Cincinnati Airsoft Forum

The following is a review of the Devgru "Operator" throat mic: model # TM02

Written by: A Man Named Lurch a.k.a. "The Salad Ninja".







Every review, of every throat mic (and there aren't that many really) that I've had the pleasure to read has had two things in common, poor sound quality, and the fact that the unit would not stay in place on the neck in the proper "sweet spot". I have never, before the writing of this article, been in close proximity to test any other competitor's product, all I have to go on are the scornful words of others as they pick apart the various other throat mics available out there, and the product for which is under observation in this review.

I've been eyeballing this microphone over the last year or so and finally decided to take the plunge and purchase it. I spent that long amount of time scouring the intertubes, searching for information on several different types of throat mics before deciding that this is the one I wanted to spend my hard earned money on.

Some of the models I've looked at but in the end decided against were:

The Iasus Sniper Pro models

The Firefox models

The Pryme Gladiator 1500 SPM

It came down to a choice in the end between the Devgru, and the Pryme. While the Pryme was cheaper, I personally liked the design, and the good things I'd heard about the Devgru line of products.




I have been rather unlucky in my search for information about the history of throat mics as they were used back in the 30's for airplane and tank pilots.
Here's what Wikipedia has to say about them:


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A throat microphone, also laryngophone is a type of microphone that picks up sound directly through sensors in contact with the neck. Because of this design, it is able to pick up speech in loud environments such as on a motorcycle or in a night club where other types of microphones would not function well because the speech would be drowned out by background noise. This type of microphone is also able to pick up whispers and works well in an environment where one has to keep quiet while communicating with others at a distance such as during a covert military operation. Throat microphones were also extensively used in World War II-era aircraft."



Fire Fox Technologies LLC Website had this to say:

"What is a throat mic?
How does it work?

Traditional microphones pick up the vibrations from the air. Since all sound travels through the air boom microphones will pick up all this additional sound. Throat mics however, pick up the vibrations from your vocal cords directly. This prevents any outside sound to register on the mic. Any sound that vibrates your vocal cords will be transmitted over the radio without a problem."



MSN Dictionary says:

"laryngophone

la·ryn·go·phone [ lə ríng gə fn ] (plural la·ryn·go·phones)

noun
Definition:
a very small throat microphone that is attached closely to the neck."



Enough about that stuff, let's get into the meat and potatoes of this thing.





Devgru's line of products seem to have the quality and commitment to excellence that I really wanted when I purchased the "Operator" throat mic. The company and manufacturer are based in South Korea, they make and sell their products to be used by Korean counter-terrorist squads and police. That alone made the cool factor on this thing go right through the roof.

Not only that, but a very similarly styled unit was used by Bruce Willis's character in the movie "Tears of the Sun". Bruce Willis


You can purchase the "Operator" throat mic from these sources:

Red Wolf Airsoft

Zero One Airsoft

Supreme Co

Thunder Sports

Uncompany

Airsoft Extreme

I purchased mine from Airsoft Extreme, it came packaged well, gave a UPS tracking number, and only cost me $147.00 bones shipped.

Not too shabby, the only thing you have to keep in mind is that there are two different versions of the TM02. One that will only work with Kenwood radios (TM02KW), the other (the one I purchased) "multi" unit, comes with a Hirose quick disconnect (Hirose #1 Hirose #2) that allows you to use the unit with many different types of radios and their specific connections. The separate connections can be had for roughly $20.00 dollars ea, the one I purchased was model A05F for use with single pin Cobra or Motorola FRS radios.



Lets see what we got when we opened the package!






Now I actually purchased the mic and the adapter at separate times, so I've had the adapter sitting in a box for the last six months, waiting for me to buy the microphone so I could test them out together with my Cobra radios and write this review.

Contents of the box included:

The throat mic (duh)

A set of instructions

and two clips for attaching the PTT (Push to talk) button


I was initially impressed right away with the fact that the instructions were in ENGLISH! How awesome is that? Not only was it in English, but it was a concise and very detailed four pages of well thought out material on how to use and care for the product.




The PTT button:



PTT front



PTT Back


The PTT button is made of a very solid feeling polycarbonate material that is supposedly made to military specs and can withstand 100 kgs of vertical pressure. I like the way it feels and works, it has just the right amount of give when pressing it down, and is large enough to use with tactical gloves on. I never felt while using it that it was hard to find because it's attached right were I want it using the included clips of which have a nice velcro backing that keeps the PTT right where I left it.

One of the clips that come with the package is made for use with a web, CIRAS, or FSBE style vest. The other is an alligator styled clamp that has a nice, strong spring, big one inch wide mouth, and tough teeth for gripping whatever you want. I felt very secure that the product would stay right where I put it, and not move around while running, jumping, and going all out commando on the field.






The cable that runs from the PTT to the Hirose connection is coiled and has been improved upon since the mic's first 1.0/1.5 generations (of which are now out of production) and has the benefit of being more heat and fire resistant. Plus it's not as shiny as the original, making it more tactically sound.


The clasp that keeps the microphone strap fastened to your neck is made of a plastic material of some nature. I think this may be the weakest part of the product in my opinion, just because it is a type of clasp that I've never used before, and it may break if you use the wrong type of, or amount of force when putting on and taking off the unit. Fortunately there are spare neck bands for sale out there, and after doing some investigating I've found out that the spare neck bands that can be bought for the unit do come with the clasp. Plus the elasticity of the band will wear out eventually, but thats really just plain inevitable.




