[Elecraft] K4 and Yamaha CM-500 Mic?

[David Herring]

Actually, I had (have) this very same problem and brought it up on here quite some time ago.  CM-500, mic and phones plugged into proper jacks on rear, preamp on, bias on, mic gain at max, mic right at my lips, and I still have to talk very loudly to get any response out of the ALC meter.  I got another CM-500 and swapped it in, and it was better…I didn’t have to talk as loud, but still way louder than I’d like or should have to. 

I never did puzzle out a solution for this.  So if I need or want to get on SSB and can’t talk loud (say like if the XYL is trying to sleep in the next room), I put another mic on the front connector and have no problems getting plenty of response out of that, even if talking in a hushed voice. 

Oscar, if you find a solution to this, please be sure to post it on here…I’d like for this work…failing that I might try someday to find a different headset/mic combo...

73,
Dave - N5DCH




> On Jul 30, 2023, at 6:17 PM, Mike Dodd <mike at mdodd.com> wrote:
> 
> On 7/30/2023 7:40 PM, Oscar Staudt wrote:
>> When I got my K4D a month ago, I unplugged my Yamaha CM-500 mic and
>> headphones from my K3, and plugged them into the back of my K4.  I set the
>> mic input to rear, and mic bias on.  I expected the mic to perform
>> like it had in the K3.
>> I attempted to get 3-5 bars of ALC by turning up the mic gain control.  Even
>> with the gain up to 80, I’d have to speak *very* loudly to just get a
>> flicker on the ALC meter.
> 
> My CM500 mic is plugged into the rear mic jack. I turned on the 14dB preamp and bias. With the front panel MIC set to 15, I get 5 on the ALC meter with a normal voice -- no shouting or extra-loud is needed.
> 
> Don't know what's different, but those are my settings and result.
> 
> 73. Mike N4CF
> 
> 
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