K3: Mic setting and ALC question

[K2QI]

Hello group,

Working phone on 40m tonight, and noticed that I could only set mic gain to
3 before ALC maxed out on the K3's meter.  Is this normal?  I'm using the
stock Elecraft hand mic.

73,
James K3JPS


 

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[Matt Zilmer]

You might have MENU:MIC SEL set to rP.H or FP.H.  You can use the '1'
key on the keypad to drop this gain to .L if that is the problem.

It just sounds like the mic input signal / gain is too hot.  I have
four mics here that are used with the K3 and typically need to run MIC
GAIN at between 15 and 23 with each of them.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:34:30 -0400, you wrote:

>Hello group,
>
>Working phone on 40m tonight, and noticed that I could only set mic gain to
>3 before ALC maxed out on the K3's meter.  Is this normal?  I'm using the
>stock Elecraft hand mic.
>
>73,
>James K3JPS
>
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________________
>Elecraft mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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[Bob Naumann W5OV]

Maybe your SWR is really high?

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Sarte
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 9:35 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Mic setting and ALC question

Hello group,

Working phone on 40m tonight, and noticed that I could only set mic gain to
3 before ALC maxed out on the K3's meter.  Is this normal?  I'm using the
stock Elecraft hand mic.

73,
James K3JPS


 

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[K2QI]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the reply.  I adjusted the mic bias to low as you detailed, and
now I can set mic gain to around 8-10 before ALC pegs.  At 11, ALC reads
full scale.  I'm using the MH2 hand mic.  Must be a pretty hot mic.

73,
James K3JPS

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Zilmer [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 10:44 AM
To: James Sarte
Cc: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3: Mic setting and ALC question

You might have MENU:MIC SEL set to rP.H or FP.H.  You can use the '1'
key on the keypad to drop this gain to .L if that is the problem.

It just sounds like the mic input signal / gain is too hot.  I have
four mics here that are used with the K3 and typically need to run MIC
GAIN at between 15 and 23 with each of them.

73,
matt W6NIA

On Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:34:30 -0400, you wrote:

>Hello group,
>
>Working phone on 40m tonight, and noticed that I could only set mic gain to
>3 before ALC maxed out on the K3's meter.  Is this normal?  I'm using the
>stock Elecraft hand mic.
>
>73,
>James K3JPS
>
>
>
>
>______________________________________________________________
>Elecraft mailing list
>Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
>This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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[K2QI]

Hello Robert,

I was on 7.175 and SWR is reading 1.2 on both internal and external meters
so I doubt that would be an issue.  I did adjust mic gain bias to low, and
can now move it up to anywhere between 8-10 before it ALC starts to max out.

73,
James K3JPS

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Robert Naumann
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 10:45 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3: Mic setting and ALC question

Maybe your SWR is really high?

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of James Sarte
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 9:35 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Mic setting and ALC question

Hello group,

Working phone on 40m tonight, and noticed that I could only set mic gain to
3 before ALC maxed out on the K3's meter.  Is this normal?  I'm using the
stock Elecraft hand mic.

73,
James K3JPS


 

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[Don Wilhelm-4]

James,

Do you have an "RF in the shack" problem there?  Just a guess, but one
possible explanation.
It sounds to me like the mic input of the K3 is tolerating low level RF,
but as the amount of RF increases, the RF feedback overloads the mic input.

Have you changed anything in your antenna field or in the shack that
could relate to the antenna feeds?  If so, look there first.

73,
Don W3FPR

James Sarte wrote:

> Hello Robert,
>
> I was on 7.175 and SWR is reading 1.2 on both internal and external meters
> so I doubt that would be an issue.  I did adjust mic gain bias to low, and
> can now move it up to anywhere between 8-10 before it ALC starts to max out.
>
> 73,
> James K3JPS
>  
>

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