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Author Topic: AKG D20B Connector  (Read 8629 times)

panman

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #15 on: October 24, 2016, 10:20:19 AM »

You need to remove the top of the casing and looking inside you see, that the connector is threaded and a ring with slots on both sides tightens it on place. Loosen that ring and you can remove the connector. You need to desolder the wires of course. Sounds easy, but it ain`t. The copper wires are frail and snap most likely.

The bass roll-off coils are made of particularly soft copper and tend to break and then you need to replace the coils. Then just find a fitting XLR with a proper thread.

The plastic frame is just one of those lousy "improvements" done to save expenses I guess. It just tends to brake and no glueing would hold forever. A thick layer of epoxy is likely to hold, but how does it look like. I have had best results soldering with similar plastic and sinking in three metal pins to strengthen the joint. Afterwards I try to make it look as original as I can. Not easy though, but with a lot of practice....

Lots of stories around about the D12, D20 capsules. I have never found any proof of any significant difference in the quality. In the fifties mostly(always some exceptions)D12 and D20 used the same capsules, but then coming to the sixties the D20 and D25 had the whitish "paper"-diaphragm, whereas D12 had a transparent diaphragm and that in many variations too.

Always variations too many to even start with, but the basic sound-properties remained within tight enough limits. One important detail is, that D20 and D25 always had 60-ohms capsule. D12 had either 60 or 200 ohms. To alter the output-impedance a transformer was used or not.

Did not mean to fill the thread, so I leave it at that.


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Esa Tervala

Basil Mühlemann

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #16 on: October 24, 2016, 12:40:35 PM »

Wow I guess the collectors have now discovered vintage connectors as their new playing fields  :(
Thank you for finding these offers on ebay but fitting an xlr will be more practical and a lot cheaper. This ain't butchering the mic in my view, even though it might lessen the resale value. I plan to use these mics, not exposing them in a museum. And btw it would still be possible to restore it to its original condition by refitting the old connector.

Panman, many thanks, that was exactly the information I needed!
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Kai

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #17 on: October 24, 2016, 01:01:13 PM »

The plastic ... no glueing would hold forever ... best results soldering with similar plastic and sinking in three metal pins to strengthen the joint. Afterwards I try to make it look as original as I can. Not easy though, but with a lot of practice....
I've restored a lot of broken plastic parts using this method, but:
Do it from the inside and cool the outside by using a dripping wet piece of cloth, while melting the plastic.
This way the visible parts will not deform.
You need a temperature controlled soldering iron with a broad flat tip, at a temperature of about 260 °C.
Melting in some metal parts is necessary to strengthen the joint.
Very small screws are best, or even pieces of paperclips work well if you raw their surface and / or bend the ends into little hooks.
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Basil Mühlemann

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #18 on: October 24, 2016, 01:22:32 PM »

Great idea doing it from the inside, Kai. Thanks!
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panman

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #19 on: October 24, 2016, 03:54:36 PM »

Do it from the inside and cool the outside by using a dripping wet piece of cloth, while melting the plastic.
This way the visible parts will not deform.

I don`t see how this would work in this case. To make it hold you need to melt both sides. Any crack left on the surface is a weakness and breaks again from there.
Or did you mean while melting the other side, cool the outside and yet do both sides?
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Esa Tervala

Kai

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #20 on: October 24, 2016, 07:35:20 PM »

You just do the inside.
The metal inlays prevent it from breaking again.
I did that very often, it works.
This way you preserve the looks of the visible parts.
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panman

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Re: AKG D20B Connector
« Reply #21 on: October 25, 2016, 07:24:22 AM »

Ok, am going to try that next time :).
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Esa Tervala
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