I played around for a little while today, Started my Break Out Box.

[KA9MOT]

I have several of those old printer A/B switches that I have been saving because they make good enclosures. I need to build a Break Out box so I can connect my Mic, Sound Card Interface, and foot switch to the 13 Pin DIN ACC connector on the back of my rig (Kenwood TS-570S).

Today I started my little project:

First I ripped the guts, out of it:

6824

Then I drilled holes for the various jacks I am going to put in this thing, carried it out to the garage, sanded it down and painted it flat black.

68256826

I think maybe I'll choose a lighter color for the front.......

Plans are for 2, 1/4 inch phono jacks for mics, a 1/8 inch stereo phono jack for my Yamaha CM-500 headset, a 1/8 inch mono plug for PTT via my foot switch, 1/8 inch mono jack for Audio from my soundcard, 1/8 inch mono for audio back to the computer and 2, 1/8 mono jacks for external speaker audio.

I have no intention of getting in a hurry with this but in the next few days, I'll try to keep a running progress report going here.

Anybody have any ideas that would make my Break Out Box more useful, please share them.

[mw0uzo]

Nice reuse of old box. Add a few 220pF bypass caps across everything to rid yourself of picked up RF. Multiple audio ins and outs you can parallel up with 10k's in series to connect up all your radios at once. Then PTT you can select with a multiway switch :D

[WØTKX]

Needs a USB port. :neener:

[mw0uzo]

Why do radio manufacturers never put audio in/out/ptt on standard phono sockets? I can understand the small ones not having them, but for large radios you are surely taking the piss kenwood/yaesu/icom etc

[mw0uzo]

Needs a USB port. :neener:

....so you can power your whole radio off it

[WØTKX]

Why do radio manufacturers never put audio in/out/ptt on standard phono sockets? I can understand the small ones not having them, but for large radios you are surely taking the piss kenwood/yaesu/icom etc

I'd like to see the use of XLR connectors and balanced audio line.

A USB charging port or two would be easier than a hub...

[KA9MOT]

Why do radio manufacturers never put audio in/out/ptt on standard phono sockets? I can understand the small ones not having them, but for large radios you are surely taking the piss kenwood/yaesu/icom etc

Good idea! I have some RCA Phono jacks I can throw in the rear... Maybe 4. 2 for audio in and 2 for audio out.

[KA9MOT]

I'd like to see the use of XLR connectors and balanced audio line.



I have a couple of XLR jacks I can include. My mic uses XLR and of course that is balanced, but the rig wants to see unbalanced.

I managed to find a used Behringer Pre-Amp with Phantom Power cheap to replace the homebrewed set-up I have now that is messed up and I don't trust it anymore. The pre-amp is coming with a couple of cables and I know that one is a XLR to XLR and the other is XLR to 1/4" Phono. I'm waiting to see exactly what I am getting before I proceed further.

This whole studio mic thing is a learning experience for me.... and now Bob Heil says I need a mixer......... I guess I'll have to start saving my pennies now.

BTW, deal of the day..... Musicians Friend has this boom http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/quik-lok-quik-lok-z-728-mic-boom?src=3TEMORD for $26 with free shipping! I jumped all over that.....

68416842

I need to mount it lower on my shelving unit. There is plenty of adjustment, but it is just not quite right where it is mounted now.

OH Yeah! That cheap $1 computer mic? That is the one that is hooked to my rig. I get all kinds of unsolicited "great audio" reports with it.

[KA9MOT]

I almost forgot..... all of the activity in the shack attracted the attention of the Boss.....

6844

[WØTKX]

My comment about XLR was for ham rigs in general, not your project. Do you have an audio "style" mixer? If not, skip it.

Going from balanced to unbalanced is useful, but there is an expense that you probably don't need or want.
However, balanced line tends to eliminate RF and hum issues... a lot easier to deal with if/when it happens.

[KA9MOT]

This is what I have:

6845

I got this and the 2 cables for $40 shipped. It is used.

