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k3 Mic Suggestions

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Bob Maser

k3 Mic Suggestions

I am the new owner of K3 Serial #3605 and love it. I have been using a
couple of HC5 mics and have been getting criticism on my audio quality like
distorted, no energy below 400hz, chopped up sounding. I am running less
than 10db compression and staying within recommended ALC limits and no Bias.
I have tried various TX EQ settings. I would like to know what mics are
being used with the K3 and getting good audio quality reports.

Thanks,

Bob W6TR Fort Collins, CO

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Philippe Trottet

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

Hi Bob,
Have you checked and adjusted your audio with the monitoring facility
?
Note: I'm learning the operators manual as my ordered K3 will come very
soon and will be proud to be an Elecrafter member.
Bst 73's
Philippe
A65BI (F5LTB) & ex 9Q1TB

Philippe TROTTET
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>>> "Bob Maser" <[hidden email]> 05-11-2009 9:22 >>>
I am the new owner of K3 Serial #3605 and love it. I have been using a

couple of HC5 mics and have been getting criticism on my audio quality
like
distorted, no energy below 400hz, chopped up sounding. I am running
less
than 10db compression and staying within recommended ALC limits and no
Bias.
I have tried various TX EQ settings. I would like to know what mics
are
being used with the K3 and getting good audio quality reports.

Thanks,

Bob W6TR Fort Collins, CO

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Dave, G4AON

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

In reply to this post by Bob Maser

Couple of points Bob, on our UK Elecraft net there has been the
occasional poor K3 microphone, but it's always been the microphone
and/or adjustment that's been the issue with all of them sounding good
and some sounding excellent.

I can't comment on the HC5 you have, but I have one mounted on a cheap
"computer" headset with a sponge breath filter and it sounds better than
any other microphone insert I have with my K3. Settings are no EQ, CMP
20, MIC gain 25. I use the front mic socket with FP.H set and obviously
no bias. The HC5 is relatively low in sensitivity and mine is used very
close to my lips. Beware that in the Goldline mic the HC5 insert is
mounted in a very strong magnetic field from the wide insert, I had one
where the HC5 produced very weak and distorted audio until the wide
insert was thrown in the bin and the HC5 mounted on its own.

Your best bet is to record your own transmissions into a dummy load,
using another radio, while making careful adjustments to hear what
others hear. Even $1 electret headsets can sound excellent, have you
tried a basic computer headset plugged into the rear panel? Another low
cost choice is the Kenwood MC-43S (as used on a TS-570) and is still
available new from Kenwood dealers - here in the they UK at Waters and
Stanton they are £19.95 including tax, these plug straight into the
front of a K3 and is one of the cheapest dynamic mics around and sounds
really good.

73 Dave, G4AON
K3/100 #80
----------------
I have been using a couple of HC5 mics and have been getting criticism
on my audio quality
<SNIP>
Bob W6TR

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Mike Reublin

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

In reply to this post by Bob Maser

I'm using a Heil Pro-Set with the HC4 element. Reports are good.

Mike NF4L

Bob Maser wrote:

> I am the new owner of K3 Serial #3605 and love it. I have been using a
> couple of HC5 mics and have been getting criticism on my audio quality like
> distorted, no energy below 400hz, chopped up sounding. I am running less
> than 10db compression and staying within recommended ALC limits and no Bias.
> I have tried various TX EQ settings. I would like to know what mics are
> being used with the K3 and getting good audio quality reports.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bob W6TR Fort Collins, CO
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> 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
>
>

kd4d

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

Good day:

We're having serious distortion when the compression is set to 13 or above on both our K3's with the Heil elements. The ONLY workable solution has been to use an external TenTec processor to get reasonable audio. Before we did that, we routinely got beat in pileups by stations with much smaller antennas - we even ran simulated pileups with European stations.

I'd be very interested in a fix. I understand "normal" compression settings are around 23.

73,

Mark, KD4D

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike" <[hidden email]>
To: "Bob Maser" <[hidden email]>
Cc: "Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, November 5, 2009 6:50:33 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] k3 Mic Suggestions

I'm using a Heil Pro-Set with the HC4 element. Reports are good.

Mike NF4L

Bob Maser wrote:

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KK7P

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

> We're having serious distortion when the compression is set
> to 13 or above on both our K3's with the Heil elements....
> I'd be very interested in a fix. I understand "normal"
> compression settings are around 23.

I routinely use a Heil Goldline with "flat" and "HC-5" switchable
elements, an Elecraft MH2 and a Kenwood MC-43S with my K3s. And a
Proset with Icom element. And a cheap Radio Shack "computer" headset
with electret mic.

I use FP.H and no bias for the Heil and Kenwood mics.

I use FP.L and bias for the MH-2, and RP.L with bias for the Proset and
radio shack electret-mic headset.

I keep MIC+LIN OFF so no computer noise gets coupled in when I'm in
voice modes.

I adjust Mic Gain for the usual 5-6 bars of ALC when speaking as I would
on the air. If you raise your voice during a contest, then speak loudly
when you adjust things :-)

I then adjust CMP for the desired effect. Note that CMP modifies the
waveform which is the definition of distortion, so there will be some.
How much depends on your voice and the amount of CMP you dial in. 23
may work for someone else, 12 may be better for you. It all depends.
More is *not* necessarily better. You can use too much and get really
terrible audio.

Tx EQ can make a huge difference, too.

Finally, I use Tx Gate to kill background noise. If you use this, don't
set it at the threshold of the noise or you'll get choppy kinds of
distortion as it cuts in and out; set it well above the background noise
but where VOX still reliably trips and your voice sounds normal (before
adding CMP).

The K3 uses IF envelope clipping, same as the new Ten-Tec outboard box.

73,

Lyle KK7P

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Ignacy

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

I am using K3 with HC5. This is the most efficient combination of all I tried. Mic gain about 17 at HI setting and compression 20 for stateside, 25 for DX and 28 in pileups. The only distortion I had was when the HC5 connection was intermittent.
Ignacy

KENT TRIMBLE

Re: k3 Mic Suggestions

In reply to this post by Dave, G4AON

What has yet to be said in this worthy discussion is the simple reminder
that some human voices just naturally sound lousy regardless of the
microphone, transceiver, or speaking technique.

Forty years of chain smoking exacts a price. Inarticulation cannot be
electronically cleaned. "Swallowing the mic," is as much operator error
as forgetting to turn on SPLIT.

Not even the minds at Aptos and Fairview Heights can overcome human
frailties.

73,

Kent K9ZTV

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