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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB: The Classic Live Audio Board => Topic started by: Joe Sawaya on June 03, 2012, 02:13:07 AM

Title: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Joe Sawaya on June 03, 2012, 02:13:07 AM
I doubt it is for flying. Does anyone know the purpose of this bolt?
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: duane massey on June 03, 2012, 05:00:41 AM
Most likely either holding the internal flyware in place or an alternative flypoint. Most flying hardware requires a bolt to secure it to the cabinet.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tom Young on June 03, 2012, 08:04:00 AM
I doubt it is for flying. Does anyone know the purpose of this bolt?

Wow. Good question.

Nothing in the specs suggests this device is intended for suspension and if it was, there would be more than a single fly point. This bolt does not show up on the engineering drawing or the A&E Specifications. EAW usually does very accurate and complete specs and engineering drawings but for this product the spec sheet is sloppy. You can see this bolt it in the one product photograph on the spec sheet.

I would query their tech support folks.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Scott Helmke on June 03, 2012, 08:27:46 AM
If it's not listed as a fly point, then it's not a fly point.  It's probably holding the crossover or something inside, lots of speakers have bolts like that.

Don't use it as a fly point,  and if the appearance bothers you cover it with a little piece of gaff tape.  ;)
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Scott LaRochelle on June 03, 2012, 08:50:52 AM
I doubt it is for flying. Does anyone know the purpose of this bolt?

Believe it or not it's how they suspend the box to paint it.  Its not a fly point.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tom Young on June 03, 2012, 12:21:55 PM
If it's not listed as a fly point, then it's not a fly point.  It's probably holding the crossover or something inside, lots of speakers have bolts like that.

Don't use it as a fly point,  and if the appearance bothers you cover it with a little piece of gaff tape.  ;)

There is no crossover and the bolt's position also does not suggest that it supports anything else inside.

So I guess I would buy the rigging-for-painting explanation.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: John Roberts {JR} on June 03, 2012, 12:29:08 PM
I can't tell much from the picture but perhaps attaching an internal strut to increase cabinet rigidity. Less flex= more sound.

JR
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Mike Pyle on June 03, 2012, 12:53:04 PM
Drain plug?  :)
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tom Young on June 03, 2012, 01:28:36 PM
Drain plug?  :)

Of course !

(for the smoke)
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Chris Davis on June 03, 2012, 04:54:38 PM
I doubt it is for flying. Does anyone know the purpose of this bolt?

Yeah, about that bolt...  So did you turn it or did you?! :-\  Please tell me you didn't turn it. :-\  I hope to God you didn't.  Somewhere a kitten might die.  Please tell me you didn't.

Actually, I have owned/used some of these in the past (first few years they were out) and never even noticed this bolt.  It might be possible the ones I had didn't have it.

I think it is either to drain them out, or it might even be for the "cooling hose" option. :)
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tim McCulloch on June 03, 2012, 07:24:35 PM
Yeah, about that bolt...  So did you turn it or did you?! :-\  Please tell me you didn't turn it. :-\  I hope to God you didn't.  Somewhere a kitten might die.  Please tell me you didn't.

Actually, I have owned/used some of these in the past (first few years they were out) and never even noticed this bolt.  It might be possible the ones I had didn't have it.

I think it is either to drain them out, or it might even be for the "cooling hose" option. :)

That would be the Community AirForce...  a significant improvement of power compression that never achieved a market impact because Community was fundamentally clueless about what it takes to market to the touring and large-format portable market.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Bob Leonard on June 03, 2012, 09:38:17 PM
It's where you attach the rudder.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Chris Davis on June 04, 2012, 12:22:25 AM
It's where you screw in the spike, to keep people from setting drinks on the sub. 
OR
It's where you screw in the sign that says Stay Off
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: paul bell on June 04, 2012, 01:32:13 AM
Flux capacitor injection bias screen port. The Crown Belchfire 6000SUX had one also. Very handy, especially for Bluegrass festivals with dueling Banjos.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Douglas R. Allen on June 04, 2012, 04:39:11 AM
If you take the bolt out it will retune the box to a lower freq. at the expense of system headroom. This is explained in the manual. I believe they call it the Dub Step bolt.
You did read the manual right?

Douglas R. Allen :-)
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Kim Guibord on June 06, 2012, 10:31:56 PM
If you take the bolt out it will retune the box to a lower freq. at the expense of system headroom. This is explained in the manual. I believe they call it the Dub Step bolt.
You did read the manual right?

Douglas R. Allen :-)
it is internal bracing.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Stu McDoniel on June 06, 2012, 11:01:48 PM
I doubt it is for flying. Does anyone know the purpose of this bolt?
Look on top left on this pdf and you will see the bolt in the pic.   Yours is not a mistake.
Im thinking what one poster said here and that is a place to put an eye bolt to hang and paint.

http://www.eaw.com/info/EAW/Loudspeaker_product_info/Current_loudspeakers/LA400/LA400_SPECS_rev1.pdf
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Chris Carpenter on June 07, 2012, 12:19:56 AM
That would be the Community AirForce...  a significant improvement of power compression that never achieved a market impact because Community was fundamentally clueless about what it takes to market to the touring and large-format portable market.
I was just reading an information sheet on these... this graph concerned me slightly.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: drew gandy on June 07, 2012, 12:21:30 AM

Im thinking what one poster said here and that is a place to put an eye bolt to hang and paint.

