[Heathkit] Re HW-202 Handmike

[Duane B. Fischer, W8DBF]

Hi All, 					
	
I powered up my new little buddy, a very nice Heathkit HW-202, selected a
channel with matching TX/RX crystals and keyed the handmike. My test receiver
had a strong unmodulated carrier on 146.52 MHZ FM simplex. All seemed well. Then
the TX keyed without me pressing the PTT button on the handmike! Great, gremlins
loose in here again! The only thing worse is a female who has taken your credit
card and said as she vanished out the door "I'm going shopping, see you
tomorrow, or when the card is maxed out, whichever comes first!"    	
	
Being a professional Magician/Illusionist, it is not uncommon for mysterious
things to occur in my QTH. However, i was not doing any legerdemain, was this
handmike enchanted, charmed or simply suffering from dry rot of rubber holding
the cartridge in place? 	
	
When I moved my hand and tilted the handmike to one side or the other, I could
hear what i think is the mike cartridge sliding from one side to the other. Now,
what is supposed to secure this cartridge in place to prevent movement? 	
	
I do not know if this is the original handmike that came with the HW-202, if in
fact, one was supplied with it. It may have been an option. The cord is coiled,
there are four recessed screws on the back of the handmike, the plastic back
cover goes around the PTT button (which is about 2.25 inches long and 7/16 wide
andrises from nearly flush at the top to nearly 1/4 inch at the bottom), the top
of the handmike has squared but slightly rounded corners and the front plastic
slants inward toward the mike cord at the bottom on the front, there is what
appers to be a small rectangular emblem in the center of the mike grill and
there is a round knob on the back of the mike to fit into a mike hanger bracket.

	
Question:	
	
1. What holds the mike assembly secure inside the plastic housing?	
	
2. If I remove the four screws that hold the back of the mike case on, is there
a risk of the PTT button coming apart and parts flying into the air from the
spring no longer being held down by the plastic back that was removed?          

	
3. This is a two pin mike plug, probably three wires.  What other handmike could
I use to replace the one currently wired to the plug 'without' having to rewire
the plug? Any direct substitute that comes correctly wired?  	
	
Thank you very much for your assistance.	
	
Duane Fischer, W8DBF	
dfischer at usol.com