Soundcard/headset jack problem

I'm not sure if there is a solution to my problem, but I sure hope there is.I have developed rheumatoid arthritis in my hands, and typing can be very painful. So, I have purchased a copy of Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is surprisingly good voice recognition software.I am writing this post with it. But I usually do not use it due to the problem, which is that the jack of the headset's microphone begins to have loose contact in the sound card's receptacle.With the poor contact, the software either has trouble recognizing my words or, as is most often the case, doesn't pick up any sound. Sometimes I can fix this by spinning the headset's jack in the receptacle until better contact is made. But this almost always requires that I reset the software's fine tuning of my soundcard or can still produce unexpected "translations" of my dictations.I actually have had this jack/receptacle problem with other sound cards. It seems anytime I use one of the receptacles very frequently I begin trouble making good contact between the jack and receptacle.Is this a common problem? Is there a cheaper solution other than buying new sound cards all the time?-- Jason

Hi, Jason, sorry to hear of your R.A. problem. Friend of mine who`s a writer suffers and has to cut short her keyboard time. I hope you will still participate in the future as I enjoy your well-crafted digging into any subject you aren`t familiar with.
The only ways I can think of to cure the audio problem are to 1. use gold-plated plugs and/or sockets, 2. Hardwire (solder) the connections. 3. Switch to compression joints like BNC fittings.
I tried Dragon Dictate for a while, but I think it resented my harsh Aussie accent and we never became close friends.
Have you researched the possible cause of R.A. as toxins released by amoeba? Fascinating critters.

It sounds like the problem is produced by frequently plugging and unplugging the jack. In that case, the simplest fix is to leave it plugged in.

Yeah if you swap plugs a lot it can stress the plug riser; I had this problem with the sound output on a motherboard once.Here's what I would do - first, grab a 10-dollar soundcard from the used computer store, like Computer Renaissance if they have those where you live. Then, go to Radio Shack - what you want is what I have for my computer - a three-dollar headsset Y-adapter, that allows you to plug two sets of headphones, or headphones and speakers, into one headset jack. It looks like this:If you need to switch between inputs or outputs or something, Radio Shack also makes a little dongle that can do that for you. Either way what you want to do is figure out a way so that you don't have to be switching plugs all the time; which is probably uncomfortable for you in the first place.

to all who replied.I bought the little y-connector. Just having a new plug seems to do the trick for now (it's a slightly different size, maybe?)If I wind up having to buy a new soundcard, though, I will be sure to use the y-connector. That way, I am inserting/removing from connector and not the card itself...the y-connector is a lot cheaper than a sound card. A lot easier to replace as well.Thanks all.--Jason