[Elecraft] K3 low audio

[Don Wilhelm]

Ralph,

The K2 was designed for low receive current consumption, and as a result 
the audio power had to be limited.  With the K2, that was a common 
complaint, particularly for hams with hearing loss (me included).

Not so with the K3 which has a 3 watt audio amplifier.  Either you are 
using inefficient speakers or you have something wrong there.  Do you 
have a mono plug in the rear speaker jack?  It must be a stereo plug (a 
stereo to mono adapter will not do, it still shorts out one channel).  
If you have a stereo plug, do you have it wired correctly?  For a single 
speaker, it must connect to the tip and the shell.  If you are using 2 
speakers, one connects to the tip (left) and shell and the right one 
connects to the ring and shell.
If you are using 2 speakers and are listening to the same signal on 
both, are the speakers phased correctly? (try reversing the connection 
to one speaker) - that would be more apparent when the speakers are 
moved closer together.  Out of phase speakers produce acoustical 
cancellation and will give the appearance of low audio when in fact the 
level can be quite high.

Other than a fault with the K3, that is all the "dumb" things I can 
think of right now.

73,
Don w3FPR

On 11/18/2011 3:21 PM, Ralph Parker wrote:
>> does anyone have the same problem with low audio on your K3
> >from both my speaker and headphone?
>
> My headphone output is OK (AF gain at 9 o'clock), but my speaker output has
> always been low (sometimes requiring full AF gain) regardless of config
> setting or internal/external speaker.
> Others tell me it's 'normal', but I don't believe that for a minute.
> I've learned to live with it, but I don't like it.
>
> Ralph, VE7XF
>