PTT foot switch

[RatsoW8]

Hey ratsoW8, I see you are running ts140, or it looks like it. What mic are you running? Just curious. Any way you could post a couple photos? Thanks much and not trying to hijack the thread either. And hello there Hobie102!! Just curious. Again thanks much and God bless.

222...It is a TS-140S and I'm using my trusty Heil GM4 with it. I've used that GM4 on every HF radio I've owned since 2001. I'll add pics to this post when I get home tonight. I'm going to be buying the new Yaesu FT-991 but will keep the 140S. It has a great general coverage receiver.

 

[222DBFL]

I just acquired a ts-140, that's why I was asking, I dont like the stock mic very well.

 

[RatsoW8]

The 140 is in great shape and I have it running into a 40-10meter OCFD at 30 feet and the LDG AT-600Pro tuner. I also have the Alinco DX-70TH I bought from Mudfoot right next to it on a separate dipole cut for 40 meters and using my 25 year old MFJ tuner on that antenna. I have some space to the left of the Alinco for a FT-991 when they hit the market.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

The 140 is in great shape and I have it running into a 40-10meter OCFD at 30 feet and the LDG AT-600Pro tuner. I also have the Alinco DX-70TH I bought from Mudfoot right next to it on a separate dipole cut for 40 meters and using my 25 year old MFJ tuner on that antenna. I have some space to the left of the Alinco for a FT-991 when they hit the market.

How do you like the Heil mic boom? Is it the PL2T? I have been thinking of getting one for my Sennheiser MD-421.

 

[RatsoW8]

How do you like the Heil mic boom? Is it the PL2T? I have been thinking of getting one for my Sennheiser MD-421.

I've had it and been using it for over 10 years and have had no problems with it. I'd buy another one. I think I bought it at the same time I got the GM4 for free from kenwood for buying a TS-2000.

 

[hobie102]

Yeeehaaa! Foot pedal is done as well as the remote PTT for the shifter knob in the car. Actually used the existing switch from the Bearcat mic. Wired 2 pig tails with 1/4 inch female jacks for the foot pedal to the switch. Used a 3/4" pvc tube about 1.5 inches long to house the switch.

Used the existing switch in the yamaha foot pedal as it had open slots for an additional pole. Cut thin strips of aluminum flashing, soldered the leads on and slid them into the switch. Adjusted the angles/bend and voila, dual pole footswitch!

Filled the back side(PTT) with hot glue and positioned it while curing. Hot glued a 3/4" black plastic foot to the plunger from the junk drawer in the tool box. Just need some black plastic wire protectors to group and protect the chords. Applying plasti dip to the housing and done. Looks like something you'd buy. Works freakin' awesome. 100% hands free in the shack as well as driving thru traffic and town while never taking my hand off the wheel or the shifter.

Was sitting in an abandoned ski area today shooting skip west running the audio technica headset with the art tube preamp driven with a dc to ac converter (300w). Talked for about 45 min' with a station in British Columbia. He wants the plans for how to do it so I will put together something for him and will post it here somewhere. They have a new law in BC where even talking on a handheld mic is against the law now as well as cell phone use.

Very cheap to do: AT, Sure equivalent headset 50-60$. ART MP Studio preamp 40$. Assorted male and female connectors 10-15$. 300w dc to ac inverter for preamp mobile use as well as base 26$. On top of it, you'll be barking with broadcast quality audio (according to reports). The cool part of this setup is that I'm not locked into just using one or the other. The PTT stays connected at all times even with the foot pedal. I often swing my chair around and put my feet up on the bed while in a long qso. No biggie, just grab the PTT and hold it in my lap.

 

[hobie102]

Back to the drawing board! Getting a lot of rf interference on the receive. Isolated it to the power feed to the preamp from the inverter. Everything I've read says forget it. The cheap inverters are notorious for that. Everything works great on the base. Completely hands free w/the headset mic and the foot pedal.

 

[hobie102]

Problem solved! Wired up a headset mic from a broken communicator. Used a band from a shot pair of headphones. Hot glue'd everything together. No need for the preamp. Direct into the radio. Now, off to build the 2 element collapsible Yagi for the remote setup on the mountain. Shouldn't take more than an hour or so. Cheers&Beers!