Binatone action 950's and the use of PTT's/Headsets

bullets

Recently bought 4 of these little things, Have not tested them yet but some reviews say they are ok PMR's.
They come with a 3.5mm TRS socket not sure if the socket
is TRRS or not.

I would like at some stage to be able to buy a discreet headset for them. I dont like those big and bulky bowman like yokes I would prefer more of a single in ear piece (so one ear is free to hear without interferance), with a mic.(or even a throat mic but have not heard good things about throat mics)

Anyone know if these can use an extra PTT switch ?
I dont want to have to set the settings to Vox activated for a mic as ambiant noise my set the unit transmitting
I would prefer to have an extra external PTT switch to activate the mic without having to use the one on the unit.

One catch is I cant find any info to say if an extra PTT in some form can be plugged into the 3.5mm socket and used with the radio. Does anyone else here use this brand? can you use an extra PTT ?

~B

Dogwatch

Pop into these dudes and bring a unit with you. I got a combined earpiece and mic in Blanchardstown for mine. You may need a little adaptor to go with it but they will have that as well. Looking about E40-E50 for both

http://www.maplin.co.uk/StoreLocator.aspx?cmd=viewstore&storeid=6

Blazer

bullets..I'll probably be selling my throat mic as I'd prefer a headset really.
Bought it a few weeks ago from Gian on here...but I've discovered I actually hate having something around my neck..
If you like you can try it out the next time at LAC and see if you like it or not.
They're for the motorola single ping (think it's 2.5mm) but maplins sell a 2.5 to 3.5mm adapter..

bullets

cheers for the replies.

Must have a gawk at that throat mic if you still have it
next chance I get to go skirmishing, next two weekends I may be real steel shooting if get a lift but hopefully by the time my SA58 and G2010 arrive will get a chance to try them out and start talking bout radio's etc.

~B

cpb

Have a look Here I ordered that particular item and it works well with a radio I got in argos.

bullets

cpb wrote: »

Have a look Here I ordered that particular item and it works well with a radio I got in argos.

Thanks yeah thats exactly the type of thing I was on the look out for.
Which connector did you specify? was not sure what the safest would be
M2, M6, Y1

~B

cpb

I took a chance and ordered the M6 connector the radio I have came with crap headsets and m6 matched the connector on them from what i could see on the pictures

touge_drift

sorry for digging up an old thread, but how did you get on? im looking at buying the same radio myself in argos but would like to attach a ptt head set or the Acoustic Tube Earphone linked above. how well does it work? did you need an adapter?

bullets

Mine are still sitting on my kitchen table, never got round to acquiring
a PTT/Headset yet. (Next pay day may go looking again :-) )

I did have an error on my original post the Jack is 2.5mm and not 3.5mm
as I found out when I tried to plug a computer mic into it.

~B

touge_drift

are they single pin or double pin style?

bullets

touge_drift wrote: »

are they single pin or double pin style?

Theres two holes, one for external charger and one for the headset.
Not sure if the charger socket serves a double function or not.

Found this info on another discussion board:

mickbeeby from transmission1.co.uk wrote:

the 2.5mm socket on the Binatone 950 is actually a 4 pole connector, rather than the usual 3 pole stereo one.

2.5mm 4 Pole Jack - 1=Pin, 2=Ring1, 3=Ring2, 4=Sleeve

1 = Mic
2 = Speaker/Earpiece
3 = Unknown (Suspect maybe to do with PTT bu couldn't find any combo that operated transmit)
4 = Ground/Shield

Motorola Talkabout Compatible Headset 2.5mm 3 POle Jack - 1=Pin, 2=Ring, 3=Sleeve

1 = Speaker/Earpiece
2 = Mic
3 = Ground/Shield

With an adapter made up, from the 2.5mm 4 pole jack to a 2.5mm 3 pole socket, I managed to get the headset working. The only issue is that there is no real PTT function but there is a workaround. The PTT button on the headset just connects the mic into the circuit so what I've done is place the Binatone 950 into VOX mode, level 3, and then when you push the remote PTT button it connects the mic and your voice activates the transmit on the Binatone 950. This works very well with clear audio both ways.

It would be nice to get the PTT working properly but I couldn't find any combination on the Binatone 950 where I could get the transmit to activate via any of the jack connections.

If you want true VOX then you just need the headset mic permanently connected, so you either get a headset with a PTT/VOX switch on it and try and connect that, or just wire in another 2 pole switch to the PTT lead, in parallel with the push button, that allows you to short the PTT in or out of the circuit (effectively holding the PTT push down all the time).

I'm now waiting on a right angle 2.5mm 4 pole jack and will cut off the 3 pole on the headset and solder directly, rather than use an adapter.

Parts:-

Motorola Talkabout Throat Mic/Acoustic Earpiece - £8.10 delivered http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/E36MT-Throat-Vibration-Mic-Motorola-talkabout-2-5mm-/250618713987?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item3a5a0a1783

Right Angle 2.5mm 4 Pole Jack Plug - £1.99 http://www.keene.co.uk/electronics/multi.php?mycode=KLC128

Inline 2.5mm 3 Pole Socket - £0.99 http://www.keene.co.uk/electronic/unbranded/2.5mm-stereo-jack-socket/KLC57S.html

There is £4 delivery on the Plug and Socket, making £6.98 for one set. So that's £15.08, and a bit of wire and soldering, in total to get a Throat Mic/Acoustic Earpiece headset that works with the Binatone 950

If you cut the old connector off the headset and solder the new 4 pole straight on you'll save the mighty sum of 99p! You'll have to just test continuity of the headset plug through to your cut ends to find which wires to solder to Pin and Ring1 on the 4 pole jack plug

I hope this helps someone else frustrated at this.

