TESTING AMPLIFIER OUTPUT ON YOUTUBE

[Sonar]

I guess to be accurate it's necessary to do but most if not all of these people testing the output of amplifiers that they've built or repaired are swallowing the microphone and the lowest tone of their voice in an auidooooooooooo or yeaaaaaaa yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
The output shown weather pep or average of course is going to be shown as the maximum on a meter but in all reality nobody speaks with their lips pressed to the microphone while having a qso. In a natural tone a few inches away from the microphone that amplifier showing 200, 500 1000 or 5000 is going to show lower than when deep-throating the mic. It isn't going to be what you will see when speaking in a clear natural voice a few inches away from the microphone. It's going to be a less.. In my opinion those tests are missleading as the output while using one's microphone and speaking in a natural voice will not reach those Peaks. I just thought I would throw that out there. No one ever tests output whilst talks into a mic the way one will when it's setup at the shack. At least show what the amp or transmitter will do when the mic is at the proper distance and ones talking into it as they would natruly. this is what it does when you're deep throating the mic and this is what it will do when you get it home. I could be wrong but it's just a thought. 73

 

[543_Dallas]

The people that send this stuff in for repair test it the same way. Yell into the microphone to see how much power it makes, add 15% then tell everyone about how much power you have.

It's wrong but this is what the customer wants.

 

[Sonar]

The people that send this stuff in for repair test it the same way. Yell into the microphone to see how much power it makes, add 15% then tell everyone about how much power you have.

It's wrong but this is what the customer wants.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Auidooooooooooooooo!!!!!
I think many of those guys show faulty drive numbers. Their driving those amps with a higher output then their meters show. Driving and amplifier with 40 Watts when it should be driven with 10 is of course going to show much higher readings. Even though there bird meters show 10 watts I am fairly positive those meters are calibrated to read lower than the actual output that's being used. I could only imagine seeing the new owner of an amplifier that just saw it on YouTube doing 1500 watts then getting it home only to see it showing 500 on their home meter. What a scam! And then there's all these YouTube mental Giants of amplifier technology who refused to allow comments to be left for any of their clips. Don't get me wrong I know there has to be honest Builders and people who repair amplifiers that create YouTube videos but I think the percentage of honest ones is probably less than that of the dishonest ones. In my opinion I think any Builder or repair "technician" of CB radio equipment that will not allow comments on the clips of his repairs/builds should be subject to suspicion. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Audioooooooooooooooi!!! 73 PS I forget about the ones who say "I'm going to drive this 4 watt amp with 50 just for a second. In order to see what it does." Then they say "I wouldn't suggest this but let's see what it will do with 90% more output then it should be driven with." Hey man! That's someone's amp. Why are you driving it with 50 watts when 4 is what's required to drive it?! Unbelievable!!!

 

[space cowboy]

in all reality nobody speaks with their lips pressed to the microphone while having a qso.

Nobody huh?

 

[Sonar]

Nobody huh?

Is that what this microphone is manufactured for? Is that Half Moon piece of plastic at the top of it there so one could make out with their mic? I never use hand Microphones at the base because my disability makes it difficult and uncomfortable to say the least.. I guess figured out I also don't use a mobile as it's impossible to drive with hand controls and key a microphone at the same time. On my current setups I used two d104 microphones. I do have several Turner + 2 and 3 microphones but for some reason I don't get get good report with them. Even though I've read and heard several of the Turner's especially on SSB and for others they sound very good. I think it might have something to do with my voice characteristics. They just don't match up well with the Turner microphones. Loose Cannon recently performed one of those fet modifications on the one of my silver eagles. I use it with the Madison and I must say it works very well according to feedback that I've gotten. I normally use the Madison on ssb only as I enjoy using the 2340 as my AM station but that fet mod according to locals sounds so nice I've occasionally been using the Madison on AM.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Nobody huh?

Exactly. That is a lip bar that is held gently against the upper lip in order to provide PROPER distance from the microphone. Since it is an amplified mic you do not want to have it very far away from your lips because it will pick up extra background noise if turned up very far. I have ALWAYS close-talked with all my microphones and tend to talk rather clearly and slightly louder than normal conversation. This ensures the best signal/noise ratio going into the mic and minimizes background noise pick-up. The mic case usually just touches my upper lip but I talk across the element and not straight into it. This also avoids those nasty pops and such from certain consonant sounds. I do not get poor audio reports nor have I in nearly 40 years of radio.

 

[vkrules]

The words honest and amp builder just dont go together in cb vernacular .

I also believe correct use of a fist mic is to "close talk it" holding it sideways talking across the element not into it. And I tend to do the same with my D104 and other desk mics.Sit them on my desk turned side on ,so I'm only about 1 to 2 inches away.

 

[LeapFrog]

..Because over-driven, & "volted" transistors show watt meter readings that help move more boxes.
Those are bawls-2-the-wall readings they show the boxes doing, people like big numbers, I just hope they don't expect to get those numbers on the daily... for too long anyways.

 

[543_Dallas]

Most guys don't want an honest tech. It hurts their feelings or they think he's trying to rip them off because some other guy makes more watts with the same equipment.

 

[LeapFrog]

Most guys don't want an honest tech. It hurts their feelings or they think he's trying to rip them off because some other guy makes more watts with the same equipment.

