Headphone Splitter/Amp

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Headphone Splitter/Amp

list1
Hi All,

I am wondering if this Beringer headphone splitter amp (HA400) will work
well with the K3. As long as it doesn't amplify or introduce hiss I would
imagine it would work well. Any comments?  I have an old Heil Proset that I
mainly use, but others may use a wide range of microphones with different
impedances.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BEH-HA400-LIST

Thanks,
Steve Pituch, W2MY, AAR6CX

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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

Darwin, Keith
< rant on >

Behringer - They really bug me.  Sorry to say it, but I do.  They bug me
because they have a history of stealing other people's designs (Mackie,
DBX) and producing them very cheaply in China.  Or at least that is the
way things appear and there is a history of law suits which suggests
others have the same opinion.

They bug me because their gear really does work well for less money.  I
have (had) 2 mixers, one was Behringer.  My rack compressor is
Behringer.  So is my parametric EQ.  Our church has Behringer
compressors as well.  We have a headphone distribution amp - yep,
Behringer.  I compared the Behringer EQ to a Rane EQ and the Behringer
was better.  I compared the Behringer 2 channel compressor to a DBX 2
channel compressor and found the Behringer was better.

Dang them!  I really hate to support their less-than-ethical business
model, but I just can't escape the results of their approach.

< rant off >

- Keith N1AS -
- K3 711 -

-----Original Message-----
I am wondering if this Beringer headphone splitter amp (HA400) will work
well with the K3.
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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

AC7AC
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Sale: K3 2.7 KHz filter

Jay Bromley
In reply to this post by list1
Not sure if anyone has a need for a 2.7 KHz stock filter for a K3, but I
have one excess to my needs for $50 shipped.

73 de w5jay/jay..

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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

Dick Dievendorff
In reply to this post by list1
I used a Behringer HA-400 briefly for our FD effort and quickly replaced it
with a standard 2 phone jacks to 1 phone plug rigid adapter. I heard a very
loud garbled monitor signal when transmitting on SSB with the HA-400
headphone amplifier in use.  Our station wasn't grounded (at all), which
would account for this difficulty.  Next year I'll be more careful about
grounding the station.  

I think it'll work out well.  The two headphones we used were of different
makes and models, and of course one was much louder than the other.

Dick, K6KR


-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of list1
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 7:04 AM
To: Elecraft
Subject: [Elecraft] [K3] Headphone Splitter/Amp

Hi All,

I am wondering if this Beringer headphone splitter amp (HA400) will work
well with the K3. As long as it doesn't amplify or introduce hiss I would
imagine it would work well. Any comments?  I have an old Heil Proset that I
mainly use, but others may use a wide range of microphones with different
impedances.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BEH-HA400-LIST

Thanks,
Steve Pituch, W2MY, AAR6CX

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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

Don Wilhelm-4
Dick and all,

It sounds like you had some RF in that headphone splitter/amplifier.

I am coming to believe that each Field Day setup should include a 1/4
wavelength of wire for each band of operation (to serve as a
counterpoise wire) and enough braid or other strapping material to
connect all enclosures together - connect the counterpoise wires to the
ground strapping.

Field Day is often run with random antennas, end fed antennas, offset
fed antennas, and all those are prone to RF-in-the-shack problems - the
energy from another station in a Field Day multi setup can only make the
situation more complex.  A few wires can help to tame things down and
reduce the number of "strange happenings".  The counterpoise wires are a
quick and easy method to bring the RF impedance at the radio location
down to a good simulated RF ground level.

Maybe it is a good idea to mark this down in your notebook of 'things to
do next Field Day'.

73,
Don W3FPR

Dick Dievendorff wrote:

> I used a Behringer HA-400 briefly for our FD effort and quickly replaced it
> with a standard 2 phone jacks to 1 phone plug rigid adapter. I heard a very
> loud garbled monitor signal when transmitting on SSB with the HA-400
> headphone amplifier in use.  Our station wasn't grounded (at all), which
> would account for this difficulty.  Next year I'll be more careful about
> grounding the station.  
>
> I think it'll work out well.  The two headphones we used were of different
> makes and models, and of course one was much louder than the other.
>
> Dick, K6KR
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [hidden email]
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of list1
> Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 7:04 AM
> To: Elecraft
> Subject: [Elecraft] [K3] Headphone Splitter/Amp
>
> Hi All,
>
> I am wondering if this Beringer headphone splitter amp (HA400) will work
> well with the K3. As long as it doesn't amplify or introduce hiss I would
> imagine it would work well. Any comments?  I have an old Heil Proset that I
> mainly use, but others may use a wide range of microphones with different
> impedances.
>
> http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BEH-HA400-LIST
>
> Thanks,
> Steve Pituch, W2MY, AAR6CX
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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>  
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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

