2nd/backup FM HT recommendations
I'm considering buying another FM HT for the birds, mainly to use as a backup - for demos. (I already have a D72, which is my main unit for personal use and demos right now, and a VX7R, but the latter has seen better days.)
For those of you who have attempted to use just a D72 for a demo - with an external speaker as well as the headset/mic - this results in a rat's nest of adapters/connectors/wires. I have the adapter sold on eBay, but unfortunately it attenuates the audio signal (for digital voice recorders), instead of amplifying it for an external speaker , which is what I need. (I guess I could use a powered speaker on that output, but that's one more thing to carry - and power-up! :-) )
So I think *two* radios might work better - wiring wise - for demos. If I buy a Baofeng (or similar), I won't use it for the receive part due to the desense problems on some models (looking at the section in 2019's "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"). I'm considering the Alinco, since it does have 1.2 Ghz, and using the D72 for receive in that set up (but that still doesn't easily solve the wiring/connector mess for an external speaker/headphones for that radio).
Are there other radios which are more "external speaker" friendly which I should consider? I'm open to almost any combination of manufacturers (except for the Baofeng types for receive, as noted above). I'm even open to buying another D72 (but probably hoarding it except for special occasions.)
In short, what are your recommendations for a second, spare, radio for the FM birds?
I'm also curious how others have wired their single HTs - or two HTs - for demos using an external speaker. So if you could explain - with or without pictures - how you accomplish this, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Philip N4HF
Phil,
I have an external powered speaker I clip on my belt, center of my back.
Your right about the rats nest of wires. I’m going to put together a “demo only harness, using some form of wiring loom to keep everything neat and tidy.
Alinco HT is fine for TX side, with added bonus of L-band capability.
Robert Bankston | KE4AL Vice-President, User Services Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)
Website: www.ke4al.wordpress.com Twitter: @KE4ALabama
On Jun 20, 2019, at 16:51, Philip Jenkins via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote:
I'm considering buying another FM HT for the birds, mainly to use as a backup - for demos. (I already have a D72, which is my main unit for personal use and demos right now, and a VX7R, but the latter has seen better days.)
For those of you who have attempted to use just a D72 for a demo - with an external speaker as well as the headset/mic - this results in a rat's nest of adapters/connectors/wires. I have the adapter sold on eBay, but unfortunately it attenuates the audio signal (for digital voice recorders), instead of amplifying it for an external speaker , which is what I need. (I guess I could use a powered speaker on that output, but that's one more thing to carry - and power-up! :-) )
So I think *two* radios might work better - wiring wise - for demos. If I buy a Baofeng (or similar), I won't use it for the receive part due to the desense problems on some models (looking at the section in 2019's "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"). I'm considering the Alinco, since it does have 1.2 Ghz, and using the D72 for receive in that set up (but that still doesn't easily solve the wiring/connector mess for an external speaker/headphones for that radio).
Are there other radios which are more "external speaker" friendly which I should consider? I'm open to almost any combination of manufacturers (except for the Baofeng types for receive, as noted above). I'm even open to buying another D72 (but probably hoarding it except for special occasions.)
In short, what are your recommendations for a second, spare, radio for the FM birds?
I'm also curious how others have wired their single HTs - or two HTs - for demos using an external speaker. So if you could explain - with or without pictures - how you accomplish this, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Philip N4HF _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Philip,
I often use my TH-D72 for demonstrations, and have gone with a simpler setup than in the past. I use an unpowered external speaker with a long patch cable, and put it a few feet away from me. I also make sure the speaker isn't firing back at me, to avoid audio feedback when I am transmitting. I use this short cable with right-angle plug to go into the TH-D72's 2.5mm speaker jack:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KOJAJKW/
I find the TH-D72 has enough audio output to drive an unpowered external speaker to a reasonable audio level. I sometimes plug a splitter into this short cable with adapter plug, if I want to directly record the downlink audio, but usually skip the splitter and put an audio recorder in my pocket - or hold it in the same hand as the TH-D72. Then I make sure to say the call sign of each station I work, so the recorder at least picks that up.
