[ARC5] [Milsurplus] T-17-D Mic Question

[Mark K3MSB]

Hi Ken

Thanks for the info.  I suspected the case on the D was one piece, but
wanted to check before I tried to pry them apart.

73 Mark K3MSB

On Tue, Aug 11, 2026 at 7:54 PM Ken Kinderman <scr274 at gmail.com> wrote:

> The T-17 D is a real pain. From my experience, the two screws on the
> bottom are just for cable strain relief. The element is easy to get to. But
> by destroying one, I discovered that to gain access to the switch (if
> needed) you need to unscrew the black button from the large knurled ring.
> No matter how I try, I just can ‘t do it.
>
> The case itself is one molded part, not two pieces glued together, unless
> you found differently.
>
> Anyway, that’s my experience.
>
> I have 86’d more -D’s than I have saved
>
> Ken
> W2EWL
>
> > On Aug 11, 2026, at 7:41 PM, Mark K3MSB via Milsurplus <
> milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > As reported a few months ago,  my trusty T-17 mic with replacement mic
> element suffered an internal breakage, fortunately at the very end of the
> Reading Air Show.
> >
> > A very kind fellow sent me a box of old carbon mics, one of which was a
> T-17-D.   He said the audio was very low, and indeed it was.
> >
> > Today, just for fun, I disassembled the mic element. Some of the carbon
> grains were indeed clumping.  I removed the grains and put them under a 60W
> lamp for several hours.
> >
> > <image.png>
> >
> >
> > I reassembled the mic and the audio is better, but still low.   I had no
> idea how to put the grains back in, so I just filled the little bowl (top
> in the above picture).
> >
> > One half of the T-17 mic (that has the busted internal part) can easily
> be removed via 3 screws.
> >
> > The T-77-D that I worked on today has only two screws at the base of the
> handle, on opposite sides of the mic.   I can see no way to access the
> inside of the mic, unless you remove those two screws and yank the two
> halves of the mic apart.... and I thought I'd check before I did any
> yanking as the two halves appear to be bonded.
> >
> > Have any of you done this?
> >
> > Resistance has dropped from 50K or so to between 2K and 9K.  Still very
> high than the several hundred ohms I'd like to see, but better than 50K.  I
> think the varying resistance may be due to needed cleaning of the switch.
>
> >
> > In any event, if I can get the shell open, this D variant will be seeing
> a replacement mic element in its future.
> >
> > 73 Mark K3MSB
> > ______________________________________________________________
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