AC7AC
In reply to this post by Dick Dievendorff
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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

Jim Brown-10
In reply to this post by Dick Dievendorff
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:34:27 -0700, Dick Dievendorff wrote:

>I used a Behringer HA-400

Behringer equipment is well known in the pro audio world to be of
VERY poor quality, and the company is well known for extremely poor
service. I would also expect it to have RFI problems. The company is
also well known for copying the products of other companies (even
the mistakes on circuit boards) and was convicted in a German court
of doing so. They have also settled out of court with other
companies. Audio professionals avoid their products.  

I've never needed more than a simple splitter cable to run two sets
of headphones from any ham transceiver, including a K2 or K3. This
year, our FD rig was a K3 set for SPKR + PHONES. The operator wore
the cans, visitors could hear what was going on. Worked great!  

73,

Jim Brown K9YC



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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

w7aqk
Hi All,

Pardon me if this is a repeat of my previous suggestion.  I can't remember
where I posted it.

I use a small, AA cell powered, headphone amp called a "Boost-A-Roo".  It's
not a whole lot bigger than the 2 AA cells that power it.  It has output
jacks for 3 pairs of headphones.  It's either on, or it's off!  So, if you
want volume control (other than what your rig provides), you need headphones
with an inline volume control.  I use this particularly with my KX-1 and
ATS-3, as well as with my laptop, particularly on noisy airplanes.  The cost
is somewhere around $20-$30, depending on where you look.  Seems to go a
long time on the 2 AA cells.

Dave W7AQK
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Brown" <[hidden email]>
To: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 8:29 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] [K3] Headphone Splitter/Amp


> On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:34:27 -0700, Dick Dievendorff wrote:
>
>>I used a Behringer HA-400
>
> Behringer equipment is well known in the pro audio world to be of
> VERY poor quality, and the company is well known for extremely poor
> service. I would also expect it to have RFI problems. The company is
> also well known for copying the products of other companies (even
> the mistakes on circuit boards) and was convicted in a German court
> of doing so. They have also settled out of court with other
> companies. Audio professionals avoid their products.
>
> I've never needed more than a simple splitter cable to run two sets
> of headphones from any ham transceiver, including a K2 or K3. This
> year, our FD rig was a K3 set for SPKR + PHONES. The operator wore
> the cans, visitors could hear what was going on. Worked great!
>
> 73,
>
> Jim Brown K9YC
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

daleputnam

If I am inclined to use a splitter... for left ear/right ear.... I prefer a crossover network.. in the audio stream, high side feeding one ear.. low side feeding the other... with the cross over tuned very nearly 600 cycle. Then... when tuning across a weak but almost strong enough to be esp... I can easily focus in front of me... close my eyes... and copy... the words just come directly at me.

  With a switch in the circuit.. it is easy to bypass, to leave the amp in line but without the cross over, to apply a bit of amplification. The second or third set of headphones are plugged in, with a simple "Y" and I haven't had any rf feedback.

  The AT3 that needs an amp, may not be aligned just quite perfectly...

I would be very happy to do that... if you were to ship it to me, and ship it back home, no charge from me. The KX1 is likely in the same position.. and the same offer applies.

 

Thanks,

 

--... ...-- Dale - WC7S in Wy


 



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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

k6dgw
In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10
Jim Brown wrote:

> I've never needed more than a simple splitter cable to run two sets
> of headphones from any ham transceiver, including a K2 or K3. This
> year, our FD rig was a K3 set for SPKR + PHONES. The operator wore
> the cans, visitors could hear what was going on. Worked great!  

RS sells a little audio amp/splitter [2 AA cells] that gives 3 outputs
for one input.  It also gives what sounds to my severely damaged ears as
about 15 dB gain, just great for the KX1 which is a little too soft for
me.  I think I paid $8.99 or so for it, don't know what that is in
Pounds or Euros.  Radio Shack is in EU?

