[CQ-Contest] Headsets w/ mic's

[KL7RA]

I have them all and the best we have here is the Yamaha CM-500.
Light, doesn't touch the ears and sounds excellent. They look as well
made as the others I have here that are $150. Built for gamers so the
price is completive, around $45.  

They require DC on the mic's stereo plug (ring). We us the Syba SD-
CM-UAUD USB Stereo Audio Adapter, C-Media which replaces 
the soundcards in the PC and puts DC on the ring. They plug into the 
adaptor which plugs into the USB port. Windows XP and above finds 
the adaptor and loads the driver.

My logging program allows DVK using the PC soundcard so you have 
windows turn on the mic, audio out and set the levels for the .wav 
recording to match your direct mic input level to the radio.

Works fine for the Icom 781 and allows smooth VOX like the Icom 
mics and also works well for the FT-1000. I do isolate the audio from 
the adaptor to the radio mic input by a radio shack 1:1 audio xfmers
which requires blocking the DC coming from the 781 mic jack.

In multi-op we have headsets hit the floor about ten time per 48 hour 
contest, no problems. I did get RFI into this audio DVK setup on 40
meters but it may be something with that position as all the others were 
okay during the last contest.

73 Rich  KL7RA