[Elecraft] Microphone for K2

[Bill NY9H]

Jim,
The American economy will suffer !
You were not supposed to let the "cat out of the bag"
about "expensive" ham microphones.

Before you know it, someone out there will discover that the cheapest 
electret element , ripped out of an old panasonic or nortel telephone will 
provide
EXCELLENT audio. Then these ham guys will put these elements into some kind 
of stand , and  walah,,,, A FREE EXCELLENT MICROPHONE. causing economic 
disaster...

Plus we know these guys become attached to things they build.

GOOD JOB

Bill ny9h  (  a manufacturers' rep who has represented several REAL 
microphone manufacturers over the last 30 years,,,  AKG, SHURE, & SENNHEISER
  and none of them importers of someone else's products...)



At 10:34 AM 9/1/2004, Jim Brown wrote:

>As some of you know, I'm in the pro audio business, so microphones are
>something I know a bit about. :)  At a recent hamfest, I bought three 
>variations
>of Plantronics headsets made for use with cellphones. I paid $5 each; in a
>store they would likely fetch $15-$25. I've seen similar Plantronics 
>models at
>Fry's Electronics, packaged for use with VOIP into a computer sound card, for
>$25.  For those of you who don't know, Plantronics is the originator of the
>miniature "Starset" headsets for telecommunications decades ago. They're a
>publically traded US company.
>
>Over the past two weeks, I've made adapters to use these headset/mic
>combos with my laptop for Echolink and VOIP, and also to run into my ham
>rigs. I haven't done one yet for the K2, but I just did one for the Icom 
>746 that I
>use on six meters. I am VERY pleased with the result -- on the air reports 
>from
>critical listeners tell me that I have clean, punchy audio, the emphasized 
>high
>end that works for good communications quality, and no breathe pops.
>
>The wiring to make these mics work with a K2 is quite simple. First, you need
>to cut off the plug and identify which conductors go to the mic and earphone.
>On my Plantronics units, white is the mic, red is the earphone, blue is 
>common,
>and there is an overall shield that should be tied to the mic connector 
>shell. To
>get bias for the mic element, add a 2.2K resistor between +8v and the white
>wire. If you want the earphone to work, you'll have to either bring 
>receive audio
>to the connector or put a second connector on the mic to go to the headphone
>jack.
>
>If you're adapting it to a typical computer sound card, you'll also want 
>the 2.2K
>resistor from wherever it shows up on the computer's mic input to the 
>"hot" mic
>lead. It's no problem fitting a low wattage resistor into a Switchcraft 
>1/8" plug.
>It's trickier fitting it into the 8-pin plug used on the K2.
>
>Jim Brown  K9YC
>
>
>
>
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