ZX Spectrum load tape from android phone - Low Volume

A place to discuss the ZX80's and ZX81's younger brother - the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
redgatemodels
Posts: 170
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2023 11:56 am

Re: ZX Spectrum load tape from android phone - Low Volume

Post by redgatemodels »

Bought one of these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274381433915

Plugged into my Xperia 10 II, works a charm with ZX Tape Player etc, plug the ear lead from the speccy into the headphone jack on the splitter, 3/4 volume on the phone, loads first time 😁
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Pygmalion
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2023 6:03 pm
Location: European Union

Re: ZX Spectrum load tape from android phone - Low Volume

Post by Pygmalion »

I have tried everything (settings, apps, but without audio amplifier) on three different Samsung smartphones and it's not loud enough. I think Samsung is too concerned about its customers...
redgatemodels
Posts: 170
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2023 11:56 am

Re: ZX Spectrum load tape from android phone - Low Volume

Post by redgatemodels »

Pygmalion wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2023 6:56 pm I have tried everything (settings, apps, but without audio amplifier) on three different Samsung smartphones and it's not loud enough. I think Samsung is too concerned about its customers...
Might be the case, I have a nifty little tape player with a usb output for transferring tapes to mp3 but the headphone jack is too quiet for tape loading too. Seems to be pot luck on modern devices, some are loud enough, others not
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Pygmalion
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2023 6:03 pm
Location: European Union

Re: ZX Spectrum load tape from android phone - Low Volume

Post by Pygmalion »

Hello, I solved the problem by buying three things (total cost cca. $5):

- LM386 audio amplifier: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10000035036572.html
- splitter power cable: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005468817233.html
- reverse polarity power cable: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003474146061.html

Then I connected everything like this:
zx_spectrum.png
IMG_0008.JPG
As you can see, I also designed and printed a small neat box for the audio amplifier:
audio_ampl.zip
(18.76 KiB) Downloaded 50 times
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