I like your video and the way you demonstrate the different mics, really good. I had the same radio and I opted for the KPO power mic like the one in the video and it was really good and had good comments on my audio. I like experimenting and I took my KPO power mic apart and inside I changed the opamp inside (black chip inside the mic) The original chip is not very good, I replaced my opamp inside the mic for an NE5532, which is pin for pin compatible with the original but much better quality and this made the audio much more crisp and clear and I got some really good comments about my audio. I also looked inside the radio and found the same preamp chip inside the radio but a surface mount version, I changed the chip inside the radio as well and this combined with changing the chip in the mic gave me a really punchy but not harsh audio. Please note that changing the chip in the radio is a skilled job and you should not try to change it if you are not experienced in this sort of thing and anyone who tries the modifications i have mentioned does so at their own risk and I won't be held responsible for any damage caused. if you have any doubts what I have said about the quality of the original chip in the radio and the microphone, copy down the number from the original chip in the mic and look on some hifi websites, to see what they say about it also type in Ne5532 and look up the data sheets and compare the pinouts for both devices. I also put a 560 ohm resistor (Green Blue Brown colour bands on the resistor) between the negative rail of the microphone and the output pins of the microphone, where the wires from the mic lead terminate inside the microphone body to better match the microphone to the rig, it makes the mic a little quieter but helps with the audio quality and makes your voice more natural sounding, one other thing I did was change the mic insert for a better quality one, which also helped improve on the improvement. The mods for the mic should cost less than £5 and the surface mount chip for the rig are really cheap too and all the parts are available on Ebay. I am now a radio ham and I have kept my KPO power mic and have adapted it to work with my ham radio and I still get good comments with regard to my audio. I hope this helps and keep up the good factual videos fredintheshed I like your videos
There is some great information in your comment so ive PINNED it for others in the future. SMT work is a bit beyond my soldering skill at the moment but iam going give it a go.
Hi Fred, Many thanks for your reply and I thought that I would add to my previous info I gave regarding the KPO mic. I couldn't remember the device number of the grotty opamp that is fitted in the KPO mic and the rig (surface mount version in the rig) I had a look through my notes and found the device number of the grotty opamp is 4558 written on the chip, the full number is RC4558 I think. When I was trying to find out more about the 4558 when I was doing my mic I read on an audio related website, one of the comments basically said that if you have an audio device that doesn't sound very good and you open up the case and you find a 4558 inside, you know that by replacing it with an NE5532 it will sound a lot better. I recently did just that with a digital amplifier I was using to play music and it brought up the volume and it sounded sharper and not so muffled after changing the opamp to an NE5532. Hope this helps
@@CB-RADIO-UK Many thanks for your comments I would be interested in how you get on if you decide to try any of my suggestions. should you wish to try surface mount work there are is a kit you can get on ebay should you wish to practice using surface mount components without damaging your rig, also there are videos on you Tube showing people soldering surface mount components should you feel the urge to change the surface mount chip in your radio but just changing the chip in the microphone should improve the sound quality quite a bit, when I changed the chip in My microphone I put a "turned pin" IC socket in place of the chip in the Microphone and plugged my NE5532 chip into that, so that if you want to change the IC back to the original type you can plug the original type back in without too much problem, I would suggest putting a replacement mic insert in but take note of the polarity of the wires when you change the insert. For most people changing the chip and the mic insert would be enough to make quite a big difference to your audio and changing the chip in the rig may be a step too far for most people, so I would say if you want to try changing the chip in the mic and the mic insert first and if if goes wrong it is only £20 as opposed to £120 for a new rig. If you are mad like me and used to soldering, then try the Mic mod first and if you like it and are confident then and only then try the mod in the rig, if you are unsure don't do the mod in the rig.
Thank you Fred. I live in Pennsylvania USA and I couldn’t find that mic anywhere. So I ordered directly from Knights. I’m Impressed I’m using it on my Anytone 6666. Love your videos. .
I have a 6900 and bought the kpo dmc 110 Mike and the reports I get back is that my modulation is low even with the ic9 turned up full but the kponm 532 power Mike works brilliantly
Totally agree with u .I've the 6900 and on a standard Mic the modulation is lame so I went to knights and purchased the kpo power mic at £22 plug fitted for free and a battery and everyone has said 100% louder superb mod..worth every penny..highly recommended from knights..great guys
I like the up and down and ASQ button functions on the standard M6 Mike....the answer was obvious on how to improve the audio.... De solder the Mike unit internally on the M6 and replace and re solder with the Mike unit from a standard dynamic KPO or CRT Mike. Set Mike gain to about 60 .....problem solved. Blue wire is negative the other is positive.
a very nice test on the mics ,I enjoy watching your videos ,you know what you are doing with the radios ,please keep bringing the fred in the shed radio show !!!
