1955 Radio Speaker wiring

TIREGUY · January 31st, 2004, 01:10 AM

Just picked up a beautiful 1955 Olds super88. Origional radio still in it, but not working. Main unit has only one speaker wire going to speaker. Which on the back side of the speaker has been cut. Obviously it goes to one of the tabs on the back of the speaker cone. My problem is I only have one tab and then a solder spot where you would normally see the ground or return wire on the cone. There is no obvious mount for the other wire. Does this year speaker just ground to chassis? Or is the metal casing of the speaker grounding it requiring no wire? HELP IF YOU CAN.

PetChemMan · September 2nd, 2004, 08:38 PM

I had a 55 Super 88, but I don't recall the speaker wire hookup. However, you can determine if one lead of the speaker voice coil is grounded to the speaker frame by using your ohmmeter on the R x 1 range.( Works best using analog needle gauge ohmmeter, rather than a digital type.) Touch one lead to the speaker wire connection, and the other to the speaker frame. If you hear a scratching sound from the speaker, then the voice coil is grounded to the speaker frame. That may be the way the factory did it. Perhaps the radio does work, but the speaker is simply bad. Try another speaker from a radio or small stereo, and hook the radio wire to one lead, and ground the other lead. I don't know what the nominal impedance of the speaker should be, but if you measure a resistance of at least 6 ohms across the speaker coil, it should be safe to use as a test speaker at low volume. Do all of your speaker ohmmeter testing with the radio wire disconnected. Obviously, the one thing you don't want to do is to hook the wire from the radio to a speaker terminal that is directly grounded . Other possible problems with your radio may be bad tubes, or a bad vibrator ( which was sort of a crude DC to AC converter.). If there's no buzzing sound , the vibrator may be at fault. Good luck !

[ September 02, 2004: Message edited by: PetChemMan ]</p>

American Lead · December 16th, 2006, 05:03 PM

on mine there is one bana plug going somewhere, i would check but it is -10 and i dont want to get dressed up to go look, there are also 3 wires that goo to the radio itself, they look like resistance wire to me, hope this is what you mean , if it is not, email me and i will check for you tomorrow... ps, can you tell me the capacitors in it, mine need to be replaced, as i keep blowing the tube.

American Lead · December 16th, 2006, 05:10 PM

Hello again, i got to thinking about it, and decided to go and check, the mystery wire goes to the bana plug on the other side, hopes this helps,
rob

January 31st, 2004, 01:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
TIREGUY Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Clemente, CA Posts: 9	Just picked up a beautiful 1955 Olds super88. Origional radio still in it, but not working. Main unit has only one speaker wire going to speaker. Which on the back side of the speaker has been cut. Obviously it goes to one of the tabs on the back of the speaker cone. My problem is I only have one tab and then a solder spot where you would normally see the ground or return wire on the cone. There is no obvious mount for the other wire. Does this year speaker just ground to chassis? Or is the metal casing of the speaker grounding it requiring no wire? HELP IF YOU CAN. __________________ 55 OLDS SUPER 88 BB454

September 2nd, 2004, 08:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
PetChemMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 93	I had a 55 Super 88, but I don't recall the speaker wire hookup. However, you can determine if one lead of the speaker voice coil is grounded to the speaker frame by using your ohmmeter on the R x 1 range.( Works best using analog needle gauge ohmmeter, rather than a digital type.) Touch one lead to the speaker wire connection, and the other to the speaker frame. If you hear a scratching sound from the speaker, then the voice coil is grounded to the speaker frame. That may be the way the factory did it. Perhaps the radio does work, but the speaker is simply bad. Try another speaker from a radio or small stereo, and hook the radio wire to one lead, and ground the other lead. I don't know what the nominal impedance of the speaker should be, but if you measure a resistance of at least 6 ohms across the speaker coil, it should be safe to use as a test speaker at low volume. Do all of your speaker ohmmeter testing with the radio wire disconnected. Obviously, the one thing you don't want to do is to hook the wire from the radio to a speaker terminal that is directly grounded . Other possible problems with your radio may be bad tubes, or a bad vibrator ( which was sort of a crude DC to AC converter.). If there's no buzzing sound , the vibrator may be at fault. Good luck ! [ September 02, 2004: Message edited by: PetChemMan ]</p> __________________ Love those Starfires

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December 16th, 2006, 05:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
American Lead 2Blue 55 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 455	on mine there is one bana plug going somewhere, i would check but it is -10 and i dont want to get dressed up to go look, there are also 3 wires that goo to the radio itself, they look like resistance wire to me, hope this is what you mean , if it is not, email me and i will check for you tomorrow... ps, can you tell me the capacitors in it, mine need to be replaced, as i keep blowing the tube.

December 16th, 2006, 05:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
American Lead 2Blue 55 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 455	Hello again, i got to thinking about it, and decided to go and check, the mystery wire goes to the bana plug on the other side, hopes this helps, rob