Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: YAESU MD 100A8X Dexk-Top Microphone w/Tone Control

Category: Microphones for ham radio

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : YAESU MD 100A8X Dexk-Top Microphone w/Tone Control
Reviews: 93MSRP: $125.50 @ R&L Electronics
Description:
Yaesu, traets this as their top-of -the-line high end Mic, and as well they should. I have used Heil, Sure ICOM and other various microphones, which are from stand alone to hand mics, not that I'm the expert. But from the time I have incorporated the MD 100, the audio reports have been nothing less than "Excellent", so I'll let nealry 400 QSOs, from the mics use speak for themself! I use one for HF and the other for UHF/VHF with assured audio quality. W8DMC
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15934.6
M5TAW Rating: 2004-04-21
Improvement Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I own an 897 which is supplied with a terribly bassy sounding hand mic. The MD 100 undoubtably sounds better, good unsolicted audio reports. The filtering is a good addition too. There are a couple of gripes though: Shame the mic is not amplified, my MC60A & SM 20 made a significant improvement to drive on my Kenwood & Icom radios. The MD 100 drives the radio about as well as the standard mic, but you must be equally as close to the mic element. The up / down does not work as it should, similar to the previous posting with 857, my radio stitches its self off. Maybe some problem with the design & modular plug. Otherwise happy with audio & build quality.
N8IWK Rating: 2004-01-15
Excellent audio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I also use my 100A8X with a FT-857, great sounding audio.
To answer the question on the previous post regarding using the mic on an 857:
The "up" "Down" collar actually has 2 positions, turn it part way to select up down scan functions or turn the collar all the way which takes the place of the "FST" button on the stock 857 microphone.
Checking in the 857 manual reveals that the stock MH-31 microphone "FST" button is used to select "FAST" mode or if pressed and held for a while will shut the radio off. I found it also powers it on if it's turned off.


----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N8IWK on 2003-08-19

Purchased the Yaesu MD 100A8X Desk-Top Microphone over a year ago for my FT-840 and it worked great.
Just recently got a FT-857 but it has a modular mic connector instead of the round connector found on the 840. I thought I was gogin to have to get another mic cable or adapter but then I discovered if I reversed the mic cable around by connecting the round connector into the mic's 8 pin output connector instead of the modular and plug the modular connector to the 857 it worked!!!
Now I can use the mic on either radio, just by simply flipping the cable ends around.
N5ETR Rating: 2004-01-14
Great mic...but Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This mic appears to be great. But plugged to a Yaesu FT-857, I get an unusual result. This mic has a scan up and down collar. In theory, you hold the down, and it should initiate a down scan, like it does on the mobile mic.
But it is causing the FT-857 simply to cut off. I get the same result whether I plug 8pin to modular or modular to modular....anyone else seen this?

Thanks for any help!
KF4LVC Rating: 2004-01-11
Best for Yaesu! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been using this one for almost two years with Yaesu rigs. For the last year, it's been attached to my FT-920. It sounds as good, or better, than my D104 I use with my Icom IC-746. The filtering is very handy and the radio has an internal equalizer for further tailoring. I usually have to keep the speech processor ON for better punch. I have never wired it for another rig.
It would have been better if the mic was amplified.
I hope Yaesu comes out with a new mic that is amplified and has variable equalization on-board. As far as price, I got mine new with a trade so I actually paid nothing for it. Can't beat that price!
KC8GWK Rating: 2003-08-10
Great Mic Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought this mic about 6months ago and have had nothing but excellant audio reports. I love all the features that work with my FT-847. Great mic!!!! The only problem is that I have lost my spec/instruction sheet for it and was wondering if any owners would be able to scan and send me a copy?? Thank You very much. williamst@dmci.net
'73
KG6JEV Rating: 2003-05-30
Excellent mic! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this mic on eBay in new condition for $95. The manual says it will work with the 757, 747 and any other 8-pin Yaesu radio, but when I connected it to my FT-767, the PTT wouldn't work. After looking at the schematic of the radio and reverse engineering the mic, tried shorting pins 5 and 7 of the mics 8-pin connector. Don't try this one at home, folks. I suspect it shorts out the radio's 5 volt regulator, causing the display to blank. One of the hams on the Yahoo FT-767GX group bought the same mic and ran into the same trouble. Fortunately, he was able to find the Yaesu modification for the mic, which allows all its features to be used with this rig. After modifying my MD-100, I decided to give it a go on 17m. Initially, the speech processor was turned on and set to about mid position, with tx shift set fully cw. With the mics high emphasis and low cut turned off, the audio report from the other station was very good. After doing some experimentation with the mic and radio, we found that the best audio was achieved by turning off the speech processor. This produced an excellent ragchew sound quality. With the mic's high emphasis turned on, the other station noted that intelligibility was enhanced, and commented that the audio would be perfect for chasing DX. He was very impressed with the sound quality produced by the 767 and MD-100. Just for grins, decided to reconnect the old Realistic Dynamic Unidirectional mic I had been using. Immediately, I noticed the difference on my ALC meter and, while he said the audio from the Realistic was acceptable, it wasn't even comparable to the sound quality from the MD-100A8X. Even though I've only made a couple of QSOs with this mic, it's a keeper. If you can find one in new condition on eBay for a reasonable price, I'd recommend it highly. Even if you have to spend full price, it's still money well-spent.

73,

Steven
W7CO Rating: 2003-05-24
Great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got mine. Hooked it up and everything works as advertized. I now longer have to shout to drive the ALC. Getting great reports. Another satisfied customer.
KE4EX Rating: 2003-05-10
#4# $4$ = :>) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
On the reccomendaton of some friends who run the MD-100 and sound really great. I decided to give it a try.
I Ordered a MD-100 for my FT 1000 MK V Field.
Without saying a word and setting it up very close to K2CZR, Mike's reccomendation; to say the least I was impressed and got great audio reports. I had read an article about the mic head pins being wired on the older ones to pin 5 not to pin 7 which is the mic grnd.
I made it a point to check that first, yaesu must have lisen to someone.
I do not use the tone controls on the bottom, I have thw mic boom mounted and control all the audio with the radio.
PA1HR Rating: 2003-04-20
Excellent reports! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use the MD-100 in combination with the FT-1000D. Even from the most critical HAM around I got excellent reports! Even with the processor switched on. I don't use the filters (switched to THRU). It matches perfectly with the 1000D. It is very stable and excellent quality. The UP/DWN is very nice to put the 1000D on the right 0.01 kHz. I am able to do some comparisons with the MD-200. The MD-100 has the same quality as the more expensive MD-200. I use the MD-200 in combination with the Mark V. Very happy with both microphones!
K2CZR Rating: 2003-04-20
Perfect match Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have tried several different mics with, and without, outboard gear. On the FT1000MP
the best mic is the MD100. Proper menu configuration is essential, but simply put, you
really do not need anything else to get great audio. Here are the preferred MP settings.
4-4 = OFF, 5-9 = 6.0, 7-7 = 100 to 3100 and all 8-9 settings to 0. On the mic, Low cut
= 0, High Emphasis = on.