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2009 Cal QSO Party  3-4 Oct 2009
- www.cqp.org
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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

KM6XZ
In reply to this post by Darwin, Keith
Keith, I am sure you mean to inform or express your objection to what you have been lead to believe about Behringer and patent or design infringements but you are passing unfounded rumors.

The famous often quoted Mackie case was 90% dismissed on first reading by a judge up could see almost all the claims were groundless. The point let stand for trial(which never took place) were simply a similar color scheme (one was blue and silver and the other was gray and silver so even there they were not copies) and a similar but not that close, of a feature set in their largest mixers at the time. Mackie was barking up the wrong tree with that, ALL mixers of similar size at the time, including their own were laid out and functioned similarly to prior designs by other longer established manufacturers. To relate it to Ham radio, Collins would have, using Mackie's logic, sued Drake for use of tubes, colors and a similar layout in their first trancivers despite being quite different in design and roughly similar in features, yet not acknowledge they were both derivatives of prior practices in the field by, say, Hallicrafters. It was clear the suit was brought as a marketing ploy by a company that was fast fading and losing market share. They published it on musician forums and in ads long before it was even filed or Behringer had been informed. It worked, you believed it without knowing the facts, or bothering to find out.

There are essentially no patents on circuit designs, Mackie or others have nothing uniquely their own in terms of fundamental circuit novelty, only slight variations of common practice. These are "marketing" patents, ones intended to lead the casual reader or shopper to believe a concept is unique to them when in fact the patent really only covers the way plastic clips are used to hold a component in, and has nothing to do with operation or circuit topology. Consumers do not read patents. They see "Our revolutionary patented mixer is all new and the best", when it is clearly not new or best, or even much different from competing brands/models.

I have a lot of inside information about Behringer and Mackie, DBX etc, and full sets of all the circuit diagrams for everything they ever made up until a few years ago and comparing the circuits of DBX, Mackie, etc reveals no copies, but they are all using similar parts with sub-circuits based on application notes by the IC manufactures.
Behrngers main contribution was shifting assembly before the others to China. That is the big breakthrough that separated them from the other higher priced manufacturers.
They offered higher performance-to-cost ratio equipment, none best of class but surely not worst either, just good value with good reliability. Their rack mount gear and small mixers were very reliable, quiet and worked as advertised, for a fraction of the selling price of the competitors. Since that time ALL of the mass market pro and musical equipment manufacturers have followed Behringer's lead and started subcontracting assembly in China, including Mackie.

I've been to the Behringer headquarters in Germany many times, as well know quite well all the major brands and boutique brands of pro audio and I have been most impressed with Behringer. They have about the highest  engineers/general staff ratio in the industry and have a modern tightly run operation. When I brought engineering data regarding the power supply problem and a set of proposed remedies a meeting with the design engineers, production engineers and even graphic arts was convened instantly and the issue was worked out in 30 minutes, including a conference call with Uli, the owner/chief engineer. Within hours the change was in place on the production line in China. I saw they were serious about getting it right and still keep their price point, something that is rare in the pro audio field where it can take months for a Japanese company to even acknowledge a problem.  They have more engineers than their competitors in almost all cases. Uli Behinger himself designs much of the product line from his design center in Singapore where he lives.

