Well, I was in somewhat the same position and decided to take the easy way out. I bought a SignaLink USB. I plugged the USB into the Mac and the other cable into the K3. No drivers to be loaded or anything. Seems to work just fine.
Others on the list may be able to tell you what the downside of this is, but it works for me. David K0LUM At 3:02 PM -0800 2/27/10, Lew Phelps K6LMP wrote: >I own a MacBook Pro laptop -- current vintage, which means it has >only one audio port. It's a 3.5mm jack that is designed to >interface with the headset plug on Apple's "earbuds plus throat >mike" headset. The plug on the Apple headset has a tip plus THREE >rings, rather than the usual two for a 3.5mm stereo headset jack. >The 3.5mm jack on the Mac (the "Audio Port") is supported by >firmware/software that seems to detect when a plug is inserted that >has less than a tip plus three rings. If I insert a standard 3.5mm >stereo headset plug into the Audio Port and select "Use Audio Port >for Sound Output" in Sound Preference, sound indeed flows to the >headset. If I connect the K3 Line Out jack to the Audio Port on the >Mac and select "Use Audio Port for Sound Input" in Sound >Preferences, I get good quality sound input (verified by recording a >QSO overheard on 40 meters) with sound recording software on the >Mac). If I insert the Apple headset into the headset jack, Sound >Preferences re > cognizes that it has both an "external microphone" and "Headphones" >connected to the "Built in Input" and "Built in Output" >(respectively), which is of course the single Audio Port jack on the >MacBook Pro. > >I've been working to set up my Mac for digital work with my K3 using >an iMic USB interface. Now, however, it has occurred to me that, >since the Line In and Line Out jacks on the K3 are equipped with >isolation transformers, I ought be able to modify an Apple headset >to interface between the K3 and Mac. To do this, I think that all I >would have to do is cut the Apple headset apart. I'd connect a 3.5mm >mono plug to the wires that goes to the throat mike, and a 3.5mm >stereo plug to the wires that go to the left and right earbuds. I'd >insert the mono plug into the K3 Line In jack, and the stereo plug >into the Line Out jack. The other end of the cable (with the Apple >four-conductor configuration) would go into the Mac Audio Port. If I >have it right, the Mac would think it was hooked up to a standard >Apple headset, and the K3 would think it was hooked up with separate >audio lines to Line IN and Line OUT> > >Is there any reason that this wouldn't work? > >Even more importantly, is there any reason that I shouldn't even TRY >to make it work? (That is, would I be running the risk of damaging >either the K3 or the Mac by putting voltage where it ought not to >be). I have confirmed that I can input sound from the K3 to the Mac >with a stereo cable connecting the K3 Line Out jack to the Mac >headphone jack. I can't think of a way to verify that the sound >output, which is at an appropriate level to drive headphones, would >properly drive Line IN on the K3. But it seems to me that, worst >case, the signal just isn't strong enough. > >Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this slightly whacko idea. > > >______________________________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > >This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
