How to take a Motorola mic apart

[Radiobuff]

Got a bunch of those little little palm hmn1056d mics that I would like to take apart to clean but there screw-less. Anyone know how to pop them open or are they hopeless?
Thanks
Wayne

[kd6kml]

They are disposable. You can't open them without breaking them. Work carefully with some Simple Green, that's what I do.

Josh

[Radiobuff]

Thanks I kinda thought maybe they where glued I have a few that I thought I could get into to clean the switch. Maybe now I`ll break one apart and see.
Thanks

[kb0nly]

They can be opened and re-glued, but its a pain in the you know what.

What i have done is put a heavy rag or towel into a bench vise to keep the vise from damaging the mic, then put the mic in and very slowly tighten it down, go really really slow, and if your lucky you will get the side seams to pop, then just repeat the process with the mic in the vise the other way. A thin tool like a butter knife works good for a wedge to work around the seam.

I have done a few, but for the most part it's easier to buy a replacement. Though if you have a bunch of used ones and need to save some money it is entirely possible with some work to get them open.

To close them back up what i usually do is just a small amount of super glue gel on the inside edge where the front and back shells slide together. Don't use too much or it will go all over the place when you put the halves back together, the gel also helps it stay in place and not run. A dab will do ya, you don't have to go all the way around. Just a little bit on each side.

[Max-trac]

...and if the PTT switch is bad, you can't really clean it...I don't know if you can order just the switch...

[Radiobuff]

Thanks Iam still working on getting one apart. The switch sounds like a micro-switch which sometimes you can drill a small hole off to the side and then fill her up with contact cleaner then drain it out and plug the hole.

[kb4mdz]

The itty-bitty palm mic? (note to self; do NOT insert naughty label about this mic, comparing it to fluffy kittens and such...)

Open it with a BFH. Then attach a new one to the end of the cord. Then replace the ratty coil cord.

[kcbooboo]

For all the time and care you'll take to open it so you can put it back together again, just buy another one on eBay for $6.

Bob M.

[ab8ru]

In my experience in throw away stuff its basically history.
I asked a freind about this repair kit for DTMF contacts on those rubberized switches, same answer you're throwing your money away.

You know he's right !

[Radiobuff]

I did get it apart and it was what I expected a dirty ptt switch so a bunch of contact cleaner and it works like a champ. But I believe the next one I will postion a small hole with a drill bit on the back side right over the switch just enough that I can get the straw thru to flood the sucker.

[wavetar]

I did get it apart and it was what I expected a dirty ptt switch so a bunch of contact cleaner and it works like a champ. But I believe the next one I will postion a small hole with a drill bit on the back side right over the switch just enough that I can get the straw thru to flood the sucker.

That is not bad idea at all...never occured to me.

Todd

[kcbooboo]

Of course, the trick is knowing exactly where to drill the hole, and not go too deep, and not flood it so much that you destroy the mike element in the process.

What else was inside besides the PTT switch? A mike and preamp?

Bob M.

[Radiobuff]

Inside looks just like a mostar mic but smaller. Theres 3 snaps that hold the mic cases togather and I didnt glue them back because I didnt see no sense in it plus if you need a picture of whats inside I can do it and also to beable to map out where to drill the hole on the next one. Someone had mentioned just to throw it away and buy one off of eBay but the problem is that these 10 came off of eBay and had 4 that were bad but keep in mind they were all tested as good ya right !