{"id":20939,"date":"2016-08-31T07:18:54","date_gmt":"2016-08-31T11:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=20939"},"modified":"2016-11-30T20:43:16","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T00:43:16","slug":"am-mode-comparing-the-elecraft-kx2-with-the-lnr-precision-ld-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/am-mode-comparing-the-elecraft-kx2-with-the-lnr-precision-ld-11\/","title":{"rendered":"AM Mode: Comparing the Elecraft KX2 with the LNR Precision LD-11"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"My<\/a>

My new Elecraft KX2 tuned to Radio Australia this morning.<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ve only had my Elecraft KX2<\/strong>\u00a0since Monday evening\u00a0and have been so busy, I’ve only had an hour or so to tinker with this pocket transceiver. Monday evening, before putting it on the air, I updated the KX2 firmware to the latest Beta release which includes the new AM mode<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’ve had so many questions from readers about the KX2’s AM audio already, I thought I’d do a quick comparison with the LNR Precision LD-11<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I set the LD-11 to a bandwidth of 9.6 kHz, and the KX2 to 5 kHz: their widest AM filter settings. Keep in mind, this is\u00a0not an apples-to-apples comparison, but it does showcase each radio’s\u00a0potential AM audio fidelity.<\/p>\n

I tuned both rigs to the Voice of Greece last night on 9420 kHz around 00:30 UTC. VOG’s signal was strong into North America.<\/p>\n

I made the following recordings with my Zoom H2N digital recorder<\/a>, by feeding in-line audio patched from each radio’s headphone jack. I tried to balance the audio levels between the two rigs.<\/p>\n

Here are the results:<\/p>\n

The LNR Precision LD-11<\/h2>\n

\"LNR-Precision-LD-11-AM-Mode-Voice-Of-Greece\"<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/archive.org\/download\/ElecraftKX2VoiceOfGreeceAMMode\/LNR%20Precision%20Voice%20of%20GreeceAM%20Mode.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Click here to download the audio.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Elecraft KX2<\/h2>\n

\"Elecraft-KX2-Voice-Of-Greece-AM-Mode\"<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/archive.org\/download\/ElecraftKX2VoiceOfGreeceAMMode\/Elecraft%20KX2%20Voice%20of%20GreeceAM%20Mode.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Click here to download the audio.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Elecraft KX2 in “Delay” audio mode<\/h2>\n

Note: Some Elecraft radios have an audio effects mode which includes a “delay” function. Elecraft describes it\u00a0as\u00a0“a quasi-stereo effect intended to provide depth and space to the received audio.” On an AM broadcast signal, it makes it sound wider and gives it almost a stereo depth.<\/p>\n

\"Elecraft-KX2-Delay-Audio-AM-Mode\"<\/a><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/archive.org\/download\/ElecraftKX2VoiceOfGreeceAMMode\/Elecraft%20KX2%20Voice%20of%20GreeceAM%20Mode%201.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Click here to download the audio.<\/a><\/p>\n

I think the results from both radios are impressive. Since the LD-11’s bandwidth can be widened to 9.6 kHz, strong signals like this one sound pretty amazing. In truth, I actually prefer a filter width of about 8.2 kHz on strong signals, but VOG was wide enough to justify 9.6 kHz. \u00a0I believe the LD-11 would rival many dedicated tabletop receivers.<\/p>\n

The Elecraft KX2, in normal audio mode, sounds flatter and narrower than the LD-11 of course, but still\u00a0very pleasant!\u00a0 In the KX2’s “delay” audio mode, the signal sounds much wider than 5 kHz, though the effect adds a little graininess to the audio. That’s okay, though–I love having the “delay” audio option in my tool bag.<\/p>\n

Here’s what amazes me\u00a0as\u00a0an SWL and ham radio operator:\u00a0both of these QRP transceivers\u00a0offer excellent HF broadcast listening opportunities.<\/p>\n

