BUILD an XLR MIC Interface Box for your HAM RADIO!

This is a FUN and EASY PROJECT to ADD something USEFULL to the HAM SHACK! Use any DYNAMIC XLR style Mic on your HAM RADIO!

[@iu8qtmOndeRadioInCammino]

I found your video extremely interesting and well done! Thank you for sharing this stimulating project. You've truly inspired me, to the point where I've decided to create a similar one. I want to share it on KZbin, and in doing so, I want to thank you for giving me the idea. You've done an excellent job!

[@edwhitney1862]

Thanks so much for nice comment! -Ed W8EDW

[@franciscolopez3229]

Wow, that's another one for my technical know how logbook. Thanks so much for sharing. 73s, DW1-QEW.

[@edwhitney1862]

Thanks Francisco! I’m glad you liked it. -Ed. W8EDW

[@yv6eda]

Great project! Thanks!

[@edwhitney1862]

Thanks Jorge! I appreciate the nice comment. -Ed W8EDW

[@ZonaEA]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH dear friend. Watching your video I have found the answer in order to plug my dynamic mic into my 7300. NICE DIY PROJECT! 73!

[@edwhitney1862]

Hi Zona! Yes, I wanted to try some other mics too! You can also use a small mixer to plug in multiple mics as well. Just keep the output low. Thanks for the nice comment! -Ed. W8EDW

[@user-gg2gp1iw4m]

Thank You, one suggestion is to tie a knot in the cable inside the box so it cannot be pulled out.

[@edwhitney1862]

Hi gg2. Yes that’s a good idea! Thanks for the suggestion. 73. Ed W8EDW

[@MrAlanmcd]

Hi, you connected the earth braid to the earth on the case at the box end but you do not show what you connected that braid to at the radio end of the cable.

[@edwhitney1862]

Hi Mr. Alan. I slipped on a piece of heat shrink. Soldered the mic and PTT wires to the connector I twisted the braid and soldered it. (about an 1 1/2"). I slipped the piece of heat shrink on and bent the shield back over the shrink so it would extent out of the back of the connector. The connector wire clamp held the shield and grounded it to the metal part of the connector. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! -Ed W8EDW

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

Great video! I want to build this project, but with one additional modification- I want to add a switch to switch between two radios. Please, correct me if I'm wrong- I think I could use a DPDT switch. Join pin 7 from both radios to the audio transformer, while pin 1 from the radios goes to each end of one side of the switch. Center from that side of the switch goes to the audio transformer. For the PTT, the "tips" from the radios goes to each end of the other side of the switch, and the center of that side of the switch goes to "tip" on the jack. "Sleeves" from the radios join to "sleeve" on the jack. Does this sound like a plan, or am I overlooking something?

[@edwhitney1862]

Hey Joseph. I’ll take a look. Your description sounds right. Going to draw a schematic and get back to you. Thanks! -Ed

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

@@edwhitney1862 Thanks!

[@raulcrudele1]

Nice job! Is there any need for the transformer? It is a 600/600 so no impedance correction is done (nor needed) and if you just want to isolate any DC component, a capacitor would be enough. 73!! LU1EKR

[@edwhitney1862]

Hi Raul. The transformer gives you “common mode rejection “. That helps eliminate any ac hum picked up by the mic cable. I didn’t need to worry about blocking the phantom DC since I didn’t hook up that pin. Thanks Raul for watching! -Ed. W8EDW

[@dave-wk4t]

GM Ed. If you *did* require phantom power, for a Rode NT1, where would icom’s pin 2 to go and what additional components would be necessary for isolation? Tnx.

[@edwhitney1862]

Sorry Dave. I missed your comment/ question! I’m not familiar with that mic. I use an external phantom power just to be safe. Behringer model PS400 I use it with the XLR interface that I built. Thanks so much for watching! -Ed. W8EDW

[@alistercarmichael4990]

A nice touch using the 1:1 tx to keep everything simple. I have a few mics and could do with a latching PTT instead of the fist mics for the local nets. This is a nice solution. The problem with phantom power is circuit noise being introduced from the radio to the now nicely isolated microphone. Next up is the low output (8 volts) of most radios not being enough for many studio condensers. More recent electronic drive mics will however work at that and the nt1 is probably okay. You need to carry the ptt gnd over to the mic side of the transformer, and the power over to the other leg on the mic side too. There needs to be DC blocking caps fitted between the transformer and the power lines so the transformer coil is not loaded with DC. these will be low value ceramic disc caps. The exact value is dependent on the mic impedance etc as they form a high pass filter. Likewise it would be prudent to fit high value inductors to the supply lines before the mic circuit to block audio and RF to and from the audio side. A current limit series resistor is a good idea as condensers need charged but not loads of amps. If you are doing all this then I'd suggest using op amps and building active filters, variable gain and a differential to single end buffer output as full range mics are going to produce unwanted results in some modulation modes. I have enough bits to do this but it's a lot of work compared to this solution and a mic that takes an AA battery. All the best.

[@duw2k]

Hello ED. Thank you very much. My mixer Behringer Xenyx 1002FX doesn't have a balanced output. In this case, can I use a Y P10 cable to input in the interface?

[@edwhitney1862]

Hi Edwardo. Use a Hosa HSX 003. Pro Balanced. Cable from Sweetwater Music. That will get you from 1/4” out on your mixer to XLR male. Thanks for watching! -Ed

[@duw2k]

​@@edwhitney1862 Hi Ed. I will try this, but my mixer output is unbalanced. I think that I have only Tip and Sleeve wiring. Thanks for answer!

[@edwhitney1862]

@@duw2k Hi Edwardo. Ok, the Hosa XLR PXM-103 is unbalanced 1/4” to Male XLR ($10 US) or Pro Co XLR EXHQXM-10 ($30 US).

[@MrCharleyb]

real nice my friend 6y5ho

[@edwhitney1862]

Hi and Thank you for the nice comment! -Ed W8EDW