Have two 6900's one mobile and one at home, the home radio I have an Opek power mic and mobile an old Altai DMC from the 80's and both radio's get very good audio reports definitely much better than the standard mic that I also do not like. Great video as always 🖒
over here in the states you can buy a pig tail that will go from a four prong to six prong so there is no worry about having the store put on the one you use.
DMC 110 P6 all the way for me too Fred, it gave a good tone and range of voice frequency... Would love to hear a K40 processor in the comparison, I used to use one on AM SSB back in the day, seemed to work very well..
For a cheap Mike the DMC is good VFM. LOL is noticeably better. But then you would expect a power Mike to be better than regular mikes. Great video again Fred.
Thanks for the vid Fred. Interesting comparison, to my ear i like the second mic. that said i seem to get all round good reports on the m6 i run on my 6900 over here in aussie. ill have to pull out and wire up some alternative mics and give them a run on the radio to see what people think of them. 7 3 , 43WR346
Nice set up Fred ! You even have the classic Rotel and Akai built in .. Love the CRTs I also have the 9900 .. great little radio and don't be fooled by the size .. Cheers from Ontario .. 73s I personally prefer desk mic..
The original N6 mike: Fill whatever void in the plastic available and not used by moveable bits with hot glue, and then try it again. Makes a big difference both in the feel and the sound.
Hah, yes... there' s no accounting for personal preference. I had - until I bricked it by being a dumb ass - a CRE 8900 with a mic looking very similar to that one and it made a ton of difference. It made it less susceptible to noise from keying or handling the mic, as well as reducing feedback when using talkback. I then did the same to the original mic for my AT-6666 backup radio, with similar results. Big improvement over the empty, plasticky, tinny standard sound. But horses for courses etc... bla bla. :) 20CT011 73's :)
Hi Fred I’ve just been watching the video for mics I’ve got a crt Mc king silver metal and long lead getting good results. Got it from knights came the next day great service.
Hi Fred only just found your power mike tests and found your results very interesting indeed, without a doubt the KPO 532 was a winner in my mind, I have two HF sets Fred but I am still hovering my nose on the 9900, this would be a dedicated all bander for me and would be pairing it up with either my Cushcraft vertical or my Antron 99..both will do 10 / 11 meters and both roof mounted..73s Fred 26CT3809 / G7WBB Alan
I think the power mike sounded the best KPO 532. I would have like to have seen you use the the radio on the same mic gain setting for all mic's and just turn down the gain on the power mic. Cm-500U is what i use, build quality is good and it works very nice. Also a test over distance would be more conclusive, say 30 or 40 miles or so.
When i got the 532 i tried to use it with normal mic gain on the 6900 but it distorted like crazy. It took me a while to find the sweet spot. You will notice the slider is only up about 20% of power. If you reduce it below that the audio drops right off quickly.
fredintheshed1 Indeed I've found using the m6 you need to crank the Mic gain all the way up to 63, with the KPO the slider is just on minimum and Mic gain at 10/13.
It sounds like they are just generally not that suited to power mikes. I reckon one of those old power mikes that took a 1.5v AA battery would probably work better.ebay.com/p/Marmat-CB5DPX-5-Pin-DIN-Power-Mic-Cobra-Unide-BULK/699233380?iid=253646247131
I have Arthritis in both hands so I opted for a desk mike, the reports I'm getting are "it's really outstanding, Or I've never heard one so good" obviously I have bought a decent mike and for anyone who is considering a desk mike The Zetagi MB+5 was my choice. I could check to see if it's as good as my other Desk Mike-which I bought for my YAESU 847 and this is the M-100, both serve their purpose of course......
@@CB-RADIO-UK I also had that mike, sold it -god knows why! and now I have this big heavy M-100, I wonder if there's any difference in audio quality because that one had good reports.
Hmmmm … have to say that the KPo 110 sounded the best. Standard was below par and the KPo power mic was too robotic and a bit beer can sounding. 110 had a phenomenal audio.
Hi Fred well I'm sorry but although the m6 was quieter it sounded the best to me..the other two were a lot louder but I thought scratchy (CT2940) 73s mate
Very good informative video Fred. I found the NM-532 is a good mic and easily available. The best mic for me, is the RF Limited CR577 but I had to get my two from redman cb in the states.
One is volume, the other is tone Fred. It is built like a tank, and the audio quality is top notch. It has a 1" ceramic mic element, with a frequency response of 30Hz to 15,000Hz. Power is PP3 9v battery, although I hooked up a 9v mains adapter at home, and ran the power lead through the mic coiled wire, saved me changing batteries and I didn't get any 'hum' etc from the mains adapter :-))
Never seen one before but it does look good. Great idea with the mains adapter. Thats one issue with the 532 that the battery can still light the LED but the audio drops off before the battery is flat.
