maxtracs 800 audio question

[mtxman]

I have a customer running a maxtracs b-7 800mhz base radio. i have a pa speaker installed in their shop hooked into the 16 pin accessory connector on the back of the maxtracs. the speaker works fine but, they want to control the volume with a seperate volume control. every time someone in the office turns the base volume down the pa speaker cant be heard. i tried running a homemade audio amp with the input using the volume control wiper contact on the maxtracs base that doesnt change level when the volume control is turned, but the pa speaker sounded muffled. is there an amplified speaker i can use or does anyone have audio amp that will work? any help would be appreciated. thansk.

[kcbooboo]

You might try getting the audio from the TOP of the volume control rather than the arm/wiper.

One of the MIC jack pins has headset audio on it (pin that's at a fixed level and should drive an external amplifier just fine.

Another alternative is to make sure the logic board is jumpered properly, and pick up FLAT RX AUDIO from the back of the radio. You want the jumper JU551 to be in the position that provides muted, de-emphasized audio, rather than unmuted, flat audio. Feed this to your PA amp for the shop speaker.

Another choice is to give the local radio operator an external speaker with its own volume control, set the radio's volume so it's loud enough out in the shop, then tape or otherwise disable the volume control on the radio so it can't be changed.

Bob M.

[mtxman]

Thanks, the top of the volume control point j8-pin 1 did the trick. i have had this little audio amp for years and finally am able to put it to good use. i dont remember where i bought it, but it has velleman wrote across the bottom of the 1 and a half inch by 3 inch board. it has a 5 pin ic on it TDA2003 are the numbers on it. thanks again.