Astatic T3 insides?
Hi Greg. I asked the same question in another post but thought it might be wise to start a new topic so you'd might notice it better.
Hi Greg. About the Astatic T-3 that I got : I took the whole microphone apart. Got rid of the stand and the base. Bought a female 3 pin amphenol plug on a miccable with a jack ( lucky to finf that ). Ordered a new gasket, the one that was in there was completely wasted, just like the MC 111 element. So, I'm ready to put it back together when the gasket comes in the mail and I will try my philmore chrystal element in it. If that don't sound good then I've got a Shure CM to try in it. Now here's my problem, yes it's kinda funny, : I have all these little bits and pieces that hold the little swivelrarm (?) in the bullet together and I have nu clue on how to put it back together. Do you happen to have a pic, or somebody else with an Astatic T3, that shows how the part , that can turn inside the bullet, was put together?
So it's got to be a pic that shows the insides of a T-3 without the element covering the parts I need to see. I should have made a pic of it before I took it apart. Thanks for your help.
Hi Greg. I am afraid I'll be emailing you. I really appreciate your effords in helping me to get a pic. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for sending me the pic Greg.
I managed to put the T3 back together. I installed the philmore crystal element in it and tried the mic through an amp. The guy I got the element from told me that he tested the element and that it had good strong output.
I am getting a very weak signal with very little output from the mic.
This could mean that A, the element is very weak?
Or B, that there's something wrong with the wiring of the connectors to the cable? The mic still has it's original male Amphenol MC3M connector. The cable I am using is a cable I bought from somebody that installed a jack and a female MC3M connector. Could it be that he mixed the wires up when he connected the connector? Or would I be getting no signal at all if that would be the problem?
If this is not the place to go into these detailed questions then please let me know ;-)
Hi - it is certainly possible that that there's an issue with the connector or cable. Do you have an ohm meter? If so, with the cable plugged into the mic, open the front of the mic and test between the positive lead of the element and the tip of the 1/4" connector. You should see 0 ohms, or close to it. Now test from the ground lead of the element to the sleeve/base of the 1/4" plug. You should also see 0 ohms here. If not, that's the problem. If both of those are good, then you need to make sure the leads aren't shorted. If you have a modern electronic ohm meter it is safe to do this with the element connected, but older meters can run enough current through the element to damage it. If you're at all unsure, simply unsolder one lead from the element. Now test between the tip and sleeve/base of the 1/4" plug. They should be "open" - that is - you should not get any reading. If you see anything lower than at least 500K ohms here, then something is shorted in the connector or cable.
And finally - all bets are off if you're not plugging into a reasonably high impedance input - as low impedance inputs will suck everything out of a crystal. I'm not an expert on computer audio interfaces but if that's what you're trying through it could be the problem as well.
Otherwise -- the element has gone the way of nearly every vintage crystal ever made. RIP.
Thank you Greg. I'm gonna see a friend of mine the next week who's an electrician and he's gonna apply your advice on using the ohm meter.
Ahh, live and learn.
Its really not too complicated. The swivel is centered, with one of the leaf springs and one of the cardboard pieces on each side. The cardboard goes against the swivel so it has a nice feel when it is moved. At least - that's how I remember it. If you have trouble shoot me an email and I will open one up and photograph it for you.
/Greg