[Elecraft] Important K3 FP mod added to Mod and App Notes Page

Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ, Elecraft eric at elecraft.com
Fri May 2 17:45:50 EDT 2008


We have just uploaded an important mod to the K3 Mod and App notes page. 
This mod adds one wire to the K3 FP board to correct a problem with VOX 
operation and low mic gain when Electret mics requiring mic bias on the 
mic audio line were used on the front panel connector of the K3. 
(Recently reported on the Elecraft reflector.)

See:
http://www.elecraft.com/K3/k3_app_notes.htm

 
Symptom:  
Incorrect K3 VOX operation (VOX 'hangs') and/or low or corrupted TX 
audio, when using a front panel mic which requires BIAS to be supplied 
to the mic through the audio pin.  (Elecraft MH2, MD2, Proset-K2 with 
electret elements etc.)

Rear panel mic connections do not exhibit this problem. Dynamic-style 
microphones (mics which do not require a bias voltage on the mic audio 
pin) do not demonstrate this problem.

Applicability: 
K3s with serial numbers between 660 and 782 with Rev B Front Panel PC 
boards.  (K3s as early as S/N 654 may demonstrate this problem, but we 
think the problem starts with S/N 660.) 

Other K3s DO NOT require this mod. All K3's that are currently shipping 
have this corrected. All K3s from s/n 783 on have this corrected.

If you have an electret microphone which is wired for the K3 (Elecraft 
MH2, MD2, Proset-K2 etc) you can test for presence of this problem by 
attaching the mic to the front panel mic connector, setting "MENU | MIC 
fpL bias" or "MENU | MIC fpH bias" and seeing if the symptom above is 
present.





More information about the Elecraft mailing list