Re: [Elecraft] KX2 WTB(uild) external amplified speaker
Hi all - thanks for the replies regarding speakers. I do occasionally check the local thrift shop to see if there are any electronics on the shelf to take apart for components, and they do currently have a set of amplified PC speakers for short money. But I got bit by the homebrewing bug recently so I want to build something from salvaged components. I think I have everything on hand now to do that. I mentioned this project to my son a few weeks ago - told him I bought some cheap amplified speakers at Best Buy then returned them, unopened, because it occurred to me I'm a ham so I should be able to build my own instead. He says good idea, that way you'll appreciate them more every time you use them. How it took him 5 seconds to realize that, and 30+ years (as a ham) for me, is beyond me ;) 73, Andrew NV1B .. On Thu, Apr 14, 2022 at 7:56 PM Walter Underwood wrote: > This post describes what I put together for my KX3. That specific amp is > no longer available, but there are similar ones. > > https://observer.wunderwood.org/2017/03/04/speakers-for-my-elecraft-kx3/ > > wunder > K6WRU > Walter Underwood > CM87wj > http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog) > > > On Apr 14, 2022, at 4:50 PM, Andrew Moore wrote: > > > > KX2 arrived yesterday after a ~15 week wait, which was pretty much spot > on > > with Elecraft's original estimate. > > > > One of the best features is, especially for a compact rig with limited > > dedicated controls, the ability to assign a programmable function button > to > > an otherwise buried menu feature. For menu features that are binary > choices > > (such as enable/disable CW transmit), not only does the PFn button > activate > > the menu item, but it also toggles the parameter and dumps you right back > > into operating mode. For example, you can toggle between "CW transmit" > and > > "CW practice (no transmit)" by pressing only two buttons. No need to go > > through deep menus. Kudos to KX2 designers for thinking ahead. > > > > One of the not so great features is the internal speaker. It's even > raspier > > and more distorted than the forward-facing one supplied with the KX3. > This > > is to be expected; there are design trade-offs and this rig wasn't > designed > > to be a desktop model with high wattage audio output. > > > > My typical use case for the KX2 is to listen to it in the background on > the > > desktop with good quality speaker audio, and then to switch to > > headphones/earphones when in QSO. > > > > So I'd like to build an audio amplifier to convert the KX2 headphone > output > > levels to say 5 watt speaker output (one of the two channels will > suffice) > > for listening to relatively undistorted audio in the shack. A good > starting > > point is knowing what the output level and impedance is for the > headphones > > jack. I measured approx 20 mV P-P (impedance unknown) at an audio output > > level around "AF 10" according to the KX2 display. Does this sound about > > right? > > > > Bonus points: First QSO with the KX2 was from Maine to Bermuda at 1 watt. > > > > Thanks, > > -Andrew NV1B > > .. > > __ > > 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 > > Message delivered to wun...@wunderwood.org > > __ > 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 > Message delivered to andrew.n...@gmail.com > __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 WTB(uild) external amplified speaker
I found a pair of amplified speakers at a thrift shop that meet the need pretty well. Can’t beat the $6. :-) 73, Brian, K0DTJ > On Apr 14, 2022, at 16:52, Andrew Moore wrote: > > KX2 arrived yesterday after a ~15 week wait, which was pretty much spot on > with Elecraft's original estimate. > > One of the best features is, especially for a compact rig with limited > dedicated controls, the ability to assign a programmable function button to > an otherwise buried menu feature. For menu features that are binary choices > (such as enable/disable CW transmit), not only does the PFn button activate > the menu item, but it also toggles the parameter and dumps you right back > into operating mode. For example, you can toggle between "CW transmit" and > "CW practice (no transmit)" by pressing only two buttons. No need to go > through deep menus. Kudos to KX2 designers for thinking ahead. > > One of the not so great features is the internal speaker. It's even raspier > and more distorted than the forward-facing one supplied with the KX3. This > is to be expected; there are design trade-offs and this rig wasn't designed > to be a desktop model with high wattage audio output. > > My typical use case for the KX2 is to listen to it in the background on the > desktop with good quality speaker audio, and then to switch to > headphones/earphones when in QSO. > > So I'd like to build an audio amplifier to convert the KX2 headphone output > levels to say 5 watt speaker output (one of the two channels will suffice) > for listening to relatively undistorted audio in the shack. A good starting > point is knowing what the output level and impedance is for the headphones > jack. I measured approx 20 mV P-P (impedance unknown) at an audio output > level around "AF 10" according to the KX2 display. Does this sound about > right? > > Bonus points: First QSO with the KX2 was from Maine to Bermuda at 1 watt. > > Thanks, > -Andrew NV1B > .. > __ > 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 > Message delivered to huntin...