Low TX audio on MTS2000

[Wicho]

I have 4 MTS2000's that I've been using for a while, and have recently come across something strange that I can't seem to figure out. Because of the way the radios are used, I'd never really noticed it.

Here it goes:

When I use the radio through a repeater with or without a speaker mike, I can be heard just fine by everyone else.

When I use the radio in simplex through a speaker mike, I can be heard just fine.

When I use the radio simplex using the radio's built in mike, I sound really quiet, and when I get my mouth very close to the mike, I sound better but still low, but sometimes it seems like every other syllable gets cut off. This is the way the radios are hardly ever used, but I can't stand having a problem and not being able to fix it.

AGC is turned off. Can't remember about TX & RX emphasis and de-emphasis, but I remember setting them the way it was suggested on the board.

I've searched the board and can't seem to come up with an answer, other than maybe the mike elements have gone bad? Wouldn't quite make sense, though, since I can be heard through a repeater. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Will]

Check that the port in the front cover for the mic is not plugged with dirt.
2. The mic element is bad.
Common problem(s).

[Wicho]

I'll check for dirt, but I still can't figure out why the TX audio is fine through a repepater and not on simplex.

Are there different settings for an RSM versus the inernal mic somewhere in the RSS? Is there an area for different settings for the direct/talkaround option that I'm maybe missing?

[nmfire10]

The only thing I can think of off hand in my time playing with the MTS:

1. AGC is useless but you already have that off
2. Make sure the channel is set for 25Khz and not 12.5 by accident (assuming it is 25khz channel)
3. Make sure the mic elements are clogged up with crap

[alex]

I'll check for dirt, but I still can't figure out why the TX audio is fine through a repepater and not on simplex.

Is this just on one repeater, or across several repeaters? Are the repeaters amateur or are they public safety/commercial?

-Alex

[Wicho]

Is this just on one repeater, or across several repeaters? Are the repeaters amateur or are they public safety/commercial?

-Alex

It's the same on two different repeaters - both commercial and at different locations.

I'm stumped.

[Wicho]

Well, I thought I'd post the solution I found after playing around with different settings. I turned hearclear off, enabled TX emphasis and disabled RX emphasis. Now the radios work fine with the built in mics - they sound a bit high pitched, but way better than they were before. For all I know they shouldn't be set up that way, but hey...they work.

Thanks to everyone who had given some ideas. If you have any others, please let me know. I did check for gunk on the mic elements, and they were clean.

Wicho.