Next time someone uses that old rumor about stolen designs or cases lost ask the teller if he has ever compared the items he is referring to. He hasn't or he would be able to see in 1 second they are not the same. One rumor repeated in this thread was about copied PC boards even had copied mistakes. That is so easily proven false..it is supposed to be main channel boards of their 24x8 mixers at the time. Why did not any of the rumor mongers also report the same boards in question also had completely different layouts, the eq sections and AUX sends were in different areas of the pc boards, the only similarity was the channel faders were both located at the bottom of board....like every mixer ever made.  Mackie even sued over the use of the Panasonic 100mm fader as an infringement on an "exclusive supply contract with Panasonic" but Panasonic 100mm faders were also supplied and used by 19 other mixer manufacturers simply because it is was the best inexpensive fader ever made. The judge, a non-techie, in that case throw it out because he picked up a parts catalog and found he could buy the same fader, one that Mackie claimed was an exclusive to Mackie. A phone call to Panasonic told the judge that the fader was a general stock item available from 10,000 Panasonic parts dealers worldwide and Mackie had no exclusive rights to it. Behringer used it for the same reason other companies used it, it was the best and cheap enough for competitive designs. I used it in my own prototypes for that were licensed to manufacturers. Mackie went done because they lost market share in what they were known for, small decent mixers, they were too expensive, and not any better performing or having any compelling features, not because any manufacture ripped off their designs. Mackie became popular because Greg Mackie had a good idea, build lower cost mixers by automated pc board assembly. That almost overnight took the low cost market away from more established mixer companies such as Soundcraft. Mackie had in vested in automated pc board production and dropped prices below the competitors. As the company grew they increased product lines in areas they were not good at and failed to keep up with advances in automation. Behringer came along and found that China had a major advantage in electronic assembly, they invested heavily in the latest automation production lines, so moved their production to China.  That moved the base price point much lower and Mackie could not compete being stuck with 8 year old production automation and not the money to invest in the latest production lines. They lost track of why they succeeded in the beginning when they took the market from the leaders. By that time they were the leaders and Behringer took their market using the same principle; Value and price point.
Stan
Km6xz
Happy K2 owner
St Petersburg Russia

Darwin, Keith wrote
< rant on >

Behringer - They really bug me.  Sorry to say it, but I do.  They bug me
because they have a history of stealing other people's designs (Mackie,
DBX) and producing them very cheaply in China.  Or at least that is the
way things appear and there is a history of law suits which suggests
others have the same opinion.

They bug me because their gear really does work well for less money.  I
have (had) 2 mixers, one was Behringer.  My rack compressor is
Behringer.  So is my parametric EQ.  Our church has Behringer
compressors as well.  We have a headphone distribution amp - yep,
Behringer.  I compared the Behringer EQ to a Rane EQ and the Behringer
was better.  I compared the Behringer 2 channel compressor to a DBX 2
channel compressor and found the Behringer was better.

Dang them!  I really hate to support their less-than-ethical business
model, but I just can't escape the results of their approach.

< rant off >

- Keith N1AS -
- K3 711 -

-----Original Message-----
I am wondering if this Beringer headphone splitter amp (HA400) will work
well with the K3.
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K3 More Magic

G3TCT
Just like to say that I have been using the latest 3.19 firmware and I
_really_ appreciate the automatic VFO offset when switching from ssb to cw.
I've set it up for the higher bands on usb/cw rev and it means I don't lose
the signal completely like most other rigs do - great stuff!

Graham

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Re: Headphone Splitter/Amp

Lu Romero - W4LT
In reply to this post by list1
Much to the chagrin of the folks who dislike Behringer gear for many reasons, some posted in this thread, the HA400 works perfectly for me.  I have owned one for over three years at home, and at work, and its has been one of the best $20 ever invested.  My radio club has three of them.  The one I have at home was the receive end of my AFSK setup with my Kenwood transceiver (the transmit end being a EuroRack 802 mixer through a L-Pad and some radio shack isolation transformers) and has recently been retired by a microHAM MicroKeyer.  

I have many Behringer products including mixers (three), processors (six), EQ (two) and effects (one) and all were agressively priced and rugged.  The comment below regarding RF into the mixer is correct... If you dont have good RF grounding, or at least acceptable RF grounding, ANYTHING will get RF into the audio, including many high priced devices.

As a broadcast professional, I dont avoid Behringer.  In some cases, where good performance is required but budget is a large issue, I will recommend it.  While I would prefer that someone install a Orban limiter in their transmitter chain, in some cases, the device would cost as much as the entire transmission chain (for example, at an LPFM station)  I would much rather the operator have something like an MDX-2600 than no compressor/limiter at all.

Regards

Lu Romero - W4LT
K3 #3192 - in gestation on the bench


list1 wrote
Hi All,

I am wondering if this Beringer headphone splitter amp (HA400) will work
well with the K3. As long as it doesn't amplify or introduce hiss I would
imagine it would work well. Any comments?  I have an old Heil Proset that I
mainly use, but others may use a wide range of microphones with different
impedances.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BEH-HA400-LIST

Thanks,
Steve Pituch, W2MY, AAR6CX

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