So you’ve got your armor all together, you’ve sunk hundreds of dollars into it. What’s the next logical step? Spend more money! All joking aside, there are quite a few options when it comes to sound systems and voice amps for your armor, some fairly inexpensive and some very expensive. Today we’ll talk about the voice amp that I currently use. It’s a very simple relatively inexpensive setup, but it gets the job done. I would like to first of all thank TK-0896 for donating the amplifier unit to me. However because of this I unfortunately I’m not sure of the exact model amplifier unit that I have. I believe it is one of models sold at RadioShack. The amplifier is gutted and hot glued onto the inside of the chest piece. I also fabricated a battery compartment out of plastic left over from the build.
Here’s a pic of the unit:
I find that the hot glue is really effective in creating a secure hold for the amplifier system. The battery compartment is made out of 4 pieces of the same plastic as the kit. I took some spare pieces lined them up against the appropriate battery sides and trimmed them to size. Here is a close up of the battery compartment:
And shot from the top, showing the empty compartment:
The headset, on the other hand, I can say more about because I purchased it myself. I believe it was about $25 from RadioShack. It’s a simple design, behind the head boom mic. Slim enough to wear inside the bucket. Here’s a pic:
Here’s a close up of the markings on it which read RadioShack 33-3012:
The mic also comes with some accessories, a battery powered On/Off switch, a strap which goes over the head (which I can’t find anymore), and a 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch adapter (neither of which I use while trooping). Nevertheless, here’s a pic of the extras:
I hear these mics are notoriously hard to find in local stores. I’d have to admit when I got mine it was the only one in stock. I’ll provide a link to the one I have. May save you the time of searching around for one. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102926#
That’s basically it. The mic plugs into the 1/8 inch input on the amp and when you talk it’s over-driven a bit so you do tend to sound like an actual Stormtrooper. Of course there are more expensive solutions that provide voice changing technology, static bursts at the end of conversation, and the ability to play mp3′s. Either way, a voice amp of any kind is a nice touch to any suit of armor.
