Converted my DCs to computer meeting headsets

Cap'n Jack

Final Approach
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Cap'n Jack
I have to do lots of zoom meetings now. People were complaining they couldn't hear me. Maybe that's because I put a life-size cardboard picture of myself in front of the computer to sit in the meetings while I do something productive.

Actually, I had a cheap blue tooth headset. I also recall that I have a headset that works well- ATC and I hear one another well. For about maybe $8 in parts, I made the converter box. A couple of jacks for the headset, a couple of phono jacks, a 470 Ohm resistor, a couple of 22 uF capacitors, and a 9 V battery clip stuffed into a $0.88 WalMart box. It seems to work well, I heard the message I sent to Whats App clearly, and the computer audio works well. I can use it to test the headset at home, too. Windows has some speaker and microphone tests built in.

Cheaper than Sporty's too. https://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/g...VT77ACh3tkQOkEAQYASABEgLkd_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks to @weirdjim for some hints

IMG_0028a.jpg
 
I've got this little COMM1 box that I picked up somewhere that lets you plug a headset into a USB port.
 
Nice! More specific wiring info, please?
 
Wouldn't a Bose headset be more comfortable? :stirpot:

(I'm sorry, but I had to laugh at using a very good headset for zoom meetings)

btw - instead of putting a cardboard picture up, you can use a virtual background image and put a piece of tape over the camera lens. other meeting participants will only see the background image.
 
Nice! More specific wiring info, please?
It isn't much, at all!. The battery just drives the FET in the electret amplifier in the headset microphone. The headset microphone impedance is 50 ohms, the ear phones is 150 ohms, so no impedance matching needed.

Headset.jpg
 
Thanks for the fast response! Why the series 22uf caps, and not just a single 11uf (the effective value of two 22uf caps in series)? Availability/had-on-hand?
 
Thanks for the fast response! Why the series 22uf caps, and not just a single 11uf (the effective value of two 22uf caps in series)? Availability/had-on-hand?
Yes, exactly! And you're welcome!
 
Thanks for the fast response! Why the series 22uf caps, and not just a single 11uf (the effective value of two 22uf caps in series)? Availability/had-on-hand?
Actually, if they are (polarized) electrolytics, they need to be connected (+) to (+) or (-) to (-) to make them nonpolarized. The audio difference between 22 and 11 is not a factor.

Jim
 
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