On Microphones

The radio I bought didn't come with a microphone.  Sigh.  I did know this when I bought it.

However, in my näiveté, I thought "I'll just hit up eBay for a cheap mic, or borrow one from soneone."  After all, microphones are easy to find, right?

Well, yes and no.  Microphones are indeed fairly easy to find.  But the right kind of mic is a little trickier proposition.

Impedance to my Progress

The issue with my radio is that it expects a high-impedance microphone.  As in 50k ohms.  Later radios in the Kenwood Hybrid line (the TS-820, TS-530, and TS-830) would accept lower impedance microphones (500 ohms).  Finding a high impedance microphone is a little more challenging.

After a little research, it seems that two microphones keep popping up as popular and well-suited for my TS-520.

You want *how* much for an old desk mic?

The first is the Kenwood MC-50.  This is a dual-impedance desk microphone that was listed as an accessory for the TS-520.  The following image was plucked from radio-mart.net:

These microphones are pretty solid and reliable.  They are also pretty pricey.  I haven't seen one sell for under $70, even though they are probably 30-40 years old.

The second is the Astatic D-104, often referred to as the "lollipop" microphone.  It is available in amplified and non-amplified versions (I bought an amplified one, which takes a 9-volt battery), and it attaches to a variety of bases.  Many have a "grip-to-talk" bar on the stand.  The one I bought looks like this:

These tend to go for a little cheaper, although not a lot cheaper - I got mine for $45 plus shipping.  Lots of these are for sale on eBay, often as CB microphones; many of them are listed as "untested."  I opted for one that was "known working the last time it was used".

Variations of this microphone sell for one or two hundred dollars; a "new old stock" specimen recently sold on eBay for just over $100.

Since I'm not sure of what connector is on the end of the one I bought, I also bought a Kenwood 4-pin plug for $3.  It's also supposed to arrive on Thursday.  A little time with a screwdriver and a soldering iron (if needed), and a fresh 9V, and I should hopefully be good to go!

Of course, I still need to put up some sort of antenna...