Installs Making Masonry Box Smaller

aferna27

Member
Hey folks!

Bit of an odd question, and I'm not certain there's a good answer. I'm looking to replace three ancient Telex SS-2F speaker stations with Clear-Com KB-701s. The SS-2Fs are flush mounted in 5-gang masonry boxes, and it seems the KB-701s are designed to use a 4-gang box. It seems that there would be a fairly sizable gap on one side of the panel if I did a drop in replacement.

Is anyone aware of an elegant way to cover up that gap, without it looking hideous? I was thinking about designing some sort of adapter plate, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if a good solution already exists.

I've attached images of both speaker stations for reference. I found these online, and they weren't taken at the venue.

Thanks!
 

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Whirlwind could make an adapter plate for you. Black anodized. It would still be offset so the screw holes line up with the gang box, but effectively what you're looking for is something like below (no, this is not offered in exactly what you want)

If you really want it centered on the wall plate, you could probably do it but you would need to drill/tap your own holes so the KB701 can screw into the back box -- or you may be able to get just enough thread into the Whirlwind plate to screw directly to that without having the KB701 screw all the way through into the back box.

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Hey folks!

Bit of an odd question, and I'm not certain there's a good answer. I'm looking to replace three ancient Telex SS-2F speaker stations with Clear-Com KB-701s. The SS-2Fs are flush mounted in 5-gang masonry boxes, and it seems the KB-701s are designed to use a 4-gang box. It seems that there would be a fairly sizable gap on one side of the panel if I did a drop in replacement.

Is anyone aware of an elegant way to cover up that gap, without it looking hideous? I was thinking about designing some sort of adapter plate, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if a good solution already exists.

I've attached images of both speaker stations for reference. I found these online, and they weren't taken at the venue.

Thanks!
Have you considered purchasing a 5 gang metal blank cover then cutting a 4 gang sized hole centered in it and adding tapped holes to suit?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Thanks Mike & Ron! Those both seem very viable solutions.

I've reached out to Whirlwind to see what it would take to manufacture something like this. I would definitely like to have the thing centered if possible, and it looks like this solution could allow me to do both that, and have an even bezel around the unit. Drilling and tapping some extra holes in the masonry box wouldn't be terribly hard, as that custom adapter plate could act as a bit of a template. Although, I've got a feeling this may be prohibitively expensive, and modifying a blank plate may be the better option...

The modified blank cover could get me up and running pretty quickly for not a whole lot of investment. At the bare minimum, I would just need to cut a hole and use the existing holes to mount. Could always replace it at a later date if needed, without much hassle.

Hm. I shall pontificate. Thanks again, guys!
 
Hey folks!

Bit of an odd question, and I'm not certain there's a good answer. I'm looking to replace three ancient Telex SS-2F speaker stations with Clear-Com KB-701s. The SS-2Fs are flush mounted in 5-gang masonry boxes, and it seems the KB-701s are designed to use a 4-gang box. It seems that there would be a fairly sizable gap on one side of the panel if I did a drop in replacement.

Is anyone aware of an elegant way to cover up that gap, without it looking hideous? I was thinking about designing some sort of adapter plate, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if a good solution already exists.

I've attached images of both speaker stations for reference. I found these online, and they weren't taken at the venue.

Thanks!
During my apprenticeship in the mid 60's (19 NOT 18) one of the box manufacturers made blank covers with punch-outs for the gangs; you could've taken a 5 gang blank and knocked out 4 gangs: Two problems: 1; Your 4 gang opening wouldn't have been centered and 2; Google couldn't dredge them up, perhaps they're things of the past.

If you go the route of a 5 gang metal blank and cutting your own 4 gang hole, an Adel Nibbler could / would be your friend.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Hey folks!

Bit of an odd question, and I'm not certain there's a good answer. I'm looking to replace three ancient Telex SS-2F speaker stations with Clear-Com KB-701s. The SS-2Fs are flush mounted in 5-gang masonry boxes, and it seems the KB-701s are designed to use a 4-gang box. It seems that there would be a fairly sizable gap on one side of the panel if I did a drop in replacement.

Is anyone aware of an elegant way to cover up that gap, without it looking hideous? I was thinking about designing some sort of adapter plate, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if a good solution already exists.

I've attached images of both speaker stations for reference. I found these online, and they weren't taken at the venue.

Thanks!
If the SS-2F's still work, I believe you can convert them from balanced Audiocom operation to unbalanced Clearcom operation by means of an internal switch! I was researching that yesterday because of a project where all the existing wall plates are Telex but all the other equipment is gone with only two SS-2F's remaining in the dressing rooms. Haven't been able to come up with a SS-2F manual but found a reference to the switch in an old Audiocom brochure.
 
If the SS-2F's still work, I believe you can convert them from balanced Audiocom operation to unbalanced Clearcom operation by means of an internal switch! I was researching that yesterday because of a project where all the existing wall plates are Telex but all the other equipment is gone with only two SS-2F's remaining in the dressing rooms. Haven't been able to come up with a SS-2F manual but found a reference to the switch in an old Audiocom brochure.

We've actually already got them switch into Clear-Com mode. :) Two of the three SS-2F's do still work (although they are missing call buttons), but one of the main reasons we're wanting to switch them out is to leverage the feature set of the KB-701, specifically setting a minimum volume and having an audible call alert tone. Actors consistently turn the volume completely off and miss entrances and announcements from stage management, and this would definitely help to solve that problem. Sure, we're sacrificing a second channel (KB-702 doesn't have a minimum volume control), but in the last 10 years, we haven't used it once.
 
