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MIC ARSENAL: USE AND SHELFED

Robb

Robb

Honorary Member Silent Key
Dec 18, 2008
11,432
3,653
323
Silicon Valley CA, Storm Lake IA
I look around the shack, and I hadn't really noticed all of the different mics that I have just lying around.
They are:
Astatic D104/T-UPS9
SBE Desk/Power Mic
Turner +3
Astatic D104/T-UG8
Shure Mod 522
Realistic Amped Desk Mic
3/Astatic D104/M6's
Xtreme 2018
Funny thing is, I use the D104/T-UP9 on my base radio exclusively. I really like the base key switch on it and the modulation it makes. Hard to beat - IMO. The TUP 8 needs some attention and maybe a new element.

But for the mobile radio, the Astatic D104/M6 is most often used - with the exception of using the Xtreme 2018 from time to time. The 2018 is a real clean sounding mic with a wide freq response. The talk back in it is xlnt, and the echo is too. Turns any Cobra mobile radio into a fine sounding base station at the drop of a hat.

The Turner is a great sounding mic, but you need to be at least two feet away or less; while the D104/9 sounds great at an arm's length distance. The Turner REFUSES to work on my Magnum - no matter how I set it up. But it sounds great with any Cobra radio I hook it up to.

The Shure mic is for my Kenwood TS-120S, a very clean match. It will feedback and is a little fussy, but they were meant for each other. The SBE mic is a recent addition, and it really is a great mic for SSB - and not at all shabby on AM either, A little hard to find - but worth it if you find one - you WON'T be disappointed. The Realistic mic I got for free, and it needs a LOT of TLC. It is like the Cobra desk mic, and they have the potential to sound distinct and clear. If I find a schematic for it, I think it is worth fixing.

Your mileage may vary.
What do you have; and what do you end up using the most?
:blink:
 

After having different mics I stuck with 4 of them.
Behringer B1 - primary mic.
Home made clone of Zetagi MB+5, home made SSM2166 based mic circuit and ECM2018 in my mobile.
Mike
 
Looking around the shack, seems I've collected D104 loli's, SideKicks, +3's, +2 ssb's, Shure 450, JCD201M,Cobra Ca60, numerous hand mics from the d104mb, rk56, ec2018, st65dx, and most every astatic. Sad but nowadays their all collecting dust, although I do try to use one every now.
Since going to the Heil and the Behringer rack equipment, everything else has been side shelved.
The ST65dx is used in the mobile though.
 
Sir
I am a newbie and use a ft 747gx for base station? with orignal hand mic. Just got a hold of a shure 444D and SBE100X poewerred desktop and am very curious and wish to avoid all the wiring .....Which of these two would you suggest for my Rice Burner base station? Thanks for any sugestions and to save me from all the soldering and my hands are too big .......
Is This Country Great or What
sonny
 
there was a time i had 9 d104 stands here .tug8`s and tug9`s ,my favorites(i like to pick up a mic and talk into it ).i have since sold all but 2 .
the d104 tug8 is my all around favorite base mic .
for years the d104m6b was my favorite mobile mic ,still a great mic but the current lot of d104m6b`s tend to get scratchy key switches after a year and cleaning the switch only restores clean operation for short periods .
so i have since switched to the 575m6 ,another great mic with less switch problems.
easier to key as well since it has a big long key bar on it .so thats my new fav mobile mic .
astatic all the way!!
 
Mobile the Astatic 575-m6 is hard to beat.

Homebase i was very keen on the leson tw232, despite its design shortcomings, shitty plastic feet and crap key bar/lock that wears down, not to mention shitty switch, but it worked exceptionally well inbetween repairing the fecker, oh i forgot how shit the braid was on the lead, like metallic foil, a nightmare to solder. it brought my cobra 148 gtl dx to life,

another real good mic was the piezo dx344, once a 1k resistor was fitted on the audio line, it worked sublimely on the 148 gtl dx, i really regret selling that one, as the key/lock mechanism was excellent compared to the leson.
 
I have a pretty good collection of base mics. I have the TUP9D104SP black and chrome, a black and chrome 10DA-l Super Sidebander, a Shure 526T, a Cobra CA-72, an Astatic 1104c, and a Fentone 500c mounted on a Silver Eagle base.

I also have a couple of Astatic 575s and two Superstar DM-452s for mobile ops.
 
Astatic silver eagle D-104....Turner +3...another D-104......Astatic Echomax2000.....D-104B hand mic.....and a dresser drawer full of hand mics....voice changers and echo mics and stock mics for radios I still own or swapped.
 
I am not one to hop around or to go on Mic Safari's!!!LOL I do not buy a new mic unless the one I have breaks. What the heck am I going to do with a ton of mics I can only use one on each radio at a time. On top of that how much junk do you need around the house! I am not one that thinks the guy that dies with the most junk wins! LOL If something is broken and it is fixable I just repair it. If it is not repairable or would cost more to repair then to replace I either strip it for parts and junk the rest or I see if someone else wants to give it a new home!

I know guys that have the Lincoln Log set they played with a a child but what is the point of that? I guess if you never move it is ok but I tend to relocate to where ever work is normally. I hate packing up stuff and lugging it from one location to another if it has no real use or value other then I have become emotionally attached to a piece of machinery!It is easy to cross that invisible line and become a hoarder!!! I have known some of them too! Scary!!!

So why do some of you guys have 6 or 7 mics not hooked up to a radio just sitting around? You going to open a retail store for way ward Ham parts? Museum maybe? I know you plan on 6 different radio mics going bad at the same time? LOL

I am just giving you guys a hard time! I knew a guy that bricked in his Corvette so no one could steal it. It had it's own room in the home with carpet, heat and ac and bricked totally in! When this guy dies and they want to sell the house they will have to knock out a wall and remove the Corvette. It is not possible to take out for a spin or anything! So just make sure you guys do not build a Shrine to your Mic's.....LOL
 
Since there were more CB radio operators back in the day, there is more equipment laying around and being sold. Mics too.

I've got 14 radios - or more - and it took no time at all to get them. Along with several mics and a few antennas. If and when there is more interest in radio, I will probably part with most of the stuff. Like having spares though.
 
was looking through my closet and found an old 575 my friend tinkered with.

he replaced the 9v with a lithium battery and velcroed the holder on the back, took out the screen, and did a couple of other things (i forgot what). i think i played w/ it once or twice, and then went back to my old standbys because i could never get it to sound right with my amp. always sounded way overdriven.

didn't cost us anything since he had it lying around his shack, and we were bored one day with a soldering iron (generally a bad idea).
 
i have an old 1975 d104m that says minutemanII on it and it sounds 10 times better then my newer d104m6. ill never sell it but if some of you guys sold your whole mic collection you could afford a yeasu:w00t:
 
I just did some testing with four older mics on my 95T2 and the 575 came out on top. One reason one might have various mics is to have the ability to tests the various mics with thier radio. My radio came with an older 636L and it sounded good but my 575 sounds much better, Just a thought.
 
More mics than radios......

I've been bitten by the need-cleaner-LOUDER-better-nicer-etc audio bug and my mic collection is growing. Various stock OEM mics, few RK56s, D104M6B, two cobra Dynamike pre-amp mics, a vintage realistic pre-amp on my TRC457 and my overall favorite, 575M6. Looking at buying a Turner desk mic for the 457 base to add to the collection and want to learn more about the vintage Turner mobile mics. Right now, my mics out number my radios at about a 2 to 1 ratio :w00t:
 

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