Thanks Fred. I bought a 110, but still getting audio complaints as it's very sensitive to how far away you hold it from your mouth, even a couple of inches away it drops off drastically. Just ordered the 532.
The 532 is a good mic once you get it set up right. Just be careful not to over tighten the big screw on the back as it can short and even crack the circuit board.
@@CB-RADIO-UK So the 532 did the trick - people can actually hear me now! TBH I'm surprised this radio get's such good feedback, imo it's not fit for purpose without a power mike.
Good video for the budget conscious breaker. I hear so many stations using those expensive compression mics and sounding rubbish because they use too much bass.
TBN, apart from slight tonal differences, i think they all all about the same. these modern chinese ssb rigs including the likes of the crtss9900/at6666, seem to have good high levels of some sort of speech "processing" built in the rig, as in they already sound punchy with an apparent high average audio level on ssb. i am guessing that high levels of audio compression are standard in these radio's. also, why not just run the standard mic at max-63?
I think your right about the compression. The standard mic on the 9900 is really good and ive never wanted to change it. The 6900n mic feels very much cheaper and the audio very thin.
Personally I wasn't keen the middle one. To me sound a bit tinny. Obviously the power mic wins hands down. Hard for me as only ever use fm back in the day. Still gotta get used to the clarification. Out dxing I used to use the astatic teardrop or the hand held version on the safety echo master. ( no echo or very little) Omg I'm wishing I kept a lot of my equipment :-(
I am using the 532 daily and is a good all rounder. The tests would be different on FM as its more forgiving. The 110 is a bit high tinny but its good for SSB DX.
Thank you Fred for all the videos ,updates ,upgrades and also the shed rebuildings. One question...Why you don't use the K-po Nm 532 anymore? In the recent vids I just see the not amplified Kpo appearing ? 73 from Belgium
Hi Danny. Leaving the 532 out in the shed shack in the winter i found the 9 volt battery kept going flat. It was fine indoors. A bit annoying so i swapped back to the KPO 110
@@CB-RADIO-UK Thank you Sir for the reply,jI ordered the Kpo 532 now (it's again available on internet now overhere ) and to keep the shed warm I will send you the 2021 Pirelli Calendar :) Together with the tube heating this gone be perfect ! Regards Danny
Hi. No i still use the 539 with the 6900n. The mic itself seems to go through 9v batteries fast in the shed so i tend to use the non powered version more.
Can I ask why you chose SSB over FM. I'm running the KPO power on my 6900, I removed the foam on the m6, I thought the Mic was very cheap however I liked the audio from your m6. I've had issues with the KPO and think I will upgrade to like a red devil
Hi Paul. You will get out much much further on SSB esp when the conditions allow for a little lift. Often on our 27.305 net you will get stations from all over europe QSK. I think on FM the M6 would sound totally fine as your not worried so much on voice output driving the signal.
Why oh why do they put a cheap and nasty microphone into a great radio ? Beats me. Not a problem. Wired a power/echo mike up and works really well. Great rig. Nice video too Fred.
What microphone works for you with the FT-840. I’ve just got hold of one myself and it came with a MH-31, I’ve been getting reports that its very quiet. The original in the manual would have been a MH-1c8 but these are hard to come by these days. Any ideas for a good alternative?
Yes the later MH-31a's were supposed to be not so good. I tried a cheap china clone which had some good results. See here ruclips.net/video/Sago-dgDIuA/видео.html
@@CB-RADIO-UK thanks for taking the time to reply. I have today managed to purchase a new old boxed MH-1c8 from a company in Spain and also ordered a Charlies cheapie DM520 from Knights to see what the difference in audio quality will be.
I have several four pin mics I collected over the years ( mainly from the US) Can I use any four pin with a 6900? What about the pin that changes channel ? Will I damage the rig?
Like the KP O , found one on eBay by Cybernet 4 pin £23, i is a thinking I need one ☝️ Thank you Fred in the Shed - the Channel of Choice. Regards Barnie CT3250.
next mic check vid put all three together one after theother.. too long waiting to hear the next one.. also don`t need to hear you sending the audio.. wastes time and makes the delay between hearing them longer just need to hear it at the receive end
Depends on your voice really. The 6900 tends to overload easy so assuming the DX10 is the same i would start with the mic gain low around 10 and increase 5 at a time. I think I had mine somewhere near 20.
Hi Fred could you help me in anyway I'm after a set of 4 radio to use on motorbike with mates. I've got the beaufeng 888s 4 of but still sound very broke and range no good could you help me out with a recommendation please cheers Colin
Hi Colin. The 888's are 2 watt radios. You could try Baofeng Uv5R's which are more powerful at 4 watts. For even more power the Baofeng GT3TP which is 8 watt.
