Mic Settings
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I know this subject has come up many times. I brought my new K3S to Aruba
and it's my first time using it on SSB. Before my trip I listened to myself on another radio and thought that I had the settings figured out, but now I have some doubts. Yesterday on 15m I received a comment that I was hard to zero beat on SSB. Thinking it could be RFI, I switched from the small Powerwerx power supply to an old Astron and added some ferrites to the mic. Today I was on 10m a little and asked a couple of people how my audio was, one said basey and one said high. I am using a Heil HC-4 element with no equalizer settings, mic 30 compression 18. I wonder what setting other contestors are using with this element. John KK9A - P40A ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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On Tue,10/20/2015 8:51 AM, [hidden email] wrote:
> I am using a Heil HC-4 element with no > equalizer settings, mic 30 compression 18. Hi John, I'd be happy to listen to you on the air and talk you through adjustments. Some suggestions. Ignore your numbers of 30 and 18 -- they are the wrong thing to look at. Start with TXEQ -- set the three lowest bands to maximum cut, take the 4th band down about 6 dB. Leave everything else set flat (0dB). Now, turn compression all the way down, and adjust your mic gain so that you see occasional peaks of full power. To get the right setting, you may need to temporarily increase VOX GAIN. Now, turn up compression so that on the compression METER, you see peaks of about 10 dB. This is the way you want to run it. This will get you in the ballpark, and it's time to get some signal reports. Also, if you're like me, you probably yell louder during the contest, so be prepared to turn the mic gain down to stay within those settings. You will, of course, want to balance the live mic with recordings. The above assumes that the live mic is on the mic input and the computer is on the Line Input. That's how I work. So once you're adjusted for the live mic, you'll want to adjust computer playback to get the same indications of compression. There's more to the computer gain adjustment. It's written up here, following the disucssion of computer sound cards. http://k9yc.com/USB_Interfaces.pdf 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] |
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In reply to this post by john@kk9a.com
Well again we get into conditions which typically manifest into Common
Mode Current issues. Depending on antenna, I always carry a coax jumper with a bunch, as in 50 to 75, of Ferrite beads of #43 and #73 material. This is always connected direct to the ANT connector on the radio. If you are using an OCFD antena then additional CMC choke will be needed at the feed point. Most baluns are very inadequate in this regard, regardless of what the manufacturer says in print. OCFD are noted to have CMC issues unless proper balun and CMC chokes are used. See http://www.dj0ip.de/antennas/ <http://www.dj0ip.de/antennas/> for further info on baluns, common mode chokes and OCFD antennas. On EQ, I suggest setting TX EQ: 50 Hz @ -16 dB, 100 Hz @ -12 Db, 200 Hz @ -6 dB with the remainder at 0 dB. 73 Bob, K4TAX On 10/20/2015 10:51 AM, [hidden email] wrote: > I know this subject has come up many times. I brought my new K3S to Aruba > and it's my first time using it on SSB. Before my trip I listened to myself > on another radio and thought that I had the settings figured out, but now I > have some doubts. Yesterday on 15m I received a comment that I was hard to > zero beat on SSB. Thinking it could be RFI, I switched from the small > Powerwerx power supply to an old Astron and added some ferrites to the mic. > Today I was on 10m a little and asked a couple of people how my audio was, > one said basey and one said high. I am using a Heil HC-4 element with no > equalizer settings, mic 30 compression 18. I wonder what setting other > contestors are using with this element. > > John KK9A - P40A ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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On Tue,10/20/2015 9:45 AM, Bob McGraw - K4TAX wrote:
> See http://www.dj0ip.de/antennas/ <http://www.dj0ip.de/antennas/> for > further info on baluns, common mode chokes and OCFD antennas. > > On EQ, I suggest setting TX EQ: 50 Hz @ -16 dB, 100 Hz @ -12 Db, 200 > Hz @ -6 dB with the remainder at 0 dB. Bob, John's at P40 for contesting, so he will want the more aggressive low cut that I've suggested. Also, he's dealing with real antennas, not OFCD. :) As to the RFI possibility -- it may not be RFI at all, but rather a DC power related issue that SOUNDS like RFI. W8JI first told me about this. John -- do you have an outboard box that is powered from the same 12V power supply as your rig, feeding TX audio to your rig? If so, what you can be hearing is modulation of the IR drop on the black wire, which sounds like SSB on an AM detector. If you stick headphones between the two ends of the black wire running between the power supply and the transceiver, you'll hear it. Some easy solutions, depending on your setup and resources. First, bond chassis-to-chassis of all interconnected boxes with short, fat copper. Second, get power for the audio accessory either from it's own wall wart, or from the transceiver end of the dc cable that feeds the transceiver. 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] |
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In reply to this post by Bob McGraw - K4TAX
K4TAX wrote:
>Well again we get into conditions which typically manifest into Common >Mode Current issues. Depending on antenna, I always carry a coax jumper >with a bunch, as in 50 to 75, of Ferrite beads of #43 and #73 material. The most versatile problem-solvers are K9YC's favorite large #31 snap-on beads. They are large enough to accept multiple turns (which greatly boosts the CM impedance compared with beads) and can be snapped on to an existing cable without removing any connectors, so it only takes a few seconds to create a highly effective CM choke wherever in the station it might be needed. For more details, start here <http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek/in-prac/index.htm#big31> and then follow the links to Jim's site and to G3TXQ's site. Don't leave home without at least two or three of these beads in your baggage. 73 from Ian GM3SEK ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10
Jim,
