The AM Forum

Hola -

I am getting my SSB DX station set up again and got on last night in the 75M DX Window.  I am using a Shure broadcash mic on a boom and found that my audio level was changing all over the place because I wasn't eating the mic like I should. On AM I can stay 4-6" away and be FB.  But on ssb, with all the blower noise and processing, I need a mic that will stay 1" from my lips no matter what.

The modified FT-1000D I use will do about 80Hz to 3KHz audio bandwidth.  I need a mic that has some decent fidelity, NOT the standard ssb nasal communications quality.  Maybe a standard computer "pod-cast" type headset/mic would work?

Can anyone recommend a small mic that attaches to a studio headset? My present headset has no brackets or screws to hold a mic, so it will have to be a clamp-on somehow.  

I have no experience in this type of "mic/headset" area, and was hoping there is a hi-fi mic (Chinese deal?) that will attach on and give some decent fidelity. It should be uni-directional to block out noise from the back.  

As a first preference, the headphones I have are high quality so I wish to continue using them and not go to a composite headphones/mic product.

** I might also consider a decent hi-fi headphones/Mic combo to be used only for ssb -  if it is a super deal, WTF.


Thanks.

Tom, K1JJ

.

Tom,

With a lot of background noise, some kind of noise-cancelling design may be in order.

I use a Shure 577B noise-cancelling handheld mic for mobile use. You can use this with your head stuck out the window driving 55 MPH and still be heard just fine (and yes, I did that).

Another noise-cancelling design, the Shure 562, is a gooseneck-mount mic that's sometimes seen used for paging in restaurants (Vu, table for two...).

Both of these mics have a huge pile-up breaking rise in the frequency response up to 4khz. I own both mics and they can't be close-talked too much. More than an few inches away, they hear nadda. I wouldn't call either of them hi-fi, but you're talking about SSB in the DX window... so there's that.

As for a headphone mounted mic, I have no experience, sorry.


Don

Thanks for the info, Don -

After digging around some more, I found a "boom mic" on Amazon that may do the trick.  It is noise canceling, 100 Hz to 10 KHz, and has a magnetic clamp-on feature to attach to the headphones. The steel piece glues to the headphones, whether plastic or whatever.

From what I read, a separate set of headphones and a good independent mic is the best way to go.

This one cost about $49.  It requires a phantom 3-10V voltage which is no problem since I use a Symetrix 528E for mic preamp which has a voltage source.

There is a short video about the mic. Looks like a good compromise to get a headphone/mic system working with a rig.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R98O6R4/ref=emc_b_5_t


** UPDATE:  They seem to be out of stock at most places. But here's a refurbished one going for about $29.00.  I bought one... :-)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antlion-Audio-ModMic-4-GDL-0430-Attachable-Boom-Microphone-Noise-Cancelling-Mute/233415681137?hash=item3658a8a471:g:px4AAOSwoBFd3Y4m

T

Tom,
search "gaming headphones with mic".  Price range from very reasonable to expensive.

Tom- I just started using an Avcom aviation headset in the mobile. It's very similar to the high end David Clark line but much cheaper. The boom mic is a condenser element and they rate it at 100-6000 HZ.It's got a nice presence rise and excellent noise cancelling. The car has very loud pipes and I often drive with a window open. No noise gets through. 

Thanks for the suggestions Bob and Chris.

I decided to add on a nice hi-fi condenser cartridge in place of the one already on the headset. (about $20)  I set it up to select between my hi-fi Shure mic and also select phase. This way I can use it for AM, in addition to ssb and have the versatility of moving around the shack without being tied to the boom. It is uni-directional, so will suppress some blower noise. 48V phantom like my Shure, so FB.  It's possibly the same cartridge that many of the AM guys are now using in Chinese mics with sputtered gold.


