Best Speaker Mic For Baofeng Audio Quality
I believe that I’ve found (and purchased) the best speaker mic for my Baofeng radios. I’ve been using it for awhile. My research paid off because I’m very happy with the excellent audio quality and convenience!
To say that it’s the best speaker mic for a Baofeng radio, or among the best, means that it meets a set of criteria. For me, I’m talking about superior audio quality (speaker AND microphone), build quality, and convenience.
It’s not cheap. In fact it cost a bit more than the Baofeng BF-F8HP radio itself. However I feel that I got my money’s worth. It really sounds (and transmits) very well.
It’s the Kenwood KMC-45D
Kenwood KMC-45D Speaker Mic for a Baofeng Radio
It works with the Baofeng radio variants such as the UV-5R and BF-F8HP.
Obviously it’s made by Kenwood and works with their HT radios too. However my focus here is for the Baofeng, because it is a very popular radio among those in preparedness, off-roading, and other venues where these radios are often used for communications.
Why did I want a speaker mic? Because there are several uses where a external speaker / microphone will be advantageous for the operator. Here’s one, which I’ll show in a photo..
Great Convenience
There are a number of convenience factors for wearing a speaker mic, depending on your use-case scenarios.
General Purpose
I’m wearing a winter jacket with a Baofeng radio clipped inside a lower pocket, while the shoulder speaker-mic is clipped to an upper pocket. When I’m out and about on the property, I can easily and clearly hear Mrs.J calling when needed. Or vice versa.
Security Operations
Great for security operations as a shoulder speaker / microphone combination.
The Kenwood KMC-45D also has a 2.5mm jack built-in for external audio (speaker only) (e.g. ear piece setup). Great for quiet concealment while also utilizing the built-in quality microphone for transmission by pressing the PTT.
Swivel clip. There’s a 360-degree rotation swivel clip on the speaker mic so that you can position it anyway that you want to.
Perfect For Noisy Environments
Whether Off-Roading with a group, or operating in any noisy environment.. The best speaker mic for a Baofeng radio is one that you can actually and plainly hear!
Clip the speaker mic to your shirt collar, pocket, or anywhere closer to your ears than down low or farther away. This also makes it so quick and simple to press the PTT (push to talk) button and transmit, rather than picking up your radio.
Great Audio Quality
(My Favorite Baofeng Model)
(amzn)
This is important! And in fact, the Kenwood KMC-45D audio quality is much better than the Baofeng built-in speaker / microphone. By a lot!
We’re talking about communications here. The audio part of it. What you hear while receiving, and your voice while transmitting.
I don’t want distortion when I turn up the speaker volume. Rather, I want the ability to hear clearly when the volume is up.
This speaker mic has very good audio bandwidth for what it is.. The spoken voice sounds natural and full. Not limited or tinny.
I don’t want my voice to be muffled or in any way dullened when I transmit. Instead, I want my voice to be reproduced well. The built-in microphone is quite good at this.
Build Quality
It’s Kenwood. They’ve been around ‘forever’. A top name and trusted among Amateur Radio operators and professional organizations for their communications needs.
You get what you pay for. While you can certainly pay much less for a shoulder speaker-mic, if you’re looking for what might be one of the best speaker mic units for your Baofeng, this one is quite good.
Speaker Mic Cord Tip
Depending where you clip your radio versus where you clip the speaker mic.. Or if you wish to route the cord in a more accommodating way..
The Kenwood KMC-45D speaker mic spiral cord can be stretched to a bit more than 6 feet. However it’s natural ‘at rest’ comfortable length is about 2 feet – though slightly stretching to 3 feet is not a problem either (slight tug). As I break this in further, no doubt that the spiral will ‘relax’ a bit more too.
So for those who would like another 3 feet of cord, here’s an inexpensive speaker mic extension cable for the Baofeng..
Extension Cable
(amzn)
Read other related articles on my blog:
Baofeng Extended Battery Upgrade