I also have a no-name Bluetooth speaker, which also has a jack for a patch cable on the back side. This is an amplified speaker with a built-in battery (which can also be used to power or charge devices through a USB connection), so there are no extra cables needed when I use this speaker instead of the unpowered speaker I normally use.
If you would like to see pictures of my setup, please let me know. I will e-mail you some pictures directly.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK
For those of you who have attempted to use just a D72 for a demo - with an
external speaker as well as the headset/mic - this results in a rat's nest of adapters/connectors/wires. I have the adapter sold on eBay, but unfortunately it attenuates the audio signal (for digital voice recorders), instead of amplifying it for an external speaker , which is what I need. (I guess I could use a powered speaker on that output, but that's one more thing to carry - and power-up! :-) )
So I think *two* radios might work better - wiring wise - for demos. If I buy a Baofeng (or similar), I won't use it for the receive part due to the desense problems on some models (looking at the section in 2019's "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"). I'm considering the Alinco, since it does have 1.2 Ghz, and using the D72 for receive in that set up (but that still doesn't easily solve the wiring/connector mess for an external speaker/headphones for that radio).
Are there other radios which are more "external speaker" friendly which I should consider? I'm open to almost any combination of manufacturers (except for the Baofeng types for receive, as noted above). I'm even open to buying another D72 (but probably hoarding it except for special occasions.)
In short, what are your recommendations for a second, spare, radio for the FM birds?
I'm also curious how others have wired their single HTs - or two HTs - for demos using an external speaker. So if you could explain - with or without pictures - how you accomplish this, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Philip N4HF
Thanks Patrick, Robert, and John
Patrick, the former is pretty much what I've been doing at demos. A fairly large unpowered Radio Shack speaker with a long cord, plugged directly into the D72's output jack. I then point the speaker away from me and stand several feet away and use the D72's internal mike, full duplex
.This has worked well for the audience being able to hear. No feedback problems reported yet. I would like to be able to hear better though, hence the point of my post. ;-) I think I've only made a couple of Q's for this reason.
I'll check out the Amazon link. I think Fry's Electronics may have something similar. (I need a good reason to go to Atlanta anyway <grin>; Ham Radio Outlet is only about 5 miles away from Fry's). I'll look for a Bluetooth speaker like you described too.
John, come to think of it, you did tell me - and sent pics - of the adapter you made using the resistors . (The plug was from a TI calculator, I think.). I'll have to look for that email
Robert, the clip on speaker idea sounds great. Did you use it at the AMSAT Academy demos?
Philip N4HF
On Thu, Jun 20, 2019 at 7:07 PM Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) < amsat-bb@wd9ewk.net> wrote:
Philip,
I often use my TH-D72 for demonstrations, and have gone with a simpler setup than in the past. I use an unpowered external speaker with a long patch cable, and put it a few feet away from me. I also make sure the speaker isn't firing back at me, to avoid audio feedback when I am transmitting. I use this short cable with right-angle plug to go into the TH-D72's 2.5mm speaker jack:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KOJAJKW/
I find the TH-D72 has enough audio output to drive an unpowered external speaker to a reasonable audio level. I sometimes plug a splitter into this short cable with adapter plug, if I want to directly record the downlink audio, but usually skip the splitter and put an audio recorder in my pocket - or hold it in the same hand as the TH-D72. Then I make sure to say the call sign of each station I work, so the recorder at least picks that up.
I also have a no-name Bluetooth speaker, which also has a jack for a patch cable on the back side. This is an amplified speaker with a built-in battery (which can also be used to power or charge devices through a USB connection), so there are no extra cables needed when I use this speaker instead of the unpowered speaker I normally use.
If you would like to see pictures of my setup, please let me know. I will e-mail you some pictures directly.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK
For those of you who have attempted to use just a D72 for a demo - with an
external speaker as well as the headset/mic - this results in a rat's nest of adapters/connectors/wires. I have the adapter sold on eBay, but unfortunately it attenuates the audio signal (for digital voice recorders), instead of amplifying it for an external speaker , which is what I need. (I guess I could use a powered speaker on that output, but that's one more thing to carry - and power-up! :-) )
So I think *two* radios might work better - wiring wise - for demos. If I buy a Baofeng (or similar), I won't use it for the receive part due to the desense problems on some models (looking at the section in 2019's "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"). I'm considering the Alinco, since it does have 1.2 Ghz, and using the D72 for receive in that set up (but that still doesn't easily solve the wiring/connector mess for an external speaker/headphones for that radio).
