[Elecraft] RE: Audio on 817 and K2

[Bruce - backup email]

I have both the 817 and the K2.  I use the 817 bicycle mobile and am trying
to use the k2 in the truck.  I don't want to get into which is better but I
personally like the K2 more than the 817 except for one issue.  The audio
output of the 817 is WAY more powerful than the K2.  The K2 audio is
insufficient to use in the truck without headphones.  I put a ClearSpeech
speaker on it and I have to hold the speaker right up to my ear in order to
hear anything.  Clearly this isn't going to work. (BTW:  Tried to route the
audio via the tape deck to the truck's audio system and got HUGE RF
feedback...)

I need to spend some time playing with the K2.  I have not hooked
spectrogram up to it yet. However, there is one thing that I noticed while
playing with it this weekend.  I get no noticeable increase (or change for
that matter) over the last 90 degrees of the audio pot, that is, the loudest
portion of the audio.  It seems to hit a plateau and then just stay there.
It will also adjust the volume down to absolute silence when turned the
other way.  I seem to recall that one of the issues with the "noisy audio
pot" problem was that folks couldn't get the audio completely quiet.  Any
thoughts?

Background:  K2 Serial number 549, happens with or without the KPA100 with
it's different speaker, have all the options except the 160m board, get good
audio reports on the air, have NOT made the noisy pot mod.

Bruce Thompson
KG0SH
Golden, CO  "Surrounded by rock on 5 sides!"