Here's the link to the condenser cartridge:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/34mm-Large-Diaphragm-Microphone-Cartridge-Core-Recording-Condenser-Mic-Capsule/312528494354?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item48c4265f12:g:NcwAAOSwZvFbIPsd&enc=AQAEAAACUBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qWcLhZYQcgS1ycoyoh95r8vfZqKTh0YH%2BPP0AA7HdnPxh6EWFvQuScT9SVGwiSrqyJrbF0bKsfch3cIWgi3FyZv9RVFaa7Wla40lpy%2FnNJb4%2BoEQ8G1LHGP9Mdq2iQ55UusLukTNaw46NYp3X3FrLZdJMc%2BSQEmi1YemI3Kn8kMvPp600zA0ZE5q%2FRbhk7Z4lgnOX8ko0t23KkUPN94ihb54d2ZeMnQW8lztN4SiXs4aE4c1zA4viOcT7CSTrt4dM1lp3BOqhXNyhH72UIOYhbjoLVG3T7W%2B%2Byrk07tjQkpSPZlGeo24WHUGPHco7%2FRAOmNCCbB7OT%2FUdCqYUcOGTJu8IbYINrWMJAFSOJeg8pa7li2%2FrGvKdlg2dul791xJGqjtACCc51135G1YgFtGwqRc2Y6zkuyqOI02ztoFk1K7SBRBikGnog4OEQ2F9IYk4TGOaRXtncYw36j9odW%2FUQbPgUJWQGLGuy%2BbQryEkvIJULPB3K5b0k9ijiRytq1te%2BEhwKKdO58OAgFSpmv9BR6E9Egu%2FvBHj1f1fUQGPI30Yw61g%2FXxnVzz18aVWLkP3dFsWcIxtLrYhDwFmeP43Aj7l6nzqEdKmfqiV44Kz8k%2B0Wy4%2BjPhNm1NBRS6t3cUpXw3k67XcqbYOAuqyGqnQjb3sGcM%2FK%2BMjFudW%2FMJrjdOsrXrmw%2BCNDNA3Y3v0Rd2fDnhePJANVNiHJ9yVAFILHU6qhYVyqMR3CdBwMxYT%2F6EnvDRoHL9sekEhL3WCsAWAo%3D&checksum=3125284943547919adb31a6346dd9a7802aa98f0dcca&enc=AQAEAAACUBPxNw%2BVj6nta7CKEs3N0qWcLhZYQcgS1ycoyoh95r8vfZqKTh0YH%2BPP0AA7HdnPxh6EWFvQuScT9SVGwiSrqyJrbF0bKsfch3cIWgi3FyZv9RVFaa7Wla40lpy%2FnNJb4%2BoEQ8G1LHGP9Mdq2iQ55UusLukTNaw46NYp3X3FrLZdJMc%2BSQEmi1YemI3Kn8kMvPp600zA0ZE5q%2FRbhk7Z4lgnOX8ko0t23KkUPN94ihb54d2ZeMnQW8lztN4SiXs4aE4c1zA4viOcT7CSTrt4dM1lp3BOqhXNyhH72UIOYhbjoLVG3T7W%2B%2Byrk07tjQkpSPZlGeo24WHUGPHco7%2FRAOmNCCbB7OT%2FUdCqYUcOGTJu8IbYINrWMJAFSOJeg8pa7li2%2FrGvKdlg2dul791xJGqjtACCc51135G1YgFtGwqRc2Y6zkuyqOI02ztoFk1K7SBRBikGnog4OEQ2F9IYk4TGOaRXtncYw36j9odW%2FUQbPgUJWQGLGuy%2BbQryEkvIJULPB3K5b0k9ijiRytq1te%2BEhwKKdO58OAgFSpmv9BR6E9Egu%2FvBHj1f1fUQGPI30Yw61g%2FXxnVzz18aVWLkP3dFsWcIxtLrYhDwFmeP43Aj7l6nzqEdKmfqiV44Kz8k%2B0Wy4%2BjPhNm1NBRS6t3cUpXw3k67XcqbYOAuqyGqnQjb3sGcM%2FK%2BMjFudW%2FMJrjdOsrXrmw%2BCNDNA3Y3v0Rd2fDnhePJANVNiHJ9yVAFILHU6qhYVyqMR3CdBwMxYT%2F6EnvDRoHL9sekEhL3WCsAWAo%3D&checksum=3125284943547919adb31a6346dd9a7802aa98f0dcca

Jeff, W2NBC stopped by today and took a picture of the new lightweight, hi-fi, streamlined mic/headset.

It was an quite an engineering feat to put this together.

T


Also pictured: Two candidates for ARRL president...

Anybody remember this in the Fair Radio Catalog?

I really like my Heil Proset Plus.  It has a two position mic response switch.  I use this with my FT-950SDX and get great audio reports in the Wide response set  and it adds a bit of punch when working barefoot using the DX (comm response) setting.

KU8L