An excellent vid Fred, and the non powered KPO sounded best to my ears. Now a couple of questions if you don't mind. I notice the very latest SS6900 (the 2019 version 6 at Knights) is described as having several improvements, one which is "ALC improved for better TX audio". I'm not sure what ALC stands for, but I'm assuming it's an outgoing audio based component. But anyway, could this mean they've addressed the poor quality mic issue by giving something a tweak? I'm thinking of buying this latest 6900 btw. But regarding the replacement microphones you tested. Are there any other options available that you know of, that have the mic up and down buttons (that would function on the 6900 in the same way as the stock mic). Many thanks again, and keep up the good work.
ALC ? Maybe auto level control ? Mic with up and down buttons would prob be CRT9 mic sold from Knights. Its a great mic and not sure why they dont ship with it.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Cheers Fred. I think I'll email Knights and enquire about that CRT9 mic. If it can be wired to work with the 6900 with the mic buttons functioning as intended, that might be the way I'll go. Thanks again.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Thanks Fred. Yes I checked the 9900 mic out on Knights, and have emailed them to ask if it can be wired for the 6900 (with working buttons). I'll keep you posted.
It's 4pin microphone take 9 vott battery we had one biggest cb skip just the other day here in the united states you got look my youtube channel i have some video gates.
my microphone my cb radio IT IS ORIGINAL. AVOID TOY USE PREAMLIFIED MICROPHONE. THE PREAMPLIFIER CB RADIO MICROPHONE HE HAVE DISANVANDAGE. THE PREAMPLIFIED CB RADIO MICROPHONE COSED INTERMODULATION. ONE CHANNEL OR ONE CHANNEL UP MADE IT SPLATTER. I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT THIS MICROPHONES.
I like your video and the way you demonstrate the different mics, really good.
I had the same radio and I opted for the KPO power mic like the one in the video and it was really good and had good comments on my audio.
I like experimenting and I took my KPO power mic apart and inside I changed the opamp inside (black chip inside the mic) The original chip is not very good, I replaced my opamp inside the mic for an NE5532, which is pin for pin compatible with the original but much better quality and this made the audio much more crisp and clear and I got some really good comments about my audio.
I also looked inside the radio and found the same preamp chip inside the radio but a surface mount version, I changed the chip inside the radio as well and this combined with changing the chip in the mic gave me a really punchy but not harsh audio.
Please note that changing the chip in the radio is a skilled job and you should not try to change it if you are not experienced in this sort of thing and anyone who tries the modifications i have mentioned does so at their own risk and I won't be held responsible for any damage caused.
if you have any doubts what I have said about the quality of the original chip in the radio and the microphone, copy down the number from the original chip in the mic and look on some hifi websites, to see what they say about it also type in Ne5532 and look up the data sheets and compare the pinouts for both devices.
I also put a 560 ohm resistor (Green Blue Brown colour bands on the resistor) between the negative rail of the microphone and the output pins of the microphone, where the wires from the mic lead terminate inside the microphone body to better match the microphone to the rig, it makes the mic a little quieter but helps with the audio quality and makes your voice more natural sounding, one other thing I did was change the mic insert for a better quality one, which also helped improve on the improvement.
The mods for the mic should cost less than £5 and the surface mount chip for the rig are really cheap too and all the parts are available on Ebay.
I am now a radio ham and I have kept my KPO power mic and have adapted it to work with my ham radio and I still get good comments with regard to my audio.
I hope this helps and keep up the good factual videos fredintheshed I like your videos
There is some great information in your comment so ive PINNED it for others in the future. SMT work is a bit beyond my soldering skill at the moment but iam going give it a go.
Hi Fred, Many thanks for your reply and I thought that I would add to my previous info I gave regarding the KPO mic.
I couldn't remember the device number of the grotty opamp that is fitted in the KPO mic and the rig (surface mount version in the rig)
I had a look through my notes and found the device number of the grotty opamp is 4558 written on the chip, the full number is RC4558 I think.
When I was trying to find out more about the 4558 when I was doing my mic I read on an audio related website, one of the comments basically said that if you have an audio device that doesn't sound very good and you open up the case and you find a 4558 inside, you know that by replacing it with an NE5532 it will sound a lot better.
I recently did just that with a digital amplifier I was using to play music and it brought up the volume and it sounded sharper and not so muffled after changing the opamp to an NE5532.
Hope this helps
@@CB-RADIO-UK Many thanks for your comments I would be interested in how you get on if you decide to try any of my suggestions.
should you wish to try surface mount work there are is a kit you can get on ebay should you wish to practice using surface mount components without damaging your rig, also there are videos on you Tube showing people soldering surface mount components should you feel the urge to change the surface mount chip in your radio but just changing the chip in the microphone should improve the sound quality quite a bit, when I changed the chip in My microphone I put a "turned pin" IC socket in place of the chip in the Microphone and plugged my NE5532 chip into that, so that if you want to change the IC back to the original type you can plug the original type back in without too much problem, I would suggest putting a replacement mic insert in but take note of the polarity of the wires when you change the insert.
