External Speaker for XM DSC VHF radio

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DavidGrieves

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www.wsandba.co.uk
Hi All

Hope you can help. I'm helping a friend with an XM DSC VHF radio. We have got it speaking to the NMEA OK but can't get any sound from the external speaker output. It had a 3mm jack socket on the back of the radio but when we connected a speaker it didn't work. The speaker works OK when I connect it to my iPhone headphone socket, so we know the speaker is good.

I have removed the socket from the back of the radio and exposed the wires, connected them the the speaker and still no sound.

Are there any settings in the menus' we need to alter to turn on the ext speaker?

Has anybody done this, and did you have any problems?


Cheers

David
 
This might be a silly question, but you are sure that socket is a speaker one? It's not unknown for 3.5mm jacks to be used for other purposes.

Otherwise it sounds to me like the radio might be faulty.

Pete
 
My XM DSC radio had a 3.5mm socket on about 10cm of twin core wire, no socket on the back. I just plugged an external speaker into it and it worked. I've just checked the manual and there's nothing mentioned about changing menu settings for it to work.

pete
 
I've got mine connected to an 'oldie but goodie' portable speaker mounted in a wooden box that I can move in and out of the cockpit when I need to. Just used the normal socket. The other end has a DIN plug (I think) and it works fine.

Long shot, but is the speaker you are using of a compatible impedance?

Good luck
 
I seem to remember having a similar problem with the external speaker I bought for our Navman VHF 7100 a few years ago, and I think that it was to do with the impedence of the speaker. That of the VHF speaker was 4 ohms, but I think that normal earphones are around 16 ohms or more. This is not my area of expertise, so I am happy to be corrected. Anyway, I do remember that the speaker woundn't work if I plugged it into a normal radio, but works perfectly with the VHF. Vice versa with a normal earphone.

The external speaker on ours is always on, no internal switch to turn it off or on.

R.
 
I think the XM is actually an MTech isn't it?
I had one of those, used a small 8 ohm speaker from Maplin. it was fine.
When you plugged it in it disabled the internal speaker, very silly. I had a look inside and couldn't see a way of modifying it so ended up with 2 identical extension speakers, one mounted alongside the radio!
 
rbmatthews said:
I seem to remember having a similar problem with the external speaker I bought for our Navman VHF 7100 a few years ago, and I think that it was to do with the impedence of the speaker.
Click to expand...
Yip that was what I was thinking. 8Ohm would have been my guess rather than 4. Are you using a 'proper' VHF speaker or a 'other' speaker.

Does a set of headphones work?

Headphones and speaker don't work but they do on other kit either there is a fault/disabled or its the wrong impedence...
 
I am familar withe the ICom marine radios.
there is a ear plug socket the input for programming the radio.
So you have to look into the manual.

When you connect a 8 Ohm speaker to a 4 ohm output thats a small reduction of the loudness, but it should work.
Wilhelm
 
Troubadour said:
I think the XM is actually an MTech isn't it?
I had one of those, used a small 8 ohm speaker from Maplin. it was fine.
When you plugged it in it disabled the internal speaker, very silly. I had a look inside and couldn't see a way of modifying it so ended up with 2 identical extension speakers, one mounted alongside the radio!
Click to expand...
There is a mechanical arrangement within the socket which breaks the contact with the internal speaker when the plug is pushed in. I can't describe it now because I don't have one to hand, but it will be obvious on examination and easily bypassed if you have soldering skills.
 
Spirit of Glenans said:
There is a mechanical arrangement within the socket which breaks the contact with the internal speaker when the plug is pushed in. I can't describe it now because I don't have one to hand, but it will be obvious on examination and easily bypassed if you have soldering skills.
Click to expand...

I can't remember the details now but believe me, it wasn't!
 
Are you sure it's an XMDSC? mine did not cut the main speaker when the aux speaker was plugged in (what would be the point?). Does the back of your unit look like this?
2858b6b9-3387-4fae-9fee-ee7904614912_zps050ed791.jpg
 
Wasn't the XM DSC formerly a Silva S10 or based on it? Can't recall for sure.

If it was I seem to think mine (Silva S10) had something within the menu to activate the external speaker. The settings menus (Or whatever it is called) give different options depending on whether they are being accessed via the microphone handset or on the unit itself. Don't recall whether it has a 3.5mm jack socket or not. Might be the way the jack socket is wired, it would be worth making sure whether it is a mono (2 contact, tip and sleeve) or stereo (3 Contact Tip ring and sleeve (earth))

Manual for S10 :http://users.ox.ac.uk/~bioc0042/MBSC/S10Manual.pdf
 
aslabend said:
Are you sure it's an XMDSC? mine did not cut the main speaker when the aux speaker was plugged in (what would be the point?). Does the back of your unit look like this?
2858b6b9-3387-4fae-9fee-ee7904614912_zps050ed791.jpg
Click to expand...

That was my MTech, I thought the XM, as mentioned by the OP, was also MTech but from someone else's comment it may be Silva. I think XM have badged different things at different times actually.
Sorry if any confusion caused, and I don't have the radio now so no relevance.
It was a stupid feature of it.
 
The XMDSC seems to be a rebadged Huricane A2E/ RadioOcean 4500. I don't think it was the same as the silva s10 but it's kind of immaterial. Has the OP had any luck sorting his problem out? (or have we just muddied the waters)
 
Thanks for the replies.

The ext speaker wire has a black, white and a screen wire, so could that be stereo? Don't think it could be....


I have found out the XMDSC audio output power is 2W @ 8 Ohm. The speaker I'm trying to use is a NASA ( http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail.php?prod=09_speaker )

It is rated as 5W but I can't find out what the Ohms are, does anybody know?

When it is connected to the radio with squelch turned back, the speaker makes a click noise like it is going to burst into life but then nothing.

Cheers
 
DavidGrieves said:
Thanks for the replies.

The ext speaker wire has a black, white and a screen wire, so could that be stereo? Don't think it could be....


I have found out the XMDSC audio output power is 2W @ 8 Ohm. The speaker I'm trying to use is a NASA ( http://www.nasamarine.com/proddetail.php?prod=09_speaker )

It is rated as 5W but I can't find out what the Ohms are, does anybody know?

When it is connected to the radio with squelch turned back, the speaker makes a click noise like it is going to burst into life but then nothing.

Cheers
Click to expand...

I had one of those NASA speakers and when it failed (water gets in) I bought an identical one from Maplin rather cheaper labelled 8 ohm 3 watt. When that failed... In fact I still have a spare one here although the boat went 3 years ago.

They lasted about a season each, on the cabin top under the sprayhood.

(Can't find it on Maplin site now. It was badged "Moonraker".)
 
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