The main frame of the unit that houses the microphone sensor and audio speaker output for the ear bud has also supposedly been improved upon since it's earlier generations making it more resistant to cracks and breakage. Honestly, I think you'd have to really abuse or neglect the sucker pretty bad to break it, just my opinion.

Adjusting the strap doesn't take a rocket scientist, you just need it tight enough so as not to jostle around when running and gunning, but loose enough so as not to choke the crap out of your gullet. I never really felt at any time during testing that the unit would move out of place on my neck, or come undone due to the clasp that attaches the unit to my neck.



Transmission clarity:

Here's the part I think most of you want to "hear" about. The "Operator" was put through its' paces and has passed all tests given with flying colors.

By that I mean to say that every outgoing transmission was heard with a high level of clarity and understood fully. The only time I remember having to repeat myself to the recipient of the message was when the other guy had his radio in his pocket, instead of near his head (you know, where he keeps his ears). That was really my fault more than anything for not following proper radio procedures by identifying my self first, and then the person I'm trying to communicate with second, before transmitting the message.

The company released a letter to all their dealers and customers in February of 2006 stating that the overall sound quality was improved by 15%, and that the sensitivity of the microphone unit was improved by 20%. Also the speaker unit output was increased by 15%. Now I haven't been able to witness these improvements first hand seeing as how I've never tested any model other that the one on hand, but it seems that whatever they are doing, they're doing it right.

While the transmissions were clear, they aren't necessarily crystal clear. They do seem a bit muffled, and this is due to how the throat mic itself, in general, works. It is taking the vibrations from your throat, instead of being a direct sound or voice input like traditional boom mics. While this does perfectly contribute to eliminating background noise, you will notice the difference right away upon using the unit, but I have found that it does not detract from the microphone's purpose, which is transmitting a concise, understandable, message.

I didn't have any trouble finding a "sweet spot" or anything really, the unit seemed to perform equally well no matter where I placed it on my neck. The sensor unit seems to be very sensitive, even picking up the vibrations while it wasn't sitting directly on my neck. Being held a few millimeters away from my throat still picked up the message and transmitted it with a minute degree of quality and clarity loss.

Better still was the test of wearing it over top of a decently thick, cotton, turtle neck top. It was around thirty degrees outside, so I wanted to keep my neck warm and this was a perfect chance to see what the "Operator" was capable of under these circumstances. To our surprise the difference in transmission quality was almost unnoticeable.

To maximize the microphone's effectiveness the key is to speak clearly, and slowly. No jibber jabber slang or crap like that. Speak with coherency in mind, like the way you're supposed to during a mission, or how your mother would like to hear you speak.

When Devgru uses the motto "Saving lives with whispers", they really mean it. Speaking very softly (in a whisper voice), was also transmitted with enough coherency that the messages could be recognized and understood. Because being tactical many times means being very quiet so as to maximize stealth in order to achieve your objectives or mission goals.


As for the audio quality of the earbud all I can say is, perfecto! Every transmission came through to the ear piece with top notch clarity.

The only problem I had with the ear piece was that it is molded for the left ear and I'd rather put the bugger in my right ear. The reason for this is that I'm right handed, meaning that my tactical sling wraps over my left shoulder and hangs under my right arm. The problem I'm talking about is that through rigorous movement, the sling would rub against, and bump, the rubber tubing that connects the ear piece to the speaker output, causing the tube to become disconnected from the unit, thus making any incoming transmissions to be useless and go unheard. Flipping the unit over and using a right handed ear piece would keep this from happening again.

A personal note on the unit, there was a slight delay at times between pushing the button of the PTT, and the time it would actually transmit sound. I'm almost 100% positive that this has more to do with the radios and not the "Operator" unit itself. Because more often than not, such is the case with most FRS radios anyhow, you push the button, and have to wait half a second before attempting to speak so as to make sure that the entire message is heard by the recipient.


Pros:

High quality material in its construction made for use by actual military, special forces, and police in Korea

The current generation version has many improvements over its' predecessors

Clarity of transmission is excellent, more than sufficient for use in airsoft

It just might be the coolest piece of equipment you could ever use in your loadout

Can work with a multitude of different radios and their connections

$140.00 is better than paying close to $600.00 or more for the kind of stuff our US military and police get to play with

Can transmit the message even when whispering

Makes you more desirable to the opposite sex



Cons:

Both the clasp and the the elastic strap that goes around the back of your neck feel sorta weak structurally

It's expensive, $140 some odd dollars is a lot to invest and may only appeal to wallets of the hardcore airsofting crowd

You have to buy the adapter separately if you use anything other than a Kenwood radio

Only comes with a left handed ear piece, I would have liked to have seen one of each in the package

It will never hug me and tell me "I love you" ( XD )




Conclusion:

I would absolutely, unequivocally, and wholly recommend this product to anyone looking to add to their arsenal of awesome toys and tactical equipment loadouts. Keep in mind the Airsofters motto of "Buy cheap, Buy twice". Meaning, don't spend 20 bucks on some piece of garbage off of the eBay, save your pennies and treat yourself to something nice, that works, and works well.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, DON'T BE A NOOBSTEAK! Equip yourself with the proper tools to get the job done right, the first time, every time.



Extra Pictures:












Pictures of the SRT in Korea:

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Very nice and well written review! I enjoyed reading it.