[Elecraft] K3 Heil Adapter, which one?

[Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft]

I'd like to clarify this point.

Starting with the K2 in 1998, we designed our 'Elecraft Standard' 8 pin 
microphone connector to be compatible with the Kenwood -Dynamic- 
microphone pin out that is used on their HF radios, which represents the 
vast majority of 'Kenwood' style microphones out there. (Especially in 
1998.) The other pins referred to below are only used for the electret 
element versions of the Kenwood microphones, which we intentionally did 
not design for. We never intended to work on every possible microphone 
combination used on Kenwood radios.

I think the confusion on this issue arose when people started trying to 
use microphones that Kenwood sells on its VHF/UHF radios, some of which 
are of the electret variety and require power/bias on a separate pin. We 
never intended to be directly pin compatible with those microphones, 
since we were targeting the HF market. (It is quite easy though to 
modify the connector pin out on those mics to get the required voltage 
from the K3.)

It should also be noted that most radio manufacturers have a microphone 
pin out that is unique to their product line. We broke this mold by 
picking what we felt was a widely used pin out for dynamic microphones 
to widen the usability of the K2 and subsequently the K3. This 
immediately opened up a wide range of mics for immediate use on the 
K2/K3 (-and- reduced our direct microphone sales).

In any case, to help clarify this in the future, we'll start reworking 
our K2/K3 documentation to use the phrase 'generally pin compatible with 
Kenwood -dynamic- microphone pin outs.' ;-)

73, Eric   WA6HHQ
----
P.S. Yes, the 'Kenwood' Heil adapter is the correct one to use with 
their microphones and our rigs.


Charles Harpole wrote:
> Elecraft K3 front mic socket (8 pin) is basically Kenwood standard, but
> Elecraft forgot to check the full pin-out and mistakenly reversed two
> pins that are used only on Kenwood hand mics and others not usually 
> in the HF ham shack.  Do beware of this fact.  Altho it does not 
> affect the Heil Kenwood adapter.
>
> Charles Harpole
> k4vud at hotmail.com
>