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| The culprit(s) revealed |
It didn't take long to plug the new speaker into the KX3. To my dismay, that buzzed and distorted too. It didn't seem to be quite as bad as the original, though, so I decided to install it. That was when I hit a snag: the holes in the speaker chassis had not been tapped to take the mounting screws. I was stymied.
Thinking I would have to put the old speaker back, I had a good look at it. That's when I noticed a split ring lock washer stuck to the magnet where it joined the speaker cone. Aha! I thought. The culprit! As I was soldering the speaker leads back on I noticed something else that should not have been there. A second lock washer! I fished it out with the end of a jeweller's screwdriver and put it with the other one.
I hoped that would be the solution and prepared to reinstall the original speaker. While I was thinking about that I was examining the replacement I had been sent and I noticed what looked like the edge of another split ring lock washer. After a bit of fiddling with the jeweller's screwdriver I managed to fish it out. Yes. it was a split ring lock washer, stuck to the magnet of the replacement speaker!
I'm sure some of you are thinking that my shack must be a tip with bits of hardware strewn all over the place, but I assure you that isn't. I can easily see how a small part could get dropped inside the KX3 during assembly and migrate to the speaker's powerful magnet. But how one came to be stuck to the inside of the replacement in a sealed envelope straight from Elecraft will probably forever be a mystery.
I'm happy to report that the audio from the KX3 is now perfect at any reasonable volume, with the original speaker reinstalled in it. If any UK KX3 owner needs a replacement speaker then it's yours for the asking. But you'll have to tap threads for the mounting screws into it.
If you had told this the 1st of April it would shure be a nice joke. Unbelievable! 73, Bas
ReplyDeleteGood evening Julian, that is WILD to find the lock washers in there. I saw your post on the KX3 yahoo site while I was at work. Has Elecraft gotten back to you about this?? I know your KX3 did not come as a kit so this was done at the factory back in the states. I wonder how many others out there have the same problem.
ReplyDeleteI wonder the same thing. Elecraft hasn't contacted me since I found this. They sent me a replacement speaker which I didn't need in the end. But if hadn't taken the speaker out to replace it I doubt if I'd have found those tiny washers stuck inside.
ReplyDeleteNice catch Julian! My KX3 is due
ReplyDeleteto arrive soon, and frankly, I was
getting concerned that I would have
the same issue. Now, I know what to
look for. Rick