[BC] Speakers as mics WAS: Listeners Loading down the Transmitter

[Rockwell Smith]

> You can also place an 8 ohm to 1 to 10k ohm transformer across a
> speaker (low-Z towards speaker) and use the speaker as a microphone.

At about age 13 or 14, while still aspiring to make it big in radio, I was 
an avid tinkerer with all thing electrical and electronic.  I did many 
things that in one way or another irritated parents and other adults.  But 
the one I still hear about, even today, from my Mom and her friends (now 
well into their 80's) was the evening I bugged her bridge party.  The was 
very early 60's, and in the living room of our home was a quite nice (I 
still have it and it has a KILLER speaker system in it still) Hi-Fi set. 
High tech for it's day.  Anyway, I had run the external speaker terminals to 
my room so I could listen to whatever was playing in the living room in my 
room.  It didn't take me long to figure out that if I connected those same 
speaker wires thru and old speaker transformer from a parted-out 
"All-American 5" to the mic jack on my tape recorder I could hear (and 
record) anything going on in the living room when the Hi-Fi was off.  Well, 
I played back the first part of the giggling, cackling bridge party back 
into the living room while they were still there ....  they just didn't see 
the humor in it.  I thought it was funny.  I still think it was funny.  Mom 
doesn't.

Rockwell Smith
Radio Engineering Manager
Journal Broadcast Group - Idaho
KJOT,  KQXR,  KRVB,  KTHI,  KGEM-AM,  KCID-AM
(208) 344-3511 - Main      (208) 947-5624 - Direct Line
(208) 947-6765 -Fax         (208) 869-6413 - Cell
Email:      rockwellsmith at journalbroadcastgroup.com
Personal website: http://www.engineer-exchange.com