Rick,

I would wager that your microphone ties the tip and ring together. If you look at the 'pinout' for the KX3 microphone (page 5 of the manual) you will see that Ring 1 is PTT/UP/DN. If that pin is grounded, it is the PTT function, but if there is a resistance to ground on that ring, you will have either the UP or DN function depending on the value of the resistor. Apparently the voltage introduced by applying bias is causing your KX3 to interpret that level as either UP or DN (and it keeps repeating).

If you turn off bias, the the 'bias' voltage is supplied by the residual voltage from the PTT/UP/DN detection circuit in the KX3. Although that works, the voltage source being used for that bias is sufficient for the microphone element, but it is 'dirty logic voltage' which can give you noise in the microphone input. Turning on the KX3 Noise Gate can help reduce that noise.

I built an adapter for my CM-500 (which also connects the tip and ring together) to eliminate that connection - one can use a stereo jack and a stereo plug with the tip of the jack connected to the tip of the plug and the shells connected together (no connection to the ring). I built my adapter with a 4 circuit plug and brought out the logic ground (ring2) and ring1 to a switch that I use for PTT, but that is not a requirement, just my desire.

BTW, tying the ring and tip together is not a problem for the K3 because the K3 jack has no connection to the ring (that is why it is marked "Mono" - the jack is actually stereo.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/28/2013 9:15 AM, Rick Robinson wrote:
This may be apples to oranges, but, I use a Pyle headset with my kx3 and
mine works with or without mic bias. But.... if I have the mic bias off the
radio goes into scan mode. Don't know why. Just thought I'd mention this in
case your K3 acts the same way....Rick


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