Butch,

Looking at the  end of the  mic plug (looking at the holes), notch 
pointing  down (6 o'clock position), pin 1 is to the left of the notch 
(7 o'clock) then clockwise around to pin 7 which is  just to the right 
of the notch (5 o'clock).  Pin 8 is dead center.

I guess there is always  a chance of some variation, but in general for 
the  Kenwood's:
pin 1 = mic audio
pin2 - ptt
pin 3 - down
pin4 - up
pin 5 - 8 vdc
pin 6 - not used in the 590, but may provide speaker audio in some rigs
pin 7 - mic ground  (may be a braid wire)
pin 8 - ground

73, good luck with the new toy, Steve  KW3A

On 5/11/2013 11:07 PM, Butch Bussen wrote:
> How are the pins counted on the 8 pin cable?  Lokoking from wich end of
> the plug?
> 73
> Butch
> WA0VJR
> Node 3148
> Wallace, ks.
>
>
> On Sat, 11 May 2013, Steve Forst wrote:
>
>> After putting this off for a number of years, I finally decided to build
>> a box to give me more PF keys for the 590.  Turns out I had all I needed
>> right here.   It's not completely complete yet, since I have to drill
>> holes for switches, but it has  been  wired up temporary and seems to work.
>>
>> Main component is an old MFJ TNC to radio interface.    The KAM is long
>> gone and I clipped the 13 pin DIN off it some time ago, but it has an 8
>> pin round mic jack on the front and  8 wire mic cable  with plug coming
>> in the rear.
>>
>> Also had the needed switches and other odds and ends  laying around.
>> One thing I learned is that the 590 will let you change the UP/DOWN
>> buttons into additional PF keys,  so I will wind up with 6 pf keys on
>> the box and the original 2 on the radio.
>>
>> Anyone using a microphone with UP/DOWN buttons can reassign them as PF
>> keys if you don't need the UP/DOWN function.
>>
>> Also added an RCA jack for PTT, and a 1/8 jack for mic input, since the
>> mics I use  all the time have  1/8 plugs.   Maybe later I'll add  a mic
>> input for  a condenser mic, using the 8 vdc found  on pin 5 of the  8
>> pin cable.
>>
>>
>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>
>>
>
>
>