[Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
George Winship, NC5G
with the KX3 and wonder what the receive audio output is. My K2 doesn't have
quite enough audio for mobile use(at least for me it doesn't), so hope the
KX3 will have more. Didn't see this info on the KX3 page.
73,
George, NC5G
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Wayne Burdick
use in a reasonably quiet environment. In a noisy vehicle, it is
definitely not going to provide enough audio. Also, with mono audio
you'd miss out on one of the KX3's binaural audio features (dual
watch, simulated stereo, pitch mapping, etc.). These effects
completely transform the operating experience; it's the same reason we
provided full stereo audio in the K3.
Given the above, I strongly recommend using your car's stereo audio
system for AF output. Many vehicles have an AF aux input jack. For
those that don't, there are FM modulators such as the RadioPlay 300
(from Monster Mobile) or aftermarket devices that allow you to tap
into the CD->radio interface. You could also use external amplified
speakers.
73,
Wayne
N6KR
István Szabó
István Szabó
George Winship, NC5G
<Given the above, I strongly recommend using your car's stereo audio >
<system for AF output. Many vehicles have an AF aux input jack. For >
<those that don't, there are FM modulators such as the RadioPlay 300>
<(from Monster Mobile) or aftermarket devices that allow you to tap >
<into the CD->radio interface. You could also use external amplified>
<speakers.>
Thanks Wayne, for your prompt reply. I will check out this out. Presently I
use an old Motorola mobile speaker with the IC-730. Most of my mobile ops
are in a 1995 3/4 ton Chevy. No CD, but maybe can find an old cassette
interface.
BTW, haven't been this excited about a radio since I got my K2 as a 50th
B'Day present almost 10 years ago. Was a blast to build, and still get a
thrill every time I press the ON button.
73,
George, NC5G
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Wayne Burdick
Jim Brown
> Given the above, I strongly recommend using your car's stereo audio
> system for AF output.
One potential issue with that is that nearby FM radios (including those
in passing cars) will hear your RX. It's a real PITA to be driving
along listening to NPR or a jazz station and have someone's rock and
roll crap over-ride it.
A related question though -- will there be an audio output that can
drive a speaker? There are a fair number of decent speakers that can
work quite well in a mobile environment with moderate driving power,
especially if they are well located for the listener. I'm thinking
things like the previously cited Motorola speakers, and also some
compact "mini-cube" speakers I've found at hamfests. I've seen very nice
installations using these sorts of speakers in mobile applications --
some in a head rest, some clipped to a visor in front of the driver. One
watt to a speaker like this would work quite well.
73, Jim Brown K9YC
Fred Jensen
> One potential issue with that is that nearby FM radios (including those
> in passing cars) will hear your RX. It's a real PITA to be driving
> along listening to NPR or a jazz station and have someone's rock and
> roll crap over-ride it.
Rock and roll is crap? :-)
My wife has a fake tape cassette that goes in the car's tape player and
a cable that plugs into her iPod. She listens to a lot of audio books
and it works great and would likely work great for a radio too. She
also got an FM Tx that finds a clear spot and transmits to the radio.
It doesn't work well, and not at all in populated areas.
73,
Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the 2011 Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2011
- www.cqp.org
István Szabó
István Szabó
Brendan Minish
both mobile and in the shack.
They have high efficiency and a frequency response that is ideal for
Radio use.
I don't know what type of AF amp the KX3 will use but there are now some
really superb class 'D' switching audio amp chips available that can
generate lots of clean audio with very high power efficiency
See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_D_Amplifier
and
http://www.analog.com/en/audiovideo-products/audio-signal-processors/ad1990/products/product.html
Also Motorola made some amplified speakers these are very good for noisy
vehicles too
On Fri, 2011-05-27 at 12:09 -0700, George Winship, NC5G wrote:
> Thanks Wayne, for your prompt reply. I will check out this out. Presently I
> use an old Motorola mobile speaker with the IC-730. Most of my mobile ops
> are in a 1995 3/4 ton Chevy. No CD, but maybe can find an old cassette
> interface.
--
73
Brendan EI6IZ
Joe Subich, W4TV
>
http://www.analog.com/en/audiovideo-products/audio-signal-processors/ad1990/products/product.html
One problem with this class of device is the bridge tied outputs. The
speaker(s) are no longer ground referenced - both sides must float.
