K3 Proset Question

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K3 Proset Question

John E. Reiser
I have a question for those who have used the Elecraft/Heil Proset with their K3.

The description on the Elecraft web site says: "Includes plug adaptor wired for Elecraft K2 pin out."  I imagine that means it comes with an extension cable that accepts the 1/4'" and 1/8" audio plugs shown in the picture and has an 8-pin Foster and 1/8" stereo audio plug at the other end.  Is that correct?

How do you like it with the K3?  Are there any issues?

Many thanks and 73,

John, W2GW
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Re: K3 Proset Question

M0XDF
the adaptor has 1/4 for PPT and a 1/8 for the mic - to an 8 pin Foster

the headset has a 1/8 for mic and a stereo 1/8 for phones

absolutely brilliant with the K3 and it's fantastic vox
73 de M0XDF, K3 #174
--  
Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the  
one where they sprang up. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme  
Court Justice (1841-1935)

On 30 Apr 2008, at 20:23, John Reiser wrote:

> I have a question for those who have used the Elecraft/Heil Proset  
> with their K3.
>
> The description on the Elecraft web site says: "Includes plug  
> adaptor wired for Elecraft K2 pin out."  I imagine that means it  
> comes with an extension cable that accepts the 1/4'" and 1/8" audio  
> plugs shown in the picture and has an 8-pin Foster and 1/8" stereo  
> audio plug at the other end.  Is that correct?
>
> How do you like it with the K3?  Are there any issues?

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Re: K3 Proset Question

k0wa@swbell.net
In reply to this post by John E. Reiser
John,

This is the only mic I have in the shack.  A Heil Proset using the adapter.  You can make one quite easily.  In fact, you could leave off the foot switch PTT if you are just using VOX.  Works very well with the K3.  I think I am using an HC-5 too.  Don;t really remember.

Lee - K0WA

 

In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short supply.  If you don't have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense and use it.  If you can't find any Common Sense, ask for help from somebody who has some Common Sense.  Is Common Sense divine?
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Re: K3 Proset Question

Rick Miller - N1RM
In reply to this post by John E. Reiser
John:

I have a Proset (from Elecraft) with the included Kenwood adapter and it works fine with the K3.  I have tested it on the front panel with the adapter and the rear panel without it.  I've used both vox and an external footswitch.

I think there has been some confusion about the bias pin.  I believe that the Proset IC element needs the bias applied to the microphone lead itself.  The K3 does that internally when you set the menu entry turn the bias on.  The additional bias pin on the front panel connector is for mics that have a separate bias lead.  I don't believe that pin is connected in the Proset adapter, though I haven't rung it out.  There is no need for it since the DC bias is already present on the mic lead.

My understanding of bias on an electret mic is that DC must be applied directly to the mic element for it to work, and the audio to the mic amp in the rig is connected to it via a blocking capacitor.  Some mics have the blocking capacitor built in, so there are separate pins for the audio and the bias on the connector.  The Proset does not have the capacitor in it, so the K3 provides it internally.  That is why there is a "mono" connector on the Proset mic lead - there is no separate pin for the bias.  The "bias" pin on the K3 mic connector is only needed for mics with the blocking capacitor built it.

Some recent K3's (including mine) used a new batch of front panel boards which were missing a ground connection to the capacitors filtering the bias to this internal capacitor.  The symptom that I experienced was that the mic audio on the front panel (only) did not work, and if vox was enabled, the transmitter would key and remain keyed unless the mic gain or the vox gain was reduced to zero.  The rear panel connections worked fine.  A few hours after reporting this to Elecraft support, I was sent a description of the problem and a recommended fix (they had just discovered it themselves).  It involved adding a small wire to the front panel to provide the ground connection for these caps.  It was a very easy fix and worked perfectly.  I personally am aware of two other folks that had the same problem and have successfully applied the fix.  I don't know how many radios were affected, but we all had serial numbers around 730 or so as I recall (mine is 728).  My understanding is the Elecraft is now applying this fix at the factory, so it was probably just a small number of radios that were affected.

The bottom line is, if your Proset with its adapter is not working on the K3 front panel connection, then something is wrong (either the problem described above or something else) and you should contact Elecraft support.  I've only ever dealt with them on this one issue and they are remarkably responsive and helpful.

73 and have fun!
Rick
AI1V
K3 #728


John Reiser-3 wrote
I have a question for those who have used the Elecraft/Heil Proset with their K3.

The description on the Elecraft web site says: "Includes plug adaptor wired for Elecraft K2 pin out."  I imagine that means it comes with an extension cable that accepts the 1/4'" and 1/8" audio plugs shown in the picture and has an 8-pin Foster and 1/8" stereo audio plug at the other end.  Is that correct?

How do you like it with the K3?  Are there any issues?

Many thanks and 73,

John, W2GW
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MD2 element question

Paul-285



>I have a Proset (from Elecraft) with the included Kenwood adapter and it
>works fine with the K3.

Anyone know what kind of mic element is inside the Elecraft/Heil MD2
Desk Microphone?

That's D, not H.

Paul






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Re: MD2 element question

Don Wilhelm-4
Paul,

I strongly believe the same element was used in all the Elecraft mics
when Heil was building them, and was referred to as the 'Heil Optimized
Condenser Element for the K2'.  In any case it is an electret type.  All
the Elecraft MD2 microphones currently existing were made by Heil.  It
is a very nice microphone and I would not give mine up without a LOT of
'encouragement'.

Now that the MH2 is being sourced by Elecraft, and the MD2 is no longer
available.  The MH2  still uses a similar electret type element.

73,
Don W3FPR

[hidden email] wrote:
>
>
>
>> I have a Proset (from Elecraft) with the included Kenwood adapter and it
>> works fine with the K3.
>
> Anyone know what kind of mic element is inside the Elecraft/Heil MD2
> Desk Microphone?
>
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Re: K3 Proset Question

KBG Luxford
In reply to this post by k0wa@swbell.net
The proset as currently supplied has the Heil electret element which:
(a) requires a source of bias via a dropping resistor (see the SSB
manual), and,
(b) has greater output than the Heil HC-4 and HC-5 dynamic elements.

I mounted HC-4 and a HC-5 elements within an old Shure 444D stand
(element selectable via a miniature DPDT switch mounted through the top
of the mike head) and managed to fit a one transistor preamp in the
base.  Circuit for preamp is on the Elecraft site.  Seems to work OK.

73
Kevin
VK3DAP / ZL2DAP


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