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

[B. Smith]

Additional info on the T-17 can be found on my pages.
There is also a list of the different models which I will update if your 
model is not listed.
Z
http://k4che.com/T-17/T-17.htm

On 8/12/2026 4:28 PM, ac2eu--- via MRCA wrote:
> If you plan on tossing any more T17D mikes. Please let me know!
>
>
> Sent from my undisclosed bunker location
>
> On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 11:52 PM, Mark K3MSB via ARC5 
> <arc5 at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
>     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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