[1000mp] Help with Microphone Selection

[Chris Brougham]

Hi Folks,

I think I need to get a new microphone as the included MH-31 doesn't 
seem to be so good!

Here's my story: On my Mark V this weekend I had a hard time driving the 
rig. I was trying to keep the ALC just to the right of the red line and 
had a terrible problem being heard (my antenna situation aside ... I 
don't want to discuss that!). No much more than 50 watts output even 
with the rf set to full and using 200 watt menu ... sad story for me on 
the ARRL contest! So I was experimenting toggling between MH-31 setting 
1 and 2  and driving the ALC a little harder. PJ4R can't hear me on 20M 
with the ALC just at the red line ... about 10% or 15% over no problem 
at all! ... On mic setting 2 PJ2T can't hear me on 40M .... on 
microphone setting 1 he gets me but with difficulty. A few months ago I 
was doing some contest and had a bad audio report from another station 
and I noticed that the ALC was about 20% - 25% past the red line. Since 
then I've tried to be really careful about the ALC ... the PJ4R 
situation was in desperation I assure you!

I don't use SSB much (and only for contests or dx) but I would like a 
better microphone for when I do. Here's what I'm thinking of:

A used MD-100ABX
A Heil HM-10 with the HC-4 element
A HEIL GM witht he HC-4 element

What do you folks think?

-- 
Chris VA7CAB