[Elecraft] RFI in audio chain

[Jan Ditzian]

Joe and Bob,

I decided to chop things up to see what was inside.  I found a 
surprising result:

The microphone wire is a two-conductor wire, consisting of a single 
insulated conductor and a shield.  At the microphone XLR end the single 
wire is connected to pin 2.  At the rig end, this same wire is connected 
to pin 1 of the eight pin connector.  At the XLR end, the shield is 
connected to pin3 and pin 1, while at the rig end, this shield goes to 
pin 8.  I know that audio gets to the rig with this setup, but it 
clearly is not what you guys are talking about.

I see several alternatives:

 1. Remove the shield connection to pin 3 at the XLR; leave pin 2 connected.
 2. Remove the shield connection to pin 1 at the XLR; leave pin 2 connected.
 3. Get a new cable with two or three conductors inside a shield and
    still use only pins 1 and 2 at the XLR, using only conductors, not
    shield.
 4. Get a new cable with two or three conductors inside a shield and
    still use only pins 3 and 2 at the XLR, using only conductors, not
    shield.

Alternatives 3 and 4 leave me the choice of connecting the shield only 
at the microphone end, or not, depending upon what works best at 
reducing RFI.

I think that this exhausts the alternatives, so if one or both of you 
can give me a shove in a single direction, I may be able to row out the 
rest of the way by myself.

I gently patched things back together so I can meet my 2000Z sched, but 
I await further instructions, O Masters of the Universe.

Your obdt. svt,
Jan, KX2A