WEST MOUNTAIN RADIO “ClearSpeech” DSP Speaker

[Slowmover]

“Left Ear Mount”, also means it is situated such that no other sounds are competing. Stereo or such. With both windows cracked the mind creates a soundstage where one is at center.

LEM “reserves” an area. What comes from there may need my attention. And the short line to ear means a lower overall volume level.

You’ll have seen it said that Speaker volume turned low helps with keeping noise low. I run it that way as long as I can. (About 10:00 or less). Come midday I’ve long ago switched over to ANL and a different mix of Volume per both units. Usually have had to run a quarter turn of Squelch.

A situation you’ll recognize is a highway backup miles long. Had one yesterday. One always wants to know mile markers of beginning, but especially of the end.

A work crew squatting in left lane at MM-151. Backup in earnest by MM-144. One lane only by MM-148.

Exit to bypass was at MM-141.

Crap Radio Rig bound to miss any or all of those until stuck in the crowd. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

Meanwhile having heard the warning from the southbound side, one is pulled over at MM-132 and figuring the bypass.

And ginning up the local rock-haulers to confirm that the contemplated bypass is both legal & clear.

This performance is usually to the antenna as credit. Yet the radio IS receiving what’s needed, yet not heard thru the wall of noise.

Turns out “noise” is not a brick wall, but a chain link fence.

Experimentation doesn’t end. Skip adds new challenges

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[jdchet]

DX Engineering has these in stock now!
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/wmt-58407-948

JD

 

[Slowmover]

Have learned in the past week with a new
Lincoln II+ that,

the better the radio, the better the results

(in using the the W-M Radio ClearSpeaker).

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[Slowmover]

Bumped after a PM
#25 how I play with it.

 

[Slowmover]

Finally made it to HRO-Texas (bobtail) and my luck the shelf holding the subject of this thread was empty. Bummer.

Still, a question applies: I don’t know what to call the device which can variably reduce the Radio volume (watts) imparted thru the external speaker jack.

Potentiometer?

Attenuator?

I can only use a fraction of the Radio volume control against the 10W amplified DSP SPEAKER volume control.

I’m adjusting in hair-widths.
2.5W (some radios) into 10W speaker.

Adjust them wrong and the speaker can go into clipping. Adjust balance the other way and one gets nailed with hiss.

Have tried a BHI Attenuator (fixed), but it was just too much; had to crank Radio and Speaker hard over.

Suggestions?

It’d be nice to use a greater range on the Radio than “barely cracked open”. Balancing one amp against the other (?)

What would be different on Amateur gear this speaker amplification doesn’t cause concern (design)?

Thx

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[Jay Mojave]

Yo Slowmover: You needem a "L Pad" its a volume control for speakers. Just like a volume control on a radio. Jay

 

[Slowmover]

Yo Slowmover: You needem a "L Pad" its a volume control for speakers. Just like a volume control on a radio. Jay

What you graciously outlined to me last year.
Okay, no more futzing around.

Thanks

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[fourstringburn]

Still, a question applies: I don’t know what to call the device which can variably reduce the Radio volume (watts) imparted thru the external speaker jack.

It's called an attenuator which basically is a dropping resistor value.

Radio-scrap used to sell them but they were RCA Jacks.

An L pad is typically used on the speaker driver itself usually on tweeters.

 

[nomadradio]

An L-pad is built from two variable resistors on the same shaft. One of them increases resistance as you turn it clockwise. The other one is the opposite, and has zero ohms when turned fully to the right, and highest resistance turned all the way to the left, counterclockwise.

One of these goes in series with the speaker. The other one goes in parallel with it.

This way the amplifier sees more or less the same load impedance at all settings of the control, even though it will serve as a voltage divider, and "fade" the speaker's share of the amplifier output as you turn the knob to the left.

Biggest drawback is that the resistance elements must be rated to take the full audio output of the amplifier. When the L-pad is turned to zero volume, it acts as a dummy load in place of the speaker.

Simply placing a single variable resistor in series with a speaker will never turn it down all the way to zero, and the load impedance the amplifier is feeding will be all over the map, depending on the control's setting.

73

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

This would be perfect for running the DSP speaker and a regular speaker at the same time. I have always wanted to compare them this way. I tried the AB switch but the DSP wouldn't kick in fast enough. Put one speaker on your right side and the other on your left. Adjust for balanced sound and see if the DSP lets you hear what the regular speaker doesn't.

 

[Slowmover]

This would be perfect for running the DSP speaker and a regular speaker at the same time. I have always wanted to compare them this way. I tried the AB switch but the DSP wouldn't kick in fast enough. Put one speaker on your right side and the other on your left. Adjust for balanced sound and see if the DSP lets you hear what the regular speaker doesn't.

Truck jobs have a good amount of predictability. I knew DSP was GTG in hearing locals getting loaded at a quarry, and I’d never heard it before.

IOW, at a time and on a road familiar to me, it wasn’t a fluke after a few instances of this.

It was “fringe” where before I may have heard random voices — unintelligible — but as there was no information (content), I ignored what couldn’t be heard. I didn’t speculate on the source (in a private vehicle maybe I’d have stopped and made a detour if I heard it a few times; big truck, you can’t), DSP can leave you with MORE questions.

So, with DSP — if it was within my circular range (conditions, etc) — I could now understand what was being said. As these were truck drivers doing work I’d done, I knew what was up. Who it was.

It took (it takes) severe interference to block my hearing with DSP. You’ll be able to make MORE and BETTER inferences as to what you’re hearing.

That’s the A-B Test: how good are you at deductions?

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[nomadradio]

This would be perfect for running the DSP speaker and a regular speaker at the same time.

And if you try listening to them both at the same time, the DSP speaker will lag by a fraction of a second. A sort of echo effect.

73

 

[Jay Mojave]

Yeah what Nomadradio said. I have a hearing problem working in heavy machinery for 40 years plus, so I want to listen to the radio with stations in the noise is difficult with out headsets. My radio audio drives a west mountain DSP unit that drives a Heil sound improvement unit. The DSP and Heil units drive separate headset speakers, that is the head sets have two speaker for the DSP, and two speakers for Heil unit. Yeah the headsets have 4 speakers in them, two on each side, old surplus headsets modified from the ham swap meet.

The slight delay helps me understand stations that are in the noise somewhat, or hard to hear.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[Slowmover]

The subject of this thread sure makes the King of CB what it is regarding a w-I-d-e range of adaptations to create the best audio.




Side Mic: Galaxy DX-959b

 

[338_MtRushmore]

I've seriously considered external dsp, but there are several different options and I haven't been able to pull the trigger on one yet.