Sidebar Sidebar
  • You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
  • Click here to find out how to win free radios from Retevis!

Astatic D104M6B

i too have had problems with that tiny mic switch. the reason it keeps failing is when you use the contact cleaner it washes out the contact lubrication and then starts to wear. got fed up and found me an old minuite man II in good condition,they have a very large mic switch that is very easy to disassemble and clean. when i clean them i make sure i use a very small amount of quality silicone lube to keep the the contacts sliding smoothly and keep wear to a minimum.
 
tshows said:
I have cleaned the switch using contact cleaner, but it starts to act up again in 2 or 3 months.
Click to expand...

Since it has a problem every 2 or 3 months, I would have to say there is nothing wrong with that switch. There is something wrong with the working environment that gets it dirty that often - though. Just blow it out with some compressed air and spray in some contact cleaner. Work the switch vigorously, and then blow it out with air again. Repeat. Done.
 
Robb said:
Since it has a problem every 2 or 3 months, I would have to say there is nothing wrong with that switch. There is something wrong with the working environment that gets it dirty that often - though. Just blow it out with some compressed air and spray in some contact cleaner. Work the switch vigorously, and then blow it out with air again. Repeat. Done.
Click to expand...

Hi Robb

I appreciate your suggestion and will give it a try. I don't think it has anything to do with the working environment thought, because this mic is used on a base station in a spare bedroom in my house. My radio equipment is in a rolled top desk that stays closed except when the radio is in use and I also keep the mic covered. :):)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Slowmover
I too need one. I have one that is screwed up. It keeps the radio keyed sometimes, and kills the battery when not in use. I should love to just get a ptt switch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Slowmover
Im glad I have sevaral of the older M6B even though I dont use them really but after seeing all the horror stories about the newer ones Im hangin onto all the older ones I have. I still have a few in their boxes yet that are not even wired up for anything yet but I know they all have the large ASTATIC lable on them and not the small silver one that these new ones have ;) I also have seen where the new ones have a terrible sound to them.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Slowmover
tony, if your astatics are the old style they will have a large quality stackpole switch, the later ones use a little switch that is unreliable nothing to do with contamination they just used the cheapest shittiest switch they could find, the same is true of the old vs newer 575's,
old = stackpole
new = crap little unreliable switch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Bob mine all are from the mid to late 1990's they all have the large ASTATIC logo in silver lettering on the botton front side. Its funny how many of these Astatic mobile and desk microphones I have and I really dont use them but recently put one of the 6 pin handhelds on my RCI 2950DX and it sounds pretty good.

I have tried the desk mics on the HF bands but was not into that sound I guess. I do have a few wired for Yaesu that I want to try and use the 10DA SSB head on 75 meters with my Yaesu FT-990 and see how that sounds or works out. I am pretty much a Turner Plus Three a Shure 526T and Sadelta guy as far as 11 meters and amplified microphones go.

I should actually trade some of the lollipop desk mics off for shures and sadeltas since my 526T and sadelta mics need replacing and as I said I dont really use all these Astatic mics. Ide really like to try a Heil.
 
Last edited:
bob85 said:
tony, if your astatics are the old style they will have a large quality stackpole switch, the later ones use a little switch that is unreliable nothing to do with contamination they just used the cheapest shittiest switch they could find, the same is true of the old vs newer 575's,
old = stackpole
new = crap little unreliable switch.
Click to expand...

i agree bob85, i have been maintaining those older mikes for folks for years. the larger switch is easier to work with and can de disassembled many times for service. just make sure that you add a small amount of Quality silicone compound to keep it sliding propperly keeping the wear on the silver plated contacts to a minimum.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
You wouldnt believe how many people take these apart and clean them with rubbing alchol and just put them back together!! Im like you have to have some lubricant there or the wearing will start real quick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
and using the lubricated tuner cleaner won't do it either. you need to have some lube that stays put.

but yes. just flushing it out with alcohol and the like will just cause an early failure of the mike switch.
 
They are showing the old mic logo, wonder if it's old stock? I doubt it, a lot of these sellers use the old logo pic's to sell this new China made junk.

Be sure to ask first!
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.


      Top Bottom
      Back