[Elecraft] [K3] Mic Experimentation with Kenwood MC-60

[Phil Hystad]

Don,

Actually, I do have an MC-60A here I guess.  It definitely does have the preamp, the battery pack underneath and so on but the mic label on the base says "MC-60".  I read somewhere on the Internet that the "A" model is not identified by the label on the base.

There is a part of your message that I would like to clarify.  I have examined the relevant material in the K3 user guide and still I am not sure.  The K3 provides voltage on pin 6 but the MC-60 expects voltage on pin 5.  What I don't understand is IF I were to rewire this so that the voltage was placed on pin 5 (I assume I would do this within the base itself and not rewire the actual connector) then do I create a problem for the K3??  I am assuming that I would have to make sure that pin 5 was NOT connected to anything but that I took the pin 6 voltage offered by the K3 and route it to whatever pin 5 was hooked up to.

73, phil, K7PEH


On Mar 5, 2011, at 11:29 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:

> Phil,
> 
> You have to get the K3 ALC meter to illuminate 5 to 7 bars with the compression set to zero.  That is true with any microphone.
> 
> According to the G4WPW microphone information, the MC60 mic has no preamp, but has a hi-Z, Lo-Z switch (it should be set to lo-Z for the K3).  The M60A has a preamp that needs voltage on pin 5, but unfortunately, that is the part that is not compatible with the K3 which provides voltage in pin 6.
> 
> In other words, the MC60 will work with the K3, but the MC60A will not work unless you change the microphone plug.
> 
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
> 
> On 3/5/2011 11:02 PM, Phil Hystad wrote:
>> So, I asked a question late last night but no responses.  So, either no one cares or maybe I got lost in the noise.  But, that is OK -- I will try again.
>> 
>> I am confused and mystified by a mic that I borrowed from a friend to try out with the K3.  It is a Kenwood MC-60 and I think it is fairly new and I only have a day or two to play with this so I want to make use of that time.
>> 
>> I am discovering that I don't understand all there is about microphones and the K3.  For example, when you use the MENU to set the Mic to something like FP.L or FP.H, what is the true meaning of the L and H.  I know that the document says Low gain and High gain but how am I to interpret this.  Does H mean that the mic has high gain or does it mean that it needs high gain.
>> 
>> This MC-60 mic has a preamplifier on it and when this amp is off, I have trouble getting the ALC meter to measure anything.  I do the test of speaking normally into the mic but with the mic gain set to 60 I have to either shout or speak VERY CLOSELY to the mic to make the ALC meter move at all.  This does not seem right.  I get the same behavior whether the mic setting is FP.L or FP.H.  By the way, Bias is set off as I believe it should be with a dynamic mic.
>> 
>> Now, I have done some tests on-air with a few friends and they say my audio sounds OK.  Right now, I have the compression either zero or very low and I am forgetting which audio report I got with which setting.  But, the compression setting didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference.
>> 
>> Also, another question --- this mic has a preamp and I am wondering if there is wisdom in using the preamp versus the mic gain set to a high value on the K3.
>> 
>> And, lastly -- I checked the history of some discussion on Kenwood mics and the K3 and I see there is some discussion about the pin wiring of whether pin 5 is used or pin 6 for something or other.  I was under the impression that the K3 was using the Kenwood mic wiring so what is this question on pin 5 versus pin 6?
>> 
>> Yes, when it comes to microphones I do not know very much.  I am about 90 percent CW so I obviously do not care about audio too much but I do want things to sound OK without over driving the K3.
>> 
>> 73, phil, K7PEH
>> 
>> 
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