Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 5, 2022
Q. I have a pair of Energy 22 Reference Connoisseur speakers and the tweeter of one is not up to par. The other is still ok. I would like to replace the tweeters, but do not know what to use that is close to the original or better. Any recommendations?
-E.S., Atlantic City, NJ
A. The Dayton DC28F tweeter has been reported to be a good match to the Energy 22 speakers. They are $22.49 each at parts-express.com. If you want them speakers to be true to the original sound, contact Speaker Exchange at reconingspeakers.com. They are the go-to for most any speaker repair and may be able to repair your failing tweeter.
Cordless tire inflators make a chore a breeze: Proper tire pressure is important for automobile fuel economy and safety, especially with run-flat tires. All modern cars have tire pressure sensors and quite often a drop in temperature leads to an illuminated warning on the dash. Those of us living in colder climates may have seen that yellow light quite a bit recently! Driving the car to warm up the tires will often raise the pressure enough for the sensors to reset, but quite frequently adding a bit of air is required as well.
Typically this means a trip to a gas station. At smaller facilities I found primitive coin-operated machines. Some regional chains feature free machines with digital controls, where you set the desired pressure and the machine turn offs and beeps when the correct level has been reached. Even visiting places with these machines could be unsatisfactory because there is often a line of people waiting, and getting to all four tires requires turning the car around or dragging the hose around it, possibly scratching the paint if you are not careful.
I recently came across a very useful device that has made this inconvenience a thing of the past. A few years ago I purchased a Ryobi cordless 18V leaf blower that included a battery and charger. A recent trip to Home Depot introduced me to the Ryobi ONE+ 18V Lithium-Ion Cordless High Pressure Inflator with Digital Gauge. It sells for under $20 and uses the same rechargeable battery system as my leaf blower. The inflator looks like a cordless drill but has a hose with a valve stem connector where the drill bit would go. Adapters for balls and bicycles are included and stored in the base of the tool.
Just attach a ONE+ 18V battery, connect the hose to the tire and squeeze the trigger briefly then let go. The digital gauge (confirmed to be very accurate) displays the current pressure reading. When you squeeze the trigger to inflate the number goes up by about 2 psi, but when you release it the correct pressure is displayed again. There is no long hose to drag around – just take the tool from tire to tire to check and inflate them all.
If you already use Ryobi, at only $19.97 for the bare tool (battery not included) the inflator is a must-have. With a battery and charger it is $83.97. Since I already had a battery and charger, I purchased a kit that is only offered online at homedepot.com. It included the inflator, a hand vacuum, a cordless drill and a battery (no charger) for $99.99. If you use a different cordless tool system you can probably find a similar inflator for your chosen brand. Some quick research showed Kobalt, Bauer, Dewalt and Milwaukee all had versions of their own, some with automatic shut-off like the better industrial machines.