[BC] RE: cell interfaces (was SC/NC/GA/TN Engineers & Stations)

[Bernie Courtney]

For the cost of an old headset (easy way to get a 2.5mm" TRS plug) and a few bucks at radio shack you could just build your own cell phone interface.

Before the Cell Jack and the like were out there I did just that for a morning shows' man on the street.  If I remember right the input most phones want to see is about ~ -25db and the audio output is roughly consumer line level (~-10db).

So you just need to get an amp to bring whatever mic you want to use up to about -25 and take the audio out and bring it up to sufficiently drive whatever headphones you plan on using.

If you have time and want to get fancy, mount it all in a plastic Radio Shack project box, drill out an XLR-F on the bottom and 1/4 Headphone jack on the top, and a pot to control volume.  How to attach the box to the user  became more tricky- in my case I removed the belt clip from a Stanley tape measure that was sitting in the shop and attached it with a screw to the rear of the project box to make it 'belt mount'.

Another tip- if you have a dual-mode cell phone that is capable of being forced into analog mode, do so before you call back into your studio, the quality will be a heck of a lot better.

Bernie


-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Paul B. Walker, Jr.
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 10:07 PM
To: Broadcasters' Mailing List
Subject: [BC] SC/NC/GA/TN Engineers & Stations

......Is there an engineer out there who has a Cell Jack unit and Microphone
I can BORROW here in the Abbeville/Greenwood, SC area for one or two days in
early May?(or maybe LEASE for a short time??) I've got the cell phone and
headphones.. but the only mic I have here at the station can't be removed
from where it is.

I know this is a long shot and most of you would tell me to "go buy my own
stuff" but I just haven't had the time or money to yet.....
The town has a "Spring Festival" coming up May 4th & 5th along with a
Bicycling event later in May. I'm trying to get the community involved and
let them know WABV is back, and even if i don't make/get paid one red cent
for this event, it's a great way to get noticed.

Paul B. Walker, Jr.
Operations Manager/Program Director
WABV-AM 1590 Abbeville, SS
www.wabv1590.com
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