Can I use an RJ45 splitter to run dual Hand Mics?

[WSJL659]

I am working on setting up a base station and ideally would like the unit to live in the basement. Can I simply use an RJ,45 splitter and run a remote handmic elsewhere in the house? I haven't found any examples of this anywhere, but don't see why it wouldn't work. 

Thank you!

-Adam

[SteveShannon]

4 hours ago, WSJL659 said:

I am working on setting up a base station and ideally would like the unit to live in the basement. Can I simply use an RJ,45 splitter and run a remote handmic elsewhere in the house? I haven't found any examples of this anywhere, but don't see why it wouldn't work. 

Thank you!

-Adam

Some people do use an RJ45 manual switch to switch between two microphones, but in that case only one microphone is connected at a time.  I don’t know how what you refer to as an RJ45 splitter is actually wired, but if the two microphones are connected in parallel I would not expect good results. Also, there’s the problem of having a long run for the microphone cable. You might find that it’s just too long and your audio signals are too weak.

[MarkInTampa]

Two problems I see...

1st) If you are using a Y-cable/splitter I'd assume you are going to run into mic impedance issues. The radio is designed for a certain microphone impedance, adding another mic in parallel or trying to extend the cable by 30ft is probably gonna jack it up.

2nd) If you did run a 2nd hand mic somewhere - what about audio?

 

[amaff]

11 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

i said basicity.  

It's basically* ethernet in the same way that the 120v wiring in your house is basically ethernet. 

Ethernet is a network technology. 

There's no 'networking' going on between the mic and your radio. No addressing being shared. It's just using a common connector to pass the same type of signal (your audio, your PTT trigger, button pushes) that would come through any other kind of mic connector to the radio. It's an RJ-45 connector. It's nothing at all like an ethernet connection other than it shares a common connector type.

[nokones]

Yes you can have multiple microphones connected to one radio device and it is done all the time in the Aviation industry. It is not rocket science, it is basic electronics in matching levels with each microphone circuit with the radio device. Don't forget, if you're going to have separate microphones in separate locations, you will need to have separate speakers and you will need to factor in if you are going to have side tone without causing feedback (audio loop) or if you're going to automatically mute the receive audio circuit.

It will be a little more involved than just coupling (doubling) two microphones to one radio.

Also, fire apparatus have multi-comm systems similar to aircraft systems. And, Rugged Radios has on-board radio/Intercom systems for multiple users in one vehicle for off-road applications.

You might want to checkout Racing Radios or Racing Electronics.

[amaff]

To answer the original question: I don't see a reason that wouldn't work. There's a couple of BTech radios that do this from the factory. They have RJ-45 connectors at the radio, and come with a splitter that has RJ-45 on 1 end, and a K1 connector on the other. In my case, I have one in my race car, with the K1 connector going to the wiring harness for my helmet mounted mic & ear buds, and steering wheel mounted PTT.

[WRUU653]

If you have the funds you could consider a second radio (you can never have too many, am I right) and maybe a switcher for the antenna cable. Just offering a different approach. 

[LeoG]

I use an RJ45 splitter to connect my KG1000G mic and my bluetooth mic at the same time.  Works just fine and everyone says I sound fine.

 

This is what I use

[WRUE951]

4 hours ago, WSJL659 said:

I am working on setting up a base station and ideally would like the unit to live in the basement. Can I simply use an RJ,45 splitter and run a remote handmic elsewhere in the house? I haven't found any examples of this anywhere, but don't see why it wouldn't work. 

Thank you!

-Adam

it doesn't make sense.  why would you want to split the mic?  You can extend a mic using RJ45 extensions.. There are aslo some Bluetooth mic gizmos that you can add.   The Mic connection is  basicly an eithernet connection to the radio, generally, no you can not split an ethernet signal without feeding it through a switch or router..   

[SteveShannon]

2 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

The Mic connection is  basicly an eithernet connection to the radio, generally, no you can not split an ethernet signal without feeding it through a switch or router..   

No, although the same connector is used, none of the radio microphones for which I’ve seen schematics are Ethernet. The different wires carry analog audio, push to talk, and other analog connections which allow push buttons or LED lights on the microphone.

[MDYoungblood]

I'm going to say "Yes" but the splitter needs to be the type where all the oins go to the same place, as is pin 1 is the same on all 3 locations etc. Like I read in the comments there might be an impredence issue affecting the radio's modulation when keyed. You might want to think of some kind of bluetooth devise like the Uniden microphone, only problem there is they lack distance.

3's

Greg

[SteveShannon]

4 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

This thread is exactly the reason I recommend never using “Technical Discussion:”

Now it is a popularity contest rather than an intelligent chronological discussion of the issues!

Easily addressed by clicking “Sort by Date”:

[marcspaz]

I have two radios that have remote Bluetooth headphone with built-in microphone. As long as I'm inside of a 35 ft bubble, both radios work really well and there's no wiring to do. I can literally just be walking around the house

[BoxCar]

5 hours ago, WRUE951 said:

I knew that would cofuse you Boxcar..     

