[Elecraft] Foot Switch wiring question...

[Clay Autery]

Hooking up a Linemaster Clipper Model No. 632-S to my K3s rear PTT RCA jack.

Obviously, the RCA is 2-conductor unbalanced and there is no issue about
which terminals to use on the foot switch for normally open switching.

BUT, I want to make sure the foot switch cable is never an issue for RFI
in or out.

Options:

1) Use one-third of the Component cable assembly I built a long time ago
with nice Canare RCA connectors and L5-CFB coax. (simply cut of one
connector and connect the center conductor to the NO terminal and the
braid to the C terminal) for a quick and free solution.  Kind of stiff
with solid center conductor.

2) Use unshielded twisted-pair 2-conductor (or shielded leaving shield
disconnected) cable. (Have to buy a an RCA connector.)

3) Use shielded 2-4 conductor mic cable (nice and flexible).  I think I
have some Canare Star Quad around somewhere (Still have to buy the RCA
connector).

My question is:

*Do I need to worry about shielding this cable?*  I've got a ground to
pick up the shield in the foot switch, but no place to pick up a chassis
ground cleanly in the back of the K3s...  I could terminate the shield
to the RCA housing at the radio end, but that's going to the connector
board...

Alternatively, I could pull the shield out of the cable near the RCA
cable plug at sufficient length to pick up the chassis ground screw on
the back of the chassis with a ring terminal (not clean, have to buy RCA
connector and MAYBE the cable if I can't find my spare Canare Star Quad
mic cable).

I'm going to use the re-purposed component cable described above for
now, but I don't really want to EVER have to worry about this control
cable giving me issues.  I know it's a small thing, but if I cover all
the small things as I go along, it'll be less work to isolate problems
if/when they crop up down the line.

Jim?

Thanks a bunch!

-- 
______________________
Clay Autery, KG5LKV
(318) 518-1389