For most people changing the chip and the mic insert would be enough to make quite a big difference to your audio and changing the chip in the rig may be a step too far for most people, so I would say if you want to try changing the chip in the mic and the mic insert first and if if goes wrong it is only £20 as opposed to £120 for a new rig.
If you are mad like me and used to soldering, then try the Mic mod first and if you like it and are confident then and only then try the mod in the rig, if you are unsure don't do the mod in the rig.
Great info 😁👨🏾🎓
Thanks for that info, I’m still learning to solder coax plugs so bit beyond me 😂
Thank you Fred. I live in Pennsylvania USA and I couldn’t find that mic anywhere. So I ordered directly from Knights. I’m Impressed I’m using it on my Anytone 6666. Love your videos. .
Nice one John. Its a good mic punches above its weight.
No doubt ... the NM-532 is the best. I would like to hear about any test with the new CRT SS 6900 V BLUE V7 and a good electret microphone.
I have a 6900 and bought the kpo dmc 110 Mike and the reports I get back is that my modulation is low even with the ic9 turned up full but the kponm 532 power Mike works brilliantly
yes Chris Smith Turner M+3 RK60/70 series M+2 ,D104M6B with tone mod..all these are top shelf performers
Totally agree with u .I've the 6900 and on a standard Mic the modulation is lame so I went to knights and purchased the kpo power mic at £22 plug fitted for free and a battery and everyone has said 100% louder superb mod..worth every penny..highly recommended from knights..great guys
Yes its true. Once you get the settings right the 532 works very well. Good reports all over Europe this summer.
The standard 9900 mic (wired for 6900) is an awesome performer on this radio.
Agreed
I like the second one. Very nice!👍
Me too!
After adjustment of the Radio the m6 sounds great. You can also enter a menue and change settings for Mikroohone.
I found the KPO DMC 110 P6 the best sound and the best value for the money
Copy that
When I get setup again.
I shall be using my 1980s Cobra dynamike plus. A beautiful classic power mike.
I like the up and down and ASQ button functions on the standard M6 Mike....the answer was obvious on how to improve the audio.... De solder the Mike unit internally on the M6 and replace and re solder with the Mike unit from a standard dynamic KPO or CRT Mike. Set Mike gain to about 60 .....problem solved. Blue wire is negative the other is positive.
I'll gladly buy the M6 microphone if you don't like it. It sounds great on my AT-6666.
a very nice test on the mics ,I enjoy watching your videos ,you know what you are doing with the radios ,please keep bringing the fred in the shed radio show !!!
Thanks Buddy. Videos coming almost once a week.
Have two 6900's one mobile and one at home, the home radio I have an Opek power mic and mobile an old Altai DMC from the 80's and both radio's get very good audio reports definitely much better than the standard mic that I also do not like. Great video as always 🖒
Thanks Jay
thanks fred, i bought the 110, from knights. im really gratefull its a big improvement
You just cannot go wrong for £10 :-)
over here in the states you can buy a pig tail that will go from a four prong to six prong so there is no worry about having the store put on the one you use.
Congratulations great test, great video. That's how it has to be, I love comparisons like that.
Got a silver eagle on mine, works a treat.
i agree fred .think the 110 sounded the best.iam still making do with the m6 .but i am going to upgrade soon.great vid again tho fred
Cheers
DMC 110 P6 all the way for me too Fred, it gave a good tone and range of voice frequency... Would love to hear a K40 processor in the comparison, I used to use one on AM SSB back in the day, seemed to work very well..
For a cheap Mike the DMC is good VFM. LOL is noticeably better. But then you would expect a power Mike to be better than regular mikes. Great video again Fred.
Just got a cobra M75 power mike from knights. Cheap and wired it up for my intek 5500. Works well so can’t grumble. Nice vid again Fred. CT 2625
Thanks Paul. The Cobra gets some good reviews.
Thanks for the vid Fred. Interesting comparison, to my ear i like the second mic. that said i seem to get all round good reports on the m6 i run on my 6900 over here in aussie. ill have to pull out and wire up some alternative mics and give them a run on the radio to see what people think of them. 7 3 , 43WR346
Cheers Joel. I think the 2nd 110 mic is the best for DX.
Nice set up Fred ! You even have the classic Rotel and Akai built in .. Love the CRTs I also have the 9900 .. great little radio and don't be fooled by the size .. Cheers from Ontario .. 73s I personally prefer desk mic..
The original N6 mike: Fill whatever void in the plastic available and not used by moveable bits with hot glue, and then try it again. Makes a big difference both in the feel and the sound.
