Bass raiators ? Help i'm confused - Blu-ray Forum

KingRadicalPhil · 12-07-2008, 10:35 PM

Help Please

I plan on building a 12" sub with a 12" radiator.
Does the radiator need to be powered or does the air pressure power the radiator.

Please help me

Driver_King · 12-07-2008, 11:01 PM

A radiator is powered by air; you couldn't use a port with it which is why it is an effective option.

Big Daddy · 12-07-2008, 11:13 PM

Passive radiators have no voice coil, magnet, or terminals. Passive radiators are unpowered drivers. Therefore, they must be mated with a powered woofer in a sealed enclosure. People use passive radiators instead of a port. Passive radiators use a diaphragm to take the place of the port.

A passive radiator is made of a weighted diaphragm and a spring. By changing the weight of the diaphragm, the resonance frequency will change, thus changing the tuning of the enclosure. Passive radiators are usually tuned to resonate at a frequency below the active woofer's response range.

My vintage Polk RTA 15TL speakers have two 10" passive radiators, one in the front and one in the back. The one in the back has a slightly lower resonance than the one in the front. See their pictures in the new thread that I created on Building a Subwoofer and Upgrading Speakers.

You can buy passive radiators from Parts Express.

12-07-2008, 10:35 PM	#1
KingRadicalPhil Active Member Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Clermont,Florida Blu-ray reviews: 3	Bass raiators ? Help i'm confused Help Please I plan on building a 12" sub with a 12" radiator. Does the radiator need to be powered or does the air pressure power the radiator. Please help me

12-07-2008, 11:13 PM	#3
Big Daddy Blu-ray Champion Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Southern California Home Theater Gallery:79 Blu-ray collection:122 Trading Score:1	Passive radiators have no voice coil, magnet, or terminals. Passive radiators are unpowered drivers. Therefore, they must be mated with a powered woofer in a sealed enclosure. People use passive radiators instead of a port. Passive radiators use a diaphragm to take the place of the port. A passive radiator is made of a weighted diaphragm and a spring. By changing the weight of the diaphragm, the resonance frequency will change, thus changing the tuning of the enclosure. Passive radiators are usually tuned to resonate at a frequency below the active woofer's response range. My vintage Polk RTA 15TL speakers have two 10" passive radiators, one in the front and one in the back. The one in the back has a slightly lower resonance than the one in the front. See their pictures in the new thread that I created on Building a Subwoofer and Upgrading Speakers. You can buy passive radiators from Parts Express. Last edited by Big Daddy; 12-08-2008 at 12:21 AM.

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12-07-2008, 11:01 PM	#2
Driver_King Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Tampa Bay, Florida Home Theater Gallery:96 Blu-ray collection:28 Trading Score:10	A radiator is powered by air; you couldn't use a port with it which is why it is an effective option.

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