K3 Stereo mic plug into rear panel mic (mono) jack! Ok or not? PTT or VOX during SSB contest?

[Jack]

I just got my Yamaha CM CM-500 headphones and they seem to be working well.

 

The Yamaha's mic plug is stereo and the K3 rear panel mic input is mono.

 

Using VOX, everything is working well.  Is there a hidden danger that I
should be aware of?

 

I am planning on using the headphones in the ARRL DX SSB this weekend and
was wondering if I should setup a PTT footswitch instead of using the VOX
feature.  Do any of contesters in the group have any ideas on this subject.

 

My first thoughts are that PTT might avoid problems re: setting of VOX:GN,
DELAY and ANTVOX!

 

BTW, I made my first qso with the headphones imedialtely after plugging them
in.  40M, San Francisco to Idaho Falls. Got a great report on my audio!

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Jack, AE6GC

______________________________________________________________
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

[Dave Hachadorian]

> My first thoughts are that PTT might avoid problems re: setting
> of VOX:GN,
> DELAY and ANTVOX!

You're not going to have any problem setting up the vox,
especially since you are using a fairly well isolated headset.
The K3 has about the smoothest vox operation I've seen. Then
again, I'm biased against footswitches. I like to change my
position frequently during a contest and dislike having my foot
always in the same position.

If your logging software supports it, consider plugging your mike
into the soundcard mic input and routing sound card output to the
K3's LINE IN. That way the mic is muted while wav is playing, and
you can slurp coffee, etc. without tripping the vox.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ





































.


 

______________________________________________________________
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

[Jim Brown-10]

On Wed, 3 Mar 2010 20:58:46 -0700, Dave Hachadorian wrote:

>If your logging software supports it, consider plugging your mike
>into the soundcard mic input and routing sound card output to the
>K3's LINE IN. That way the mic is muted while wav is playing, and
>you can slurp coffee, etc. without tripping the vox.

Great advice. One of the most important functions of voice playback
during SSB contests is to let you munch and slurp so you can keep
your butt in the chair longer. :)  

To answer the original question, while the K3 uses a 3-circuit jack
(tip-ring-sleeve) for the mic, there is no connection to the ring.

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

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

I use a foot switch, but mostly so I can mutter between QSOs ;o)

I have a problem with the soundcard to K3 connection. When I use the rear mic jack, I get a low level squeal/tone . I do not have this when I use the front mic jack. Both are set High... I'm using a stereo cable, which works fine. The mic is an HC-4 connected via the sound card.

I am definitely a SSB neophyte, but did manage to get N1MM to send a few messages for me and CQ.
Definitely room for improvement.

Thanks,
Julius

[Dave Hachadorian]

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. Your HC-4 should
connect to the sound card MIC IN (via STEREO plug with audio on
tip, shield on shell, no connection to ring). Turn sound card MIC
BOOST on. The sound card output (tip or ring of 1/8" stereo)
should connect to LINE IN on the K3 (1/8" mono).

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Julius Fazekas n2wn" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 10:46 AM
To: <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K3 Stereo mic plug into rear panel mic
(mono) jack! Okor not? PTT or VOX during SSB contest?

>
> I use a foot switch, but mostly so I can mutter between QSOs
> ;o)
>
> I have a problem with the soundcard to K3 connection. When I
> use the rear
> mic jack, I get a low level squeal/tone . I do not have this
> when I use the
> front mic jack. Both are set High... I'm using a stereo cable,
> which works
> fine. The mic is an HC-4 connected via the sound card.
>
> I am definitely a SSB neophyte, but did manage to get N1MM to
> send a few
> messages for me and CQ.
> Definitely room for improvement.
>
> Thanks,
> Julius
>
> -----
> Julius Fazekas
> N2WN
>
> Tennessee Contest Group
> http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html
>
> Tennessee QSO Party
> http://www.tnqp.org/
>
> Elecraft K2/100 #4455
> Elecraft K3/100 #366
> Elecraft K3        #1875
> --
> View this message in context:
> http://n2.nabble.com/K3-Stereo-mic-plug-into-rear-panel-mic-mono-jack-Ok-or-not-PTT-or-VOX-during-SSB-contest-tp4672243p4675935.html
> Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>

______________________________________________________________
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

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

HC-4 is plugged into the sound card MIC IN, straight connection, no adapter. It works fine, can record and audio is good.

The sound card output was connected to the K3 MIC MONO on the rear panel, with rP.H selected in config. I did this based on N1MM setup information. I used a stock 1/8" stereo cable. I did not try LINE IN MONO on the rear of the K3.

I did get it to work by going from sound card out to the K3 front panel mic connector using the Heil adapter. It was set at FP.H. It worked OK.

If I understand correctly, I need to have an stereo to mono adapter and use the K3 LINE IN MONO. Is that correct?

Thanks for your help Dave!

Julius

[Jim Brown-10]

On Thu, 4 Mar 2010 11:14:39 -0800 (PST), Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote:

>The sound card output was connected to the K3 MIC MONO on the rear panel,

That's your problem -- you should be driving the LINE IN of the K3, not the
MIC IN.  Then set the K3 to MIC + LIN to use both your live mic and the
computer playback. Follow the instructions in the K3 for setting levels. As
K6LL has suggested, you sorta need a way to mute the mic so you can slurp. To
do that, you need to feed the mic to the computer and let N1MM turn it on and
off. N1MM will also switch it between radios for SO2R. If you're doing it
that way, you set the K3 for LIN only.

