I love those mic’s! Dad had one that he used to talk on the CB with waaay back when. Every time I see one it instantly takes me back to those good o’l days. Thanks for sharing this video Dave, 73!
I had bought an unamplified model, but search eBay or google for D-104 preamp and you’ll come across the AB9TE preamp. I wired mine to work with my icom 7300 (be sure to use a 1uf blocking capacitor), the radio powers the preamp. It has adjustable eq. So far, using the original element, I’ve been getting good audio reports, people are amazed it’s a D-104. It’s not a smooth sound, it’s got a little bite to it, great for cutting through pileups.
Great microphone I have a couple of them. As a side note, I believe the D104 was the model number of the head and the stand was given a separate model identifier such as a Tug8 or Tug9 depending on how many wires it had in the cord. This allowed a wide rage of applications for different radios with electronic switching vs relay switching.
I got a D-104 Golden Eagle (with genuine gold plating) made during the Bi-Centennial in 1976. I managed to score it on Ebay for a very good price. It was never used or had a plug soldered on. The Battery was still the old red Eveready 9 lives kitty, which had leaked a little, but fortuantly didn't cause any damage. Going to use it on my base station when I get one.
Love the D-104. Have used one for 30+ years. . Still run one on a Yeasu FT1000MP. Works beautifully with the processor and punches thru pile ups like no other!!! Nice video 73's
Great video again, Dave. I have a 50+ year old D-104 just like that. It was my dad's that he used with his Courier 23 CB rig & talked all over the U.S. & Canada on 5 Watts & a big beam antenna before CB got trashed out. Of course, nobody could give me enough money to part with my dad's D-104! Anyway, would love to see you build a converter box that takes in the 4 pin Astatic plug & has an 8 pin plug for your 7300. I bet that 7300 would sound sweet with the D-104! Would make for a nice follow up video...
Thanks for the reminder that there is a battery in the base of my D104! Had not used it in 25 years, but just now pulled out the slightly corroded battery before it did much damage! 73 de N1ZK
VE3JTV here..my heathkit paiir needed the mike, a power supply and a key. I splurged when I got my 10 m endorsement and added my D104A mic which is still use today. I obtained my advanced class licence 9 months later, and I am still on the air, still using the heathkit radios, they are still working great, the occasional tube change is all I have done. The D104 is distinctive in its reprduction, still sounds great. I rag chew on 80 but my favorite pastime is DX on 20 and 40 CW Great channel Tx
I bought mine new in the 70's. Used it on many CB radios. Used it on my Kenwood TS520 when I got it. I recently rebuilt it by removing the original crystal cartridge and preamp. Installed an electret cartridge using the 9v battery in the base. Can now use it both on my more modern TS850 and still on my TS520. I made a 4 pin to 8 pin adapter cable to go with it. The electret cartridge was a good improvement over the tired original workings.
Really like the look of these mic's , think there is any way of modding them to make them useful for vocals ( singing ) of course the connector would need to become xlr or 1/4 inch . Not techy enough to try myself .
Hi,Dave,I Saw Your Review Of The D-104, I'm A CBer, Studying For My General Ham Ticket,I Always Wanted Astatic D-104 Microphone,But I Never Bought One,And I Regret That Very Much,I Was Hoping They Would Start Manufacturing The D-104 Microphone Again,The Silver,And The Gold Ones Again,Ok,Dave This Is CB Handel,"Uncle Sam",KHW-6006,We Be"73"'s
The spring on the cord is called a "strain relief" and the slider that holds the "grip to talk" bar is there so you can use the VOX feature on your transceiver. Also, everything today is not low impedance. Nice video tho.
An amazing microphone, very useful until today. The cable does not break. Parts for the amplifier are available, armored case and beautiful. The color of the tone is penetrating.
Got one of these on a bookshelf in my living room. Just like the ones Dad had (he had several, including a Golden Eagle). I don't use it, it's there just to remind me of him.
Dave, I sold a ton of the D-104s out of my HAN store in Hawaii back in 1977. Really I sold more to CBers in those days than HAM though I don't know the numbers. I sold them as fast as I could get them.
