Q - Why are CES
Microphones and Handsets considered by many to be the standard of quality for the radio
industry?
A - CES has been active in the radio-telephone/DTMF microphone industry
for nearly a quarter of a century. Reliable, high quality hand, desktop microphones and
handsets are not created overnight - they "evolve" from sound basic designs that
are improved year after year, eventually resulting in field proven products that work
right out of the box, and outlast several radios throughout their lifetime.
Q - What if I need technical assistance?
A - CES provides telephone technical support to our dealers Monday
through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5PM EST. After hours, technical questions can be faxed to
+407-679-8110, or e-mailed.
Q - Why does CES avoid using modular connectors to connect the mic cable
to the microphone head?
A - Modular connectors are fine for office telephones, and hold up
reasonably well on those telephones' flat cords. However, modular connections hold up
poorly under the extreme stress exerted on microphone cables during mobile use. Through
our extensive research we have determined that the optimum method of connecting the cable
to the microphone head is to utilize a reliable IDC (Insulation Displacement Connector)
that plugs directly into the circuit board. A screwed-in strain relief affixes securely to
the inside base of the microphone. This method of cord connection results in maximum
reliability while at the same time providing for fast cord replacement in the unlikely
event that the CES cord fails.
Q - Can I purchase CES microphones with mating connectors for any radio?
A - CES supplies microphones pre-wired with connectors to fit more than
200 radio models. In most cases, you simply plug in the microphone and it works.
Occasionally it may be necessary to adjust the deviation and/or mic gain to suit a
particular application. All DTMF microphones require either 5-7 Volts DC or 10-14 Volts DC
for operation, so in the rare instances when switched voltage is not supplied at the
radio's connector, it will be necessary to internally make this connection. Please follow
the radio manufacturer's guidelines for this step. See the CES Microphone Connector Guide
for a cross reference of CES radio-specific microphones.
Q - Which CES Microphone is right for my customer's radio?
A - CES produces seven varieties of microphones - 4 basic industry
standard models, 2 Mil Spec heavy duty industrial quality models, and a commercial desktop
base model. The 600L is the most popular manual dialing DTMF microphone ever produced. If
your customer does not need store-and-send memory dialing, the 600L is the best choice for
medium duty use.
The 710 looks like the 600L, but includes store-and-send memory dialing, automatic ANI,
and fourth column tones. For heavy-duty use in punishing environments, the 805 and 810 Mil
Spec DTMF microphones are unmatched for durability. The 805 is a manual dialing microphone
for use by those customers who do not require memory dialing. The 810 is the most advanced
DTMF microphone ever designed and built by CES. It features full store-and-send and memory
dialing, time-out timers, keypad lock, fourth column tones, multiple level automatic
ANI's, and separate Store, Send and Recall buttons for ease of operation.