I still dont like the PTT button Alf even if i filled it with lead. The 9900 / CRT one mic is so much better. No idea why they put the M6 on the 6900N
Hah, yes... there' s no accounting for personal preference. I had - until I bricked it by being a dumb ass - a CRE 8900 with a mic looking very similar to that one and it made a ton of difference. It made it less susceptible to noise from keying or handling the mic, as well as reducing feedback when using talkback. I then did the same to the original mic for my AT-6666 backup radio, with similar results. Big improvement over the empty, plasticky, tinny standard sound. But horses for courses etc... bla bla. :) 20CT011 73's :)
Yep acoustics play a part and a large empty plastic mic housing really is not good.
Hi, Fred great test, I think KPO 532 for me :)
Thats the one iam using on the 305 daily. Oh and early monday's.
Hi Fred I’ve just been watching the video for mics I’ve got a crt Mc king silver metal and long lead getting good results. Got it from knights came the next day great service.
Hi Fred only just found your power mike tests and found your results very interesting indeed, without a doubt the KPO 532 was a winner in my mind, I have two HF sets Fred but I am still hovering my nose on the 9900, this would be a dedicated all bander for me and would be pairing it up with either my Cushcraft vertical or my Antron 99..both will do 10 / 11 meters and both roof mounted..73s Fred 26CT3809 / G7WBB Alan
Hi Alan. If you know how to operate a HF radio the 9900 will give you no problems. Also the standard mic on the 9900 is very good.
I think the power mike sounded the best KPO 532. I would have like to have seen you use the the radio on the same mic gain setting for all mic's and just turn down the gain on the power mic. Cm-500U is what i use, build quality is good and it works very nice. Also a test over distance would be more conclusive, say 30 or 40 miles or so.
When i got the 532 i tried to use it with normal mic gain on the 6900 but it distorted like crazy. It took me a while to find the sweet spot. You will notice the slider is only up about 20% of power. If you reduce it below that the audio drops right off quickly.
fredintheshed1 Indeed I've found using the m6 you need to crank the Mic gain all the way up to 63, with the KPO the slider is just on minimum and Mic gain at 10/13.
It sounds like they are just generally not that suited to power mikes. I reckon one of those old power mikes that took a 1.5v AA battery would probably work better.ebay.com/p/Marmat-CB5DPX-5-Pin-DIN-Power-Mic-Cobra-Unide-BULK/699233380?iid=253646247131
I have Arthritis in both hands so I opted for a desk mike, the reports I'm getting are "it's really outstanding, Or I've never heard one so good" obviously I have bought a decent mike and for anyone who is considering a desk mike The Zetagi MB+5 was my choice. I could check to see if it's as good as my other Desk Mike-which I bought for my YAESU 847 and this is the M-100, both serve their purpose of course......
I have the MD100 desk mike on the Yaesu 450D and think its a great piece of kit.
@@CB-RADIO-UK I also had that mike, sold it -god knows why! and now I have this big heavy M-100, I wonder if there's any difference in audio quality because that one had good reports.
I agree the Zetagi MB+5 desk mike works brilliantly with the CRT SS6900N. For SSB I wind back the gain to 4 and tone on zero
Hmmmm … have to say that the KPo 110 sounded the best. Standard was below par and the KPo power mic was too robotic and a bit beer can sounding. 110 had a phenomenal audio.
Hi Fred well I'm sorry but although the m6 was quieter it sounded the best to me..the other two were a lot louder but I thought scratchy (CT2940) 73s mate
Very good informative video Fred. I found the NM-532 is a good mic and easily available. The best mic for me, is the RF Limited CR577 but I had to get my two from redman cb in the states.
Hi Nik. I had to google it but the CR577 looks well made. Whats the two rotary controls on the back for ?
One is volume, the other is tone Fred. It is built like a tank, and the audio quality is top notch. It has a 1" ceramic mic element, with a frequency response of 30Hz to 15,000Hz. Power is PP3 9v battery, although I hooked up a 9v mains adapter at home, and ran the power lead through the mic coiled wire, saved me changing batteries and I didn't get any 'hum' etc from the mains adapter :-))
Never seen one before but it does look good. Great idea with the mains adapter. Thats one issue with the 532 that the battery can still light the LED but the audio drops off before the battery is flat.
KPO 532 simply because of sound and service.
First Andy. Yes the 532 is the current fav in this hot weather as i can keep my arm on the bench. Cheers Buddy.
Thanks Fred. I bought a 110, but still getting audio complaints as it's very sensitive to how far away you hold it from your mouth, even a couple of inches away it drops off drastically. Just ordered the 532.
The 532 is a good mic once you get it set up right. Just be careful not to over tighten the big screw on the back as it can short and even crack the circuit board.
@@CB-RADIO-UK So the 532 did the trick - people can actually hear me now! TBH I'm surprised this radio get's such good feedback, imo it's not fit for purpose without a power mike.
The standard mic is its weakness. It helps if you remove the foam inner shield
Good video for the budget conscious breaker.
