Crossover mounting hardware advice

[Jeff F.]

I've got a couple small crossovers I need to mount. I have brass bolts and washers, but the hardware store didn't have brass lock nuts. I found some online if I need them. So, should I go ahead and use the steel ones or get the brass nuts? I've heard that steel next to the ferrite inductor could be bad.

[Jeff F.]

[Psycoacoustics]

Stainless steel is also non-magnetic.

Good luck, Mark

[tomzarbo]

I kind of don't think that the steel nuts will make much of a difference.

Do you have a DATS? You could measure to see if it really changed things a lot. Having steel near an inductor is not actually bad as in "not good"... it's just that the extra steel nearby may cause a slight shift in the value of that component slightly higher in value. I doubt it would be much, though if any being a solid core inductor. I'd think you would be fine with what you've got.

TomZ

[philthien]

Provided you don't pass through the inductor core, go ahead and use steel.

[kenny_k]

I use a wood screw or two through the board.....case closed.
Don't over think it.

[Jeff F.]

Thanks guys!

I use a wood screw or two through the board.....case closed.
Don't over think it.

Yeah, that's what I usually do too. I like to use the PE black wood screws. I can't get a screwdriver in the tiny cabinet for these so bolts it is.

[williamrschneider]

An actual experiment with an inductor and a couple of screws. Without anything near the coil opening, the inductor measured 4.17mH.

With a brass screw, no change.



With a steel screw, the inductance was increased to 4.22 mH



Keep the inductor and screw some distance apart, and you'll be OK. A steel screw down the center of an air core inductor is the worst case.

[bolland83]

These worked out pretty good, terminal cups (PE part # 260-278) had card slots built in, I used 1/8" MDF for the boards. On larger builds, I typically try to leave room at the corners of the boards. I just use the black oxide driver mounting screws, and some small wood blocks for stand offs.

[Jeff F.]

Wow, that's a clever way to do the crossover. I'm using terminal cups too but more like the PE 260-294 ones. I finished gluing up the cabinet along with cutting some roundovers today. It'll be a tight fit in the crossover boards, but they'll work. I thought about just gluing everything in, but I wanted the option of removing/replacing components in the future.