[Elecraft] Koss Headsets for the K3 (Was: Re: Yamaha CM500

Tue Mar 27 21:53:12 EDT 2012

Hello Joe,

I thought about going the Radio Shack electret element route myself.  
The only reason I didn't is I wanted the ability to use the headset with 
another radio besides the K3.  Like at FD other contest stations, etc.

But yours is a great suggestion.

On 3/26/2012 10:14 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:
>   >  In doing the above mods to the SB40 you end up with a VERY comfortable
>   >  headset with a great sounding mic element.  I just could not get the
>   >  stock SB40 element to sound good.  The HC5 rocks.
>
> The alternative is to use one of the Radio Shack electret elements in
> the SB-40 mic housing.  The electret elements are essentially the same
> as the one in the CM-500 with performance similar to the new HC-6 -
> broader than the HC 5.  With HC-5, HC-6 or an electret element one
> will still want to use the K3 TS EQ to roll off audio below 200 Hz
> and add 3 to 6 dB per octave of pre-emphasis above 800 Hz.
>
> 73,
>
>      ... Joe, W4TV
>
>
> On 3/25/2012 3:11 PM, Gary K9GS wrote:
>> Final post on my quest for the ultimate headset for my K3.
>>
>> First, a TON of thanks to Lu, W4LT.  His step-by-step for replacing the
>> mic housing on the SB40 with the housing from a Heil BM10 was first rate!
>>
>> Here's what I ended up doing.
>>
>> I replaced the microphone housing on the SB40 with a microphone housing
>> from a broken Heil BM10.  Heil still sells the housings and windscreens.
>>
>> In place of the crappy SB40 dynamic mic element I replaced it with a
>> Heil HC5 that a friend had.  It's a pity that Heil no longer sells the
>> HC4 and HC5 elements separately.  Ask around though...you'll find
>> someone that has one laying around.
>>
>> In doing the above mods to the SB40 you end up with a VERY comfortable
>> headset with a great sounding mic element.  I just could not get the
>> stock SB40 element to sound good.  The HC5 rocks.
>>
>> By the way, I don't own a Yamaha CM500 but others have said it is
>> identical to the SB40 except for the CM500 has an electret element and
>> requires bias.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 3/17/2012 11:50 AM, Lu Romero wrote:
>>> Gary:
>>>
>>> I own both a Koss SB40 and two Yamaha CM500'ds.
>>>
>>> The Koss and the Yamaha are exactly identical, save for one
>>> thing... The microphone capsule.
>>>
>>> The Koss SB40 has a dynamic capsule while the Yamaha CM500
>>> has a electret condenser capsule.  Other than that, the
>>> headsets are exactly identical in every detail except for
>>> the name.  Probably made in the same Chinese jobber.
>>>
>>> But here is where the simialarity ends:  The Yamaha
>>> electrect capsule is flat and can be made to sound really
>>> great on the K3.  The Koss dynamic capsule is all bass, very
>>> mushy, and has low output.  Even engaging the K3 equalizers
>>> and tweaking a lot, I could not make my SB40 sound very good
>>> at all.  The capsule just sounds ugly.
>>>
>>> The fix for this is to remove the two screws that hold the
>>> capsule on the SB40's boom and remove the offending
>>> microphone that looks surprisingly like a cheap Chinese
>>> dynamic earphone (its actually the same exact size as a IPod
>>> headset element and looks identical!) and replace it.  In my
>>> case, I had an old Heil BM-5 with a bad earpiece but a
>>> perfectly good DX4 capsule.  I removed the plastic mic
>>> holder from the rigid Heil boom, and with a slight widening
>>> of the boom inlet with a Dremel tool, it fits right on to
>>> the SB40 boom!  Solder up the existing wires from the Koss
>>> mic and you have a wonderfully comfortable headset with a
>>> very flexible boom that, in my case, works great on my
>>> secondary Kenwood TS570 rig.
>>>
>>> Of course, YMMV, but it works for me here!
>>>
>>> Lu - W4LT
>>> Using the "AL/K-Line":  K3/P3/ALS600/MFJ998
>>> Al Kaline: 1960's Detroit Tigers Slugger
>>>
>>> ---------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 20
>>> Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:33:06 -0500
>>> From: Gary K9GS<garyk9gs at wi.rr.com>
>>> Subject: [Elecraft] Koss Headsets for the K3 (Was: Re:
>>> Yamaha CM500
>>>        Headset)www
>>> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>>> Message-ID:<4F62B472.6020005 at wi.rr.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>>
>>> An update:
>>>
>>> I stopped by the Koss Factory Store today.  I looked at the
>>> SB49 first.
>>> (The SB45 is identical to the SB49 but without the volume
>>> control in the
>>> cord).  I didn't really like the way the SB49 fit.  It's a
>>> very
>>> subjective thing but comfort was what I was looking for.
>>> The other
>>> thing I didn't like was the flexible boom for the microphone
>>> was very
>>> "whippy".  It was almost like a wet noodle.  Not good.....
>>>
>>> Next I looked at the SB40.  The fit was great and very
>>> comfortable for
>>> the 5 minutes I wore it.  The mic boom was stiffer too.  The
>>> SB40 has a
>>> dynamic mic element.  I ended up buying the SB40.  The price
>>> was $39.00
>>> plus sales tax.
>>>
>>> I was all set to buy a Yamaha CM500 but I really wanted to
>>> see how they
>>> fit first.  I looked at a couple places and couldn't find a
>>> local store
>>> that had the CM500.  For this reason I look at Koss.  The
>>> other thing
>>> Koss has going for it is the limited lifetime warranty.
>>> Being that I
>>> live near the factory this is a big advantage.  Second is
>>> that I've
>>> owned other Koss products and have always been very happy
>>> with them.
>>>
>>> As I said I've never used the Yamaha CM500 but the Koss SB40
>>> looks very
>>> similar.
>>>
>>> I'm also kind of a headphone junkie.  With the K3 I figure
>>> that most
>>> modern headsets have much more performance (frequency
>>> response, etc)
>>> than one needs for communication. So they are all pretty
>>> much up to the
>>> task.  Same for the microphone.  With the TX and RX Eq
>>> features of the
>>> K3 I decided to concentrate on fit and comfort.  I think
>>> that juist
>>> about any headset and microphone can be made to sound good.
>>>
>>> I haven't used the SB40's yet but will report back once I've
>>> played with
>>> them a bit.  Here's the link to the Koss website:
>>>
>>> http://www.koss.com/en/products/headphones/communication_headsets
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

-- 

73,

Gary K9GS

Greater Milwaukee DX Association: http://www.gmdxa.org
Society of Midwest Contesters: http://www.w9smc.com
CW Ops #1032   http://www.cwops.org

************************************************