[amsat-bb] Re: Heil Traveler and a Recorder

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi Ted!

> Hi Zach, I have a Traveler but I recommend you try one before buying. It
> just does not do a real good job of staying put, at least on my big Polish
> head. I am looking for something with full ear cups to replace it. I like
> its PTT but I have not had any luck tying it to my FT 60 and a recorder.
> Patrick suggested a Rat Shack adaptor but I have not had a chance to try
> that yet:  a Y adaptor  PN:  2102953.

The Y splitter would work for radios like the FT-8x7 types, where the
speaker audio is a separate pigtail from the mic jack on the cable for
the Traveler headset/mic.  The Heil cables for the HTs have a solid
plug with the pin(s) for the radio speaker/mic jack(s).  In the case of
the Kenwood HTs, it's a 2-pin plug.  The splitter on the speaker jack
(along with an adapter to step down from that splitter's 1/8" or 3.5mm
jack to the 3/32" or 2.5mm speaker jack on the HT) won't work
without using some other sort of extension cable to bring the mic
jack away from the radio a few inches.

I only use my Traveler with either a pair of FT-817NDs or with one
FT-817ND along with a TH-F6A, normally for SSB work.  I have the
Heil cables to work with the 2-pin speaker/mic jacks on Kenwood,
Icom, and Yaesu HTs, but have not tried the headset/mic with those
radios yet.

> I decided to just have the recorder in my pocket or nearby and that seems to
> pick up my side of the audio for further checking. When I'm real lazy at
> home, I have my TS-2000 and HRD record the pass and listen later.

As long as you're saying the other station's call during your QSOs,
this works well.  You won't have the audio from the radio, unless you
are not using headphones/earphones on the receiver, but you get the
data needed for the logbook.

73!





Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/