Notice of NEW PART NUMBERS - Mobile Microphones

[kd4efm]

April 2019, the new mobile mic will be coming out and replacing the KMC-35 and 36 Microphones.

The new part number is KMC-65 (standard) and KMC-66 (dtmf)

KMC-35 2019 FEB <Limited Availability> KMC-65 (APR 2019)
KMC-36 2019 FEB <Limited Availability> KMC-66 (APR 2019)

 

[domes]

That's why I don't argue with people who think DMR sounds better than NXDN. These are "DMR Mics". I assume these are more $. Even Kenwood needs noise-cancelling mics in DMR mode to make the same NX-3000/5000 radios sound as good as they do in NXDN mode. Note that they didn't have to make special NXDN mics to make NXDN sound better. Most of what makes "DMR mics" special is the RF shielding & shunting to keep that d*+*! TDMA pulses out of the radio/audio.

 

[MSS-Dave]

Where does it say these are DMR mics?

 

[kd4efm]

I agree, where does it say that?, I am looking at the product bulletin.

 

[domes]

KW may not say why they are replacing the standard mobile mics in the above notice but I know that KW has received complaints that their DMR audio sounds like any other DMR radio in DMR mode. Current price pages for mics & audio accessories for dual mode NXDN/DMR models indicate which devices are compatible or not compatible with "DMR (TDMA) operation". For example, the 9C desk mic is listed as non compatible with DMR and the 59C is listed as compatible with all modes. It looks like they are replacing all non-DMR compatible devices at least for the 3000 & 5000 series mobiles & portables. Besides that - I have been told by KW that the new TDMA shielded mobile mics were coming several months ago to "fix the DMR audio" issue with the 3280 mobiles.

 

[kd4efm]

Mss Dave and I are techs for our dealers.
We see the same things you do. Thanks for the info for others to read up on.


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[domes]

Mss Dave and I are techs for our dealers.
We see the same things you do. Thanks for the info for others to read up on.


Me too. KW brought out the KMC-59C base mic and updated portable spkr/mics about a year ago. I'm surprised that the mobile mics took this long. The 59C desk mic costs about $100 more that the 9C. I haven't seen the price of the new mobile mic yet but hope they are not also +100 ? That probably means that the mobile prices will go up accordingly too. We have been using the new desk mic on all of our Nexedge sales primarily because it doesn't look like it was designed in 1970's, like the 9C.

 

[mmckenna]

We have been using the new desk mic on all of our Nexedge sales primarily because it doesn't look like it was designed in 1970's, like the 9C.

I brought that up to Kenwood back in 2011 or so. The 9C looked like something left over from the 70's. The color looked like it had sat in some smokey office all its life, even brand new. When I asked them at IWCE so many years ago, I got a "we know, we're working on a replacement". Glad they finally did. That 9C never matched the newer radio very well.

 

[domes]

LOL . I never thought of it as tobacco smoke stain but that is a good description.

 

[FARMER522]

I sure hope the mic cords are better on these new ones. The cords on the KMC 35 and 36 are junk and don't last long before they start sounding like crap or start to look like a dog shredded the cords!!!! The KMC 27's cords were just as bad about coming apart.

 

[mmckenna]

I sure hope the mic cords are better on these new ones. The cords on the KMC 35 and 36 are junk and don't last long before they start sounding like crap or start to look like a dog shredded the cords!!!! The KMC 27's cords were just as bad about coming apart.

I've never had that issue with the Kenwood KMC 35's. I've probably got a hundred or so of them in use, and no issues with them.

Some of the older ones don't age well, though.

 

[FARMER522]

Give them time, the 35's will start to come apart as well. They haven't been as bad as the 27's but one of the other big problems with the 35's in my area are after a short period of time they will start to sound bad, you can unplug the mic and plug it back in and it will start acting right again or swap it with a different radio and it will be fine. My local Sheriff dept. went to a NXDN site roaming system and after about 2 months the mics started sounding like you were wadding up a piece of paper in the background while will you were talking, swap it with a new one and the problem went away immediately. Kenwood came in and looked into some other issues with the system and give all new mics as well, when asked about it they stated they new they had a issue with the 35's but corporate Kenwood hasn't admitted to it.

 

[domes]

Never had any real issues with the KMC-35. Has about average life span. What I like about it is the $55 retail made it a throw away mic. It didn't make sense to replace a $30 mic cord on a $55 mic and then have the element or PTT contacts go bad latter so we replace the mics. We have hundreds in service on NXDN systems without any issues. Have had problems with RF pulses in DMR service. Cords seem to last about 5 years and when they go bad on NX systems we get service complaints about "hearing static on TX" but it is an obvious frayed cord.. I have not seen the price of the replacement mic yet.

 

[69CJ]

Give them time, the 35's will start to come apart as well. They haven't been as bad as the 27's but one of the other big problems with the 35's in my area are after a short period of time they will start to sound bad, you can unplug the mic and plug it back in and it will start acting right again or swap it with a different radio and it will be fine. My local Sheriff dept. went to a NXDN site roaming system and after about 2 months the mics started sounding like you were wadding up a piece of paper in the background while will you were talking, swap it with a new one and the problem went away immediately. Kenwood came in and looked into some other issues with the system and give all new mics as well, when asked about it they stated they new they had a issue with the 35's but corporate Kenwood hasn't admitted to it.

I will agree with Farmer. I manage our county wide system, we have had nothing but problems with our mobile mics. The connector becomes loose and introduces static in the transmission. I have about a hundred of them in a box right now. Our system has 965 subscribers. From what I know, other agencies have the same issue and it's been going on for several years with any ownership by KW.

 

[LTR]

Yep, same problem here with the mics. Especially the ones that are in buses. They would pull the cords, and for some reason drivers would wrap the cord around the radio so it wasn't as long, and in wrapping the cord, they would pull it tight from the connector causing issues. We mostly fixed the issue by putting a "strain relief" on the cord, and created a loop at the connector to keep it from pulling.

 

[eagle5473]

The KMC-66 mics with the phone buttons on them. Can they be programmed to change the channels on the radio, or have each button programmed for a channel on the radio?

 

[kd4efm]

The KMC-66 mics with the phone buttons on them. Can they be programmed to change the channels on the radio, or have each button programmed for a channel on the radio?

Yes

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