We've actually already got them switch into Clear-Com mode. :) Two of the three SS-2F's do still work (although they are missing call buttons), but one of the main reasons we're wanting to switch them out is to leverage the feature set of the KB-701, specifically setting a minimum volume and having an audible call alert tone. Actors consistently turn the volume completely off and miss entrances and announcements from stage management, and this would definitely help to solve that problem. Sure, we're sacrificing a second channel (KB-702 doesn't have a minimum volume control), but in the last 10 years, we haven't used it once.
Quick side story about talent and dressing room volume controls: opera gig, I'm in the booth. Getting back stage or to dressing rooms requires an elevator ride and a long walk around to the stage entrance. SM calls me on intercom - complaints about missing SM pages and program in dressing room #3. I go down to DR row, knock on the door. Talent opens the door, I reach in and turn the knob... voila! I go back to the booth after telling the SM the problem is fixed. Later in rehearsal, same problem in a another DR. Same fix. Third time I told the SM the talent kept turning off their dressing room speakers, and I was charging $50 per dressing room if I had to come down again. I was kind of joking, mostly, sort of, as I had no authority to do such... but when I came down at the end of the rehearsal for notes, I saw that every dressing room volume control was gaff-taped in position and the SM had offered "remedial castrati training" to anyone touching those controls.
 
Quick side story about talent and dressing room volume controls: opera gig, I'm in the booth. Getting back stage or to dressing rooms requires an elevator ride and a long walk around to the stage entrance. SM calls me on intercom - complaints about missing SM pages and program in dressing room #3. I go down to DR row, knock on the door. Talent opens the door, I reach in and turn the knob... voila! I go back to the booth after telling the SM the problem is fixed. Later in rehearsal, same problem in a another DR. Same fix. Third time I told the SM the talent kept turning off their dressing room speakers, and I was charging $50 per dressing room if I had to come down again. I was kind of joking, mostly, sort of, as I had no authority to do such... but when I came down at the end of the rehearsal for notes, I saw that every dressing room volume control was gaff-taped in position and the SM had offered "remedial castrati training" to anyone touching those controls.
Possibly that's why Lowell (Sp?) and others began marketing rugged stepped 70 volt attenuators with bypass relays such that actorines could set whatever levels they liked, including off, yet pages would bellow through at FULL VOLUME regardless of the setting of the rotary knob.
This should link to models currently available from Atlas: https://www.atlasied.com/volume-controls-and-cables-accessories-volume-controls-commercial
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
 
Quick side story about talent and dressing room volume controls: opera gig, I'm in the booth. Getting back stage or to dressing rooms requires an elevator ride and a long walk around to the stage entrance. SM calls me on intercom - complaints about missing SM pages and program in dressing room #3. I go down to DR row, knock on the door. Talent opens the door, I reach in and turn the knob... voila! I go back to the booth after telling the SM the problem is fixed. Later in rehearsal, same problem in a another DR. Same fix. Third time I told the SM the talent kept turning off their dressing room speakers, and I was charging $50 per dressing room if I had to come down again. I was kind of joking, mostly, sort of, as I had no authority to do such... but when I came down at the end of the rehearsal for notes, I saw that every dressing room volume control was gaff-taped in position and the SM had offered "remedial castrati training" to anyone touching those controls.
@TimMc Possibly the terms "Bypass Relay" / Bypass attenuator" came into vogue 'cuz it bypassed the need for generous layers of gaff tape?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Quick side story about talent and dressing room volume controls: opera gig, I'm in the booth. Getting back stage or to dressing rooms requires an elevator ride and a long walk around to the stage entrance. SM calls me on intercom - complaints about missing SM pages and program in dressing room #3. I go down to DR row, knock on the door. Talent opens the door, I reach in and turn the knob... voila! I go back to the booth after telling the SM the problem is fixed. Later in rehearsal, same problem in a another DR. Same fix. Third time I told the SM the talent kept turning off their dressing room speakers, and I was charging $50 per dressing room if I had to come down again. I was kind of joking, mostly, sort of, as I had no authority to do such... but when I came down at the end of the rehearsal for notes, I saw that every dressing room volume control was gaff-taped in position and the SM had offered "remedial castrati training" to anyone touching those controls.
There is yet another advantage to going Pro Intercom over Clear-Com: the MS301 master station has an override button that forces the LS3 speaker station volume back up to a preset value. No gaff tape required. :)
 
Hey folks!

Bit of an odd question, and I'm not certain there's a good answer. I'm looking to replace three ancient Telex SS-2F speaker stations with Clear-Com KB-701s. The SS-2Fs are flush mounted in 5-gang masonry boxes, and it seems the KB-701s are designed to use a 4-gang box. It seems that there would be a fairly sizable gap on one side of the panel if I did a drop in replacement.

Is anyone aware of an elegant way to cover up that gap, without it looking hideous? I was thinking about designing some sort of adapter plate, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if a good solution already exists.

I've attached images of both speaker stations for reference. I found these online, and they weren't taken at the venue.

Thanks!

I've had to do this very thing. I had a local metal shop make adapter "plates" to my spec - I just sketched it up for them and they turned it around overnight. $25 each, IIRC.
 

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