This increases RFI issues (not the RF chokes in the output) and will
not allow the use of a three conductor jack for speaker output.
73,
... Joe, W4TV
On 5/27/2011 7:51 PM, Brendan Minish wrote:
> The surplus Motorola speaker are truly excellent speakers for radio use,
> both mobile and in the shack.
> They have high efficiency and a frequency response that is ideal for
> Radio use.
>
> I don't know what type of AF amp the KX3 will use but there are now some
> really superb class 'D' switching audio amp chips available that can
> generate lots of clean audio with very high power efficiency
> See
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_D_Amplifier
> and
> http://www.analog.com/en/audiovideo-products/audio-signal-processors/ad1990/products/product.html
>
> Also Motorola made some amplified speakers these are very good for noisy
> vehicles too
>
> On Fri, 2011-05-27 at 12:09 -0700, George Winship, NC5G wrote:
>
>> Thanks Wayne, for your prompt reply. I will check out this out. Presently I
>> use an old Motorola mobile speaker with the IC-730. Most of my mobile ops
>> are in a 1995 3/4 ton Chevy. No CD, but maybe can find an old cassette
>> interface.
>
Dave KK7SS
Self powered from an internal battery that recharges usinf a "D" cable to any USB port.
Don't know if they are still available... :\
--
Dave G KK7SS
DN06ig Richland, WA
'59 Morris Minor 1000
'65 Sprite - in process
'76 Midget - shared with my #4 son.
'06 Honda Civic Hybrid
R. Kevin Stover
the lower part of the band, usually a couple channels around 89 Mhz. My
father has one set up on his Ipod at 89.5Mhz. Works great.
On Fri, 27 May 2011 14:14:52 -0700
Fred Jensen <k6...@foothill.net> wrote:
> Rock and roll is crap? :-)
>
> My wife has a fake tape cassette that goes in the car's tape player
> and a cable that plugs into her iPod. She listens to a lot of audio
> books and it works great and would likely work great for a radio
> too. She also got an FM Tx that finds a clear spot and transmits to
> the radio. It doesn't work well, and not at all in populated areas.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred K6DGW
--
R. Kevin Stover
AC0H
Matt Zilmer
educational programming. Ugh. Vehicle playback was bad enough
without getting blasted picking up spotty coverage from outlets 50
miles away that overwhelm the Part 15-mandated "extremely low power"
from the TX output.
Been trying to use one of those (Belkin) for years. Finally bought
the kit and wired in the external input to the stock AM/FM/CD unit
directly. Works oh-so-much better! Ipod, KX3, whatever - now is a CD
Changer as far as the stock radio knows.
I suppose the FM transmitter's performance depends on where you use
it.
73,
matt W6NIA
On Sat, 28 May 2011 07:32:07 -0500, you wrote:
>All of the low power FM transmitters for vehicle use I've seen are in
>the lower part of the band, usually a couple channels around 89 Mhz. My
>father has one set up on his Ipod at 89.5Mhz. Works great.
>
>
>On Fri, 27 May 2011 14:14:52 -0700
>Fred Jensen <k6...@foothill.net> wrote:
>
>
>> Rock and roll is crap? :-)
>>
>> My wife has a fake tape cassette that goes in the car's tape player
>> and a cable that plugs into her iPod. She listens to a lot of audio
>> books and it works great and would likely work great for a radio
>> too. She also got an FM Tx that finds a clear spot and transmits to
>> the radio. It doesn't work well, and not at all in populated areas.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Fred K6DGW
George Winship, NC5G
<My wife has a fake tape cassette that goes in the car's tape player and
a cable that plugs into her iPod.>
Walmart still has these. Picked one up today and hooked it up to my IC730.
Works great. Was able to turn the AF down on the Icom and turn the truck
radio up. Seemed to reduce the background noise a bit. This should work
really well with the KX3.
73,
George, NC5G
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Dave KK7SS
Even worse, the CD player is behind the NAV screen.
But there is supposed to be sn iPod audio socket somewhere...
That just might work if the impedance is ok.
I suppose I'll have to look for it now <G>
>> On May 27, 2011 at 4:14pm Fred K6DGW wrote:
>> My wife has a fake tape cassette that goes in the
>> car's tape player and a cable that plugs into her iPod.>
--
Dave G KK7SS
DN06ig Richland, WA
'59 Morris Minor 1000
'65 Sprite - in process
'76 Midget - shared with my #4 son.