I hear so many stations using those expensive compression mics and sounding rubbish because they use too much bass.
Many people run too much bass. Sounds ok on FM but sounds muddy on ssb.
TBN, apart from slight tonal differences, i think they all all about the same. these modern chinese ssb rigs including the likes of the crtss9900/at6666, seem to have good high levels of some sort of speech "processing" built in the rig, as in they already sound punchy with an apparent high average audio level on ssb. i am guessing that high levels of audio compression are standard in these radio's. also, why not just run the standard mic at max-63?
I think your right about the compression. The standard mic on the 9900 is really good and ive never wanted to change it. The 6900n mic feels very much cheaper and the audio very thin.
I'm a fan of the way the iPod mikes sound mate so u know what I think.
What are the Ipod mic's Gary ?
fredintheshed1 Sorry Fred that's meant to say KPO lol bloody phone can't spell.
Personally I wasn't keen the middle one. To me sound a bit tinny. Obviously the power mic wins hands down. Hard for me as only ever use fm back in the day. Still gotta get used to the clarification.
Out dxing I used to use the astatic teardrop or the hand held version on the safety echo master. ( no echo or very little)
Omg I'm wishing I kept a lot of my equipment :-(
I am using the 532 daily and is a good all rounder. The tests would be different on FM as its more forgiving. The 110 is a bit high tinny but its good for SSB DX.
Thank you Fred for all the videos ,updates ,upgrades and also the shed rebuildings. One question...Why you don't use the K-po Nm 532 anymore? In the recent vids I just see the not amplified Kpo appearing ? 73 from Belgium
Hi Danny. Leaving the 532 out in the shed shack in the winter i found the 9 volt battery kept going flat. It was fine indoors. A bit annoying so i swapped back to the KPO 110
@@CB-RADIO-UK Thank you Sir for the reply,jI ordered the Kpo 532 now (it's again available on internet now overhere ) and to keep the shed warm I will send you the 2021 Pirelli Calendar :) Together with the tube heating this gone be perfect ! Regards Danny
i now have a kpo power mike but run it on default setting seems to get out fine on that
Astatic 575-M6 The only mic that works with any radio
Classic mic. Well sort after nowadays.
Hi Fred - It would be great to hear the same test repeated on FM - any chance of this? cheers Rob
Yes maybe at a future time.
@@CB-RADIO-UK thanks Fred 🙏
Are you still using the power mic ? Did it eventually blow out the preamp board in the radio? Thanks for the informative video!
Hi. No i still use the 539 with the 6900n. The mic itself seems to go through 9v batteries fast in the shed so i tend to use the non powered version more.
Can I ask why you chose SSB over FM. I'm running the KPO power on my 6900, I removed the foam on the m6, I thought the Mic was very cheap however I liked the audio from your m6. I've had issues with the KPO and think I will upgrade to like a red devil
Hi Paul. You will get out much much further on SSB esp when the conditions allow for a little lift. Often on our 27.305 net you will get stations from all over europe QSK. I think on FM the M6 would sound totally fine as your not worried so much on voice output driving the signal.
Funny when I press the AQ button on the provided m6 mic WHILE I speak, the mic switches into louder mode.
Hi Fred I just got my NM-532 from Knights today to use with my President Grant 2. Should I use Lo or Hi mic gain on the Grant with this power mic
TBH iam not sure as ive never used one with the Grant. The mic is very powerful so might be best to start with LO and see what reports you get.
P.S the Astatic Road Devil that I have had on test was terrible. From build quality to sound :( let me know if you want to borrow it for a Vid Fred.
Cheers Dave, I would prob break some hearts if i did. I recon the 532 is a good all rounder.
Hi, Would the KPO 532 powered mic work on the Alinco DX10 ?
Hi yes it should once wired correct.
Why oh why do they put a cheap and nasty microphone into a great radio ? Beats me. Not a problem. Wired a power/echo mike up and works really well. Great rig. Nice video too Fred.
They have a great mic already which comes standard on the 9900 and the CRT1. Why it did not come with the 6900N i dont know.
What microphone works for you with the FT-840. I’ve just got hold of one myself and it came with a MH-31, I’ve been getting reports that its very quiet. The original in the manual would have been a MH-1c8 but these are hard to come by these days. Any ideas for a good alternative?
Yes the later MH-31a's were supposed to be not so good. I tried a cheap china clone which had some good results. See here ruclips.net/video/Sago-dgDIuA/видео.html
@@CB-RADIO-UK thanks for taking the time to reply. I have today managed to purchase a new old boxed MH-1c8 from a company in Spain and also ordered a Charlies cheapie DM520 from Knights to see what the difference in audio quality will be.