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

[W7GJ, Lance]

On 3/5/2010 12:14 AM, Jim Brown wrote:

> On Thu, 4 Mar 2010 11:14:39 -0800 (PST), Julius Fazekas n2wn wrote:
>
>> The sound card output was connected to the K3 MIC MONO on the rear panel,
>
> That's your problem -- you should be driving the LINE IN of the K3, not the
> MIC IN.  Then set the K3 to MIC + LIN to use both your live mic and the
> computer playback. Follow the instructions in the K3 for setting levels. As
> K6LL has suggested, you sorta need a way to mute the mic so you can slurp. To
> do that, you need to feed the mic to the computer and let N1MM turn it on and
> off. N1MM will also switch it between radios for SO2R. If you're doing it
> that way, you set the K3 for LIN only.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim K9YC

That is precisely why I use the separate digital interface.  I built a separate
relay into my interface that disconnects the microphone when the computer is
operational sending a SSB message, and the mic is activated and the computer
message is stopped as soon as I put down the footswitch to manually operate the
mic.  I can't imagine trying to use the computer during a SSB contest or for
meteor scatter without the ability to interrupt it.  The programs I have used for
this look for an interrupt via the serial port's DSR line.

I would think this would be possible with a flexible rig such as the K3, but
apparently it is not yet incorporated into the firmware.  I don't know if it is on
a "firmware wish list" or not, but I think it should be.

GL and VY 73, Lance



--
Lance Collister, W7GJ (ex: WN3GPL, WA3GPL, WA1JXN, WA1JXN/C6A, ZF2OC/ZF8, E51SIX)
P.O. Box 73
Frenchtown, MT  59834  USA
QTH: DN27UB
TEL: [phone]   URL: http://www.bigskyspaces.com/w7gj
LIVE MESSENGER CHAT: [hidden email]
2m DXCC #11, 6m DXCC #815

Interested in 6m EME?  Ask me about subscribing to the Magic Band EME 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

[Julius Fazekas n2wn]

Thanks Jim1

I'll play with it tonight and see what happens...

Had someone OTA help with levels using the sound card recordings, had REALLY backed off on the card gain.

GL this weekend!
73,
Julius
Julius Fazekas
N2WN

Tennessee Contest Group
http://www.k4ro.net/tcg/index.html
http://groups.google.com/group/tcg1?hl=en

Tennessee QSO Party
http://www.tnqp.org/

Elecraft K2/100 #4455
Elecraft K3/100 #366
Elecraft K3/100 #1875


--- On Thu, 3/4/10, Jim Brown-10 [via Elecraft] <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Jim Brown-10 [via Elecraft] <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: K3 Stereo mic plug into rear panel mic (mono) jack! Okor not? PTT or VOX during SSB contest?
> To: "Julius Fazekas n2wn" <[hidden email]>
> Date: Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7:14 PM
>
>
> On Thu, 4 Mar 2010 11:14:39 -0800 (PST), Julius Fazekas
> n2wn wrote:
>
>
> >The sound card output was connected to the K3 MIC MONO
> on the rear panel,
>
>
> That's your problem -- you should be driving the LINE
> IN of the K3, not the
>
> MIC IN.  Then set the K3 to MIC + LIN to use both your
> live mic and the
>
> computer playback. Follow the instructions in the K3 for
> setting levels. As
>
> K6LL has suggested, you sorta need a way to mute the mic so
> you can slurp. To
>
> do that, you need to feed the mic to the computer and let
> N1MM turn it on and
>
> off. N1MM will also switch it between radios for SO2R. If
> you're doing it
>
> that way, you set the K3 for LIN only.
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
> View message @ http://n2.nabble.com/K3-Stereo-mic-plug-into-rear-panel-mic-mono-jack-Ok-or-not-PTT-or-VOX-during-SSB-contest-tp4672243p4678242.html
>
>
> To unsubscribe from Re: K3 Stereo mic plug into rear panel
> mic (mono) jack! Okor not? PTT or VOX during SSB contest?,
> click
> here.
>
>
>

[Jim Brown-10]

On Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:26:31 +0000, Lance Collister wrote:

>I can't imagine trying to use the computer during a SSB contest or for
>meteor scatter without the ability to interrupt it.  The programs I have used for
>this look for an interrupt via the serial port's DSR line.

I can't imagine NOT using a computer during a contest! I've been using Thinkpads
with logging software to control at least five different models of radios, send CW,
play SSB messages, send and decode RTTY for six years. For the first few years I
used WriteLog, switched to N1MM 2-3 years ago. Both of these programs will stop
sending their pre-programmed message if you hit escape. I use VOX in both SSB and
RTTY modes, so the K3 stops transmitting.  

I work 20-30 contests a year, and I have NEVER used any interface more complicated
than a serial cable and simple audio connections between radio and computer. For
radios other than the K3, I added the a simple NPN interface to invert the CW
keying line.

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