[Elecraft] KX2 WTB(uild) external amplified speaker

[Andrew Moore]

Hi all - thanks for the replies regarding speakers.

I do occasionally check the local thrift shop to see if there are any
electronics on the shelf to take apart for components, and they do
currently have a set of amplified PC speakers for short money. But I got
bit by the homebrewing bug recently so I want to build something from
salvaged components. I think I have everything on hand now to do that.

I mentioned this project to my son a few weeks ago - told him I bought some
cheap amplified speakers at Best Buy then returned them, unopened, because
it occurred to me I'm a ham so I should be able to build my own instead. He
says good idea, that way you'll appreciate them more every time you use
them.

How it took him 5 seconds to realize that, and 30+ years (as a ham) for me,
is beyond me ;)

73,
Andrew NV1B
..

On Thu, Apr 14, 2022 at 7:56 PM Walter Underwood <wunder at wunderwood.org>
wrote:

> This post describes what I put together for my KX3. That specific amp is
> no longer available, but there are similar ones.
>
> https://observer.wunderwood.org/2017/03/04/speakers-for-my-elecraft-kx3/
>
> wunder
> K6WRU
> Walter Underwood
> CM87wj
> http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog)
>
> > On Apr 14, 2022, at 4:50 PM, Andrew Moore <andrew.nv1b at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > KX2 arrived yesterday after a ~15 week wait, which was pretty much spot
> on
> > with Elecraft's original estimate.
> >
> > One of the best features is, especially for a compact rig with limited
> > dedicated controls, the ability to assign a programmable function button
> to
> > an otherwise buried menu feature. For menu features that are binary
> choices
> > (such as enable/disable CW transmit), not only does the PFn button
> activate
> > the menu item, but it also toggles the parameter and dumps you right back
> > into operating mode. For example, you can toggle between "CW transmit"
> and
> > "CW practice (no transmit)" by pressing only two buttons. No need to go
> > through deep menus. Kudos to KX2 designers for thinking ahead.
> >
> > One of the not so great features is the internal speaker. It's even
> raspier
> > and more distorted than the forward-facing one supplied with the KX3.
> This
> > is to be expected; there are design trade-offs and this rig wasn't
> designed
> > to be a desktop model with high wattage audio output.
> >
> > My typical use case for the KX2 is to listen to it in the background on
> the
> > desktop with good quality speaker audio, and then to switch to
> > headphones/earphones when in QSO.
> >
> > So I'd like to build an audio amplifier to convert the KX2 headphone
> output
> > levels to say 5 watt speaker output (one of the two channels will
> suffice)
> > for listening to relatively undistorted audio in the shack. A good
> starting
> > point is knowing what the output level and impedance is for the
> headphones
> > jack. I measured approx 20 mV P-P (impedance unknown) at an audio output
> > level around "AF 10" according to the KX2 display. Does this sound about
> > right?
> >
> > Bonus points: First QSO with the KX2 was from Maine to Bermuda at 1 watt.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > -Andrew NV1B
> > ..
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