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External speaker recommendation.....

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Eddy

External speaker recommendation.....

I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every time I plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal speaker........

So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better" than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$ on one...

Thanks and 73

ed
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Fred Smith-2

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

YES!

The West Mountain Radio COMspkr $39, I have several sets of them on my
K2/K3.

73,
Fred/N0AZZ
K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 5210--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100
P3/SVGA--KAT500--W2
Amps Elecraft KPA500 HF/6m--Alpha's 9500 HF--87A HF--Mirage B-5030-G
300+w--(2) B-5016-G's 165w 2m

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Eddy
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2014 3:02 PM
To: Elecraft
Subject: [Elecraft] External speaker recommendation.....

I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every time I
plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal
speaker........

So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better"
than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$
on one...

Thanks and 73

ed
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Rose

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

I too endorse the West Mountain speakers! I have them in use on my K2,
K3, KX3 and two commmputers.

73 !
Ken - K0PP
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Don Wilhelm-4

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by Eddy

Ed,

One possible reason for your lack of satisfaction in external speakers
may be that they are all 8 ohm speakers.
The K2 audio amplifier does not have a lot of excess gain (that was by
design to limit the receive current). If you are to get a decent amount
of power out of it, the speaker load must be 4 ohms or less. A higher
impedance (or less efficient) speaker will sound quite weak compared to
the internal speaker.

An amplified speaker can be used to fix that.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/6/2014 4:01 PM, Eddy wrote:

>
>
>
> I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every time I plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal speaker........
>
> So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better" than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$ on one...
>
> Thanks and 73
>
> ed
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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Vic Rosenthal

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by Eddy

EricJ-2

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by Eddy

I thought something was wrong with my ears (OK, there is, but not this).
I've tried several external speakers as well. The latest was the West
Mountain ones which I made the mistake of opening and lost all
confidence in what I saw.

The K2 speaker has been better for CW than anything else I have tried.
No explanation.

Eric
KE6US

On 1/6/2014 1:01 PM, Eddy wrote:

Fred Smith-2

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

I have paid upwards of $350 for a sets of speakers for radios and ending up
selling all the others in favor of the West Mountain ones......If you're
only going to use your single receiver K2 for CW and digital modes
headphones might be the only required. Come to think of it I do still have 1
set of Icom speakers left for low clearance and match an Icom radio I have.
But they only cost about $300 for the set and don't sound as good as the $39
set.

73,
Fred/N0AZZ
K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 5210--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100
P3/SVGA--KAT500--W2
Amps Elecraft KPA500 HF/6m--Alpha's 9500 HF--87A HF--Mirage B-5030-G
300+w--(2) B-5016-G's 165w 2m

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of EricJ
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2014 4:02 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] External speaker recommendation.....

I thought something was wrong with my ears (OK, there is, but not this).
I've tried several external speakers as well. The latest was the West
Mountain ones which I made the mistake of opening and lost all confidence in
what I saw.

The K2 speaker has been better for CW than anything else I have tried.
No explanation.

Eric
KE6US

On 1/6/2014 1:01 PM, Eddy wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every time
I plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal
speaker........
>
> So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better"
than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$
on one...

>
> Thanks and 73
>
> ed
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email
> list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
>

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Scotty Long

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by Eddy

The best I've used for monitoring while working in the shack or letting my kids listen to an active cw QSO is the speaker from my Drake TR4C. Otherwise I use headphones most of the time...

Scotty/NU0S

K1-4...S/N. 3206

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID

Eddy <[hidden email]> wrote:

I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every time I plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal speaker........

So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better" than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$ on one...

Thanks and 73

ed
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Bob-270

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by Eddy

Hi Ed,

Well "better" is very subjective but I liked the powered Motorola
speaker. I used the original built in Motorola amp, Type 1 as shown here:

http://www2.opparc.org/mirrors/n0ss/www.n0ss.net/index_general.html

They are widely available at ham flea markets and Ebay. To me the
better aspect was level as I felt the K2 was lacking for my ears. Maybe one of
the none powered ones would even work for you.

73,
Bob
K2TK

On 1/6/2014 4:01 PM, Eddy wrote:
> I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every time I plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal speaker........
>
> So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better" than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$ on one...
>
> Thanks and 73
>
> ed
> ______________________________________________________________
>

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Jim Brown-10

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by EricJ-2

On 1/6/2014 2:02 PM, EricJ wrote:
> The K2 speaker has been better for CW than anything else I have tried.

