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Reviews For: Turner Super Sidekick

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Turner Super Sidekick
Reviews: 21MSRP: 175
Description:
Amplified Desk Microphone
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00214.9
N7UQA Rating: 2007-09-29
Good low cost microphone Time Owned: more than 12 months.
For a microphone that has had a long history in the CB service they make great microphone for use in the amateur radio service as well. However, caution should be exercised when connecting these mics to some transceivers, especially Icom radios. On my Turner, there are two DPDT leaf switches under the PTT bar. One for T/R switching and the other applies power to the preamp and mutes the mic line by shorting it to ground. I recommend modifying the microphone so it doesn't short the mic line to ground. Icom radios have a 'dual purpose' pin for the mic input, not only is it the microphone input but there is also 8 volts present on this pin to power condenser elements. Shorting it to ground is NOT recommended, you may cause the regulator to fail if it doesn't have over current protection.



Craig - N7UQA
PA7WWO Rating: 2007-09-29
update long lost friend Time Owned: N.A.
Hi All

Still use the Turner SSK on my FT920.
Still working exelent and recently I bought a Ameritron 572B amp.
The Turner keeps to amaze me no trouble with 1 kW and vy close antenna range , no HF detection and adio always OK.
I have the habbit to replace battery once a year and find it in mince condx every year I replace it , I might just try to change it once in 2 yrs , but to be one safe side I replace it once a year.
Battery replacement is all I have done the last 7 yrs since I bought it second hand.
these mikes are build solid asa rock and last and last and last without trouble for many yaers.

73 Jos pa7wwo

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Earlier 5-star review posted by PA7WWO on 2004-08-29

I bought a super side kick a fiew years ago on a fleemarket and use it with great fun on a ft 920.
I paid $7 for it and the thing was only bought for inserting my turner +3b inner. comming home I found out that all parts were in outstanding condx and kept it as it was working flowless at all bands and is abolutely not for sale the same as the old beat up +3b if you dont play football with them, these mikes will outlive every ham, both off the turners are now abt 25 years old and working 100 %.
when I past the morse test 5yrs ago I only had a president Lincoln for 10 mtrs (leftover from CB) , I tuned My 5 element homebrew Yagi from 11 to 10 mtrs and worked alover the world with the 20 watts off the lincoln and the Turner +3b or Super Side Kick getting all ohh and ahhs from the big ameritron hams for both signal and audio report, then having to dissapoint them by saying they were outclassed by a rig + mike costing together far less than the mike they were using.
KD8EZU Rating: 2007-04-18
Great Mic for DX work Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought this Mic to work with a FT-101E rig. It modulates it to 100% with what I would describe as crisp, but not "tinny" audio. The audio produced lends itself well for DX use. I feel s-o-o-o good when with a 30+ year old radio and a 32+ year old microphone , I can be heard by stations that cannot hear 1000 watt , Heil microphone or equalized rigs. If you can get one for under $50 its grat bang for the buck. Just dont put the dial too far or it'll be a bit too much on the recieving end. Really...., this mike is great bang for the buck and works well despite its age and supposedly "bad" CB heritage. It feels solid and not flimsy, love the solid Chrome cartrige holder, and the fat coiled mike cord. PTT is effortless, and smooth. This is a nice microphone.
K4CWO Rating: 2005-03-12
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased a used but well kept Turner Super Sidekick. It has performed better than some of the newer mics that I have, based on audio comparisons. I currently use it on both a Yaesu FT-102 and a Kenwood TS-570SG (using an adapter I made that allows switching between the two). What makes this arrangement nice is that the Turner SSK has a slot on the bottom of the mic for adjusting the gain (if more or less gain is needed), IN ADDITION TO the gain control on top of the mic base. This helps when switching between the 2 radio transmitter characteristics. I also have a Turner Plus 3.
K7UFO Rating: 2004-11-22
Great mic! Works WELL with the Icom IC-756 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have a Turner Super-Sidekick on my IC-756 and it works FANTASTIC! Had the same mic on my IC-765 before I put it on the IC-756. I receive *better* audio reports with this Turner base-amplified mic than I do with the "HMMIC" electret-condensor hand mic. You can get the Turner mic inexpensively via your favorite online auction sites. You can also use the 8VDC pin within the Icom rig to power the Turner mic. A good investment with excellent 'broadcast quality' audio reports. Add some compression for that cloud-piercing DX audio!
LANDLORD Rating: 2004-11-12
wonderful Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i got a superkick with a pierce-simpson basestation for 25$ and it does great.i never heard of a three pin mikes till now i would not give it up for nothing
K0UC Rating: 2004-08-04
great mic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Works well, excellent audio. Drives about any rig you have, tube or solid-state. Audio is excellent and full sounding...very natural.
Mic has built-in preamp with adjustable output and no compression to mess things up.
KG4ZMC Rating: 2003-10-12
Side-kick versus D-104 silver eagle Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Just passed my code, bought a used Kenwood TS-820S. Hooked up my fairley new D-104 silver eagle and made some contacts with friends. Decided to hook up my very old and worn Super side-kick. The very next contact to my friend, he could not believe the difference between the two mikes. The turner has a much softer and deeper tone for voice on side band. My friend said" it was a pleasure to listen to". Since then , I have had numerous compliments on great audio.Would have give it a 5 but it is a little basey. Love my very old and worn Turner Super Side-kick!
KB0NDU Rating: 2003-06-19
Excellent mic for the buck Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used the turner for over 20 years, it is still kicking along. The only comment from the other end was the sound is a little bassy if you don't talk directly into the mic.
DY-1-CZG Rating: 2003-06-19
Great Mic!!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had a Turner Super Sidekick Microphone in the late 80's, and this is a very good microphone.

Sad to say it's no longer with me.

But I'd sure would like to get another one.

You guys ought to try one of these, next only maybe to an Astatic microphone.