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turner +3B , SSK and expander 500 ???

B

BOOTY MONSTER

Guest
anyone had one or know much about them ? ive been looking at the turner +3 base mic and the built in compression seems to be a good thing . it seems the 500 has that as well as a tone controll . im not sure if i like the look of the 500 or not . in a way i feel its hip and geeky lookin and i kinda like that , but i also think its kinda goofy lookin too . but either way apperance is secondary to performance . how does the 500 compare to the +3B ? from what i can tell the SSK is a non-compression version of the +3B and thats about it other than its color , is that about right ?
Woody's Turner Microphone Page

how would these compare to new/modern mics like the Astatic AST-878DM Desk Mic
CB Microphones
and the Galaxy Base Station Echo Microphone
CB Microphones

thanks .
 

I still have a Turner+3 desk mic. Very nice mic when used with any Cobra 4-pin radio - IMO.

I've repaired and used the Galaxy mic for a friend. I liked it - and I also had a chance to hear it work from my base station once it was fixed. Impressive and clear modulation. Echo was OK too. For the money, it offers a lot - IMO.

The Astatic mic you mentioned I've never had a chance to see or hear - as far as I know anyway...
 
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booty,
from memory the +3 had a discrete component compressor amplifier and a ceramic cartridge,
the ssk had a dynamic cartridge with a matching transformer and an opamp amplifier no compressor,
the ex500 had a dynamic cartridge and a pumpy compressor with a strange tone control that was either too wooly or too tinny, plastic case screened with foil like the turner hand mics, imho the ex500 was a pos but some folk liked em,

how they compare to each other and to mics available today is subjective, it depends on how your ears are wired to your brain, the voice, the transmitter and the receiver.
 
thanks guys :)

seems like the origional +3 was grey and a second version was black .
anyone know what the difference is besides their color ?
is either better performing or better constructed than the other ?
 
The +3 is a great mic with the compression whether it's a black or gray one, I have both and love them both. I think the +3 is the only compression mic turner made.
The SSK seems to respond better on SSB for me, so i keep my SSK's.
I do not have a 500 at the moment, i never liked the one i had so i got rid of it.

The Galaxy mic I know a few people running them and they always seem to have weird problems with them, could be just user abuse though.

The Astatic mic I know nothing about, I do have the older 1104 and it's a good mic but i hardly ever use it.

On another note, the JCD-201M kinda seems to be all of those mics rolled into one. I do like this mic, other than when i switch it from radio to radio, mainly because i'm to stupid or lazy to write notes on which setting works best with what radio and whether i'm on SSB or AM. But that's my fault for changing radios so often, not a fault of the mic.

Over all, I still use the +3's for most everything.
 
I got mine - from all places - on eBay. I only paid a little for it including the shipping - I think it was $60. They haven't made these for a few years now, so finding one in decent shape is a juggling act. The one I have is in decent shape, but I have plans to put it on my IC-718.

They will work on most radios that I have. It won't work on my OmegaForce, because they already have that compression circuit built it. It conflicts with these design of radios. But on any Cobra, Galaxy, or Ranger, they sound mighty fine. The Tuner+3 isn't as sensitive as a D104, you have to get right up on the mic. But they sound bodacious and cut right through.

Compression/compressors is/are a tricky thing to use if you use an external compressor unit. If not set right, they can sound nasty - or weird. TopGun technologies sells pre-set compressor kits for most popular radios and are fairly inexpensive. That is, if you are handy with a soldering iron and like the challenge. That will give any mic you use that punch - that I think is what you are looking for. It is worth someting to consider this option - IMO. Compression done right is a powerful tool for radio communications. There is no doubt about it...
 
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Also have had one or two +3's in the past. Used on a variety on radios. Just loved 'em. Would rather run a +3 than a D 104 anyday.

The SSK always sounded good on AM, SSB was questionable?

+2 good on SSB, AM questionable?

Expder' 500 - also conclude looked good, was POS

+3 great on AM & SSB, never heard a bad one.

Always see some +3's, and any of them. on ebay every week. Do not pay $50 or $60 bucks for one. Seen lots of the go for $30 and less. Keep watching. One will come up with your name on it
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Turner's were surely decent mic's for there time. There was a lot of them , hand helds and desk mic's . You had dynamic , ceramic , some that sounded good on AM and others that didn't fair well on SSB and visa versa. (Many times it just depended on the radio they were being used on)

Kind of like the Shure 526-T , great mic on certain radios and could sound like shit on others. Bob85 said it best here ............( how they compare to each other and to mics available today is subjective, it depends on how your ears are wired to your brain, the voice, the transmitter and the receiver. ) Can I get a radio/audio check on this one please ? :cool:

Turner's were always hit or miss with me and depending on the radio I was using at the time. I did finally get to use this Expander 500 , my reports were great on AM and could do better on SSB . My next mission will be to lend it to somebody else so I can hear it for myself.

I will be the final vote, so far , it surely has Turner written all over it. (-: Thanks for the link to thread BM.
 
Wire Weasel said:
Also have had one or two +3's in the past. Used on a variety on radios. Just loved 'em. Would rather run a +3 than a D 104 anyday.

The SSK always sounded good on AM, SSB was questionable?

+2 good on SSB, AM questionable?

Expder' 500 - also conclude looked good, was POS

+3 great on AM & SSB, never heard a bad one.

Always see some +3's, and any of them. on ebay every week. Do not pay $50 or $60 bucks for one. Seen lots of the go for $30 and less. Keep watching. One will come up with your name on it
128fs318181.gif


interview.gif
Click to expand...

Turner +3 is IMO best mic in its class. +3b nice too but straight +3 with the compressor I love em!
 
The +3B was brought out with another wire added for the radios which required a non-grounded common switching wire (blue) for TX/RX switching.

Other than that I don't believe there's an iota of difference.

When I opened my +3B I saw the same solder pattern on the bottom side of the preamp board as I did in the gray non-B version.
 

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