Quick question on Mic Gain...

[AmnChode]

Last weekend, me and my best friend took a 900 mile trip to Texoma and back. Me on my RSV and him on his Valkyrie. Our wives, who weren't too keen on making the trip on the bikes took my Taurus. Anyways, we setup CBs for both his bike ( a little hand-held motorola with a headset) and the Taurus (little cheapo Cobra with a magnet mount antenna). Prior to the trip we tested both of my headsets, a J&M and a Chatterbox. On both headsets we noted that I was coming through real quiet like. Didn't think much of it till we actaully got on the road, in which case the girls could hear and understand me (barely) but he couldn't very well...

 

Now, planning for furture rides, I am curious as to whether their is anyway I can increase the gain on the mic...don't know of one in the settings, but is there a turn pot somewhere I can tweak?

 

As an appeasement to the CB gods, I have included 2 shots of us headed home. One runnin' down US77 and the other runnin' down TX22 about to cross over Whitney Lake Dam...

[Freebird]

I've never had a problem with the output of these radios. I know that this may sound very simplistic but I have to ask....have you checked that your mic is pointed in the right direction? My wife and I had a problem once where I could barely here her on the intercom. Upon further investigation, I found that her microphone was facing the wrong way. This was on a boom type mic and it had just gotten twisted around.

 

As far as boosting the output, it can be done but I really don't think it is the issue and you need to know what you are doing. It requires pulling the CB out, very easy to do, and then removing the case to get to the circuit boards. Then there is a pot that you can adjust to increase the output. As I said though, I really don't recommend it. There are several pots and if you tweak the wrong one, you can really mess things up.

[V7Goose]

There is plenty of gain for the mic in stock trim. I am constantly being told that my radio is MUCH stronger than others I ride with (particularly when compared with Honda Refrigerators). The most important thing, other than making sure your mic is turned the right way, is to get it close to your lips. If you have a big foam wind cover on it and that foam isn't touching your lips, it will never sound good.

 

If you must use a wind cover, use the thinnest one you can. Personally, I just use the bare mic and keep the flat face just barely touching my lower lip (that blocks engine and wind noise in the intercom when I am not speaking).

[dr_bar]

I use the Nolan N-Com with the J&M premium mike and speakers. On a long ride yesterday, my buddy on his wing kept asking me to speak quietly as I was over powering his headset. My mike sits below my lower lip and I almost always talk quietly into the mike. I'm going to have to agree with Freebird in regards to checking the position of your mike...

[BOO]

Yes sir you guys hit the nail on the head.

1. Be sure the Mic is turned the right way. and

2. It must be close to your mouth, touching your lips when you speak and speak up, don't yell but be sure you are talking loud enough to be heard.

You might also make sure the connections are good and making good contact. A little resistance will just kill your output.

Good Luck,

Jerry

[AmnChode]

Well, I had the holes facing towards me (checked a couple of time to make sure)...but it was most likely not close enough to my mouth....See Pic

 

Tried to get it close but think I needed to be eating it...of course, probably doesn't help that it was off to the side due to be mounted on a half shell...

 

Just figured I could give a turn pot a quick turn and call it a day...Guess I'll just have to give another try later...thanks, though...

[LWesson]

Well, I had the holes facing towards me (checked a couple of time to make sure)...but it was most likely not close enough to my mouth....See Pic

 

Tried to get it close but think I needed to be eating it...of course, probably doesn't help that it was off to the side due to be mounted on a half shell...

 

Just figured I could give a turn pot a quick turn and call it a day...Guess I'll just have to give another try later...thanks, though...

 

You may also want to turn the intercom volume up. My wife swears that it makes a difference when I use the CB to talk to her on her V-Star.

 

Cheers,

 

Leonard

[dr_bar]

Can you mount the boom a little farther forward???