I would take you up on that if possible as well!! Pick a time... -- Thanks and 73's, For equipment, and software setups and reviews see: www.nk7z.net For MixW support see; http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mixw/info For Dopplergram information see: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/dopplergram/info For MM-SSTV see: http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MM-SSTV/info On Tue, 2015-10-20 at 09:36 -0700, Jim Brown wrote: > On Tue,10/20/2015 8:51 AM, [hidden email] wrote: > > I am using a Heil HC-4 element with no > > equalizer settings, mic 30 compression 18. > > Hi John, > > I'd be happy to listen to you on the air and talk you through adjustments. > > Some suggestions. Ignore your numbers of 30 and 18 -- they are the wrong > thing to look at. Start with TXEQ -- set the three lowest bands to > maximum cut, take the 4th band down about 6 dB. Leave everything else > set flat (0dB). Now, turn compression all the way down, and adjust your > mic gain so that you see occasional peaks of full power. To get the > right setting, you may need to temporarily increase VOX GAIN. Now, turn > up compression so that on the compression METER, you see peaks of about > 10 dB. This is the way you want to run it. > > This will get you in the ballpark, and it's time to get some signal > reports. Also, if you're like me, you probably yell louder during the > contest, so be prepared to turn the mic gain down to stay within those > settings. > > You will, of course, want to balance the live mic with recordings. The > above assumes that the live mic is on the mic input and the computer is > on the Line Input. That's how I work. So once you're adjusted for the > live mic, you'll want to adjust computer playback to get the same > indications of compression. > > There's more to the computer gain adjustment. It's written up here, > following the disucssion of computer sound cards. > > http://k9yc.com/USB_Interfaces.pdf > > 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] ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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There's a much easier and much better way to "do it by yourself".
I use a free application Audacity for the process. Connect the K3 to the computer using the same method as for digital modes. Activate the K3S in the TEST mode, turn up the MON gain to about 10 and activate the record mode in Audacity. Record about 30 seconds, save the file and play it back. Listen critically. Make the adjustments you believe necessary, and repeat the process until you get it sounding exactly as you desire to be heard over the air. I find this method is much more accurate than using headphones and trying to listen to yourself while talking and listening at the same time. The record/playback process does not consider the internal audio path between the mouth and voice and the ears but only presents what goes through the mike and the radio. A general comment overlooked by most. The mike-to-mouth position and mike placement is much more critical than many realize. I've found if one changes the mike-to-mouth distance, looks around the room or the desk while talking, or doesn't put the headset boom in the exact same place every time, one will have different sounding audio. Thus it may sound great one time and not so good the next time. 73 Bob, K4TAX On 10/20/2015 4:47 PM, David Cole wrote: > Jim, > I would take you up on that if possible as well!! Pick a time... > -- Thanks and 73's, On Tue, 2015-10-20 at 09:36 -0700, Jim Brown wrote: >> >On Tue,10/20/2015 8:51 AM,[hidden email] wrote: >>> > >I am using a Heil HC-4 element with no >>> > >equalizer settings, mic 30 compression 18. >> > >> >Hi John, >> > >> >I'd be happy to listen to you on the air and talk you through adjustments. ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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On Tue,10/20/2015 5:54 PM, Bob McGraw - K4TAX wrote:
> There's a much easier and much better way to "do it by yourself". > > I use a free application Audacity for the process. Connect the K3 to > the computer using the same method as for digital modes. Activate the > K3S in the TEST mode, turn up the MON gain to about 10 and activate > the record mode in Audacity. Record about 30 seconds, save the file > and play it back. Listen critically. This is NOT representative of what is heard on the other end because it doesn't include the TX SSB roofing filter. > A general comment overlooked by most. The mike-to-mouth position and > mike placement is much more critical than many realize. I've found if > one changes the mike-to-mouth distance, looks around the room or the > desk while talking, or doesn't put the headset boom in the exact same > place every time, one will have different sounding audio. Thus it may > sound great one time and not so good the next time. Yes, this IS significant. Many mics (the class called cardioids) have a built-in bass boost when worked close. Many mics "pop" with sounds like "p" and "b", and this bass boost makes it worse. I've posted a photo of how I wear my CM500 -- the mic just above the level of my nose AND to the left of my mouth. This does three things -- it minimizes pops and that bass boost, holds level more constant than if the mic were closer, and, equally important, gives me room to drink coffee and munch. 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] |
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Several places. Here's one.
http://k9yc.com/GroundingAndAudio.pdf Slide #173 73, Jim On Wed,10/21/2015 10:03 PM, Hank Garretson wrote: > Where did you post the photo Jim? ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10
While true, {although Jim and I rarely agree on anything} what is heard
via the MONitor is representative of those enhancements and adjustments the operator can apply. In simple words, if it doesn't sound great there via the MONitor, it certainly won't sound great after the TX SSB roofing filter either. There's no adjustments available to the operator after the TX SSB roofing filter. The other approach to evaluating ones transmitter is to use a 2nd receiver. That in itself will introduce other artifacts. 73 Bob, K4TAX K3S s/n 10163 On 10/21/2015 11:54 PM, Jim Brown wrote: > This is NOT representative of what is heard on the other end because > it doesn't include the TX SSB roofing filter. ______________________________________________________________ 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] |
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