James,
You're both right and wrong. Actually, there are MANY different types
of condenser mics, and they are built with outputs in several different
formats. Mics for studio, broadcast, and sound reinforcement are
BALANCED, and designed to run on BALANCED phantom power. They are also
designed with fairly flat (uniform) broad (high fidelity) frequency
response, and they range in price from about $75 to about $1,500. Many
are electret condensers, and some (generally the most expensive) are
"full" condensers.
The electret mics made for ham radio have UNBALANCED outputs, and are
designed to work with DC bias (VERY different from BALANCED PHANTOM
POWER). The good ones have frequency response that is NOT flat --
rather, the good ones are rolled off below about 300 Hz are smooth up to
about 2 kHz, then have a response peak around 3kHz that's typically
about 10 dB. Very good electret mics for ham radio can be bought for as
little as about $30, and lots of fools are separated from $200 - $300 of
their hard earned money for mics that are no better.
The last Ten Tec rig I owned was an Omni V, and because I owned a bunch
of good dynamic mics that worked well with it, I never got around to
trying an electret with it, so I don't remember if there is +DC bias
available on the mic connector, nor do i remember if my Omni A had it
either. But one good reason for discontinuing electrets would be that
enough rigs don't have DC bias available that an electret wouldn't be
compatible will all their rigs, and thus result in excessive "support
costs" -- that is, explaining to appliance operators and boxtop
licensees which mics work with which rigs.
If I sound cynical and disgusted with hams who refuse to study the
fundamentals and learn how things work, it's because I am.
73, Jim K9YC
Of course there are at least two types of condenser microphone. The
type usually called a "condenser microphone" is different from the far
less expensive type called "electret condenser." This latter electret
condenser type is what we find in most ham applications, including
computer gaming headsets, and most likely the type employed in the TT
product.
Most "studio condenser" microphones require 10-48 volts "phantom
voltage", but the ones we use, and which work with TT gear, are the
"electret condenser" type, and this is confirmed because they require
2.5 - 5 volts "bias voltage" and modern TenTec transceivers provide
10 volts on pin 2 of the 8 pin mic connector, so they are NOT expecting
a studio condenser simply because they do not provide sufficient phantom
voltage (any voltage less than 48 volts phantom voltage leaves the mic
with lower signal output and narrower, lower dynamic range.)
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