Hi all, If you have occasional loss of audio or crackling sounds coming from your KX3's internal speaker, especially at high volume levels, you should take a look at the speaker connector to make sure it is plugged in correctly. We just discovered that if the connector is plugged in backwards, performance can be compromised. In fact this was the case with one of my lab-test KX3s. Reversing the connector eliminated an intermittent dropout I had been hearing.
This may apply to either kit or factory assembled KX3s, although we're now making sure that the orientation is correct when we do assembly. Details: The 2-pin female connector for the speaker can be oriented in two ways. One way puts the plastic housing very close to the speaker (wrong), while the other results in a gap of about 0.1" (right). The correct orientation is shown in figure 17 of of the KX3 Assembly Manual. There are two small slots on the plastic housing through which the female contacts can be seen. If these slots are visible, the connector is plugged in the right way. If you plug it in backwards, the plastic housing will press up against a boss on the speaker. This can push one of the female contacts away from the male pin, resulting in an intermittent connection. The speaker may then be subject to cutting out in a way that resembles static, saturation, or distortion. Another thing you can do to improve internal speaker sound is to use revision 1.41 or later KX3 firmware (the current beta release). This release modifies the audio passband and gain distribution when the internal is speaker is used, reducing the possibility of distortion. 73, Wayne N6KR ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
