[Elecraft] K2 Microphone Suggestions?

[Jim Brown]

On 10/5/2011 3:32 PM, Phillip Shepard wrote:
> I needed a very lightweight hand mic for my SOTA activations.  I have a
> number of hand and desk mics, but they all weighed too much to add them to
> my backpack.  So, I took a small mic from a late-70s vintage Kenwood 2m rig
> I had on the shelf, put a new connector (from Radio Shack) on it and gave it
> a go.

There are other very compact options that can work very well.  At the 
Milwaukee hamfest about seven years ago, I bought what was probably a 
salesman's demo package of five different Plantronics miniature 
headsets. I think I paid about $15 for all five. All had both earphone 
and electret mic, and came with connectors that did not fit a ham rig, 
but they were very different from each other in terms of their physical 
design. I cut off the connectors and made adapters to use them with my 
ham rigs (at that time, a K2, TS850, Omni V, and 746).  All of the mics 
worked fine with all of the rigs.  Headsets like this can be found at 
consumer electronics stores like Fry's for under $30.

You'll have to figure out the wiring.  The shield is always common, use 
an ohmeter to find the earphone wire (listen for the click), and the 
other wire is the mic.  See my Ham Interfacing pdf for wiring info.

73, Jim Brown K9YC