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Author Topic: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?  (Read 1145 times)

KBKZ2105

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BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« on: December 26, 2020, 06:52:15 AM »

I was asked this the other day and really did not have a answer.  With todays modern radios with RX eq's and TX eq's you can pretty much make yourself sound different with your rigs TX eq and also you can make the person you are talking to sound much different with your rigs RX eq.

Modern 100 watt rigs made in the past 4 years.

What's the best MIC for them for under 300.00?

Not interested in your Radio preferences just Microphones. 

Thank you.   

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W7CXC

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2020, 07:08:47 AM »

EV664
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KF5LJW

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2020, 07:30:04 AM »

Not sure why you would want to spend a lot of money on a microphone for radios designed to sound like crap?.  Ham radios do not have any bandwidth to work with.
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N9AMI

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2020, 07:50:31 AM »

Audio Technica ATR 30 Dynamic. Low cost, use a small eq and this microphone will run up against ANY high end microphone period. We used them on my commercial radio station and I use it on my AM transmitter.
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AC2EU

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #4 on: December 26, 2020, 08:08:21 AM »

Not sure why you would want to spend a lot of money on a microphone for radios designed to sound like crap?.  Ham radios do not have any bandwidth to work with.

Ditto!
ANY microphone has greater BW than the 200-2400Hz range of a communications radio.
You can't get blood form a stone, no matter how much money you toss at it.

K6AER

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2020, 08:14:12 AM »

Recon Chat from Walmart, $9.45. Single gaming headset.

Radio is a IC-7300, base and treble is set for zero.
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KBKZ2105

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2020, 09:22:35 AM »

Not sure why you would want to spend a lot of money on a microphone for radios designed to sound like crap?.  Ham radios do not have any bandwidth to work with.

I don't.  Any suggestions? 
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KB7TT

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #7 on: December 26, 2020, 09:43:26 AM »

Lowest price mic is the AudioTechnica ATR30.  Sounds as good as anything under $100.  No issues.
Yaesu MD100A8X for $125.00. is next.  Sold my Shure SM7B and preamp the 100 sounds as good or better on newer radios that can feed it 8vdc for the EQ switches.
The Shure SM7B does sound beautiful with a preamp and EQ.  I guess thats why they use them in broadcast news rooms.
The EV664 does  sound good on some older radios but not on Collins S-line or KWM2.  Use a Shure 444 for best sound on those.  My 664 sounds fine on Kenwood hybrids, better than an MC50.
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WA9AFM

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #8 on: December 26, 2020, 10:29:04 AM »

You didn't mention what radio you would be using which could impact comments.  In many cases, the stock microphone packed with the radio is usually pretty good.  I run a Kenwood TS-480 both phone and digital.  I've gotten numerous unsolicited reports on how good my audio sounded.  When asked what mike I'm using, my answer was always 'the mike that came in the box'.
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KBKZ2105

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #9 on: December 26, 2020, 10:30:14 AM »

Lowest price mic is the AudioTechnica ATR30.  Sounds as good as anything under $100.  No issues.
Yaesu MD100A8X for $125.00. is next.  Sold my Shure SM7B and preamp the 100 sounds as good or better on newer radios that can feed it 8vdc for the EQ switches.
The Shure SM7B does sound beautiful with a preamp and EQ.  I guess thats why they use them in broadcast news rooms.
The EV664 does  sound good on some older radios but not on Collins S-line or KWM2.  Use a Shure 444 for best sound on those.  My 664 sounds fine on Kenwood hybrids, better than an MC50.

Thank you.  Looking for mics for radios 4 years old or newer.  Not the Collins S-line.  And we are not in a broadcast news room. 
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WA9FZB

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2020, 11:12:36 AM »

I've recently boxed and stored my desk microphone.  I only do about 2-10% SSB, but I have changed over to a headset/microphone combo.  Currently, I am using a cheap-O computer gaming headset I bought, along with the necessary adapter to fit my rig, from W2ENY.  This works just fine for me.  The headset is cheap, so I actually bought a spare Koss headset/mic, and with both headsets and the adapter, I probably have about $100 invested.

Microphones are like CW keys in that if you ask 'n' hams their opinion, you will definitely receive 'n+x' replies, where x is any number greater than zero.  What works "best" for me, may not be very good for you.  Or, it may not work at all.  You can get answers to the "work at all?" question here on ling, but as to how it will sound with your rig and your voice characteristics, we can only guess.

Oh, and as someone else asked, what rig are you running?  Different microphones may sound a bit different with different rigs.
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KBKZ2105

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2020, 01:58:49 PM »

I've recently boxed and stored my desk microphone.  I only do about 2-10% SSB, but I have changed over to a headset/microphone combo.  Currently, I am using a cheap-O computer gaming headset I bought, along with the necessary adapter to fit my rig, from W2ENY.  This works just fine for me.  The headset is cheap, so I actually bought a spare Koss headset/mic, and with both headsets and the adapter, I probably have about $100 invested.

Microphones are like CW keys in that if you ask 'n' hams their opinion, you will definitely receive 'n+x' replies, where x is any number greater than zero.  What works "best" for me, may not be very good for you.  Or, it may not work at all.  You can get answers to the "work at all?" question here on ling, but as to how it will sound with your rig and your voice characteristics, we can only guess.

Oh, and as someone else asked, what rig are you running?  Different microphones may sound a bit different with different rigs.

I have several around 4 years old all have built in eq's. I'm just simply asking what mic do you like?
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W1VT

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2020, 02:40:57 PM »

I use a headset with a foot switch.  This is great for contesting as it allows me to type with both hands.

Zak W1VT
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KBKZ2105

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2020, 03:45:47 PM »

I use a headset with a foot switch.  This is great for contesting as it allows me to type with both hands.

Zak W1VT

OMG I have the same headset. 
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KD6VXI

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Re: BEST MIC FOR UNDER 300.00 WHAT'S YOUR PIC?
« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2020, 08:20:07 AM »

The venerable D-104.  If you have a non amplified type, built a mpf102 preamp in the base.  If you have any of the amplified versions use a 4.7 megohm resistor in series with the mic element, between the mic element and amplifier board.

These are some of the most articulate and clean mics when terminated properly.

Cheap, too.  Under 75 bucks most of the time.  Includes PTT as well!

--Shane
KD6VXI
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