@@stephenwoodman2851 hi, i also have a ft840, which microphone is better? I have both the original and the Mh31. greetings
I have several four pin mics I collected over the years ( mainly from the US) Can I use any four pin with a 6900? What about the pin that changes channel ? Will I damage the rig?
The wiring is prob different. TBH ive not wired a mic to the 6900 as ive bought them pre wired.
Like the KP O , found one on eBay by Cybernet 4 pin £23, i is a thinking I need one ☝️
Thank you Fred in the Shed - the Channel of Choice. Regards Barnie CT3250.
next mic check vid put all three together one after theother.. too long waiting to hear the next one.. also don`t need to hear you sending the audio.. wastes time and makes the delay between hearing them longer just need to hear it at the receive end
How much are the Mikegain with Power Mike?
I does not drive the radio any harder or even sound louder but you dont have to chew the mic.
Hello I have alinco 135 Dx10 and KPO power mic whats best settings. eg mic gain thank you
Depends on your voice really. The 6900 tends to overload easy so assuming the DX10 is the same i would start with the mic gain low around 10 and increase 5 at a time. I think I had mine somewhere near 20.
Thank you
Hi Fred the kpo nm 532 mic. Will fit the 9900 and 6900 are they wired up the same please?
Hi David. No afraid not. The 6900 is a 4 pin and the 9900 a 6 pin plug. You can get adapter cables i believe.
Hi Fred could you help me in anyway I'm after a set of 4 radio to use on motorbike with mates. I've got the beaufeng 888s 4 of but still sound very broke and range no good could you help me out with a recommendation please cheers Colin
Hi Colin. The 888's are 2 watt radios. You could try Baofeng Uv5R's which are more powerful at 4 watts. For even more power the Baofeng GT3TP which is 8 watt.
kpo sounds good. do yourself a favor and get a Turner Plus 3
An excellent vid Fred, and the non powered KPO sounded best to my ears. Now a couple of questions if you don't mind. I notice the very latest SS6900 (the 2019 version 6 at Knights) is described as having several improvements, one which is "ALC improved for better TX audio". I'm not sure what ALC stands for, but I'm assuming it's an outgoing audio based component. But anyway, could this mean they've addressed the poor quality mic issue by giving something a tweak? I'm thinking of buying this latest 6900 btw. But regarding the replacement microphones you tested. Are there any other options available that you know of, that have the mic up and down buttons (that would function on the 6900 in the same way as the stock mic). Many thanks again, and keep up the good work.
ALC ? Maybe auto level control ? Mic with up and down buttons would prob be CRT9 mic sold from Knights. Its a great mic and not sure why they dont ship with it.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Cheers Fred. I think I'll email Knights and enquire about that CRT9 mic. If it can be wired to work with the 6900 with the mic buttons functioning as intended, that might be the way I'll go. Thanks again.
No probs David. I would prob try the CRTM6 mic first as some people get on with it. to me it always sounds narrow and compressed.
On Knights look for CRT SS9900 Original Microphone
M9900 £14.95. Not sure if that includes fitting a different plug but they are very helpful.
@@CB-RADIO-UK Thanks Fred. Yes I checked the 9900 mic out on Knights, and have emailed them to ask if it can be wired for the 6900 (with working buttons). I'll keep you posted.
How about the Stock Mic with ETone and Delay (echo set like stadium)
Not my cup of tea iam afraid. Not really into echo.
@@CB-RADIO-UK No worries Fred, The E tone and delay on that Radio will brighten and boost Modulation
Have the same radio and the stock Mike is crap, total rubbish... I have the kpo power Mike now and I get much much better reports...
How do you buy one in the USA???
Not sure
can you still use 4pin dm452 superstar microphone on crt ss 6900n?
Not sure as i dont know how the 452 is wired.
It's 4pin microphone take 9 vott battery we had one biggest cb skip just the other day here in the united states you got look my youtube channel i have some video gates.
I'm one lucky 8 states trump talk about we only had 21 deaths here in utah with coronavirus.
They ain’t cheap buddy
KPO DMC 110 is less than £20 delivered. KPO 532 about £10 more. You wont find many a lot cheaper in 2021.
the microphones you used x the tests suck it would be nice to revive the tuners + 2 + 3 sin they don't produce them anymore 👍🇮🇹🇺🇸🥴🥴🥴
LOL be a bit hard to review them then.
my microphone my cb radio IT IS ORIGINAL. AVOID TOY USE PREAMLIFIED MICROPHONE. THE PREAMPLIFIER CB RADIO MICROPHONE HE HAVE DISANVANDAGE. THE PREAMPLIFIED CB RADIO MICROPHONE COSED INTERMODULATION. ONE CHANNEL OR ONE CHANNEL UP MADE IT SPLATTER. I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT THIS MICROPHONES.
You prob need to turn down the mic gain. On some cheaper CB's this means going inside and turning a pot on the board. Ps. No need to SHOUT.