I sold my lollipop that I had used during my CB days at my 2nd Dayton Hamvention in 1987 for $50. Along with other CB equipment and computer stuff and the $500 cash I'd been saving for the past year, I was able to purchase my 1st Commercial built Amateur Radio transceiver. I purchased a Kenwood TS140S with a discount. It became my 2nd HF transceiver for CW and QRP. Lowest output for the TS140S was 5 watts so I had to use an anttenuator. Regretted selling the D-104 but found one 10 years ago for $35 at a local hamfest. Great microphone for the rare times that I got on phone. Using phone more often now but CW still my favorite mode. Best 72 de KB8AMZ
I had been talking to another old ham and told him I was looking for a D-104 for a few years now, we had been on the radio for about 4 years and never met, he said come on over that he had 11 of them in a box, I came home with a pretty as new grey base. Now I need to wire it for one of my radios.✋73's🎙 KD9OAM🎧📻📡
Still have my original D104 an Elmer sent me as a gift when I got my General license in 1959. My first receiver was a Hallicrafters S20R! I spotted yours on the shelf before you mentioned it. Fond memories. Mike N7ASZ
Fascinating...I never got any of this stuff from the Local Rag-Chew crew. This lets me know that ANYTHING that was bought to start out with, no matter what hobby, was intended to be RIGHT from the very start, no tuning necessary .??? Building yourself vs. Manufactured and purchased ?? I got a couple a guys locally that are turning SHURE mics into pretty good sounding things cause of digital available technological materials for home builders, they're getting these things GIVEN to them just to keep from scrapping components. Thanx.
I have one wired up to my Icom IC-7200. I’ve always liked the look of these. They remind me of old school news broadcast on tv where you’d see the mics on the podium with the call sign flags. Looks nice along with my Lionel J-38 connected to the same radio.
I have three of these microphones. Including a silver eagle plus. I haven’t used them in probably over 20 years, but they got a lot of use between the 70s and 80s.
Video idea, perhaps showing the process to convert a D-104 to work with a modern transceiver? There are mic elements available online, W2ENY for example... I also purchased an old D-104 on ebay a few years ago, intending to convert it to work with my IC-7300, but haven't gotten around to it. 73, AG3Q.
Search eBay or google for D-104 preamp and you’ll come across the AB9TE preamp. I wired mine to work with my icom 7300 (be sure to use a 1uf blocking capacitor), the radio powers the preamp. It has adjustable eq. So far, using the original element, I’ve been getting good audio reports, people are amazed it’s a D-104.
If you bought one that already has the preamp in the base there is no need to change the preamp or the element. If you change the element you just canceled the classic sound
I bought my D104 in 1977 from my local cb shop for 59 dollars and I still have it. The D104 is the best sounding microphone ever made hands down. If you can find one try it you’ll like it...
Not fully true, the old ones did not have that problem, I still have over 30 of them, and have owned over 100 of them. The old ones are great, no problems, but starting in the 80's they all went to shit, they started making the housings out of cast pot metal and everything inside is cheap as hell also.
Debs husband says nothing looks like the D104 mic! I just bought one with the black bass and trim rings around the mic head. My wife is not into radio but she thinks its a cool looking mic.
I have this mic. Goes with my Swan 350C at the cabin. Would like to convert it so I can use it on my Icom radios at home. Mine does not have a battery but is high impedance. Think I got bought it in 1970.
I picked up a lot of 3 D-104's in order to get the silver eagle that was in the bunch. An older friend had one back in the 70's and I wanted one baaaddddd! any way to use it with modern radios?
I have one of these with a two pin Amphenol connector at the end and I was just wondering If I could record the audio from this mic and maybe plug it into my computer for audio purposes, I know that these were meant to be mics for radios, by I was wondering if there is like a 2 pin amphenol connector to headphone jack convertor that could help me achieve this goal.
I don't know enough about audio to know what the connectors would be. I suspect one pin is push-to-talk and the other is audio+, and the connector ring is ground.
Dave, thanks for this video. My Elmer has been encouraging me to get one. Have you used it with the IC 7300? If so, how is the quality vs the stock mic? 73 de KE0DDV
Every FT-101 and Kenwood TS-520, and TS-830 that I have ever owned had a 2.5" built in speaker. But as far as the microphone, I agree there was no microphone...
Awesome microphone (tug 8 and 9) . Mine also had the amp with tone and ping. A few I have come across had bad crystal element in the head..try to find one separate was very difficult in the 70's. Thanks Dave for the short on that historical piece.. 73, kb8qlz
