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RD104E - a dud
- Thread starter 2NC995
- Start date
Astatic was bought by Barjan so what do you expect. I have said it before quality products for 11meters is not happening anymore, oh there is a smattering of good stuff but most is crap. The glory days are gone.
From what I understand Road King was also.. My go to replacement for noise canceling mics have been the Ranger SRA-198 . I have yet to find a good quality power Mic.
I am satisfied with my rd104, other then having a noisy switch within a month of purchase. Other then that it has given no problems and I like the audio I get from it on my old Uniden Grant. The RD104 is wired for my Uniden only (5 pin) I would like to see how my SRA 198, RF LIMITED 2018 and an old Uniden mic sound compared to it. I have a 4 pin to 5 pin adapter somewhere and if I ever find it I will check the all out.
w9 , Thanks for that info on Barjan , I don't keep up on that stuff & didn't know ! It all makes sense now , I use to look @ those Barjan Mic's & prices & 
. Now I guess I have to do the same W/ Astatic ! . 73 , Leo
. Now I guess I have to do the same W/ Astatic ! . 73 , Leo
w9 , Thanks for that info on Barjan , I don't keep up on that stuff & didn't know ! It all makes sense now , I use to look @ those Barjan Mic's & prices &
And Wilson antenna...which also seems to have taken a nose dive in quality.
Ive been using my red devil for years with no issues. Something seems very weird about that ptt button. I’ll take a look at mine when I get home. Like I said zero issues with the ones I’ve owned BUT I haven’t bought a new one in the last 5 years so perhaps they’ve managed to screw something up since then.
I was just playing with it again...and I may be totally wrong about all my thoughts in this thread.
I just pulled apart a 575, and it has the same gap between the PTT and the switch.
The mic actually sounds pretty decent. Might not be my pick out of a pile, but I like it. Seems maybe a little tinny, but not always a bad thing.
Anyway, more to play with...
Edited to add...I think the hot battery was not caused by a mic fault, but was a product of connecting the mic to a five pin Uniden via adaptor. The mic doesn’t have any issues on other radios.
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Ok Here’s the answer after looking at my older models. Yes there is a gap BUT It is only there if I pull out on the PTT. Once I push in and release it stays in position just a hair away from the switch. So during normal use the plastic button doesn’t sit that far away, if you pull on it it will move further away, but I’ve owned lots of these over the years without issue so clearly it isn’t a problem. Not sure why you’d have sounds issues but I never trust other people’s reports, I record myself from 5 miles away to know for sure.
Not sure what would cause a hot battery though as the battery is only connected on TX.
FYI the resistor at the bottom I think was a mod I added to this one when using it with a RCI 2950 and I was having a delay issue on the unkey. Can’t quite recall if that was the reason.
Not sure what would cause a hot battery though as the battery is only connected on TX.
FYI the resistor at the bottom I think was a mod I added to this one when using it with a RCI 2950 and I was having a delay issue on the unkey. Can’t quite recall if that was the reason.
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Astatic: Might as well chime in. Both my RD 104E's have crap switches, lube them and few weeks later scratchy again, a real issue using power on SSB. I have the rubberized 636L and no problems with that one. Also have two of the Astatic Desk mics (878DM's), at first they both had scratchy switches but ok now after 6 months and a bit of lube. Off subject but anyone looking for a new desk mic might consider the Delta M2's, heavy, well made and so far pretty darn good. On mics again, we all want something a bit better, but I have found sometimes the stock mics are not really that bad. Example is the 980, that mic is pretty good, also the President McKinley stock mic is pretty spot on. 73's. Ocean One Cape Hatteras
Agreed on the stock mics being pretty dang good, however they are pretty sensitive and pick up a lot of road noise, especially the president mic in my noisy mobile, that’s the reason I had to go for the noise canceling power mic.
I like the stock mic on my Lincoln...but it picks up even more background noise than my D104. You can really notice it when the Cummins kicks into high idle.
Have 2 RD that need cord replacement. Was considering buying another, but mine are older models. One is 28 years old and missing the grill. Not sure what mic plugs will put on.