Hello Joe, I thought about going the Radio Shack electret element route myself. The only reason I didn't is I wanted the ability to use the headset with another radio besides the K3. Like at FD other contest stations, etc.
But yours is a great suggestion. On 3/26/2012 10:14 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote: > > In doing the above mods to the SB40 you end up with a VERY comfortable > > headset with a great sounding mic element. I just could not get the > > stock SB40 element to sound good. The HC5 rocks. > > The alternative is to use one of the Radio Shack electret elements in > the SB-40 mic housing. The electret elements are essentially the same > as the one in the CM-500 with performance similar to the new HC-6 - > broader than the HC 5. With HC-5, HC-6 or an electret element one > will still want to use the K3 TS EQ to roll off audio below 200 Hz > and add 3 to 6 dB per octave of pre-emphasis above 800 Hz. > > 73, > > ... Joe, W4TV > > > On 3/25/2012 3:11 PM, Gary K9GS wrote: >> Final post on my quest for the ultimate headset for my K3. >> >> First, a TON of thanks to Lu, W4LT. His step-by-step for replacing the >> mic housing on the SB40 with the housing from a Heil BM10 was first rate! >> >> Here's what I ended up doing. >> >> I replaced the microphone housing on the SB40 with a microphone housing >> from a broken Heil BM10. Heil still sells the housings and windscreens. >> >> In place of the crappy SB40 dynamic mic element I replaced it with a >> Heil HC5 that a friend had. It's a pity that Heil no longer sells the >> HC4 and HC5 elements separately. Ask around though...you'll find >> someone that has one laying around. >> >> In doing the above mods to the SB40 you end up with a VERY comfortable >> headset with a great sounding mic element. I just could not get the >> stock SB40 element to sound good. The HC5 rocks. >> >> By the way, I don't own a Yamaha CM500 but others have said it is >> identical to the SB40 except for the CM500 has an electret element and >> requires bias. >> >> >> >> On 3/17/2012 11:50 AM, Lu Romero wrote: >>> Gary: >>> >>> I own both a Koss SB40 and two Yamaha CM500'ds. >>> >>> The Koss and the Yamaha are exactly identical, save for one >>> thing... The microphone capsule. >>> >>> The Koss SB40 has a dynamic capsule while the Yamaha CM500 >>> has a electret condenser capsule. Other than that, the >>> headsets are exactly identical in every detail except for >>> the name. Probably made in the same Chinese jobber. >>> >>> But here is where the simialarity ends: The Yamaha >>> electrect capsule is flat and can be made to sound really >>> great on the K3. The Koss dynamic capsule is all bass, very >>> mushy, and has low output. Even engaging the K3 equalizers >>> and tweaking a lot, I could not make my SB40 sound very good >>> at all. The capsule just sounds ugly. >>> >>> The fix for this is to remove the two screws that hold the >>> capsule on the SB40's boom and remove the offending >>> microphone that looks surprisingly like a cheap Chinese >>> dynamic earphone (its actually the same exact size as a IPod >>> headset element and looks identical!) and replace it. In my >>> case, I had an old Heil BM-5 with a bad earpiece but a >>> perfectly good DX4 capsule. I removed the plastic mic >>> holder from the rigid Heil boom, and with a slight widening >>> of the boom inlet with a Dremel tool, it fits right on to >>> the SB40 boom! Solder up the existing wires from the Koss >>> mic and you have a wonderfully comfortable headset with a >>> very flexible boom that, in my case, works great on my >>> secondary Kenwood TS570 rig. >>> >>> Of course, YMMV, but it works for me here! >>> >>> Lu - W4LT >>> Using the "AL/K-Line": K3/P3/ALS600/MFJ998 >>> Al Kaline: 1960's Detroit Tigers Slugger >>> >>> --------------------------------- >>> >>> Message: 20 >>> Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:33:06 -0500 >>> From: Gary K9GS<garyk...@wi.rr.com> >>> Subject: [Elecraft] Koss Headsets for the K3 (Was: Re: >>> Yamaha CM500 >>> Headset)www >>> To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net >>> Message-ID:<4f62b472.6020...@wi.rr.com> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed >>> >>> An update: >>> >>> I stopped by the Koss Factory Store today. I looked at the >>> SB49 first. >>> (The SB45 is identical to the SB49 but without the volume >>> control in the >>> cord). I didn't really like the way the SB49 fit. It's a >>> very >>> subjective thing but comfort was what I was looking for. >>> The other >>> thing I didn't like was the flexible boom for the microphone >>> was very >>> "whippy". It was almost like a wet noodle. Not good..... >>> >>> Next I looked at the SB40. The fit was great and very >>> comfortable for >>> the 5 minutes I wore it. The mic boom was stiffer too. The >>> SB40 has a >>> dynamic mic element. I ended up buying the SB40. The price >>> was $39.00 >>> plus sales tax. >>> >>> I was all set to buy a Yamaha CM500 but I really wanted to >>> see how they >>> fit first. I looked at a couple places and couldn't find a >>> local store >>> that had the CM500. For this reason I look at Koss. The >>> other thing >>> Koss has going for it is the limited lifetime warranty. >>> Being that I >>> live near the factory this is a big advantage. Second is >>> that I've >>> owned other Koss products and have always been very happy >>> with them. >>> >>> As I said I've never used the Yamaha CM500 but the Koss SB40 >>> looks very >>> similar. >>> >>> I'm also kind of a headphone junkie. With the K3 I figure >>> that most >>> modern headsets have much more performance (frequency >>> response, etc) >>> than one needs for communication. So they are all pretty >>> much up to the >>> task. Same for the microphone. With the TX and RX Eq >>> features of the >>> K3 I decided to concentrate on fit and comfort. I think >>> that juist >>> about any headset and microphone can be made to sound good. >>> >>> I haven't used the SB40's yet but will report back once I've >>> played with >>> them a bit. Here's the link to the Koss website: >>> >>> http://www.koss.com/en/products/headphones/communication_headsets >>> >>> >>> >>> > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > -- 73, Gary K9GS Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com CW Ops #1032 http://www.cwops.org ************************************************ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