Bob Heil says I need this:

6846

Which is fairly inexpensive. I found one for $40. Other than the EQ adjustments, I really have no idea how any of this stuff works.

[AE1PT]

Steve, how did this project come out?

[KA9MOT]

This project sits on the shelf, uncompleted due to a lack interest generated by the lack of funds that made it necessary to sell the mic and Pre-Amp. Several times I've been tempted to start it again, but what is the point? When I get another mic and a mixer, I'll be inspired to pick up where I left off.

Thanks for asking.... you have me thinking about it again.

[N8YX]

I cannot find a pic of the thing online, but the secret to my audio success has been a Telex 752 paging mic. For whatever reason it works extremely well with any of the Ten-Tec rigs in the lineup. I have a pair of them - one for the Paragon II and another for the Omni VI which is currently set up.

No EQ or other processing required. It's just one of those magical combinations...as is a Shure 444 and my Astro 103.

Hope you get your project back into motion, Steve.

[KG4CGC]

I cannot find a pic of the thing online, but the secret to my audio success has been a Telex 752 paging mic. For whatever reason it works extremely well with any of the Ten-Tec rigs in the lineup. I have a pair of them - one for the Paragon II and another for the Omni VI which is currently set up.

No EQ or other processing required. It's just one of those magical combinations...as is a Shure 444 and my Astro 103.

Hope you get your project back into motion, Steve.

The Ten Tec audio is great on both TX and RX.

[KG4CGC]

I almost forgot..... all of the activity in the shack attracted the attention of the Boss.....

6844
Those are great cats. I've had 2 of them, one being current.

[N8YX]

The Ten Tec audio is great on both TX and RX.

Truthfully, the more I use the rigs the more I like them. The two FT-980s I currently own will always have a place in the HF lineup because of their ability to interface with a YO-901 and FTV-901R but I can definitely see keeping the Ten-Tecs around.

[AE1PT]

This project sits on the shelf, uncompleted due to a lack interest generated by the lack of funds that made it necessary to sell the mic and Pre-Amp. Several times I've been tempted to start it again, but what is the point? When I get another mic and a mixer, I'll be inspired to pick up where I left off.

Thanks for asking.... you have me thinking about it again.

Might as well tinker with it--I build things all the time that will not be used until some other process moves along at a future date--just for the fun of building. And when that time comes having some of the stuff ready makes the final thing a bit less daunting and certainly less expensive looking! Certain steps and components in your process got me to thinking about what I am trying to accomplish with my audio chain. Here in the next day or so I will write something on that but put it as a new thread--this one will be referenced as an inspiration...


I cannot find a pic of the thing online, but the secret to my audio success has been a Telex 752 paging mic. For whatever reason it works extremely well with any of the Ten-Tec rigs in the lineup. I have a pair of them - one for the Paragon II and another for the Omni VI which is currently set up. No EQ or other processing required. It's just one of those magical combinations...as is a Shure 444 and my Astro 103.

I am coming to the conclusion that there are always a couple 'perfect' mics to be found for every rig--especially the older ones. I have an Astatic DN-HZ that is that way with the SB-401. Out 4 different mics everyone likes this one and says that it's hard to believe that the rig is an old tuber with a 2.1Khz bandwidth. I am also coming to the conclusion that less 'shaping' is best to squeeze the niceness out of other mics. Note that I say shaping, and not processing. At the bare minimum the processing chain involves taking the mic audio to line level, and then attenuating downward to whatever particular millivolt range that a rig likes. My reasoning will be found in a future thread.

The Ten Tec rigs are nice. There is something about the styling though that has never clicked with me...

[KA9MOT]

A quick update. I finally finished my break-out box. I've been using it with my mic and mixer and foot petal but it has been incomplete. A mess would be more like it. Tonight I also added a PTT toggle switch. I've been using the foot switch but have always preferred to throw a switch like the old AM rigs used to use.

Anyway, we'll start with a picture of the shack and move on to the Break-out box in it's operating position. I can use either the toggle switch or the foot switch. I like it!

1038710388