[Boatanchors] TCS: Better Speaker "Ear Popping" Cure.

[Brian]

Hello Dave,
You are dealing with the symptoms rather than the cause.
Each time you change to another output transducer - speaker, headphones - or 
change the audio volume setting, using your method, you will need different 
diodes.
Head back to where the transient first arises, probably in the detector. 
That's where you need to put your diodes. In this case, you'll probably need 
a pair of 1N914s or 1N1418s connected antiphase in parallel. Then, no matter 
what your volume setting or choice of output transducer, you'll always have 
the same kind of clipping. This is the way it was done back in the ARRL 
Handbooks or 1948 and 1956, except they used a 6H6.
73 de Brian, VK2GCE.

On Thursday, February 11, 2016 10:42 PM , you recounted:

Still fiddling, trying to get the TCS station ready
for Novice Rig Roundup.
I read everyone's kind info and schooling on
diode clipping and did some more tinkering.
I think this is what I was trying to do in the first place.
Now installed across the primary of the
matching transformer in the remote speaker box:

http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/clipper.jpg

The power diodes steer the current so the zeners work.
The clipping level should now be Vzn plus the power
diode Vfb drop, though I haven't scoped it yet.
Using the 5.6V zeners, the clipping
is just a little too much at high volume levels;
I'll pick up some 8 and 9 V zeners at the local surplus
house and tweek it some.
No more "popping" in the speaker during keying;
sounds good.
Left the ones across the headphones alone.
Wearing cans while keying is now almost as
comfortable as any modern rig I've used.

Better and better.

73 OM DE Dave AB5S