[Elecraft] Microphone Pinouts

[Dave Yarnes]

Well, what it tells me (I think) is that I had better get busy and make up a 
conversion cable, swapping pins 5 and 6, if I want to use any Kenwood 
microphones.

I guess I'm curious as to why Elecraft felt it necessary to make this pin 
swap.  In the K2 we could simply wire that rig any way we wanted.  So why 
not go with a more standard pinout for the K3?  I guess I'll have to ask the 
gurus in Aptos that question.  Truth is, I probably know the answer.

By the way, Heil doesn't even show an adapter cable for Elecraft stuff. 
Maybe that's because the K2 could be wired internally multiple ways.  But 
now that the K3 has established a hard-wired standard, possibly they will.

It's just too bad we can't have more standardization in things.  But we see 
this kind of thing all the time.  For example, Icom has their own unique 
type connectors for separation cables, etc.  Translated, this means "not 
easily reproduced".  Sony is one of the worst--try using after market stuff 
on their products--even their power connectors are relatively unique.  Don't 
even get me started on power connectors with all the differing inside and 
outside dimensions!  Sure, some situations dictate using smaller or larger, 
but generally it seems we could get by very well with just 3 or 4 sizes 
instead of having 15 or 20!

So, my next question is, how are the microphones sold by Elecraft wired?  I 
don't see any real disclosure about the actual pinouts on the website.  I 
assume they are wired exactly to match the rig, which means I might not be 
able to use one of those with my Kenwood.  Making my own adapter isn't that 
big a deal, just a pain in the butt.

Dave W7AQK

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Wilhelm" <w3fpr at embarqmail.com>
To: "'Elecraft'" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] microHAM K3 cables ...


Joe,

That is why I internally 'bristle' a bit when I hear folks say that the
Elecraft microphone is the same as Kenwood. Even Bob Heil had made that
statement to me when I specifically addresses it with him last year at
Dayton. Perhaps he really meant that the pinout was the same with
respect to *his* microphones, or perhaps he had never checked about the
pin 5, pin 6 swap.

Remember that 'compatible' does not necessarily mean 'equivalent'.

73,
Don W3FPR

Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
> Argh!  Another case of being "almost the same."  This breaks a lot of good 
> Kenwood mics - MC-44, MC-55, MC-60, MC-80, MC-85 - when they are powered 
> from the radio.
> It’s this kind of "hidden" design departures that are extremely 
> frustrating to users and third party vendors alike.
>

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