[Elecraft] [K2] What microphone to choose & wire - I'd like to hear your experiences - good and bad?

[Don Wilhelm]

  Brian,

The K2 has adequate microphone gain for high output dynamic elements and 
electret elements.
Unfortunately, the Heil HC4 and HC5 elements are about 10 dB lower 
output than many other amateur mics.  There may or may not be enough 
gain in the RF stages to compensate for the lowered mic gain - You will 
find it adequate on most all the bands, but at 10 meters you may find 
lowered output.  I use the words "may" and "most" because the RF gain of 
a K2 varies from not only component tolerances, but from builder 
attention to details during construction.  Later K2s have been using a 
2SC5739 at the Q6 location which improves the transmit gain at higher 
frequencies.

If you find your current Proset (use a Kenwood adapter) inadequate, then 
a small mic preamp may be one solution - it can be mounted on the back 
of the front panel.  The other solution is to get the Proset-K2 that is 
sold by Elecraft which has a response curve similar in frequency 
characteristics to the Heil HC-5 element.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/9/2010 7:34 AM, OZ2BRN Brian Lodahl wrote:
>    Hi,
>
> Not entirely there yet, but I am trying to think ahead of the build plan
> with K2/100 #6936 with KSB2 option (etc...):
>
> What microphones to choose and use for SSB ? -What are your experiences
> - good and bad - with misc. makes and models of microphones with K2 ?
>
> Go for dynamic or electret condenser with biasing ?
>
> My preference is headset over table mic's and hand-mic's.
> Default contesting headset is Heil Proset.
>
> 73'
> Brian OZ2BRN
> K2 #6936
>