'06 Honda Civic Hybrid
Wayne Burdick
doesn't have a cassette player or an ACC input jack. The sound quality
is surprising good when used with my iPod. I'll be trying the KX3 with
it soon.
Wayne
Dave KK7SS
Have a Great Memorial Weekend.
--
Dave G KK7SS
DN06ig Richland, WA
'59 Morris Minor 1000
'65 Sprite - in process
'76 Midget - shared with my #4 son.
'06 Honda Civic Hybrid
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne Burdick" <n6...@elecraft.com>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
I just put a Monster RadioPlay 300 FM modulator in my 2000 CRV, which
doesn't have a cassette player or an ACC input jack. The sound quality
is surprising good when used with my iPod. I'll be trying the KX3 with
it soon.
Wayne
On May 29, 2011, at 7:28 AM, Dave KK7SS wrote:
> Sad to report that my car does not have a tape player :(
> Even worse, the CD player is behind the NAV screen.
>
Dave KK7SS
Dave KK7SS
Rich - K1HTV
Do a Google search for "Coby CA-745", an FM wireless transmitter that plugs
into a cigarette lighter. You can find them at Amazon, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for
between $16 and $19. The input is via a stereo miniplug at the end of an
attached cable. The frequency can be changed and is displayed on an LCD screen
on the front of the unit. It looks like it should work fine with a KX3 or any
audio device that you want to play back on a clear frequency through your
vehicle's FM radio.
73,
Rich - K1HTV
= = =
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave KK7SS [mailto:kk...@frontier.com]
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2011 10:29 AM
To: elec...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
Jim Brown
> Do a Google search for "Coby CA-745", an FM wireless transmitter that plugs
> into a cigarette lighter. You can find them at Amazon, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for
> between $16 and $19. The input is via a stereo miniplug at the end of an
> attached cable.
There is potential for significant difficulty using a device powered
from one point in the automotive DC power with another device powered
from a DIFFERENT point in the same automotive power system. The reason
is simple -- there can be a lot of DC resistance between different parts
of the system, and a lot of noise, both audio and RF, between those
points. The audio interconnect is unbalanced, so any noise that is
present is likely be added to the audio feed.
Consider the use for which these modulators were designed -- a
BATTERY-powered personal music player, like an iPod or CD player. With
these devices, there is only ONE connection to the automotive power
system, the lighter plug. Ditto with a wired AUX plug-in for those
players.
BTW -- this issue requires VERY CAREFUL attention to the design of DC
busing and both audio and RF interfacing between the KX3 and the power
amp if those units are to be physically separated (for example, the
power amp in the trunk or under a seat).
73, Jim Brown K9YC
Igor Kosvin
so your concern is notwithstanding.
73
Igor, N1YX
-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft...@mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jim Brown
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 1:54 PM
To: elec...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
Rich - K1HTV
Looks like the addition of an inline audio transformer between the wireless
transmitter's miniplug and the KX3 (or any device powered by the vehicle) would
resolve the potential problem which you have addressed.
73,
Rich - K1HTV
= = =
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com]
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 13:54 PM
To: elec...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output
Jim Brown
> Looks like the addition of an inline audio transformer between the wireless
> transmitter's miniplug and the KX3 (or any device powered by the vehicle) would
> resolve the potential problem which you have addressed.
Yes -- IF the transformer did not pick up magnetic fields from the
vehicle's systems. I saw that when doing testing of some pro mics for
RFI in a Volvo S80 -- the output transformer in the mic was not
shielded, and picked up trash. That would be fixed with a transformer
that has a mu-metal shield, but shielded transformers are expensive.
73, Jim K9YC
Rich - K1HTV
I can see that magnetic fields in a vehicle could cause problems with a
microphone, as the output level is in the -50dBm range and is much more
susceptible to it . Using equipment like the KX3 at consumer line level (-20dBm)
there would much less of a problem with magnetic fields, so a less expensive,
unshielded in-line transformer would probably work just fine.
73,
Rich - K1HTV
= = =
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Brown [mailto:j...@audiosystemsgroup.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 13:04 PM
To: Reflector Elecraft
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 Audio output