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Headsets and Intercoms in the Deuce

Armada

New member
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0
Location
Buick City, MI
Paul,
Can you receive and transmit with your CB through your VIC-1?
BC

:ditto: As Bjorn said, use the CB mic. It would be neat if you could somehow use the headset boom mic for transmitting on the CB.
The one thing I did notice with the CB tied into the Vic-1 was that it wasn't very loud. Don't know if that's a common issue. Maybe the CB needs an amp fat lady sings ?
 

ida34

Well-known member
4,120
33
48
Location
Dexter, MI
I had the same problem. I even ran my Ipod into the system and it was barely loud enough to hear. I was having problems with one of my headsets cables so it may be better since I have fixed that.
 

cranetruck

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Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
I cheated a little, used a transformer to match the impedances. The CB "Speaker output" may or may not want to see an 8 ohm load, which would be a typical speaker impedance, so for most efficient power transfer, I put an audio transformer between the CB and the VIC-1 . The input winding is about 8 ohms and the output about 600 ohms, which matches the VIC-1 input impedance. Found a Stancor A-8101 transformer on ebay, but Radio Shack should have something similar. The transformer should be able to handle 3 to 4 watts or more.

The "Audio" input on the AM1780 has a higher input impedance and the signal is amplified within the unit, so this input is more suitable for CD players etc.
There is an article on this in MV Magazine issue 106, Dec '04......
 

scooter01922

Well-known member
1,721
42
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Location
Newbury, MA
Bulldog, i'll list up what i have so far for my setup once i dig it out of the pile of "deuce stuff" i have in the garage awaiting install. I'll be sure to report in on how it works once i get it actually hooked up as well. :)
 

OPCOM

Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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48
Location
Dallas, Texas
It is very tricky to use the VIC for transmitting on the CB because the VIC is designed for FM and the CB is AM. The nature of the AM signal lets it get into the VIC cabling and cause a squeal when transmitting. I have been working on this problem for some time. So far, I have put 0.01uF bypass caps on all the mike inputs and headset outputs inside the crew stations. I have put ferrite blocks on the 12VDC power entering the CB, and also switched the external keying relay in the interface box to 24V. I still have a bit of a problem but it's not perfect. Next might be to try small RF chokes in series with the mike input, but the mike cable is not the only place the RF is being picked up. Another issue is that the SWR for the CB needs to be good or the RF will flow on the grounds and negative leads and cause problems. If anyone else is working on this their comments would be appreciated. I have no issues with volume listening through one of the VIC's regular radio jacks. The impedance of those jacks is 150 ohms.

I vouch for the solution of Bjorn for listening via the phone terminals. It is the easiest . Be careful of connecting the CB directly to the VIC as the audio amplifier in the CB can cause a large electrical transient to enter the VIC when the CB is turned on.
 

Cdub

New member
1,082
2
0
Location
New Milford, NJ
My gunner couldn't hit zilch unless we had AC/DC playing during gunnery! We simply used a headphone lead out of a boombox and hooked it in to where the fieldphones plug into the VIC1. Nothing like putting 120mm holes in foam and chicken wire listening to "thunderstruck".

Did the music interfere with the radio / intercom (listening or talking ).......??

Would the music go through the radio when transmitting or could you only hear it when in the intercom mode.....??

Thanks,

C'dub
 

raeme

Member
200
3
18
Location
nowra. n.s.w. Australia
I purchased a unit of Pirate.com and built it into a 50 cal. ammo box. It sits on the seat and you can plug everything into it, even isolate your cell for hands free.
raeme.[thumbzup]
 
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