Loud audio that picks up everything D104

[longhaireddwb]

I bought a used D104 on a tug-8 stand (amped) a few years ago. I used it for a while and then put it away. I friend of mine came over this morning and seen it and wanted to try it out. I let him take it home and give it a try. He has one but he has to be right on top of his mic to be heard and it has a good battery in it. He wants to make his as loud and sensitive as mine. Mine is so sensitive that I have a pet Dove in the next room and I'm able to key up my D104 at a full arms length and not even be facing it and everyone hears me and the bird!

Anyone have any idea what might have been done to this mike as far as mods and element? Like I said my buddy wants his to work like mine so I'm on a hunt for info.
Thanks and sorry about the thread as I know there is a lot of threads on the D104 on this site but I didn't see anything that said it would make the mic as powerful/sensitive as mine.

BTW, This will be used on a Galaxy CB radio, not an HF rig.

 

[357magnum]

I have two d104's one silver eagle one plain tug 8 both are so sensitive I get complaints about my dog barking outside when I'm on the radio. It may be in the head or in the amplifying circuitry . I know this is no help but it makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one with an over sensitive mic .

 

[Robb]

I run the mic gain inside the mic NO MORE THAN 1/3 of the way open.
There is nothing wrong with the mic; just the setting.

As far as the other 'quiet' TUG-8 goes, it probably has an impedance mismatch.

 

[tecnicoloco]

just for test swap the head from his microphone to yours,then you will be able to find out if is the preamp base or the head in his microphone

 

[loosecannon]

D104's are known to be this sensitive.

its not a mod to your mic, its a problem with his, unless he has an unamplified base, which would cause an impedance mismatch when connected to a modern CB radio.

LC

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

If you can hear background noise then the gain is too high.There is no need to have it that high. It won't be of any benefit at all but rather an annoyance. Gain is not the answer,proper use of that gain is. My D-104 was so sensitive and had such a high output level that I added a pad inline with the audio lead to REDUCE the output and make the adjustment pot easier to set. Nothing worse when talking to some and hear the kids screaming in the background, the dog in the yard barking, the traffic going past the house, the fan on the amp running and the wife yelling at you to get off the damn radio and go mow the lawn.

 

[longhaireddwb]

I have the gain on my mic at 1/3 on the pot on the bottom so im guessing from what everybody is saying this is normal. Last night he took the head off of mine and put it on his and his came to life.

I seen a few replacement elements on line and read some posts about an element you can buy at radio shack. The ones on line said you need to put two aaa batteries in the stand to power it. So if i wired it to the 9 volt would be too much right?

Any recommondations on with way to go on replacing the element and still having all the gain? Soneone that has done it?
Thanks and ill pass the info on.
BTW, good one about the xly saying get off that damn radio and mow the yard. Sure you dont live near me? Hi.

Ill go back to some earlier threads. I just hope after replacing the element his gets muuch louder like mine.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Replacing the element with anything other than a crystal element will completely alter the sound of the microphone and using the condenser element from Radio Shack simply reduces it a $2.00 microphone IMHO. The Rochelle Salts crystal used in the ORIGINAL D-104 is what gave it that typical sound and frequency response. The newer replacement elements are quite close to that sound but not exact. Going to a modern condenser or even dynamic element completely changes everything and you no longer have a D-104 but rather an amplified Radio Shack microphone.

 

[2RT307]

I had a guy tell me that the old Johnson hand mics had crystal elements in them that were very similar to the D104. I don't know if this is true or not, but he said they made a great replacement that sounded as good as the stocker. If you have one laying around you might try it?

I have personally used a Heil HC-5 replacement, which used to come in a kit form from Heil. Looks like they have replaced it with the 5.1 now, and I found one at the link below. The Heil was much more of a close talker (3-4 inches), but had a nice sound to it. Not as punchy as the D104, but still good.

Heil Sound Replacement Parts, Cables, Parts, Ear Pads, Speakers - DX Store

73,
Brett

 

[loosecannon]

i just replaced a bad element for someone with one of these:
XTLK D-104 replacement element kit - Mic Elements

he had already bought it and wanted to use it.
its a nice kit and it all fits together nicely, and was easy to install. (that being said, if you dont care about the foam and cardboard, you can buy the kobitone element from mouser electronics for a few dollars)

as for the sound, it sounded good. i really didnt spend enough time with it to discern the differences between it and the original element, but it did sound good on my mic tester.

one thing you might try, before you replace the element, is to re-melt the wax on the front of the element.

the wax is there to connect the element itself to the big foil diaphragm, and over time, with temperature differences, and vibration, it can separate itself.
usually its pretty easy to see the gap.

the cure is to just use a cigarette lighter and wave it over the wax just enough so that it melts back together.

ive done this and it works, just be careful not to burn anything.
LC

 

[hookedon6]

... Mine is so sensitive that I have a pet Dove in the next room and I'm able to key up my D104 at a full arms length and not even be facing it and everyone hears me and the bird!...

anytime I hear crappy audio like that,............. I don't hang around:sad:

 

[Blackcat630]

I always ran my silver eagle turned all the way down and cracked it open just a hair. Maybe 1/5 to 1/4 the way up. Set radio mic gain about 8. Talk about 3 inches from the mic. Always get good audio reports on the old galaxy base...

 

[Unit 194]

Mine is so sensitive that I have a pet Dove in the next room and I'm able to key up my D104 at a full arms length and not even be facing it and everyone hears me and the bird!

The D-104 is notoriously sensitive to background noise and if all else fails (as stated in previous posts) you might want to try a "Noise Cancelling Mic".

 

[hotrod]

I always ran my silver eagle turned all the way down and cracked it open just a hair. Maybe 1/5 to 1/4 the way up. Set radio mic gain about 8. Talk about 3 inches from the mic. Always get good audio reports on the old galaxy base...

is is EXACTLY how i run my d104 w/ ssb head. turn gain on bottom of mic all way off
[adustment should point slightly to the left we,ll call it 11oclock] now turn d104 up
just until it reaches the straight up position [noon] now leave it be . now adust mic gain
to reach clear loud audio with mic 3 inches away.this is how i run my d104 for years

 

[Grogan]

Not using it now but my D104 s eagle crack the Mic control on the bottom open Just a little and control the rest from the mic gain on the radio