Development of Panzer throat mikes

[Nick Komiya]

Well, that's it folks. I hope you found this interesting as I did.

Throat mikes and headsets are such a basic part of a Panzer collection, but I suppose those who read this now realize, for instance, that their Pz. Commander mannequin in a first type wrapper supposedly in a 1940 setting has both communication devices wrong. You need a Dfh.d headset with orange pads and a Kmf.a, not the common combination of Dfh.b and Kmf.b. Like a poor war movie that has all the officers wearing detachable shoulder boards, or a pebble in the shoe, I’m sure this will start to bother some advanced Panzer collectors, who thought they had it all. If I happened to awaken a new challenge in their collecting pursuits, I wish then Good Luck and Good Night.

[Tornfuté]

hello nick
just this , in an other post i have asks informations about the DFH d
and also F Fh 39 d , i have read in fusprech a notice ( and also i have the set ) that DFH 39 d are used , they are 54 ohms , and it's switch by
a protective cover , so if you use the upper phone socket you connect the small loudspeaker , and to avoid misuse the other plug socket is the small one like on telefony items
pierre

[Nick Komiya]

Good Morning, Pierre,
Thank you for your comment. I suppose you mean that 54 ohm units were used on other equipment, too. My interest in radio equipment is restricted to Panzer applications, so I don't know the designations of the other 54 ohm sets, but I certainly see them around. Because of use in other equipment, it is not rare to see the same plug and capsule as the Dfh.d in different configurations such as this one.

[Nick Komiya]

Photo of Kmf.4 in use

[PANZERPIONIERE]

I really like the set you showed with the orange ear pads, I do not have that style and would really like to find one.
Steve

[Nick Komiya]

I really like the set you showed with the orange ear pads, I do not have that style and would really like to find one.
Steve

Yes, that one was a lucky break. Never seen nor heard of another.

[fieldgear]

Mics

Hi Nick

Thats an excellent summary. Thanks for the info, but now I have to go look for more variations!!

Best,.>Rob

[Richard P]

Nick,

I will have to print out this thread and study it for a month before I even venture into the earphones and throat mikes. I do have two original Willrich charcoal drawings of famous panzermen with throat mikes on.

Richard

Dr. Franz Bake

[Richard P]

2. Adalbert Schultz

[Nick Komiya]

It's interesting that Schultz is depicted wearing a headset with black pads on it in combination with his beret, which shows how early the orange pads were withdrawn from use. I also have the Willrich color postcard of the Pz driver wearing the orange padded set, which I got very early on in my collecting career. If I hadn't had the post card, perhaps I would have never become so obsessed with finding that elusive set.
As Rob is saying, wider knowledge makes one aware that you had ticked them off the list prematurely and it's back into the search. But the good thing for now is that while this info stays out of the picture books, the market will likely treat the rarer ones as less desirable non-textbook pieces. I can easily imagine a dfh.d sold as "Pz headset with replaced plug. Correct plugs are easy to find, but priced accordingly"!

[Nick Komiya]

I took a picture that may be useful for others, so I'll put it up here as an update

[me6_130]

Nick that's a great article!!!

I now realise I had some variant of throat micro and I sold it because I thought it was not panzer

How about this headset with brass parts? I don't know if it is rare but I also sold it some months ago

Carles

[Nick Komiya]

Carles, thanks for your compliment. What was the date on the set using brass. Wouldn't you think it would have been an early date than later?
By the way, it appears that the fake pads being produced are being mated with what may be fake frames now, so dealers can convert their cheaper headsets into Panzer look-alikes. Bogus Panzer headsets are now all over the place including respected dealers like this one
http://www.germanmilitaria.com/Heer/photos/H072564.html

[me6_130]

Hello Nick,

The headband came with wrong headphones so couldn't 'trust' the date on it. I imagined it was an early one but I didn't know the thing was so complicated.
About Germanmilitaria, yes I had seen that headset but I thought he had sold it long ago.

Carles

[me6_130]

In fact, I'd say the earphones on the brass one were Dfh. a... perhaps they were the original ones to the headband, could it be so Nick?

Carles