Are there other radios which are more "external speaker" friendly which I should consider? I'm open to almost any combination of manufacturers (except for the Baofeng types for receive, as noted above). I'm even open to buying another D72 (but probably hoarding it except for special occasions.)
In short, what are your recommendations for a second, spare, radio for the FM birds?
I'm also curious how others have wired their single HTs - or two HTs - for demos using an external speaker. So if you could explain - with or without pictures - how you accomplish this, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Philip N4HF
Philip,
I used an adapter from Fry's Electronics for a long time, with a 2.5mm stereo plug on one end and a 3.5mm stereo jack on the other:
https://www.frys.com/product/601036
It stuck out of the side of the TH-D72 over an inch, and with a cable I think it put extra stress on the radio's speaker jack. I found the right-angle plug with the short pigtail, and I can run the pigtail under the strap from the SC-55 soft case that goes over the top of the radio (or under both of those straps, across the top and on one side) to lessen the stress on the radio's speaker jack.
Be careful with the selection of adapters for the TH-D72's speaker jack. Some have enough metal and plastic around the plug, where those adapters won't stay plugged into the speaker jack. The one I listed from the Fry's Electronics web site above was the best of the few I originally tried with my TH-D72, and stuck with until I found the Amazon adapter with short pigtail and right-angle plug I referenced previously.
With an extension cable, I can have my speaker about 15 feet away from me, but usually am somewhere between 5 and 10 feet from it when I do demonstrations. Even at 10 feet or so away, I can get audio feedback if I transmit with the speaker firing at me, but 5 to 10 feet is usually far enough where I can avoid the feedback. An amplified speaker may be what you need to get a little more volume, without running into the feedback issues. Places like Fry's Electronics should have a selection of those speakers, as would online sources.
Good luck, and 73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK
On Fri, Jun 21, 2019 at 12:23 PM Philip Jenkins n4hf.philip@gmail.com wrote:
Patrick, the former is pretty much what I've been doing at demos. A fairly large unpowered Radio Shack speaker with a long cord, plugged directly into the D72's output jack. I then point the speaker away from me and stand several feet away and use the D72's internal mike, full duplex
.This has worked well for the audience being able to hear. No feedback problems reported yet. I would like to be able to hear better though, hence the point of my post. ;-) I think I've only made a couple of Q's for this reason.
I'll check out the Amazon link. I think Fry's Electronics may have something similar. (I need a good reason to go to Atlanta anyway <grin>; Ham Radio Outlet is only about 5 miles away from Fry's). I'll look for a Bluetooth speaker like you described too.
<snip>
Not all recorders pass audio, the one I have off ebay does not, so I have to split audio before it if I'm using it.
The biggest issue I have with an external recorder is the rats nest. The main reason that I'm still using dual radios, with the D74a being the receiver. With a built in recorder, it is 1 less cable, and about 4 points of failure removed from the setup. My FM setup has 1 audio cable coming from the RX radio and coax going to the TX radio. If I had a shorter headphone cable it would be great, but the ones that I have been using require a TRRS splitter which the shortest I have found is 6", so the cable is still longer than needed.
...
Back to the original topic, the 2nd radio. For the cost of most HT's either used or new that have a good/decent receiver, you can nearly get a "duplex" mobile radio and at the same time get those extra watts needed for the weekend FM pass demo's. I am have been thinking about selling my D72, which I use as a TX radio, and go this route.
