[Elecraft] MH3 mic case

[Don Wilhelm]

Geert,

 From your description of the "straight connections" and round plug, I 
believe you are referring to the MH4 - the original question was about 
the MH3 which has a 1/8 inch TRRS plug and resistors in the microphone 
for the buttons.

The MH4 is usable with the K2 and K3, the MH3 is usable with the KX2 and 
KX3.

The plastic case for both microphones is the same.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/4/2021 6:26 AM, Geert Jan de Groot wrote:
>
>> Does anyone know if Elecraft sell replacement cases for this 
>> expensive microphone? I've barely used mine (I'm a CW chap) and it's 
>> already fallen apart! The three plastic internal mounting pillars 
>> have snapped off. I guess it's been dropped, but only on to carpet 
>> and I'm minded to think a $70 mic should easily withstand that.
>>
>> Last month I emailed Elecraft via their online parts order form, but 
>> not had an acknowledgement. Maybe they're all on summer leave?
>
> Making forms for plastic moulding is extremely expensive and Elecraft 
> did not make one specially for the MH3.
>
> Looking on ebay, https://www.ebay.com/itm/281509579500 finds a 
> microphone that uses the same case. The electronics inside is 
> different (and, frankly, the MH3's innards are a lot nicer than these 
> ebay microphones) but the casing is the same.
> It has a different brand name on the case but that is only a sticker.
>
> You can make these ebay microphones work by changing the wiring a bit, 
> especially for the down/up buttonw. The radios these are sold for use 
> resistors on the PTT line to signal up and down, on Elecraft they are 
> direct connections.
> And PTT and audio are on other pins so you need to change that too.
>
> When I have the microphone plug open, I always add a 5K6 resistor 
> between the 5V and the mic output in the plug. This power the electret 
> microphone irrespective of "mic bias" settings in the menu. And it 
> makes the same microphone also usable on the K2 (where the up and down 
> buttons don't work, alas).
>
> In defense of Elecraft, yes, their microphones are probably "also made 
> in the east" but there is a difference in quality which will be quite 
> visible when you compare them. Having said that, an electret 
> microphone is an electret microphone and the reports on the air are 
> not different.
>
> And, if the round plug is change for, for instance th Neutrik NTP3RC 
> (see https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/ntp3rc) then the same 
> microphone will also work on the KX3. You will need to change the 
> wiring to make the buttons work but that is not hard.