Please comment!\u00a0<\/strong>Which audio sample do you prefer? Do you like the “delay” audio effect on the KX2? Keep in mind this is only one comparison and doesn’t address sensitivity or selectivity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve only had my Elecraft KX2\u00a0since Monday evening\u00a0and have been so busy, I’ve only had an hour or so to tinker with this pocket transceiver. Monday evening, before putting it on the air, I updated the KX2 firmware to the latest Beta release which includes the new AM mode. I’ve had so many questions from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[545,836,3,3196,5099,26,43],"tags":[2034,5083,5402,3276,4920,3757,5030,800],"class_list":["post-20939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ham-radio","category-new-products","category-news","category-portable-radio","category-qrp","category-radios","category-shortwave-radio","tag-elecraft","tag-elecraft-kx2","tag-elecraft-kx2-am-mode","tag-general-coverage-transceivers","tag-ld-11","tag-lnr-precision","tag-lnr-precision-ld-11","tag-voice-of-greece"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-5rJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22488,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/a-review-of-the-elecraft-kx2-general-coverage-qrp-transceiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":20939,"position":0},"title":"A review of the Elecraft KX2 general coverage QRP transceiver","author":"Thomas","date":"December 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The following review first appeared in the November 2016 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. It\u2019s not every day that I get exciting news about the production of a new radio. It was two days before the 2016 Dayton Hamvention--the day before the Four Days in May QRP conference--as I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"elecrat-kx2-review","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Elecrat-KX2-Review-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Elecrat-KX2-Review-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Elecrat-KX2-Review-1024x576.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26093,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/the-best-transceiver-for-a-new-ham-and-seasoned-swl\/","url_meta":{"origin":20939,"position":1},"title":"The best transceiver for a new ham and seasoned SWL?","author":"Thomas","date":"June 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Joe, who writes: I've been practicing for my Technician ham radio license here in the US and am ready for the test. I'm already looking at HF transceivers even though I don't have my General license yet. Here's what's important to me: I will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Yaesu-FT-890-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Yaesu-FT-890-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Yaesu-FT-890-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Yaesu-FT-890-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20813,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/the-elecraft-kx2-now-has-am-mode\/","url_meta":{"origin":20939,"position":2},"title":"The Elecraft KX2 now has AM mode!","author":"Thomas","date":"August 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers (including, Eric, Dave, Jim and Greg) who shared the following message from Wayne (N6KR) on the Elecraft message boards: We added AM mode to the KX2 today, both transmit and receive. Its primary purpose is for SWL (short-wave listening), i.e. copying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Elecraft-KX2-6","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Elecraft-KX2-6.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Elecraft-KX2-6.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Elecraft-KX2-6.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Elecraft-KX2-6.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21997,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/a-review-of-the-lnr-precision-ld-11-qrp-transceiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":20939,"position":3},"title":"A review of the LnR Precision LD-11 QRP transceiver","author":"Thomas","date":"November 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The following review was originally published in the October 2016 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Anyone who knows me knows that since I was licensed nearly twenty years ago, I\u2019ve been a fan of low-power (QRP) operations. There\u2019s just something inexplicably fun in being able to talk to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ld-11-npota-pk01","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/LD-11-NPOTA-PK01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20819,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/video-elecraft-kx2-daytime-shortwave-am-performance\/","url_meta":{"origin":20939,"position":4},"title":"Video: Elecraft KX2 daytime shortwave AM performance","author":"Thomas","date":"August 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"After publishing the post this morning regarding the AM mode addition to the Elecraft KX2, SWLing Post contributor\u00a0Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW)\u00a0created the following video comparing the KX2's daytime shortwave reception with that of the Kenwood R-2000: https:\/\/youtu.be\/R6rC-hpTxcs Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ElecraftKX2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/ElecraftKX2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/ElecraftKX2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/ElecraftKX2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/ElecraftKX2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44630,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/whats-in-the-shack-here-at-swling-post-hq\/","url_meta":{"origin":20939,"position":5},"title":"What’s in the shack here at SWLing Post HQ","author":"Thomas","date":"August 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete, who writes: Thomas, I'm curious what radios you have in the shack now. I see lots of posts about various radios, but I wonder what's in your personal collection and what's being evaluated. You know what they say...\"inquiring minds\" and all that! If\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Mission-RGO-One-Paddle-Mic-Transceiver-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Mission-RGO-One-Paddle-Mic-Transceiver-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Mission-RGO-One-Paddle-Mic-Transceiver-5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Mission-RGO-One-Paddle-Mic-Transceiver-5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20939\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}