[Elecraft] Audio Volume

[W3FPR - Don Wilhelm]

Jim,

Unless your hearing is really poor, you have a problem with your K2 - even
one with weak audio will provide adequate audio with the AF gain somewhere
between the 9 o'clock and the 12 o'clock position unless the room noise is
quite high.  It does not have the reserve audio or raw audio power that many
other transceivers do, but it is adequate for most situations.

First, if you have to advance the AF gain when the KDSP2 is turned on, you
may want to look for a problem with the KSDP2.  Normally, the KDSP2 adds a
small amount of additional audio gain when it is installed.

Secondly,  be certain your K2 is tuned up correctly - especially the filter
adjustments.  The proper positioning of the passband will go a long way to
improving the K2 audio output volume.

If you have an older K2 (pre-SN 3000), install the new AF Gain control
wiring - and if you have an even older K2, check the number of turns on T7 -
if it has the ratio of 11:3 turns, rewind it for the new ratio of 20:5
turns.

I believe there is a list of other things to check from Gary Surrency
available on the Elecraft website.

If you still need additional audio amplification, you may want to check out
one of the amplified Motorola external speakers often available on E-bay.
See Tom Hammond's website www.n0ss.net for additional information on these
speakers.  You could also consider building one of the SP2 external
speakers - details at www.elecraft.com - it did not make it as a product,
but the details are there should you want to partake of them.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> As has been mentioned by other on this forum
> previously my K2 also seems to be in need of a boost
> in overall audio volume.  Is there a modification that
> can be made to increase the volume?
>
> My hearing is not great.  The fact that the speaker is
> oriented up instead of forward doesn't help.  When I
> put the DSP in I usually have to boost the AF Gain
> about a quarter turn.  It's not unusualy to have it
> maxed out.  The RF Gain is always max clockwise.  Most
> headphones available are 8-32 ohms so switching to
> headphones only eliminates some outside noise and
> doesn't increase the volume and in fact usually
> decreases it.  The speaker is 4 ohms so changing the
> speaker to a lower resistance (if available) is likely
> not an option.  I get and give good signal reports and
> have what I believe are good antennas....they seem to
> perform fine with my other HF rig.  The K2 has the
> cleaner and brighter audio with less noise.
>
>
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