You know 543, I never stopped to think about it like that; it makes perfect sense though. If one builder's 2 pill amplifier produces so many watts, (and that builder is trusted and accepted in the scene) pretty soon everybody's two pill boxes better reflect those numbers!

 

[space cowboy]

Most guys don't want an honest tech. It hurts their feelings or they think he's trying to rip them off because some other guy makes more watts with the same equipment.

most people don't want honest anything. they want to be told things that re-enforce their views on how things should be.

I have ALWAYS close-talked with all my microphones and tend to talk rather clearly and slightly louder than normal conversation. This ensures the best signal/noise ratio going into the mic and minimizes background noise pick-up. The mic case usually just touches my upper lip but I talk across the element and not straight into it. This also avoids those nasty pops and such from certain consonant sounds. I do not get poor audio reports nor have I in nearly 40 years of radio.

having used road devil mics for 30 or so years has taught me to do that too. my echomax is set with higher amplification than most could use because the sensitivity is set so low. that way I can lick the crumbs off the windscreen while I talk.

 

[543_Dallas]

You know 543, I never stopped to think about it like that; it makes perfect sense though. If one builder's 2 pill amplifier produces so many watts, (and that builder is trusted and accepted in the scene) pretty soon everybody's two pill boxes better reflect those numbers! :eyeroll:

Someone on another forum was talking about a successful cb or amp tech has to be on the same level as the customer. They won't listen to someone that knows because it sounds all wrong to them.

Most guys won't spend the money on a real kw amp. They will go buy an old phantom for $350, have their radio souped up and overdrive a 1 pill to drive the phantom.

They will replace the tubes every year or two. Between tubes and a few trips to the CB shop he could have bought a nice amp that would outlive him...would never happen because they can't stand not driving every last watt out of something.

The same guys will go spend more money on a comp 8 pill and a power supply then tell everyone he has a 2kw station.

I met a local a few years ago that wanted a station that sounded like mine and big power. I gave him a list and referred him to a good builder. He said that was just too much money. Over the next couple of years he spent more money than that on different radios, amps, meters, mics ect.... He nickled and dimed himself, still has junk and may not even realize it.

Some guys were talking about proper tuning a while back. One said to turn the talk back on and tune up your tube amp using the feedback to modulate the radio. I then realized how he gets 1800 out of 8 sweep tubes and bleeds more than anyone in town. The funny thing is that he complains about other peoples overmodulated dirty rigs. I just let them talk. People get offended by the truth so I keep my mouth shut.

 

[rabbiporkchop]

Is that what this microphone is manufactured for? Is that Half Moon piece of plastic at the top of it there so one could make out with their mic? I never use hand Microphones at the base because my disability makes it difficult and uncomfortable to say the least.. I guess figured out I also don't use a mobile as it's impossible to drive with hand controls and key a microphone at the same time. On my current setups I used two d104 microphones. I do have several Turner + 2 and 3 microphones but for some reason I don't get get good report with them. Even though I've read and heard several of the Turner's especially on SSB and for others they sound very good. I think it might have something to do with my voice characteristics. They just don't match up well with the Turner microphones. Loose Cannon recently performed one of those fet modifications on the one of my silver eagles. I use it with the Madison and I must say it works very well according to feedback that I've gotten. I normally use the Madison on ssb only as I enjoy using the 2340 as my AM station but that fet mod according to locals sounds so nice I've occasionally been using the Madison on AM.

If you like the fet conversion on the D104 you should try the fet conversion on one of these for the mobile...

 

[Onelasttime]

You know anyone that can build a linear can build a single and double tone generator with less than $15 in parts. So they could show their amp under standard alignment conditions!

 

[Onelasttime]

SENSITIVITY @1 KHZ:
2 wire mode: -47 dBV/Pa +/- 4 dB
3 wire mode: -58 dBV/Pa +/- 4 dB
Frequency response:
50 Hz to 10 KHz
Distortion:
Less than 3% THD @ 120 dB SPL
across specified frequency response
Rated supply Voltage:
1.2 V min, 20 V max
Rated Current drain:
450 u A max, Ta=25oC
Termination:
2/1 tab with solder pads
Environmental:
Tested per MIL-STD-810 E
Temperature:
-40oC to +70oC operating and storage
Humidity:
0% to 100% relative humidity
Immersion:
2 feet
Dust:
1750 ft/min @ 0.3 g/ft3


Gentex® Corporation is an ISO 9001: 2000 certified company.
GENTEX ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC PRODUCTS
2456 Brown Avenue • Manchester, NH 03103 USA • TEL: (603) 657-1200 • FAX: (603) 657-1201
Flat frequency response across speech band
Weatherproof, shock and vibration resistant
EMI and RFI protected
Low Distortion
Integral FET

N100833-00 (Model 3107-0)

I have not had a chance to try them out. Once I do I will let you know how it goes. Because they make mic's for Military, NASA and Aviation in general and make products that are tiny and built like a 'Brick Shit House" as my late grandfather would say I want to give them a go! They are designed with up-armored RMI/RFI protection in mind which I like as well. Obviously nothing is key-down idiot proof but for the rest of us it should be good.

P.S. For anyone not already aware you run electrets in parallel to increase gain if you need more gain. You get about a 40% increase in gain with mos designs when you do this. Since they are so tiny space is seldom an issue.