So it's a belly button.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tim Halligan on June 07, 2012, 12:48:30 AM
It's the argument starter bolt.

 :o

Cheers,
Tim
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 07, 2012, 01:54:59 AM
So it's a belly button.
LMAO ! good one dude , good one !
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: drew gandy on June 07, 2012, 10:18:54 AM
It had a purpose in the factory but now it's just sexy.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Douglas R. Allen on June 07, 2012, 04:41:49 PM
it is internal bracing.

I'm sure you knew I was joking around. Right? ???

Douglas R. Allen
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: paul bell on June 07, 2012, 10:17:43 PM
If a cabinet needs to be hung on a wire for spraying a finish, they'd use a driver mounting bolt/T-nut hole. They wouldn't waste time & hardware drilling a hole and installing a nut & bolt.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tom Young on June 08, 2012, 02:38:31 PM
If a cabinet needs to be hung on a wire for spraying a finish, they'd use a driver mounting bolt/T-nut hole. They wouldn't waste time & hardware drilling a hole and installing a nut & bolt.

How would they cosmetically dress the hole once the paint dries ?
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: paul bell on June 09, 2012, 12:35:47 AM
Using a hole under the grill eliminates the cosmetic needs of the finish covered by the hang wire.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Jeff Bankston on June 09, 2012, 05:59:57 AM
its the master bolt that holds the entire cabnet assembly together.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Tom Young on June 09, 2012, 06:51:12 AM
Using a hole under the grill eliminates the cosmetic needs of the finish covered by the hang wire.

If you consider where the grille is on the LA400 this might not be as sensible as you think.

The hole, if left open, is an air leak in the compression chamber. It needs to be plugged. 
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: James Cotton on June 09, 2012, 02:21:52 PM
It's obviously the restraining bolt.
Don't remove it or you may wake up in the morning to find your speaker has wandered off into the desert in search of it's real owner.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Chris Davis on June 09, 2012, 11:17:51 PM
If you remove it, then it is no longer an EAW speaker.



Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Steven Leonard on June 09, 2012, 11:43:01 PM
Wow 3 pages of replies on this question! haha GEEZ!

Maybe time for moderator to step in?
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Jonathan Goodall on June 10, 2012, 12:59:33 AM
This was one of a limited number of prototype cabs produced about 3-4 years back.  The design brief was to make a more space efficient (i.e more cabs per truck pack) speaker cabinet.  The bolt is actually a fill point for adding compressed air, If you remove it the cabinet deflates to approx 1/4 its full size (meaning 4 times the bang for your buck per truck).  In the end the concept was shelved as it was too far ahead of its time (and too many roadies were nearly giving themselves a hernia trying to inflate them by mouth when they forgot to pack the air compressor).  If yours hasn't deflated by now, I wouldn't remove the bolt as replacement valves are next to impossible to source if yours packs up because of age. ( PS some of the design tech has flowed on to consumer level though, check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yznl98Cp9Dw )
:)
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: paul bell on June 10, 2012, 10:23:28 PM
I see the future! If the entire audience has one of those IChairs to sit in, they won't need a PA!
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Mike Pyle on June 13, 2012, 03:43:56 AM
It's the Gunness Focusing Bolt.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Jordan Wolf on June 13, 2012, 06:29:16 AM
It's the Gunness Focusing Bolt.
So I guess it allows you to tighten or loosen the loudspeaker's pattern?
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Chris Davis on June 13, 2012, 04:02:28 PM
It's the Gunness Focusing Bolt.

Probably something else.  1) The speaker is capable of operating without Gunness focusing.  2) This speaker probably won't operate correctly without the bolt.  Not to pontificate but if you remove this bolt, it is no longer an EAW speaker.   ;D
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: paul bell on June 13, 2012, 07:43:30 PM
Perhaps this bolt is like the "air" knob on old Mackie mixers.
Title: Re: What is the purpose of this bolt on my EAW LA400?
Post by: Chris Eddison on June 15, 2012, 06:10:13 AM
The bolt is actually a fill point for adding compressed air, If you remove it the cabinet deflates to approx 1/4 its full size (meaning 4 times the bang for your buck per truck).
You've forgotten the most important feature of that model....

When it came to load-out, replacing the air inside with helium meant that the cabinets could be led to the truck floating on the end of a piece of string, then they could be evacuated for storage and pushed into place.

I seem to recall they lost most of the prototype stock at a gig when they tragically miscalculated the weight of an unsuspecting volounteer box pusher. He was last seen floating up and over the stage attached to 12 of the things by a bit of string.

The idea was shelved in the end, because whilst truck weights were drastically reduced, it was offset by the weight of the crew required to safely handle things without taking off.