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Astatic mike problem
- Thread starter radiofoxtrot
- Start date
a Duracell has paper on the bottom of it, not going to short there, i think it just holds the battery in place.
Only thing i can think of is the switch is on all the time.
If it had a direct short, the battery would get hot and die fast, so i think the amp in the mic is staying on, and slowly drawing it down.
73
Jeff
Only thing i can think of is the switch is on all the time.
If it had a direct short, the battery would get hot and die fast, so i think the amp in the mic is staying on, and slowly drawing it down.
73
Jeff
Keep in mind that those NOS mics sells new on Ebay for $50 so if it needs repairing, seems to me the best thing to do is just replace it.
Did you ever figure out the problem?
I would suggest measuring the circuit to see if it is drawing current & how much. Put the battery in sideways & snap in ONLY the negative terminal, then put your multi-meter set to dc amperes in series with the positive battery terminal & post on the board & see how much current it is drawing. It should draw no current (0-amps) when NOT pressing the PTT, if it is there is a problem somewhere. My working MIC draws nothing / 0-amps when un-keyed; when pressing the PTT switch it draws 0.39ma.
I even tested a D104-M6B I have that needs a new element & it draws 0.49ma & 0 when un-keyed with the same battery (the battery measures 9.27vDC even when powering the MICS. My battery is a standard Duracell & has been in here for at least a few months or longer.
If yours is drawing current when un-keyed you have a problem with the switch or a problem in that area before it, inspect the board that the battery snaps into real well. If it is not drawing any abnormal current then maybe you had bad luck with some batteries? As already mentioned in the thread, the switch completely unhooks the battery when in receive mode.
My batteries last what seems like forever in my D104-M6B microphones!
Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in here.
I would suggest measuring the circuit to see if it is drawing current & how much. Put the battery in sideways & snap in ONLY the negative terminal, then put your multi-meter set to dc amperes in series with the positive battery terminal & post on the board & see how much current it is drawing. It should draw no current (0-amps) when NOT pressing the PTT, if it is there is a problem somewhere. My working MIC draws nothing / 0-amps when un-keyed; when pressing the PTT switch it draws 0.39ma.
I even tested a D104-M6B I have that needs a new element & it draws 0.49ma & 0 when un-keyed with the same battery (the battery measures 9.27vDC even when powering the MICS. My battery is a standard Duracell & has been in here for at least a few months or longer.
If yours is drawing current when un-keyed you have a problem with the switch or a problem in that area before it, inspect the board that the battery snaps into real well. If it is not drawing any abnormal current then maybe you had bad luck with some batteries? As already mentioned in the thread, the switch completely unhooks the battery when in receive mode.
My batteries last what seems like forever in my D104-M6B microphones!
Just thought I would throw my 2 cents in here.
I have to agree, i have had battery last well over a year in the minute man mike and still work....I really think the switch is bad.
The way 621 posted is a great test it, two thumbs up on that post...
73
Jeff
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
Welcome to WWDX! Sounds like there might be something wrong with the switch. Maybe some contact cleaner or Deoxit would help.
Chris
I had a mic a few years ago that the spring was weak in and did not fully open up. changed the spring in it and all was good then. it would stay ingaged just enough to make contact and drain the battery
This happens a lot, many people had problems with Grant XL and Cobra 148 mikes doing this too.
IT's the plunger arm not fully re-extending when you unkey. Tends to want to hang-up the speaker return contact and ground return from fully engaging and make the speaker have a weak thunk and have a low or weak sound from the speaker.
Dirt, body hairs, epitheliums - lint - French fry grease - add in as you discover - gets caught in between the switch and paddle assembly and can ruin your day where you have to tap, to eventually BANG the handset to restore speaker volume .
Sometimes after cleaning the case, arm and recheck reseat the handsets front and back holder covers it still hangs up - well you have to get in there and use some light oil with a touch of heat from the soldering iron to help "wet" the contacts and if that don't work there's more you can do...
You know Dirt gets in there - as well as contacts age, so last resort and the best easy fix versus $$$ mic replacement - all you have to do is sand off a small amount of the plunger arm carefully using a emery board from moms cuticle kit, just file it down just enough to make the plunger "seat" fully extended - and reassemble - no problems.
Your biting nails issues are on a separate forum - beyond the scope of this post.
:+> Andy <+:
IT's the plunger arm not fully re-extending when you unkey. Tends to want to hang-up the speaker return contact and ground return from fully engaging and make the speaker have a weak thunk and have a low or weak sound from the speaker.
Dirt, body hairs, epitheliums - lint - French fry grease - add in as you discover - gets caught in between the switch and paddle assembly and can ruin your day where you have to tap, to eventually BANG the handset to restore speaker volume .
Sometimes after cleaning the case, arm and recheck reseat the handsets front and back holder covers it still hangs up - well you have to get in there and use some light oil with a touch of heat from the soldering iron to help "wet" the contacts and if that don't work there's more you can do...
You know Dirt gets in there - as well as contacts age, so last resort and the best easy fix versus $$$ mic replacement - all you have to do is sand off a small amount of the plunger arm carefully using a emery board from moms cuticle kit, just file it down just enough to make the plunger "seat" fully extended - and reassemble - no problems.
