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Power mic on SSB?

309hellinois

309hellinois

Active Member
Oct 5, 2014
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illinois
I have a grant lt behind a ts 250 hdv with a road devil mic. As I'm new to SSB, would it be best to just run a noise canceling mic and skip the extra power? I run it at around 1 or 2 on the slider anyway. I don't see the grant over driving a 2 pill so I can't imagine a problem from that.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
 

A good stock mic on SSB will sound better than a noise canceller. Modulation over 100% is defeating on SSB because you will over drive the ALC and your speech will be clipped and garbled.
 
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Dipole said:
A good stock mic on SSB will sound better than a noise canceller. Modulation over 100% is defeating on SSB because you will over drive the ALC and your speech will be clipped and garbled.
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I bought the mic when I acquired the radio from suggestions. I've run it a few times in the mobile on am but the benefits of ssb have changed my preferences. I didn't get the stock mic with the radio. But I had it aligned and tuned. I'm not out for over modulation. I'd rather keep it clean.
 
I would try several different mics and see what sound your locals prefer. All depends on which one matches up to your voice type/style best. The Grant LT is a fine talking SSB radio, I will assume you have already had a quality tune/alignment done with nothing clipped. After that with a power mic you will just have to find the sweet spot so to speak. You might end up running the radio mic gain at say 1/2 to 2/3's and the power mic at 1/4 to 1/2.

On my base with a Uniden Madison I have had good luck with a 2018, Turner Plus 3, 575M6, and a Super sidekick. Ones that did not sound so great were an Astatic 1104c, D104 Chicken Choker, and a D104 handmic. Just find some locals who's opinion you trust and try a few out.
 
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Agreed there 9c1driver. A power mic isn't a bad thing, it's using it the proper way that most have trouble with. Don't set all gains to 100%! Start out low on settings, then make small changes with someone on the other end you trust. Or you can try to set up a receiving station yourself, but the 1st option is the easiest if you have friends or other locals to speak with. JMO. God bless
 
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Are you using it as a Base ? I have good reports with my SSK the Silver eagle just didn't sound as good on SSB . Like the others have said less is better I run my mic gain at 1/4 an the mic itself set at half way on my 2 K .
 
357magnum said:
Are you using it as a Base ? I have good reports with my SSK the Silver eagle just didn't sound as good on SSB . Like the others have said less is better I run my mic gain at 1/4 an the mic itself set at half way on my 2 K .
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Yes, this is set up as my "base". Thanks for the advice from all of you. The limiter is not cut.
I'll try and catch the only other local I heard and see if he can tell me how it sounds. The only other radio I have is in my mobile and it doesn't have ssb.
 
The txmit power on SSB comes from the ALC and that is controlled with the mic gain. The only time a Power mic is really of value is if the radio is modulating at less than 100%. Since you have had a P&T done and I hope it was done properly a power mic IMO would be self defeating, as you would have to cut back the mic gain hence reduce power to get good audio out. So instead of getting 12-15 watts PEP you might end up with 5 or 8 PEP. I would sooner put the money into a good mic that has a range to match that of the radios Audio amp. like a Shure 527B and make full use of what my radio has to offer in modulation and Dynamic range.
 
a power mike is a good thing if you know how to use it. running your road devil at 1 or 2 is using it right.
noise canceling mics can work just as well in the home, blocking out kids, pets, tv, etc.

quality power mics are usually better sounding than a stock mic no matter how the radio is set up. running the stock mic on my 2950 is just as loud as with my road devil, but not as clear, and with more noise running either as base or mobile.
 
309hellinois said:
I have a grant lt behind a ts 250 hdv with a road devil mic. As I'm new to SSB, would it be best to just run a noise canceling mic and skip the extra power? I run it at around 1 or 2 on the slider anyway. I don't see the grant over driving a 2 pill so I can't imagine a problem from that.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Click to expand...
That ASTATIC Road Devil should sound better than a standard D104 on SSB as they standard D104are just loud and tinny and why do people want to sound like there yelling to their buddy through a driveway or road culvert?

The standard D104 circuitry was designed for AM broadcast quality to yupp AM it the D104 Microphones HotSpot they are understandable on SSB 'Sometimes" but if you really had someone show you the difference or let you hear it you would see or grasp what Im saying I agree a stock Microphone has better audio sound quality in SSB than an Astatic Microphone and Ive even pliugged in my 10DA sideband silvereagle base mic and nope still not as good as the stock on SSB without an audio tone control built in the radio or and outboard equalizer or audio control board that stock microphones sound quality Mic against Mic is gonna beat that ASTATIC ;)

As far as an ecception theres the Turner Plus Three Desktop Mics or the +3 Handhelds they are a true SSB microphone and have Compression circuitry for SSB and they have that non tinny high pitched tone they have that low and midrange punch that will eat the ASTATIC up on SSB all day long. I run the Turner Three/ 3 mics on all my radios even my HF rigs but you don't want you speech processor on as that's what the mic is already doing for the most part.

I just picked up a ASTATIC 575 lastweek on the way back from a day with my buddy Tom Charles at the Maco / Gizmotchy factory as we are working on some Amateur Radio Antenna projects and I will be posting on that later ;) Anyways...... Im going to wire up that ASTATIC 575 and test it against the Turner plus three / 3 on my CB,10 meter and HF rigs as Im curious with that tone control how well we can get that audio cleared up on SSB. Im then going to purchase a RF Limited CR577 tone adjustable Mic to the mix or test and see how well that holds up against the older ASTATIC and Turner SSB Mics. I alredy can see just by online viewing that the RF Limited is very cheaply made which is already its huge downfall which is a shame seeings how its the only Mic made nowdays with an adjustable Tone Control with out opening and swapping out or changing Resistors.
 
Update:
I got my power supply hooked up and finally got everything set. Mic gain us a little under half and the road devil set at 3. Locals say it sounds good. After finding the sweet spot, it looks like I'll get rid of the power mic and go with a standard mic. Not really necessary but IMO the power mic is overkill for my preferences.
 
My 30+ year old Realistic Navaho TRC 490 is paired up with a 30+ year old Turner Super Side Kick. My 30+ year old Johnson Viking 4740 is also paired up with a 30+ year old Turner Super Side Kick. To my ears and in my experience, the Turner Super Side Kicks are exceptionally good sounding SSB mics.

Let me also throw in a good word for the Turner +2 base mics. I have three of the old Johnson desk mics, which were essentially Turner +2s. These also sound excellent on side band.

All of this stuff is 30+ years old. All of it continues to perform well.
 
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