SYS: ONLINE|UTC --:--:--|BAND: All bands
SWR: 1.2PWR: 100WQTH: EN52
Operating & Logging

Microphone

The first stage of your transmitted signal. Cheap to improve, hard to fake.

Microphone engineering reference drawing
Specification summary
TypeDynamic moving coil, or electret condenser
Frequency response300-3000 Hz shaped for speech intelligibility
Impedance600 ohm to 50 kohm depending on the radio input
PatternCardioid or omnidirectional
Connector8-pin round, RJ-45, or 1/4 inch depending on the radio
PTTBar or switch on the housing
ProcessingCompression and equalisation set on the radio, not the mic
Stage: Operate
f: 300-3000 HzZ: 600 ohmtype: DYNAMICpat: CARDIOID

Overview

On SSB the microphone is not a peripheral — it is the modulator. Everything the transmitter sends begins as an acoustic signal at the microphone element, and no amount of processing downstream can recover intelligibility that was never captured.

A dynamic communications microphone with a shaped response in the 300 to 3000 Hz range is the traditional choice. It rejects low-frequency room rumble that carries no speech information, and it is robust and needs no power. The gain setting and the distance from your mouth matter far more than the price of the element.

Bands and modes

Band coverage

All bands

Modes

SSBAMFM

Safety note

Microphones and their cables carry low-level audio and present no electrical hazard. The hazard in this part of the station is RF feedback, which can cause burns at the microphone housing if RF is present on the shield — fix the earth rather than tolerating it.

Using it well

  • Hold the microphone off to the side of your mouth to avoid breath noise.
  • Set the microphone gain so peaks just reach the ALC range, never beyond.
  • Speak across the element at a constant distance rather than varying it.
  • Test with a dummy load and a monitor receiver before going on air.
Reference material for educational use. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy a particular product, and no communication distance or performance is promised. Confirm figures against the equipment you actually have and against the regulations that apply where you operate.
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Logbook Software engineering reference drawing
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Oscilloscope engineering reference drawing
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