Help ID this microphone. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

FIXITNOW · 31st Jan 2012, 11:22 am

Can any one help ID this microphone I picked up this weekend at the local boot for 50 pence?

The coil is marked ORG.51858 and it looks like the module is from a telephone.

The cable is about 5 yards long terminated with a TV aerial plug.

Cheers

bobbyball · 31st Jan 2012, 11:44 am

I guess I'm stating the obvious but it looks like some sort of home made desk microphone - it has a standard telephone transmitter (GPO No. 13) suspended on elastic cords which was how the early microphones of this type were mounted...

Robert

Dave Moll · 31st Jan 2012, 11:51 am

...and that base looks suspiciously like it started life supporting a candlestick telephone (a dial would have been where the gain control now is).

AC/HL · 31st Jan 2012, 11:55 am

It does look familiar, I'm sure it featured in the PW ads of yore!

jay_oldstuff · 31st Jan 2012, 7:25 pm

I was thinking home brew too, but I thought the base may be the base of an old set top TV areal.

Jay

McMurdo · 31st Jan 2012, 7:57 pm

I've got a feeling I have one of these somewhere in its original retail box. Maybe Pifco or Tri-ang or something. Certainly that style was sold commercially.

FIXITNOW · 3rd Feb 2012, 2:09 pm

Having had a good look I do not think it is homebrew. If you find the boxed one sometime (never no hurry), McMurdo, I would love a picture.

Cheers,
Vince

mickjjo · 3rd Feb 2012, 4:06 pm

A microphone identical to this appears on page 134 of the RSGB Amateur Radio Handbook, second edition, described as a low price carbon microphone made by the General Electric Co Ltd. Hope this helps.

Regards, Mick.

FIXITNOW · 3rd Feb 2012, 4:19 pm

Looks the same to me.

mrmagnetophon · 4th Feb 2012, 5:35 pm

The thought of what would to do with a microphone this low in cost makes me wonder.
Surely the quality is bad, so not fit for more than a disk recorder or a wire recorder, that is if it was used for recordings. Perhaps a early PA microphone for store usage or such?

Herald1360 · 4th Feb 2012, 5:44 pm

For sure it's not hifi, but fine for communication purposes. Particularly useful if used in close proximity to the aerial of the transmitter it's connected to, since the relatively high level output means less problems with unwanted RF pickup since not much gain is required in the audio chain.

wireful3 · 5th Feb 2012, 5:30 pm

When these were sold there was interest in "home broadcasting" using the gram input of a radio and the extension speaker. Perhaps this was popular enough to make selling a commercial item worthwhile

Herald1360 · 6th Feb 2012, 1:02 am

That would make some sense..... pretty much any other type of mike would have too low an output to give enough signal to feed just a single triode driving a pentode output.

31st Jan 2012, 11:22 am	#1
FIXITNOW Octode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,975	Help ID this microphone. Can any one help ID this microphone I picked up this weekend at the local boot for 50 pence? The coil is marked ORG.51858 and it looks like the module is from a telephone. The cable is about 5 yards long terminated with a TV aerial plug. Cheers Attached Thumbnails

31st Jan 2012, 11:44 am	#2
bobbyball Octode Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester Posts: 1,214	Re: help id this microphone I guess I'm stating the obvious but it looks like some sort of home made desk microphone - it has a standard telephone transmitter (GPO No. 13) suspended on elastic cords which was how the early microphones of this type were mounted... Robert

31st Jan 2012, 11:51 am	#3
Dave Moll Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK Posts: 6,127	Re: help id this microphone ...and that base looks suspiciously like it started life supporting a candlestick telephone (a dial would have been where the gain control now is). __________________ Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

31st Jan 2012, 11:55 am	#4
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: help id this microphone It does look familiar, I'm sure it featured in the PW ads of yore!

31st Jan 2012, 7:25 pm	#5
jay_oldstuff Octode Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hyde, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 1,074	Re: help id this microphone I was thinking home brew too, but I thought the base may be the base of an old set top TV areal. Jay __________________ The light at the end of the tunnel is probably the headlight of an oncoming train

31st Jan 2012, 7:57 pm	#6
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: help id this microphone I've got a feeling I have one of these somewhere in its original retail box. Maybe Pifco or Tri-ang or something. Certainly that style was sold commercially. __________________ Kevin

3rd Feb 2012, 2:09 pm	#7
FIXITNOW Octode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,975	Re: Help ID this microphone. Having had a good look I do not think it is homebrew. If you find the boxed one sometime (never no hurry), McMurdo, I would love a picture. Cheers, Vince

3rd Feb 2012, 4:06 pm	#8
mickjjo Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dartford, Kent, UK. Posts: 1,661	Re: Help ID this microphone. A microphone identical to this appears on page 134 of the RSGB Amateur Radio Handbook, second edition, described as a low price carbon microphone made by the General Electric Co Ltd. Hope this helps. Regards, Mick. Attached Thumbnails

3rd Feb 2012, 4:19 pm	#9
FIXITNOW Octode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,975	Re: Help ID this microphone. Looks the same to me.

4th Feb 2012, 5:35 pm	#10
mrmagnetophon Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Ohio, USA. Posts: 757	Re: Help ID this microphone. The thought of what would to do with a microphone this low in cost makes me wonder. Surely the quality is bad, so not fit for more than a disk recorder or a wire recorder, that is if it was used for recordings. Perhaps a early PA microphone for store usage or such?

4th Feb 2012, 5:44 pm	#11
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Help ID this microphone. For sure it's not hifi, but fine for communication purposes. Particularly useful if used in close proximity to the aerial of the transmitter it's connected to, since the relatively high level output means less problems with unwanted RF pickup since not much gain is required in the audio chain. __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O

5th Feb 2012, 5:30 pm	#12
wireful3 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 808	Re: Help ID this microphone. When these were sold there was interest in "home broadcasting" using the gram input of a radio and the extension speaker. Perhaps this was popular enough to make selling a commercial item worthwhile

6th Feb 2012, 1:02 am	#13
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,535	Re: Help ID this microphone. That would make some sense..... pretty much any other type of mike would have too low an output to give enough signal to feed just a single triode driving a pentode output. __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O