Elecraft

K3 Microphone Connection

Classic

List

Threaded

5 messages Options

pastormg

K3 Microphone Connection

Good Evening,
I have a Heil HM-12 and what like to connect the microphone to the K3 Microphone connection in the rear of the radio. It would be a XLR 4 to a 1/8" mini plug. I don't know if Heil even makes such a cable. From what I hear most headsets that heil manufactures has a 1/8" mini plug at the end of the cable. I installed a DVK this morning and now the microphone connector in the front of my K3 does not work. Per Elecraft it has something to do with the DSP Board. Of course if I connect the microphone to the rear jack it bypasses the DSP board. Any suggestions, would much appreciated. Mark Griffin, KB3Z
______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Jim Brown-10

Re: K3 Microphone Connection

On Fri,9/4/2015 8:30 PM, [hidden email] wrote:
> Good Evening,
> I have a Heil HM-12 and what like to connect the microphone to the K3 Microphone connection in the rear of the radio. It would be a XLR 4 to a 1/8" mini plug. I don't know if Heil even makes such a cable.

You're a ham, pull out your soldering iron, and the manuals for the K3
and the headset to see what pins are used for mic and earphones and make
your own. XLR4 connectors are widely available and easy to wire. So are
1/8-in plugs if you buy good brands like Switchcraft and Neutrik. My
favorite vendor is Full Compass. Part numbers for the 1/8-in plugs are
near the end of
http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf

> From what I hear most headsets that heil manufactures has a 1/8" mini plug at the end of the cable. I installed a DVK this morning and now the microphone connector in the front of my K3 does not work. Per Elecraft it has something to do with the DSP Board. Of course if I connect the microphone to the rear jack it bypasses the DSP board.

Can't help you with that part of it. I use Yamaha CM500, which plugs
into the rear panel connecters. Far superior and MUCH cheaper.

73, Jim K9YC
______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

KEN-3

Re: K3 Microphone Connection

I'm with Jim, I have a Koss SB/45 that plugs directly into the rear of
the K3. I get great audio reports and it's only $25 on Amazon.

Ken WA8JXM

On 9/5/15 2:00 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
> Can't help you with that part of it. I use Yamaha CM500, which plugs
> into the rear panel connecters. Far superior and MUCH cheaper.

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: K3 Microphone Connection

In reply to this post by pastormg

> I installed a DVK this morning and now the microphone connector in
> the front of my K3 does not work. Per Elecraft it has something to
> do with the DSP Board.

You prbably reinstalled the DSP board incorrectly. If installing a DVK
in the K3/K3S disabled the front panel microphone jack there would have
been much howling and gnashing of teeth on this list for years.

> Of course if I connect the microphone to the rear jack it bypasses
> the DSP board.

Not true. Both mic sources are processed by the same DSP circuits.
The rear mic jack audio is routed from the KIO3 (P76/J76) to the
AF DSP (P50/J50). The front mic is routed from the mic jack to the
AF DSP via P32/J32. On the DSP board, audio from each microphone
passes through its own buffer/preamp and the desired mic elected
in U4.

If the front mic does not work after installing the DVK, and resetting
the mic selection (and bias) does not fix the issue, the most likely
cause is improper (re)installation of the DSP board - either bent or
misaligned pins on P50/J50.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 9/4/2015 11:30 PM, [hidden email] wrote:

> Good Evening, I have a Heil HM-12 and what like to connect the
> microphone to the K3 Microphone connection in the rear of the radio.
> It would be a XLR 4 to a 1/8" mini plug. I don't know if Heil even
> makes such a cable. From what I hear most headsets that heil
> manufactures has a 1/8" mini plug at the end of the cable. I
> installed a DVK this morning and now the microphone connector in the
> front of my K3 does not work. Per Elecraft it has something to do
> with the DSP Board. Of course if I connect the microphone to the rear
> jack it bypasses the DSP board. Any suggestions, would much
> appreciated. Mark Griffin, KB3Z
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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 Message delivered to
> [hidden email]
>

______________________________________________________________
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
Message delivered to [hidden email]

gm3sek

Re: K3 Microphone Connection

In reply to this post by KEN-3

The Koss SB/45 works well for me too. Unlike the CM-500, it is readily
available in Europe (see Amazon).

For a more lightweight on-ear style of headset, I can still recommend
the Koss CS-100.

As Jim so often says, the K3, K3S and KX3 don't need a "gold-plated"
microphone or headset. They perform superbly with almost any
computer-style headset. Make your own choices about comfort and
ruggedness, but those transceivers can make them all sound equally good.

The "best in class" transmit audio quality of the K3, K3S and KX3 has
been almost overlooked amid all the other publicity about receiver
performance and phase noise. In more than 50 years, the K3 was the first
transceiver that had *ever* brought me unsolicited compliments about
audio quality. With their different voices, my wife and guest operators
still receive the same kinds of comments, and it's all done with those
cheap headsets.

73 from Ian GM3SEK

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Elecraft [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of
>Ken
>Sent: 05 September 2015 13:20
>To: [hidden email]
>Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Microphone Connection
>
>I'm with Jim, I have a Koss SB/45 that plugs directly into the rear of
>the K3. I get great audio reports and it's only $25 on Amazon.
>
>Ken WA8JXM
>
>On 9/5/15 2:00 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
>> Can't help you with that part of it. I use Yamaha CM500, which plugs
>> into the rear panel connecters. Far superior and MUCH cheaper.
>
>______________________________________________________________
>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
>Message delivered to [hidden email]