[Elecraft] Microphone question - K3

[Dave Yarnes]

The Radio Shack electret elements can be used to make a very effective (and 
cheap) microphone.  I've used them a number of times, as have many others. 
Perhaps you did get a bad one, but that's easy enough to verify by simply 
trying another one--they only cost a couple of bucks.  One thing though, you 
need to house the element in a proper way.  I don't know how you are doing 
it, but hopefully you are mounting the element is a good microphone housing 
of some sort.

However, I'm confused by your wiring description.  You should only need to 
make one connection to pin 1--the microphone lead.  The K3 applies the bias 
based on the internal settings you make through the menu.

Dave W7AQK




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NZ0T" <NZ0T at cox.net>
To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 5:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Microphone question - K3


>
> I tried a RS electret element I have here and the audio is distorted and 
> weak
> - do I have a bad element or am I doing something wrong?  I wired the
> element directly to the mic wires bypassing the transformer in the mic 
> with
> no cap or resistor.  The red wire and audio to pin 1 and the ground to pin
> 7.  Guess I'm clueless when it comes to electret mics!