Elecraft found a VERY good speaker for the K2. Don's advice about
looking for a 4 ohm speaker is also good -- virtually all loudspeaker
amplifiers have a VERY low output Z, typically 0.1 Ohm or less, making
them a constant voltage source. By simple Ohm's law, they will provide
maximum power to the lowest impedance which they are designed. Power is
E squared divided by R, so you can use them with higher Z speakers, but
you will lose 3 dB of level for 8 ohms, another 3dB for 16 ohms.

The second part of the equation is loudspeaker efficiency. In general,
the smaller the loudspeaker, the less efficient it is. In other words,
louder = bigger. The best 4 ohm loudspeaker I know of is the MR55, made
by RCF, and Italian company. I've used them in some high profile
projects. They're not cheap. Smaller speakers in their line are not
nearly as nice.

73, Jim K9YC
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Mel

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

So far with my KX3, I have found the the self powered X-Mini speaker does well on CW and SSB. While not hifi, it is very good. <$40.

Mel, K6KBE

On Monday, January 6, 2014 2:59 PM, Walter Underwood <[hidden email]> wrote:

Then I should plan on using my Magneplanar SMGa's, because they are 2 Ohm speakers. Except I don't have a K2. Dang.

wunder
K6WRU

On Jan 6, 2014, at 2:54 PM, Jim Brown <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On 1/6/2014 2:02 PM, EricJ wrote:
>> The K2 speaker has been better for CW than anything else I have tried.
>
> Elecraft found a VERY good speaker for the K2. Don's advice about looking for a 4 ohm speaker is also good -- virtually all loudspeaker amplifiers have a VERY low output Z, typically 0.1 Ohm or less, making them a constant voltage source. By simple Ohm's law, they will provide maximum power to the lowest impedance which they are designed. Power is E squared divided by R, so you can use them with higher Z speakers, but you will lose 3 dB of level for 8 ohms, another 3dB for 16 ohms.
>
> The second part of the equation is loudspeaker efficiency. In general, the smaller the loudspeaker, the less efficient it is. In other words, louder = bigger. The best 4 ohm loudspeaker I know of is the MR55, made by RCF, and Italian company. I've used them in some high profile projects. They're not cheap. Smaller speakers in their line are not nearly as nice.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC

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Randy Lake

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by Bob-270

I am currently using the Bose Companion2 Series 2. They sound really nice.
They are roughly 3in.x 7in. and dual inputs so I can have the radio and my
system sound card going into it without having to switch or have a second
set of speakers. I think I got them on www.woot.com for around $70.
73 HNY
Randy N1KWF

On Mon, Jan 6, 2014 at 5:37 PM, Bob <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi Ed,
>
> Well "better" is very subjective but I liked the powered
> Motorola speaker. I used the original built in Motorola amp, Type 1 as
> shown here:
>
> http://www2.opparc.org/mirrors/n0ss/www.n0ss.net/index_general.html
>
> They are widely available at ham flea markets and Ebay. To me
> the better aspect was level as I felt the K2 was lacking for my ears. Maybe
> one of the none powered ones would even work for you.
>
> 73,
> Bob
> K2TK
>
>
>
> On 1/6/2014 4:01 PM, Eddy wrote:
>
>> I'm amazed at how well my K2 internal speaker works and sounds! Every
>> time I plug in an external speaker, I've quickly gone back to the internal
>> speaker........
>>
>> So, has anyone found an external speaker for the k2 that sounds "better"
>> than the internal unit? Also, I'm really not willing to spend a bunch of $$
>> on one...
>>
>> Thanks and 73
>>
>> ed
>> ______________________________________________________________
>>
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

--
Randy Lake N1KWF
73 Gunn Rd.
Keene,NH
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Mike Maloney

Re: External speaker recommendation.....

In reply to this post by EricJ-2

________________________________

The K2 speaker has been better for CW than anything else I have tried.
No explanation.

Eric
KE6US

My experience likewise and this includes my K3. The CW sidetone is improved and boosted
even more with a right angle deflector on top of the internal speaker. A 2 inch PVC elbow (painted black) does this nicely.

Mike
AC5P
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Eugene Balinski

KX3 Construction

In reply to this post by Fred Smith-2

All,

I am finally getting around to assembling my KX3. If I
read the invoice correctly, the Serno is 888.

I know that there have been a number of ECO's for
various issues. Is there some place that they are all
collected such that I can order the necessary parts at once
? How about from-to instructions or errata so one would
know when to use the new parts ?

Thanks es 73

Gene K1NR
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