[CQ-Contest] Keyboard and Headset (w/ mic) Tips

[Bob Wolbert]

Bill is right! Out of the box, the Radio Shack boom headset is a weapon
of self-torture! I've had one for a couple of years, with very little
use, due to the pain-in-the-head caused by the 'phones. "Fortunately", a
month ago, I was scrounging around for the microphone to work something
on phone (this boom set is my only microphone) and the lousy plastic head
strap bracket on the RS headset broke as I pulled them on. 

Later, I replaced the old head strap with  a set from some really old RS
headphones (also mfg by KOSS, BTW) and guess what.... they are now as
comfortable as I could want!

Bottom line: if you have a RS PRO-50MX headset, fish around for a
different head band and ditch the stock, lousy, flimsy, uncomfortable
one.

FWIW, I replaced the stock mic element with a Heil (4?), per the NCJ
article. Works fine for me. (But is the $$ savings versus a Heil worth
all the rework?). I had a Heil for a few days (years ago when they first
came out), but returned them because the earphone speaker elements were
too insensitive. The audio level of my TS950 was up into the distortion
level to get a decent listening level. You probably remember the big
stink about this headset and FT1000s--this may have been addressed by
Heil by now.

73 & GL

Bob, K6XX

On Fri, 9 May 1997 08:48:03 -0600 Bill Frede <bfrede at poci.amis.com>
writes:
>id MAA05343
>Sender: owner-cq-contest at contesting.com
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>
>I've been using the Optimus PRO-50MX for over a year now and I would
>like to add a few comments.  This headset is a low cost alternative to
>the Heil but the major drawback is it makes my ears hurt something
>terrible after about 6 hours.  I don't know what it is about the
>construction but wearing them is pure torture for me after long 
>periods of time.  I guess it has something to do with the compressive force
>exerted by the headband.  The ear cushions also seem to be very good
>insulators and hold in the heat so that doesn't help either.  The mike
>element has an impedance of 600 ohms.  I also agree that the high
>frequency response of the speaker elements is much too high for 
>contest work so high frequency filtering is mandatory.  
>Like they say, "you get what you pay for."  Guess I'll be looking at 
>the Heil's at Dayton this year.
>Bill Frede  W7II


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