Batboard

When I was a wee lad, I volunteered as a sound/light tech at a local playhouse. The stage manager(s) and I used Spirits (not sure of the exact model) with some really sweet earpiece/boom mics. They looked almost like BDN6774A or 53863, and had the Y plug.

So today I looked up compatible radios for the BDN9774A and got http://www.wsplc.com - a UK site, which claims "BDN6774A Ultra lightweight Headset for GP-300". Well, Motorola North America doesn't list the GP300, just CP100, SP10, SP2, VL50.

A ton of radios are listed by Motorola as compatible with the 53863, but it seems no Spirits or the GP300. I couldn't find any other site that claimed it would work for the GP300.

So, I guess the question is, do you know if either of these headsets (especially the former) work in the GP300 or can you infer by the connector type of the other radios matching the GP300 that they will work?

Depending on what answer I get, I may be throwing up a WTB since these are bloody expensive retail (but damn near indestructible).

Motorola in their wisdom decided that the low tier and the professional grade radios should have different audio accessories. The jacks inside of the radios were identical, but the plugs on the audio accessories were different. The low tier plug can be forced into the mid-grade radios, but this usually tears the jack off of the board or breaks the front off of it. I have been buying these jacks in 50 quantity about twice a year to take care of these problems. This being said, Motorola has not offered the BDN6774 style of headset with the GP300 type audio accessory plug. You may want to try OTTO, as they offer a wide variety of audio accessories for most any radio-RRRobby

Sigh. Closest thing they have is the Explorer lightweight headset, but it's got a stupid acoustic tube. My experience with acoustic tubes is that they collect moisture, which eventually makes it sound like you're listening underwater.

You could also try Pryme accessories.

They also don't have this style.

I know that MFJ makes alot of headsets, but for the most part it's just total hammie crap that's too fragile for any other environment than sitting down and doing nothing.

OTTO Engineering

The connector IS electrically the same. The 2.5 mm and 3.5mm plugs are the same, only the molding over the plugs is different.
Some trimming of the molded housing may be required to seat the connector on the Spirit line of radios.

The GP350 requires an adaptor that takes the GP300 style plug.

The GP300 style connector is a VERY popular connector, and maybe the fact that GP300, Spirit, ect, are discontinued is why they are not listed on anything on Motorola site(s).

Rayjk110 wrote:I know that MFJ makes alot of headsets, but for the most part it's just total hammie crap that's too fragile for any other environment than sitting down and doing nothing.

Yup. Mighty Fragile Junk. I got a speaker mic of theirs back when I became a ham. Cracked about a year later. I don't expect my OEM Moto speaker mic to break for at least 3-5 years (if I don't switch to another accessory before that time).

jim wrote:OTTO Engineering

Already suggested and ruled out...

Will wrote:The connector IS electrically the same. The 2.5 mm and 3.5mm plugs are the same, only the molding over the plugs is different.
Some trimming of the molded housing may be required to seat the connector on the Spirit line of radios.

The GP350 requires an adaptor that takes the GP300 style plug.

The GP300 style connector is a VERY popular connector, and maybe the fact that GP300, Spirit, ect, are discontinued is why they are not listed on anything on Motorola site(s).

This is interesting. I'd like to see how close I can get without spending over $50 for an experiment... from what you said though, a GP300 plug is too short and molding needs to be shaved to get to Spirit, but that means the inverse is that a Spirit plug is too long for GP300, correct?

The plugs are the same lenth, and the standard 2.5 and 3.5mm dia.
The "Spirit" style connector fits the GP300, P1225, ect just fine.

Yes, there is a different plug molding. It was for the XTN and CLS line of business band radios. The plugs are electrically the same, same length apart, etc etc, but try it on a GP300, P1225, etc, and it'll plop right out unless it's on a XTN or CLS because of the way the molded o-ring is seated.

I have a box of about 20 or so of the around the ear/ptt button earsets for the CLS/XTN business radios and while they will fit my P1225's and even my GP68, it needs to be physically held in to work and not plop out.

So, short of grinding the o-ring(s) vewy carefuwwy, getting that accessory clamp that holds the plug down might work?

The plug from a Spirit Radio will not fit into the GP300 unless you remove the antenna. It is molded at an angle where the GP300 plug is straight and has a cutout for the antenna. I still make a ton of money from people who try to stuff a Spirit audio accessory into a SP50 or a CP150/200. You may try trimming some of the molding away, but you risk damaging the connections inside the plug. If you do love this headset and just have to have one, they make it for the PRO series (WARIS, ie HT750, HT1250, ect) Radios. The part # for this is AARMN4017A. These units are a little smaller and a lot newer than your GP-RRRobby

eBay pending. The listing explicitly claims it is compatible with the GP300. My eyeball comparison tells me the whole plug looks the same or almost the same. Private messaged the seller and they said it was tested. 100% positive since 2001. If I don't get outbid like usual and it won't work, at least I won't have wasted $50.

Best thing I can suggest is take your unit down to a Motorola dealer and compare the two styles of connectors. It is hard to visualize the difference from description, but once you see them (and plug them into your unit), you can see what the problem is. I have done this numerous times for my customers, but still have problems with users that have mixed radio systems. It is more critical now days as this tends to tear traces off of the boards in the CP's, where in the SP50's it only destroyed the jack. As many people have asked me for this style on headset, I wish that /\/\ made it for the GP300-RRRobby

Outbid.