On Fri, Jun 21, 2019 at 1:23 PM Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote:
Philip,
I used an adapter from Fry's Electronics for a long time, with a 2.5mm stereo plug on one end and a 3.5mm stereo jack on the other:
https://www.frys.com/product/601036
It stuck out of the side of the TH-D72 over an inch, and with a cable I think it put extra stress on the radio's speaker jack. I found the right-angle plug with the short pigtail, and I can run the pigtail under the strap from the SC-55 soft case that goes over the top of the radio (or under both of those straps, across the top and on one side) to lessen the stress on the radio's speaker jack.
Be careful with the selection of adapters for the TH-D72's speaker jack. Some have enough metal and plastic around the plug, where those adapters won't stay plugged into the speaker jack. The one I listed from the Fry's Electronics web site above was the best of the few I originally tried with my TH-D72, and stuck with until I found the Amazon adapter with short pigtail and right-angle plug I referenced previously.
With an extension cable, I can have my speaker about 15 feet away from me, but usually am somewhere between 5 and 10 feet from it when I do demonstrations. Even at 10 feet or so away, I can get audio feedback if I transmit with the speaker firing at me, but 5 to 10 feet is usually far enough where I can avoid the feedback. An amplified speaker may be what you need to get a little more volume, without running into the feedback issues. Places like Fry's Electronics should have a selection of those speakers, as would online sources.
Good luck, and 73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK
On Fri, Jun 21, 2019 at 12:23 PM Philip Jenkins n4hf.philip@gmail.com wrote:
Patrick, the former is pretty much what I've been doing at demos. A fairly large unpowered Radio Shack speaker with a long cord, plugged directly into the D72's output jack. I then point the speaker away from me and stand several feet away and use the D72's internal mike, full duplex
.This has worked well for the audience being able to hear. No feedback problems reported yet. I would like to be able to hear better though, hence the point of my post. ;-) I think I've only made a couple of Q's for this reason.
I'll check out the Amazon link. I think Fry's Electronics may have something similar. (I need a good reason to go to Atlanta anyway <grin>; Ham Radio Outlet is only about 5 miles away from Fry's). I'll look for a Bluetooth speaker like you described too.
<snip>
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I can't remember if this was on Twitter or the bb, but a lot of people didn't realize for demos you can split AFTER the audio recorder. Put your splitter on the headphone out of the recorder, your headset goes in port one and the external speaker goes in the other. This might work around the attenuation issue as the attenuation is generally to bring it down to line or even mic level which is obviously very low compared to what an external speaker wants.
With that said, I'm not sure if the ebay special supports that configuration. I use my own custom cable with some resistors in line.
https://spacecomms.wordpress.com/audio-cable-for-kenwood-th-d72/
73, John Brier KG4AKV
On Thu, Jun 20, 2019 at 6:19 PM Philip Jenkins via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote:
I'm considering buying another FM HT for the birds, mainly to use as a backup - for demos. (I already have a D72, which is my main unit for personal use and demos right now, and a VX7R, but the latter has seen better days.)
For those of you who have attempted to use just a D72 for a demo - with an external speaker as well as the headset/mic - this results in a rat's nest of adapters/connectors/wires. I have the adapter sold on eBay, but unfortunately it attenuates the audio signal (for digital voice recorders), instead of amplifying it for an external speaker , which is what I need. (I guess I could use a powered speaker on that output, but that's one more thing to carry - and power-up! :-) )
So I think *two* radios might work better - wiring wise - for demos. If I buy a Baofeng (or similar), I won't use it for the receive part due to the desense problems on some models (looking at the section in 2019's "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites"). I'm considering the Alinco, since it does have 1.2 Ghz, and using the D72 for receive in that set up (but that still doesn't easily solve the wiring/connector mess for an external speaker/headphones for that radio).
Are there other radios which are more "external speaker" friendly which I should consider? I'm open to almost any combination of manufacturers (except for the Baofeng types for receive, as noted above). I'm even open to buying another D72 (but probably hoarding it except for special occasions.)
In short, what are your recommendations for a second, spare, radio for the FM birds?
I'm also curious how others have wired their single HTs - or two HTs - for demos using an external speaker. So if you could explain - with or without pictures - how you accomplish this, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
Philip N4HF _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (5)
-
Don KB2YSI -
John Brier -
Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) -
Philip Jenkins -
Robert Bankston