I really like my Ranger SRA-198. I'm either going to turn up VR16 on my 959 to match the 198 up to it,install my turbo x2 as a mic preamp for the 198,or get a Shure SM48 to go with my Art Tube preamp and run that
Power mics are meant to be held about a fist width away from your mouth, spoken across not directly into. Keep the gain adjustment low and use the mic gain on the radio to adjust the audio. When talking further away from them you induce background noise and loose all the effectiveness of the mic.
They are NOT meant to be dialled all the way up and screamed into.
Depends on the radio...what mic sounds good on one radio might sound horrible on anther.
I swap between a RK56 and Astatic 636L depending on the radio I am running.
I have also owned a Skythumper, and the factory-provided Ranger SRA-198 on my General HP40W sounds better than the RK56 or the Astatic (for that radio).
Ive tried Road Devils, tends to squeal to easy, stupid slider on the side. Plus the red is too flamboyant for me, belongs in a Poison video.
I disagree with this only to the point that most stock mics are not the best in frequency response. A good quality mic will improve the audio response when used properly. Herein lies the problem that most don't set the radio/mic combo properly and over drive the rig. With the limiter clipping that is done it gives power mics a bad rap.
I have found that most "stock" microphones have a boxy muffled sound to them. There are clearly exceptions to this rule, case in point the Icom 706 uses the HM-103 stock mic. The element in there is designed by Bob Heil and other mics on that radio don't sound as good. Most Icom HF rigs use a "power" mic as the amp is build into the radio. I have found through the years that a properly adjusted "power" mic will sound better than the supplied stock from the mfg.im not quite sure what you mean by this.
are you saying that the mic elements used in power mics are generally better than the elements used in stock mics?
the reason i ask is that there is no audio shaping or limiting going on inside a stock mic other than the inherent freq response of the element itself.
im not asking because i have an answer ready and waiting, i just havent had the same experiences you have when using stock mics.
that being said, ive never really delved too deeply into the subject either.
LC