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Mic testing frustration

T

Titan7

Active Member
Aug 27, 2018
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58
Southern California
so I have a few d104s and turner SSKs, one of the SSK works great on my SBE Console II as do the OEM SBE Mics. The d104s, well those have been a pain. Now according to everything I have read SBE and Cobra (4 PIN) mic are wired the same? So I wired the d104s the same way. To help me sort throughout them I just picked up one of those microphone test centers, t747 I believe. So all the mics work when plugged into the Corbra outlet but audio level varies.

What’s odd is the Turner mics and the OEM SBE mics do not illuminate the green receive light or the red transmit light (when keyed), but they all have strong modulation.

The d104s will light up the receive lamp when plugged in and then switch to lighting up the red transmit when keyed up. Modulation is weaker as I believe the elements are going out.

So my question is why don’t the SBE mics and Turner SSK mics light up the RX and TX lamps but the d104 will? I am 99% sure I wired them the same and will work on my radio.

Thoughts, help?

Thanks
 

Not wired for VOX, PPT must be depressed

Well they are wired the same, 1. Shield 2. Mod 3. Tx 4. RX.

Just very odd I have to depress the PPT to hear modulation on any of them but only the d104s illuminate the lamps?

Now I am a newbie just trying to learn this stuff but this is really odd

Btw, the d104s are T-UG8 (4wire) cords. Same with the other mic.

Red, black, white, shield.
 
Titan7 said:
Not wired for VOX, PPT must be depressed

Well they are wired the same, 1. Shield 2. Mod 3. Tx 4. RX.

Just very odd I have to depress the PPT to hear modulation on any of them but only the d104s illuminate the lamps?

Now I am a newbie just trying to learn this stuff but this is really odd

Btw, the d104s are T-UG8 (4wire) cords. Same with the other mic.

Red, black, white, shield.
Click to expand...

They may all be wired the same at the mic plug but if the audio line is not moved or jumpered to the hot side of the switch in the base of the mic vox won't work.
Radio 101:D
 
Thanks guys, wow, I did not realize what it didn’t know until now. I guess I don’t know what VOX has to do with this I thought VOX was just for hands free voice activation. Sorry that I am asking most likely stupid questions.

I just figured there might be an issue, the turner and SBE mic work great on the air no issue other than they don’t light up the lamps with the tester. Maybe that’s normal. I guess I need to get a basic book on this or take it to a pro.
 
I was about to ask if all mics are wired correctly at the mic end?
 
That Console II is rather elusive, one uses a relay - and if it's the one in question - of course I don't have a schematic for it.

In todays radios you have to have a physical "switch" in the PTT - which then changed the RX to TX and back again - much like starving Pete to Feed Fred - one light went off and the other came on - sure it's "Electronic" but it still required the physical effort of Push - To - Talk to make it work.

That is how those Tx / Rx lights toggled back n' forth. Since Vox required you to have the mic wired "hot" all the time - the radio monitored that audio line and once a "threshold" was reached that triggered the Relay inside the radio. It "clunked" when you said something. You also have to set the level so it would trigger. Too high it was on all the time - else the mic would tend to cut off the first part of the conversation - on both sides from leaving it "Closed" VOX off or Open VOX on - and it was not meant for; Young Mouthy Children, Auctioneers, Sales Reps, Used Car Salesman, Politicians or any fast talker...you could never get a word, or "break" in - period. But, when it was operated by any of aforementioned - even with a baby sitter that brought over a boyfriend to help with studies, well the whole world paused for a moment to listen to fun they had.

So they offered "professional" (Pro) series of mics for this that took care of the VOX processing thru the mic element - but required power from the radio so you had to "match up" the mic to the radio and the mic had the "Vox" switchover - making it nearly seamless.

And you had to learn to speak when spoken to - with a pause for the cause...

(EDITS: Worse than Siri as a Stenographer, it's life - as it happens around a Mom that needs 24 hour care and the XYL that scrambling for her work clothes ... ah such is life...)
 
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Thanks guys. I guess I should just accept the SSK and a OEM SBE mics work great on the SBE and forget about the lamps on the tester, lol. I was just trying to figure out the difference.

My D104s also work on the SBE but the elements are weak and I will most likely put a new aftermarket element in them.

I am going to use the d104 on the my HF rigs, 7300 and 718, I picked up a patch cord that converts ICOM’s 8pin to 4pin. There is a cap inline to kill the 8v phantom voltage from the radio.
 
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Titan7 said:
Thanks guys. I guess I should just accept the SSK and a OEM SBE mics work great on the SBE and forget about the lamps on the tester, lol. I was just trying to figure out the difference.

My D104s also work on the SBE but the elements are weak and I will most likely put a new aftermarket element in them.

I am going to use the d104 on the my 7300 and 718, I picked up a patch cord that converts icons 8pin to 4pin. There is a cap inline to kill the 8v phantom voltage from the radio.
Click to expand...
Check out W2ENY on Ebay, has kits for updating d-104 with an electret cartridge.
 
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OT beat me to it !:LOL: I was going to suggest the same dealer , I've been thinking about buying that kit myself to update an old D-104 & check the kit out .
 
do these electret cartridges simply just go in place of the old MC320 cartridge? So just soldering the two leads into the mic head, no changes to the base or plug wiring?
 

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