Your biting nails issues are on a separate forum - beyond the scope of this post.
:+> Andy <+:
Sounds like just the opposite. Contact cleaner or Deoxit would improve a switch contact. The switch should be OPEN when the microphone is not being used therefore cleaner would do nothing to solve the problem. It sounds like the switch contacts are not releasing maybe due to poor spring tension or loose switch wafers.
Cheaper switches are being used in the newer 9v version. You can buy a new switch on Ebay, but I don’t know if those are made any better. I never tried any. A common problem encountered with the 9v version switch is that it doesn’t have a back stop tab. Without this backstop, the plunger is capable of being pushed past the contact area. This problem is exacerbated if you have any debris between the key and plunger. This extra "push travel" eventually weakens the spring tension and won't allow the plunger to fully release. Using contact cleaner alone will dry out a slider switch and create undesirable friction. I always apply a little lubricant after most of the contact cleaner has evaporated. My favorite is PowerHouse Spray Lube. It’s similar to WD-40 but has a little more of an oil base.
Asiatic went to shit. when barjon took over the company cheap keying switch. i have 2 of the older ones a black and a chrome one. if your mic. has a red line threw astatic its garbage. last one i bought a few weeks ago does the same. eats battery's. i tossed it in the trash
Is this the one everyone is talking about in this thread?
(to save the rest of us from SPAM - I edited this to remove the link - I'm ok with Amazon, but this is not their issue - the issue is with Astatic...
Let's try this DOT thing maybe it will help you if you remember to REMOVE THEM.
DOThttps://www DOT amazon DOT com/Astatic-302-10005-D104M6B-Amplified-Microphone/dp/B000KEY7MS
The reviews are quite mixed - when it works - it works.
But many of the negatives are due to the assembly - not too many are thrilled about the very problem we're talking about here.
I can see in the photo too, after going over my original post, I'd like to add that the 90 degree angled riser card that slides into the top slots - the one that power-clip holds the battery? From my own personal experience these things have more of a "Shim" problem - that upper card "slides" out thru the back and you align the tabs to slide it back in.
Yes, that card is pretty fragile and the contacts showing in the photo are from the "low-profile" thin-switch that actually "bows out" or "Blows out" when over used thru heavy use. That rear strike/back plate will shear or bend off and the plunger literally goes completely thru to the other side...the spring often is just plain broken - the "Tab" on the top - that one uses tension to press down on the contacts below - the whole plunger assembly is it's weakest link - and the shim feature is the second weakest. Note the rise it has - the torque from your thumb can be strong enough to bend that switch's tangs that solder to the riser card let alone the ENTIRE riser assembly.
You can't press down on the top metal piece of the plunger thinking you can save the plunger - instead you may wind up binding it even more and then you have to replace the whole mic - best to unsolder and remove that plunger and then you have a lot more room and view to fix what you need to do, on that plunger.
SIDE NOTE: I've seen these mic get "deformed" by the grips some driver take on these - they - the switches, can get weak from the drivers' own "Stress Relief" they do to the thumb plunger.
Man I had talked to them YEARS ago, about those assembly risers, thru their customer service - shame to see they still have not listened.
:+> Andy <+:
(to save the rest of us from SPAM - I edited this to remove the link - I'm ok with Amazon, but this is not their issue - the issue is with Astatic...
Let's try this DOT thing maybe it will help you if you remember to REMOVE THEM.
DOThttps://www DOT amazon DOT com/Astatic-302-10005-D104M6B-Amplified-Microphone/dp/B000KEY7MS
The reviews are quite mixed - when it works - it works.
But many of the negatives are due to the assembly - not too many are thrilled about the very problem we're talking about here.
I can see in the photo too, after going over my original post, I'd like to add that the 90 degree angled riser card that slides into the top slots - the one that power-clip holds the battery? From my own personal experience these things have more of a "Shim" problem - that upper card "slides" out thru the back and you align the tabs to slide it back in.
Yes, that card is pretty fragile and the contacts showing in the photo are from the "low-profile" thin-switch that actually "bows out" or "Blows out" when over used thru heavy use. That rear strike/back plate will shear or bend off and the plunger literally goes completely thru to the other side...the spring often is just plain broken - the "Tab" on the top - that one uses tension to press down on the contacts below - the whole plunger assembly is it's weakest link - and the shim feature is the second weakest. Note the rise it has - the torque from your thumb can be strong enough to bend that switch's tangs that solder to the riser card let alone the ENTIRE riser assembly.
You can't press down on the top metal piece of the plunger thinking you can save the plunger - instead you may wind up binding it even more and then you have to replace the whole mic - best to unsolder and remove that plunger and then you have a lot more room and view to fix what you need to do, on that plunger.
SIDE NOTE: I've seen these mic get "deformed" by the grips some driver take on these - they - the switches, can get weak from the drivers' own "Stress Relief" they do to the thumb plunger.
Man I had talked to them YEARS ago, about those assembly risers, thru their customer service - shame to see they still have not listened.
:+> Andy <+:
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Unlike many of us tinkers, most people are not inclined to repair these issues. They either toss it or buy another one. As long as the company is still making a profit on those repeat buyers and uninformed newbie's, there's little incentive for improvements, especially in the China marketplace.