darticus
Member
Is there a way to test a power mic to see if its working not connected to the radio. Can earphones be connected to it. How do you know the audio out pin of the mic? Thanks Ron
-
To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:
Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.
If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.
To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.
The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.
For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).
This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.
Power Mic Testing Question
- Thread starter darticus
- Start date
- Status
WA0CBW
Member
Well not an easy way but there are ways. You could build a small audio amplifier and connect it to the mic. You could connect an oscilloscope to the mic and see if it produces audio. There are test boxes that can do basically the same thing. The easiest way would be to connect it to the CB and see if it works. That is of course assuming it is wired correctly for the CB in use and the CB is working.
BB
BB
k3cfc
Silent Key
There is a very easy way to test several microphones. EBAY put in mic tester there is a hoard of them in there i have one of these and they are excellent.
hope this helps.
K3CFC
You can connect it to any audio amp and listen in headphones to avoid feedback with a speaker, that's the simplest way. After using a few like the classic Turner +2 and Sure 444T back in my CB daze I came to the conclusion they give best (100%) modulation when the output level is the same as a non amplified mic like the plain old 444. Any increase in gain only distorts the audio and communications effectiveness suffers and such over-modulation causes splatter on adjacent channels. That really annoys the "neighbors" and leads to complaints. Bottom line here is a power mic is a waste of batteries.
sdeeter19555
Member
Agree'd...
And the worst part is the guys using a power mic on top of a clipped and hacked radio...ugly.
prcguy
Member
The output of a typical CB power mic can be easily heard in high impedance headphones or earphones. Just clip the ground of the mic to the earphone common and poke the tip of the earphone connector to each pin on the mic plug (when it's keyed) until you hear something.
prcguy
prcguy
What's a high impedance headphone? They went south ages ago, today everything is 8 ohms or thereabouts.
prcguy
Member
Today most headphones and ear buds are in the 16 to 200ohm range. You can plug many directly into an electric guitar and the pickups can be heard just fine.
prcguy
prcguy
prcguy
Member
Forgot to add that many of today's music playing devices like iPods, iPads, cell phones, etc do not put out enough current to drive 8ohm headphones and they will distort when turned up very far. That's probably why headphones made in the last 20yrs or so are all higher impedance.
prcguy
prcguy
ind224
Member
Yes, I too love MP3 crap quality recordings via "headphones/earbuds" that don't have a chance in a million to actually reproduce music IF it were to be
real high fidelity at the source.
Not to mention the "wire" they use is stranded ~100 gauge with the fiber
added for strength. Makes replacing a plug or damaged wire to the element nearly impossible.
A K40 compressor does not have batteries. It has a cap that charges on receive. Loud and clean. Scoping your output via SM220 or similar lets you make sure you are not a Class C type "how much do it swing?" yahoo.
What mic do you have?
real high fidelity at the source.
Not to mention the "wire" they use is stranded ~100 gauge with the fiber
added for strength. Makes replacing a plug or damaged wire to the element nearly impossible.
A K40 compressor does not have batteries. It has a cap that charges on receive. Loud and clean. Scoping your output via SM220 or similar lets you make sure you are not a Class C type "how much do it swing?" yahoo.
What mic do you have?
It's properly called Litz wire but I've been calling it tinsel wire for years. Nothing new, WW2 era headphones used it for flexibility, I had to replace it with zip cord on my Western Electric B29 cans. I also have a Bendix key from one but I digress.
I suppose you're right, due to compact size those portable players don't have enough output power to drive an 8 ohm load without distortion. Funny how in the days of shoulder carried boom boxes they cranked them up to the point they sounded like fuzz boxes and bopped down the street like Mister Natural truckin'. (Art Crumb and Zap Comix, Google is your friend.)
I guess being old school my idea of headphones bears no resemblance to those used on portable devices, more like broadcast and recording studios. I used headphones long before the Sony Walkman was invented. (;->)
I suppose you're right, due to compact size those portable players don't have enough output power to drive an 8 ohm load without distortion. Funny how in the days of shoulder carried boom boxes they cranked them up to the point they sounded like fuzz boxes and bopped down the street like Mister Natural truckin'. (Art Crumb and Zap Comix, Google is your friend.)
I guess being old school my idea of headphones bears no resemblance to those used on portable devices, more like broadcast and recording studios. I used headphones long before the Sony Walkman was invented. (;->)
k3cfc
Silent Key
Yea Warren you are right. i still have my headphones from the days of cat whisker crystal radio. they were fun to work at night you could hear all over. but now there gone.
Ah yes, those classic 2,000 ohm Brush headsets with phone tips that fit Fahnstock clips, push terminals and binding posts. I used them for lots of things including that every kid gotta have one crystal set. Trouble is the only station I could get was WOR, a 50KW flamethrower whose tower beacons I could see out my bedroom window at night.
- Status
