External speakers?

[KI4LIV]

I've been looking for some new external speakers for both at home and in my car..

In the past, I've owned mostly Motorola and Radio Shack externals, and have to say that Motorola has had the best sound quality I could ever want for my scanners and 2 way radios.. Radio Shack - well, they do the job, but just don't have the deep rich sound like Motorola..

This time around though, I am being a little more open minded. Yes, I can buy Motorola speakers online - mostly used, and hard to tell what they have been through before they got to me.. And the new ones, well, they are a little pricey.

Can anyone suggest any readily available external speakers that would compare to Motorola in quality? I'm not talking about amplified/powered speakers, just ones that are driven by the radio itself..

One of the ones I've been looking at are the Uniden ESP-12 and ESP-20 speakers.. Look nice enough, but looks aren't enough - they have to sound good!!

Suggestions anyone?

 

[Thayne]

I bought a few Cobra "High Gear" speakers for about $20 online a few months back. They don't sound as good as a motorola but they are pretty good looking and also have a switchable high-cut filter built in.

Used them for mobile 2096 installations.
One of them I took off the back and semi-flush mounted it in a console box and it looks like it came with the car

 

[Al42]

... Yes, I can buy Motorola speakers online - mostly used, and hard to tell what they have been through before they got to me.. And the new ones, well, they are a little pricey.

Can anyone suggest any readily available external speakers that would compare to Motorola in quality?

How about buying used Motorola speakers from a reputable used equipment dealer?

 

[KI4LIV]

How about buying used Motorola speakers from a reputable used equipment dealer?

If you can suggest one, I am all ears!

 

[vsny]

I know I've mentioned this b4 and I'm sorry to repeat it but

See if you can get your hands on an old "telephone company" type speaker from the original key system type speaker phones?
They had a seperate transmitter (with a rocker type on/ off switch on it) and the speaker measures 5 or 6 inches across it's base by 5 inches deep by 5 inches (or so ) high--they usually were in executive offices for conference calls---just solder an input on the speaker leads and you were done. Try to avoid the speaker that has a volume control/ on off switch sticking out the front of it near the speaker itself...they won't work as well..

 

[N_Jay]

Re: I know I've mentioned this b4 and I'm sorry to repeat it

See if you can get your hands on an old "telephone company" type speaker from the original key system type speaker phones?
They had a seperate transmitter (with a rocker type on/ off switch on it) and the speaker measures 5 or 6 inches across it's base by 5 inches deep by 5 inches (or so ) high--they usually were in executive offices for conference calls---just solder an input on the speaker leads and you were done. Try to avoid the speaker that has a volume control/ on off switch sticking out the front of it near the speaker itself...they won't work as well..

But then everyone sounds like "Charlie" from Charlie's Angles! :wink:

 

[MacombMonitor]

Many of the Motorola speakers are only 4 ohm (instead of 8 ohm), and may not be the best choice for scanners.

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi guys,

"Many of the Motorola speakers are only 4 ohm (instead of 8 ohm), and may not be the best choice for scanners."

What's the difference? The typical transistor output stage will accept anything from 3.2 to 16 ohms without complaint. Being a current device (lower impedance draws more power) the only thing you'll notice is a slightly different volume control setting.

I bought some Mucousroller speakers at a hamfest for about a buck apice, GE about the same, and use them on my ham gear. They give that clear, crisp sound that sure punches through the noise in the mobile. They're directional too so when properly aimed the passenger doesn't complain.

Another place to check out is the municipal radio shop and if they don't have one themselves they can tell you where they have the radios serviced. Chances are you can get speakers cheap or even free, maybe some other interesting junk too that's headed for the dumpster anyway. The moral of the story is be they police, fire or sanit workers, just ask the horse.

 

[MacombMonitor]

Although I can't speak for current generation scanners, but in the past, if I attempted to use a 4 ohm speaker on a scanner that had an 8 ohm speaker, it resulted in distorted audio...sounded muffled.

 

[LordJ]

Just an FYI...
Changing speakers from 8-ohm to a 4-ohm (if designed for 8-ohm) will cut the electrical resistance in half, which will (should) cause your receiver to increase its power output. It can lead to audio distortion, and in extreme cases, cause your radio harm. Always attempt to use the properly rated speaker for your radio.

 

[vsny]

N_Jay is right!
Bring on Charlies Angels
ooops off topic.

 

[kb2vxa]

OK, 40 years of training and practical experience shot down again by the slide rule boys. From what I gather you seem to be saying that scanners have inadequate output stages, rather like trying to drive an Altec-Lansing 500 speaker with an old Walkman. Maybe you aren't familiar with the efficiency of the speakers in question, that is how loud they are with so little driving power, I just don't know. Mine can cause ear bleed with the volume barely cracked so maybe you've got a bad speaker? I have come across just that problem many times with scrounged stuff and "hamfest specials", replacing the speaker makes a world of difference. BTW, they're much louder and clearer than those in the ham rigs and scanner, that's why I use them.

 

[baybum]

By far, the best sounding speakers for the money are cheap computer speakers.
Find some that run on 9-12VDC and put one in the car.
They work great and loud.

 

[ScanWorcester]

like trying to drive an Altec-Lansing 500 speaker with an old Walkman.

Why not do it right and go all out with a 604? :roll:

 

[KI4LIV]

speakers

Actually, I think I found one that I like - nice and small yet loud as can be, nice and bassy sounding as well..

It's a speaker from a Kyocera cell phone hands-free kit - WOW it's loud! 8 ohms as well..

Gonna see if I can find someone who has a similar one from Motorola , wanna see how they sound.

Apparently these things are about as cheap as they come - I found some on ebay for like $1.95 for a pair? After bidding up, I snagged a pair just like the one I tested for $4.51 for TWO... Gotta put the right plug on them, but hey you can't beat the price!

The motorolas of the same flavor are pretty cheap as well - $1.95 , but $8 for shipping! Still, $10 for a decent speaker (if it tests well) , you can't go wrong...

 

[Halfpint]

While it appears that the major `operative' is "Cheap" I'd like to recommend the GAP Hear-It DSP speaker and in-line module as a very useful setup. The speaker has it's own built in DSP unit and operates off of 12VDC. The in line module doesn't have a speaker and also has several other abilities allowing it to work with both line levels and speaker output levels as needed. (You can have a line level input and a speaker level output if necessary.)

I happened to acquire one of each from an electronics shop's going out of business auction a few months ago just to see how thery worked. After wiring up the Hear-It speaker in my '91 Explorer and hooking it up to a PRO-96 I was pleasantly surprised at just how well it cleaned up the audio from the Colo State DTRS. It easily put all of the other passive or amplified speakers I've tried in the past to shame. The only `problem' that I could see was that, like a lot of the other DSP units out there, one had to be careful as to just how much `processing' was used. Though it is a lot more forgiving than quite a few of the other units.

Even though the in line module uses 12VDC it's actual place is in the shack. I've found it to quite useful making recordings of various things I've found on the air. The in line module is approximately $195 while the speaker is around $160 both of which is actually about the middle of the road for DSP units of this ilk but a really good bargin for units of this quality.

Just and `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth. {GRIN!}