Elecraft

Astatic D-104 Microphone

Classic

List

Threaded

8 messages Options

Dale Gray

Astatic D-104 Microphone

All,

I recently was given an Astatic D-104 mic. I have not opened the mic yet and it has been modified with a ptt switch. I assume to lock the mic in transmit without holding the grip.

I have the pin out for the K3 connector but I was wondering if anyone has used this mic. If so, what were the wire colors to the 8 pin K3 connector.

TIA

Dale
K3SEN
Sent from my iPad
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

Dale,

You will have to be more specific - there are several types of D-104
microphones.
The original crystal element which is very high impedance and will not
work well directly with modern transceivers with a nominal 600 ohm input
impedance.
Then there was the ceramic element which has a high impedance and is
similar to the crystal element.
Then with the advent of CB, the amplified D-104 came into being. That
microphone can be used on modern transceivers, but be careful with the
gain setting so you don't sound like the audio overdriving CBer with a
lot of distortion.

If you have either the crystal or ceramic element D-104, I can send you
a schematic for an FET buffer amplifier that works quite well with the
K2 or K3. Send me a private email since the reflector does not accept
attachments.

I am a bit confused by your question about the PTT. The normal D-104
G-stand has a bar which activates PTT when you grip it. There is a
sliding "bit of metal" that can be moved up on that bar to keep it
locked in. There are other D-104 stands that have some bars on the
base which can provide PTT, but I have not investigated those.

As for the colors of the wires, I do not recall. I suggest you do a
Google search to find the colors for your specific D-104 microphone.
You might find some relevant information at
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/rg4wpw/d104.html, but that is for the
amplified version. I believe the colors from the non-amplified head are
the same as those shown as inputs to the amplifier.

The D-104 is still a great microphone when adapted to modern low
impedance rigs. I personally use a classic with the G-stand and the FET
in the base of the microphone.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/27/2014 8:01 PM, Dale Gray wrote:
> All,
>
> I recently was given an Astatic D-104 mic. I have not opened the mic yet and it has been modified with a ptt switch. I assume to lock the mic in transmit without holding the grip.
>
> I have the pin out for the K3 connector but I was wondering if anyone has used this mic. If so, what were the wire colors to the 8 pin K3 connector.
>
>

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

Hank Garretson

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

On Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 5:29 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:

The D-104 is still a great microphone when adapted to modern low impedance
> rigs.

Each time this subject comes up, I say the same thing, and it is true.

Old D-104s, crystal or cermanic, do not need any adaptation to the K3. I
have used my classic crystal D-104 as-is with the K3. On-the-air checks
with audio maestro K9YC confirm that it gives outstanding audio. As Don,
suggests just be careful with gain settings. Try it for yourself without
the FET amplifier.

73,

Hank, W6SX
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

bdenley

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

My favorite is the D-104 base with the Astatic 10-DA dynamic head. Sounds very nice.

Brian KB1VBF

Sent from my iPad

> On Jan 28, 2014, at 12:49 AM, Hank Garretson <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 5:29 PM, Don Wilhelm <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> The D-104 is still a great microphone when adapted to modern low impedance
>> rigs.
>
>
> Each time this subject comes up, I say the same thing, and it is true.
>
> Old D-104s, crystal or cermanic, do not need any adaptation to the K3. I
> have used my classic crystal D-104 as-is with the K3. On-the-air checks
> with audio maestro K9YC confirm that it gives outstanding audio. As Don,
> suggests just be careful with gain settings. Try it for yourself without
> the FET amplifier.
>
> 73,
>
> Hank, W6SX
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

John Fritze

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

In reply to this post by Dale Gray

I am currently in the middle of converting a D-104 Eagle into a usable mic
and have had a bit of experience in the past with them. I am trying to
recapture a bit of the nostalgia from my early ham days. I paid too much
for it, but not only is the chrome flawless, but it came with the original
box which surprisingly is in really good condition.

Anyway what Don says is true, there were several models and until you
dismantle it you will not know what one you have. BUT on the plus side,
when I removed the bottom plate, "looky-looky" there was a schematic
diagram pasted to the inside with the wire colors for my model listed. My
mic had a large element (probably carbon) and an amplifier circuit with 9V
battery (still in there---yuck) in the base. So remove the bottom, and if
there is no schematic, but your mic sounds like it is the same model I
described, let me know and I will try to send you a picture of the
schematic.