Also on that forum someone mentioned
an extra channel on your Action 950
Press and hold the up and down buttons while you turn the unit on. In the top left of the display you should see "CH9". I believe that the radio will then transmit and receive apparently on 447.005 All other functions will be disabled in this mode. To reset, just turn the unit off and back on again. (Apparently it transmits it displays 447.00625 which is the same as
CH1 but transmits/receives on 447.005)

~B

Silent Death

Sorry for digging up this old fossil but its easier than creating a new thread.
Did you get round to using a PTT with the Biatone's?? Looking to get them in the next few weeks

thebillynator

Hi there sorry for butting in but I used an xbox 360 headset and i set the radio to VOX3 (voice activated) and it seems a pretty decent setup.

Silent Death

Going to be getting a Throat mike. Im the sniper and point man so i dont want anything sticking out or to obvious

thebillynator

Nice selection of them here > Gadget infinity, or ebay is always good

Silent Death

Thanks Billy

bullets

I never got round to looking at it myself but 2 weeks ago
a buddy in work took a pair away to look at them. At first he thought he may need to bypass
the mic switch by opening it up and modifying the pcb board/wireing but he said there
it was already set up for options that were not on the particular model.

He rewired an earpiece he already had and got it working perfectly on them.

The buddy of mine took a 2pin earpiece with a PTT switch on it and rewired it to a single 2.5mm TRS connector. The PTT switch works perfectly without needing to have the Vox setting on.
So now I can stick the little coiled earpiece in and have the PTT switch in my hand/sleeve/near trigger and have the radio in the pocket.
I'll ask him in the morning if I meet him in work to see if he remembers what he did with
the wiring.

[EDIT: will bring in the head set to him Thursday so he can see what he did,
he cant remember, but it definitely activates the PTT mic when you push it and disables the mic
on the side of the unit. He has 4 wire going to the 3pole connector(one may be unused or shorted together). The socket on the radio caters for 4 pole]
~B

bullets

Buddy got back to me this morning.
Not sure if this info will be of any use to you or not, or if I'm reposting
what people already know.

Head set used was a motorola compatible headset with a PTT button and mike inline. This is plugged into a re-wired sockets that the buddy made up for me.

He mentioned that the PTT switch on the headset was tied to ground so when pressed the voltage drop would go through a comparator, switch off the internal mic and PTT switch on the radio itself and allow the mic and ptt to operate without the VOX function switched on through the line.
(some of the other head sets dont seem to do this and rely on the vox setting to remain on)

The real question now is why they make the paper yellow on some notebooks.
~B

[IMG][/img]

Silent Death

From my limited knowledge of electronics and a scoop of logic, i think i got what your on about, thanks

Mando Commando

Just appeared on Ebay, feckin great if you like those earpieces. A friend got one lately and it works great

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Earphone-Headset-Earpiece-Binatone-Radio-/280578012488?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_SpecialistRadioEquipment_SM&hash=item4153c0b548

Nikolasf

Hello there i could like to send me if you can any link from ebay for Throat mic fro the Binatone action 950 . I am trying to do this simple and i could be glab if there is a throad mic from ebay that doesnt need any modification... :)

thanks a lot and sorry for my english

Mando Commando

Haven't seen any throat mics on Ebay yet, those are the first ones I've seen apart from those crappy ones that look like bluetooth headsets.

Nikolasf

i wish i could find one set compatitible with binatone
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220720869254&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Nikolasf

nobody? :?

JonnyTwoCombs

Nikolasf wrote: »

i wish i could find one set compatitible with binatone
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220720869254&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Maplins sell a lot of adaptors for these single pin radios. If you have already bought an earpiece / mic set with 2 pins you might be able to pick up an adaptor there.

When I got my adaptor there, I remember seeing ones for Icom & Kenwood 2 pin and some others. (1 pin to radio - 2 pins to accessory)

zero_o

bullets wrote: »

Buddy got back to me this morning.
Not sure if this info will be of any use to you or not, or if I'm reposting
what people already know.

Head set used was a motorola compatible headset with a PTT button and mike inline. This is plugged into a re-wired sockets that the buddy made up for me.

He mentioned that the PTT switch on the headset was tied to ground so when pressed the voltage drop would go through a comparator, switch off the internal mic and PTT switch on the radio itself and allow the mic and ptt to operate without the VOX function switched on through the line.
(some of the other head sets dont seem to do this and rely on the vox setting to remain on)

The real question now is why they make the paper yellow on some notebooks.
~B

[IMG][/img]

Thanks for this drawing, it works!
However, its not mentioned here, but its imperative that the resistance of the mic is around 2K ohm. otherwise the comparator will not recognize it. I had to add a 2.2 kilo ohm resistor in parallel to the mic contacts to achieve that.