At the end of the 2014 ARRL SSB contest, I really felt the need to find
some other headset/mic combination for long-duration SSB contests. My
outer ears were extremely sore from using a Heil headset/mic combination
during a 48 hour contest with little to no relief. For this years ARRL
SSB contest, I mounted an Antlion Audio (http://www.modmic.com) mic on
my Bose QC15 headphones. I'm happy to say the ear-pain distraction from
2014 was not an issue this year.
K9YC made some recommendations in a previous CQ-Contest post (3/3/15)
regarding TX equalization for a K3 and other rigs. I simply used Jim's
recommendations with my K3. A couple locals who know my voice well were
very satisfied with the punch and natural sound of my voice.
Two objectionable things stood out during the contest. The magnets that
hold the mic to the base are not very strong. I had a tendency to knock
the mic off of the headset with my wild arm flailing. This is just
something that will take a bit of getting used to. Second, the mic
seems to have a somewhat omnidirectional pattern. I was bothered by the
noise from the high winds on Montserrat during the contest. I actually
found a very narrow notch in the pattern that reduced the susceptibility
to the wind noise. But then I'd have to hold my head very still in a
single position. That didn't work too well! Our rental apartment has
very high ceilings and the radio is place in the common kitchen/living
room. Noise from the TV and/or my wife washing dishes, etc. were picked
up by the mic. Though no one commented on the background noise, I found
it somewhat bothersome. Both of these items may not be issues in some
other radio room arrangement.
I will certainly continue to use this combination and would encourage
others to give it a try. If you have a Bose headset, the cost of this
Antlion mic is almost in the noise!
If anyone has specific questions or would like a picture, respond to me
privately.
73 charlie, k1xx/vp2mll
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