I ordered a Heil 5.1 rebuild kit from: * http://www.dxstore.com/heil_parts.html
<http://www.dxstore.com/heil_parts.html> * for $50. I needed some small
parts for several of my older head sets like foam pads and so forth, so
perfect timing.

--
John Fritze Jr
K2QY
[hidden email]
ACACES president 2014
Albany County RACES Radio Officer
ARES ENY DEC Northern District
Hudson Div. Asst. Director
Twitter: @k2qy
401 261 4996 (cell)

Owner: K2, K3, P3, KPA500, KAT500, KX3 and still waiting: KXPA100
and a large vat of purple kool aid and proud of it!
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

Joe Subich, W4TV-4

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

The easiest way to use an unamplified D-104 with the K3, or replace a
bad/noisy transistor preamp is this single FET circuit from W9AC:
http://72.52.250.47/images/D104.pdf

The single FET is uniquely suited for the high impedance crystal
element and "bias on the mic" power. When handled properly the
Astatic crystal element is far superior to the commodity dynamic
elements sold at tremendous mark-up by the "name" amateur vendor.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 1/28/2014 8:40 AM, John Fritze wrote:

> I am currently in the middle of converting a D-104 Eagle into a usable mic
> and have had a bit of experience in the past with them. I am trying to
> recapture a bit of the nostalgia from my early ham days. I paid too much
> for it, but not only is the chrome flawless, but it came with the original
> box which surprisingly is in really good condition.
>
> Anyway what Don says is true, there were several models and until you
> dismantle it you will not know what one you have. BUT on the plus side,
> when I removed the bottom plate, "looky-looky" there was a schematic
> diagram pasted to the inside with the wire colors for my model listed. My
> mic had a large element (probably carbon) and an amplifier circuit with 9V
> battery (still in there---yuck) in the base. So remove the bottom, and if
> there is no schematic, but your mic sounds like it is the same model I
> described, let me know and I will try to send you a picture of the
> schematic.
>
> I ordered a Heil 5.1 rebuild kit from: * http://www.dxstore.com/heil_parts.html
> <http://www.dxstore.com/heil_parts.html> * for $50. I needed some small
> parts for several of my older head sets like foam pads and so forth, so
> perfect timing.
>
>
>

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

In reply to this post by John Fritze

D-104 microphones with the amplifier in the base work just fine with
modern rigs. Look at the bottom of the microphone - if it has a hole
with an adjustable potentiometer below the hole, it has the amplifier.

The Heil rebuild kit is not needed unless the mic element is bad. The
frequency shaping of the Astatic mic element is very similar to the Heil
HC-5 mic element, but the Astatic element needs to work into a high
impedance (100k to 1 megohm) to preserve that shaping. In an all-tube
transmitter, that high impedance was presented by the grid of the
microphone amplifier.
Those D-104 mics with an amplifier will work into a much lower impedance
mic input without any change.

The old crystal elements could go bad if exposed to temperature extremes
or rough handling, but the more common ceramic elements are practically
indestructible. Astatic made these microphones over a long period of
time dating back to the 1950s or before, and there were changes from
time to time.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/28/2014 8:40 AM, John Fritze wrote:

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Astatic D-104 Microphone

In reply to this post by Joe Subich, W4TV-4

I might add that if one has an amplified D-104, but wants to remove the
dependency on the battery in the base, that single FET addition can
replace the amplifier in the mic. Yes, I have done that in one of my
D-104 mics. It also works for the K2 when the microphone configuration
header is wired for the Elecraft MH2 microphone (with the bias resistor).

73,
Don W3FPR

On 1/28/2014 8:58 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

>
> The easiest way to use an unamplified D-104 with the K3, or replace a
> bad/noisy transistor preamp is this single FET circuit from W9AC:
> http://72.52.250.47/images/D104.pdf
>
> The single FET is uniquely suited for the high impedance crystal
> element and "bias on the mic" power. When handled properly the
> Astatic crystal element is far superior to the commodity dynamic
> elements sold at tremendous mark-up by the "name" amateur vendor.
>
> 73,
>
> ... Joe, W4TV
>
>