What is the effect of excessive microphone gain on SSB transmissions?

Excessive microphone gain in SSB (Single Sideband) transmissions can lead to distorted transmitted audio. When the microphone gain is set too high, it amplifies the audio signal excessively, causing clipping or distortion. This occurs because the audio signal can exceed the linear operating range of the transmitter, resulting in a waveform that distorts the original audio input.

Distorted audio affects the clarity and intelligibility of the transmitted signal, making it harder for the receiving operator to understand the communication. Clear audio transmission is crucial in amateur radio to ensure effective communication, and excessive gain can severely compromise this quality.

While frequency instability and increased SWR are technical issues that can arise in different contexts, they are not direct effects of excessive microphone gain in SSB operations. Therefore, the focus is correctly placed on the distortion of transmitted audio as the primary issue caused by setting the microphone gain too high.