it somewhere"... well I have not had the best of luck doing that in past. At least if I break something its my own fault. I have managed a couple of wiring jobs successfully ie: electric mirrors and digital clock conversion, so don't mind the challenge.

 

[Ped]

Apologies I thought you were going to run them in series. Two ways either:

a) run fly lead from the positive of the left speaker (or right your choice) to the negative on the other speaker under your rear seat and use the cable loom negative on left speaker and positive on the cable loom of the other.

b) looking at your diagram. Remove the join on the LH speaker (-) Green Black to RH Speaker Green Black wire to Brown White (BrW?) wire (this is the negative on the Stereo Connector plug). Remake the connection to the RH speaker Green Black (-) to the Brown White going to the Stereo connector plug Plug (-) Now reconnect the disconnected LH Speaker Green Black (-) wire to the Brown White (+) on the RH Speaker. Now cut the Brown White (+) at the Stereo Connector Plug. So you should only have a Green Blue (+) and a Brown White (-) connected at the Stereo connector plug. Presto two speakers in series. You might want to redraw that out to check.

Great, thanks for the suggestions. I just need to go over the wiring diagram again to make sure there are no wires running off of the speaker wires going elsewhere. Otherwise it could get smokey.

 

[Huw]

Nah no smoke, you'll be fine. Here you go

 

[Ped]

Thanks for this Huw, I think I've worked it out. If I just swap the wires on the RH speaker over, then swap the Br/W + to - under the dash and disconnect the Br/W that's connected to the Green Black that should do it...

 

[Ped]

Got time this afternoon so sorted out the speaker wiring. Have now changed them to be wired 'in series' as per diagram above. I have just used the stock wiring and swapped around a couple of the wires, so it keeps it neat.

One of the aerial switches soldered connecting came away, so had to resolder that, but all now working.

The wiring to the dash centre speaker is still all there if needed in future.

Anyway both speakers working, but in mono as the radio is only mono, but I'm happy with it.