@coastside.net __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] KX2 WTB(uild) external amplified speaker
This post describes what I put together for my KX3. That specific amp is no longer available, but there are similar ones. https://observer.wunderwood.org/2017/03/04/speakers-for-my-elecraft-kx3/ wunder K6WRU Walter Underwood CM87wj http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog) > On Apr 14, 2022, at 4:50 PM, Andrew Moore wrote: > > KX2 arrived yesterday after a ~15 week wait, which was pretty much spot on > with Elecraft's original estimate. > > One of the best features is, especially for a compact rig with limited > dedicated controls, the ability to assign a programmable function button to > an otherwise buried menu feature. For menu features that are binary choices > (such as enable/disable CW transmit), not only does the PFn button activate > the menu item, but it also toggles the parameter and dumps you right back > into operating mode. For example, you can toggle between "CW transmit" and > "CW practice (no transmit)" by pressing only two buttons. No need to go > through deep menus. Kudos to KX2 designers for thinking ahead. > > One of the not so great features is the internal speaker. It's even raspier > and more distorted than the forward-facing one supplied with the KX3. This > is to be expected; there are design trade-offs and this rig wasn't designed > to be a desktop model with high wattage audio output. > > My typical use case for the KX2 is to listen to it in the background on the > desktop with good quality speaker audio, and then to switch to > headphones/earphones when in QSO. > > So I'd like to build an audio amplifier to convert the KX2 headphone output > levels to say 5 watt speaker output (one of the two channels will suffice) > for listening to relatively undistorted audio in the shack. A good starting > point is knowing what the output level and impedance is for the headphones > jack. I measured approx 20 mV P-P (impedance unknown) at an audio output > level around "AF 10" according to the KX2 display. Does this sound about > right? > > Bonus points: First QSO with the KX2 was from Maine to Bermuda at 1 watt. > > Thanks, > -Andrew NV1B > .. > __ > 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 > Message delivered to wun...@wunderwood.org __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
[Elecraft] KX2 WTB(uild) external amplified speaker
KX2 arrived yesterday after a ~15 week wait, which was pretty much spot on with Elecraft's original estimate. One of the best features is, especially for a compact rig with limited dedicated controls, the ability to assign a programmable function button to an otherwise buried menu feature. For menu features that are binary choices (such as enable/disable CW transmit), not only does the PFn button activate the menu item, but it also toggles the parameter and dumps you right back into operating mode. For example, you can toggle between "CW transmit" and "CW practice (no transmit)" by pressing only two buttons. No need to go through deep menus. Kudos to KX2 designers for thinking ahead. One of the not so great features is the internal speaker. It's even raspier and more distorted than the forward-facing one supplied with the KX3. This is to be expected; there are design trade-offs and this rig wasn't designed to be a desktop model with high wattage audio output. My typical use case for the KX2 is to listen to it in the background on the desktop with good quality speaker audio, and then to switch to headphones/earphones when in QSO. So I'd like to build an audio amplifier to convert the KX2 headphone output levels to say 5 watt speaker output (one of the two channels will suffice) for listening to relatively undistorted audio in the shack. A good starting point is knowing what the output level and impedance is for the headphones jack. I measured approx 20 mV P-P (impedance unknown) at an audio output level around "AF 10" according to the KX2 display. Does this sound about right? Bonus points: First QSO with the KX2 was from Maine to Bermuda at 1 watt. Thanks, -Andrew NV1B .. __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
