Hi Julie, A lot of laptops these days are using those annoying "combo" jacks, which instead of having a tip, ring, and sleeve, have a tip two rings, and a sleeve, putting the mic-in and stereo headphone-out connections one a single jack. Splitters are available online, but I have not been successful in getting those splitters to work either; it seems like the on-board audio in many laptops senses whether one has plugged in a combo plug versus a headphone plug by looking for a specific impedance on the microphone side, and I haven't spent the time to figure out what impedance they expect me to present.
I got sufficiently frustrated with it that I went down to my local computer retailer and purchased a USB "headset adapter". It plugs into a USB port, and has two jacks-- one for headphones, one for a microphone. In reality it's just a very simple sound card with one input and one output. It works a treat though. Cost me all of $10, and it works with both my PC and my Macbook Pro like a charm. The one I have uses the C-Media chipset, and it looks a little bit like this one, though this isn't exactly it: http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-virtual-External-Adapter-USB-AUDD/dp/B00D69U1B0/ With regard to your PTT problem, make sure you're using a program that will do PTT via CAT command. If it is trying to do PTT by raising CTS or RTS, you won't get anywhere. You may need to install FlRig and use HamRig if you're using FlDigi. Hope this helps, Nick On 24 August 2013 08:28, Julie Royster <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello all, > I have studied the prior posts about KX3 and PSK31 but I am still not > getting it. > > 1. The other day I succeeded in setting Mic Btn to OFF but today when > I go to the menu the only choices for Mic Btn are PTT and NR - OFF no > longer > shows up as a choice! Where did I go wrong? > 2. Has anyone succeeded in using a LAPTOP with KX3 without an iMic or > a > signalink for PSK? A lot of the prior posts refer to desktops that have a > line in connection (laptop does not) or to setups using iMic or Signalink. > 3. Would Don Wilhelm's comments about attenuators being needed between > computer soundcard and KX3 apply to laptops as well? How would I know? What > could I measure? > 4. I had a waterfall the other day but could not get TX to light up on > the KX3. I am using the cables sold by Elecraft. > Any and all advice is greatly appreciated! > Julie KT4JR > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > -- *N6OL* Saying something doesn't make it true. Belief in something doesn't make it real. And if you have to lie to support a position, that position is not worth supporting. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

