[Elecraft] Audio Drive and transverter

[Jeff Burns]

I have suspected that my HC-4 microphone element is not driving the K2 hard
enough, but have never had a good way of testing it. I have made many SSB
contacts and VOX sort of works.

This weekend I picked up a Ten-Tec 1208 6m transverter. A local report
indicated that CW sounded fine, but my SSB signal is week and gargled. We
switched to 10m to verify that the K2 was working. There the report was week
but good audio. I am wandering if my audio drive is too week to put enough
power out of the K2 to reliably key the transporter. Is this reasonable?

If so I am thinking of installing the N0MF Microphone Pre-Amp in my
microphone. The notes for this indicate that R2 is mounted inside the K2's
front panel. I wired my microphone like the Elecraft MH2. Do I need R2?

Jeff Burns

AD9T