I would state you are clueless about TP Ethernet but that would just make the south end of a north bound donkey brilliant. I've only been around computers and computer-to-computer communications for more than 50 years. It's not connectors or cable that define networking, it's the signals present on those wires and connectors.

[UncleYoda]

36 minutes ago, LeoG said:

This is what I use

I wonder if that would work with the mic and the programming cable.

[LeoG]

So on the impedance front...  Isn't the microphone only connected when the PTT button is pressed?  So unless both are pressed at the same time they never interfere with each others electrical properties.

I can't say the same if you have speaker microphones because both speakers will be connected and in parallel and therefore cut the resistance load in half (if they are the same resistance)

[SteveShannon]

18 minutes ago, LeoG said:

So on the impedance front...  Isn't the microphone only connected when the PTT button is pressed?  So unless both are pressed at the same time they never interfere with each others electrical properties.

I can't say the same if you have speaker microphones because both speakers will be connected and in parallel and therefore cut the resistance load in half (if they are the same resistance)

No, not based on the schematics I’ve seen. The PTT does not connect the microphone to the radio. It’s a separate circuit. It has to be for VOX to work if enabled. 

[WRUU653]

11 minutes ago, LeoG said:

So on the impedance front...  Isn't the microphone only connected when the PTT button is pressed?  So unless both are pressed at the same time they never interfere with each others electrical properties.

I can't say the same if you have speaker microphones because both speakers will be connected and in parallel and therefore cut the resistance load in half (if they are the same resistance)

 I honestly haven’t looked at the schematic for any of my mics and none have a speaker but they do have a keypad and led lights so I wonder if this might be an issue. I like @marcspaz’s idea for a Bluetooth mic but if it were me I would constantly forget where I put it . 

[WRKC935]

11 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

This thread is exactly the reason I recommend never using “Technical Discussion:”

Now it is a popularity contest rather than an intelligent chronological discussion of the issues!

QUOTED FOR TRUTH.  And a big reason I have pulled back even trying to properly and correctly answer this sort of question.  I have ONLY been a commercial radio tech for 15 years.  There are a couple others on here that have more time in this business than I have.  At least one of them posted in here on this very topic. 

First off referring to an audio connection of a radio as Ethernet, or resembling Ethernet in any fashion.... WHAT??? Maybe it's like a telephone too since the RJ family of connectors is also used.  Hell we probably don't even need DSL modems to get Internet.  Just plug that Ethernet cord right into the phone jack and it should work just fine.

While the racing radio setup does this, it's designed to do it and isn't a simple dual RJ45 adapter.  Can it work, possibly.  And possibly it will not.  It could do any number of things including damage the radio depending on the switching of the PTT, power and other things in that mike connector.  It COULD be fine, or it could not be fine.  Without seeing the schematics and understanding the circuit for both the mike and the radio, I can't 100% say.  I will say that you are taking a chance of letting the magic smoke out of the radio though.  So be aware of that.

This site has gotten to the point that it chides people that are knowledgeable and their factual and correct statements are frowned upon and made fun of by people that frankly don't know shit and have an over abundance of proving that with their statements.  Or they just simply refer to the ones that are knowledgeable as 'some people'. 

So, do as you like.  It might burn up your radio, or it might not.  It might sound like crap on the air or it might not.  I can promise you this.  I don't really care.  Others on here have attempted to explain with technical detail why what I just said is correct.  Those points were argued by others that I would question if they posses the technical knowledge to make such statements and argue such details.

 

 

[WRYS709]

8 hours ago, WSJL659 said:

I am working on…

This thread is exactly the reason I recommend never using “Technical Discussion:”

Now it is a popularity contest rather than an intelligent chronological discussion of the issues!

[WRUE951]

21 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

Jesus..   whats a real cheerleader   

I knew that would cofuse you Boxcar..     

[WRUE951]

34 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

No, although the same connector is used, none of the radio microphones for which I’ve seen schematics are Ethernet. The different wires carry analog audio, push to talk, and other analog connections which allow push buttons or LED lights on the microphone.

i said basicity.  The MIC connection and cable is using the same physicial RJ45 connector and twisted pair wire found in ethernet systems but with different wiring pinout and for different purposes.  Yes, it is a non ethernet connection, we all know ethernet  needs to be a  managed connections, hence the reason you use switches or routers in a eithernet environment which is more than likley lacking with his set up.  I will say, if i wanted to, i could extend the mic on my repeater via Ethernet and a lot of other things.      

[WRUE951]

46 minutes ago, amaff said:

It's basically* ethernet in the same way that the 120v wiring in your house is basically ethernet. 

Ethernet is a network technology. 

There's no 'networking' going on between the mic and your radio. No addressing being shared. It's just using a common connector to pass the same type of signal (your audio, your PTT trigger, button pushes) that would come through any other kind of mic connector to the radio. It's an RJ-45 connector. It's nothing at all like an ethernet connection other than it shares a common connector type.

Jesus..   whats a real cheerleader