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Reviews For: VoiceMax

Category: Audio Accessories for Transmitter & Receiver

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Review Summary For : VoiceMax
Reviews: 4MSRP: 59.99
Description:
Transceiver Speech Processor
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.telstar-electronics.com/voicemax.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0044
N4RCK Rating: 2013-06-14
excellant product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i purchased this unit recently. it does
exactly what it was designed for. to keep
the modulation at 100% constant for good
clean audio results. i had it installed in
10 meter mobile rig. it works great!!!
high quality well built workmanship.
K7UXO Rating: 2011-03-19
good product Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The Voice Max is a variable speech processor / noise gate based on the SSM-2166 chip. It is designed to be installed on a SSB transmitter that does not have a built in speech processor / compressor device. It is a small PC board, with a shielded cover on the component side. There are miniature coax lines for power, audio in and audio out. It is designed to be installed inside of the transmitter (transceiver), and will require understanding and skills necessary for the installation.

The VoiceMax is built on the same SSM2166 chip that is used in outboard speech processors designed for Amateur Radio and broadcasting / recording. Some of the devices built around the SSM2166 are premium devices and are highly regarded in their eham review. The main difference is these highly regarded devices have their own boxes, knobs, and other bells and whistles.

Some of the Telstar's other products are targeted towards CB radio enthusiasts. This has brought unwarranted ridicule towards the Voice Max product. The product is quality built, and similar in capability to many Amateur Radio marketed devices of high regard and costing many times more.

I use the Voice Max with commercial land mobile HF gear (kenwood TK90 for example) or marine radios (Icom M710 for example) which do not have speech processing built in. For radios with speech compression built in, the use of an external speech processor such as the VoiceMax in series with the microphone only, allows for smooth and seamless transitions between voice and data modes on radios with on board speech processing. This eliminates errors of having to switch the internal speech processor on or off - as in most ham rigs it is on both the microphone input and auxiliary inputs on the back often used for data modes.

The voice max has an adjustable output, and noise gate. These adjustments are set on the board, and will be difficult to get at if installing the unit internally. If you set them up right the first time, you will have little need to make further adjustments.

At approximately $50, the VoiceMax represents a value to the amateur radio operator in need of speech processing equipment. For operators who feel the need to constantly make adjustments and tweaks, they should look for one of the other outboard speech processors with prominent knobs. For "set it and forget it" folks, this thing is right on.


GI0ZGB Rating: 2009-08-01
VoiceMax Usage Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I was e-mailed recently concerning what I mainly use VoiceMax for, and would I recommend it for DX.
Well, you can certainly use it for DX, even in difficult conditions, that said, it's no match for a true RF speech processor under weak and very difficult conditions. Loud audio on its own just wont cut the mustard in these circumstances.
I find VoiceMax superb for local ragchew, it's very easy on the ears, very clear with no perceivable distortion.
The noise gate works well in noisy environments, mobile and QTH. There's quite a few speech processors out there, all of them have their sales pitch, all of them tell you they're the greatest invention since sliced bread.
The only way to find out is to do what I did with VoiceMax, buy one and see what it's all about for yourself.
To sum up, VoiceMax is great for easy listening, maximizing TX audio output, setup within ALC, and likewise for DX the true RF processor can make the difference between copy and no copy. Horses for courses, I guess!
KB5WVK Rating: 2009-03-01
ugh Time Owned: more than 12 months.
$59.95? for what.

A power mic? Is it just me or does this not have break 19 written all over it?


I am glad this was given to me and I did not have to pay for it.