[1000mp] No more Yaesu II

[Earl W Cunningham]

Don, W5FKX wrote:

".....I was using an external speaker (SP-8), into which I had plugged a
pair of inexpensive 8 ohm stereo headphones from Radio Shack."
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I use a Kenwood SP-230 plugged into the EXT SPKR jack on the rear panel
of my FT-1000MP and I also use a cheap pair of RS 8-ohm stereo headphones
plugged into the SP-230's headpone jack.
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"Also, because of the low audio output, I use a NIR-12 as an audio amp
between the FT-1000MP and the external SP-8 speaker."
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I have no need for more audio amplification with my setup, even on weak
CW signals.  There is more than enough output from the SP-230's speaker
also.
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"Other details of the recent [audio failure] incident: I was tuning a
weak signal on 160m, so I had the IPO (pre-amp) OFF and 12db of
attenuation switched into the front end in order to improve the SNR, with
both 250 Hz filters in, DSP filter set to 60Hz and the BW as narrow as
possible."
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Exactly how I use my MP on weak CW signals, except I switch in the INRAD
125 Hz xtal filter in the 455 kHz IF.
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".....I have always felt that the audio output was too low, especially
for weak signal conditions as described above."
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I have to ride the audio gain quite high on weak CW signals, but never
above the 2:00 o'clock position.  And that's without an NIR-12 to boost
the audio.
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"To answer the obvious question that was asked in one of the posts, my
hearing is normal over the full audio range."
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I wish I could say the same about my 70-year old ears.

Here's hoping my MP, purchased new in June 1998 and without any failures
yet, doesn't have any audio failures.

The only mods I've done to it are the W8JI click mod (mandatory for all
MPs) and the INRAD front-end mod.

BTW, an old friend of mine used to be WB5FKX in Houston.  He's now W5RTQ
(my old call) in Oklahoma.

73, de Earl, K6SE