Product Overview
EF Johnson VM400 Palm Microphone for RS-5300 Series Mobile Radios
Condition
Used, in good condition, and fully functional. The molded black housing is clean with only light handling marks, and the front badge reads JOHNSON in white below the horizontal grille slots, fully legible in the photos. The circular metal connector shows light scuffing on the knurled coupling ring; looking straight into the socket face, thirteen square contacts sit in a cross pattern with the insert undamaged and no bent or pushed-back sockets. The round metal hanger stud on the back has darkened with age and carries a few small surface marks. Light dust and lint have settled in the grooves of the coiled cord. The side hanger clip, the PTT bar, and the molded cord strain relief are all present and intact. No date code, part number, or other marking is readable on the housing beyond the JOHNSON badge.
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Product Overview
This is a palm-style push-to-talk microphone for EF Johnson RS-5300 series mobile radios, the family also sold as 53SL and 5300 ES, and carried on VM400 mobiles. It terminates in a 13-pin circular connector that carries audio, PTT, and control signals in one shell, and the pin count is confirmed in the photos: thirteen square socket contacts arranged in a cross pattern behind the coupling ring. The body is a textured black housing that splits along a molded parting seam, with a separate inset front panel carrying the slotted grille and the JOHNSON badge below the slots, a side-mounted PTT bar, a side hanger clip, and a metal hanger stud on a recessed rear panel for a dash hook. Approximate impedance is 620 ohms. The connector assembly is reported to use a Hirose RP13A housing with HR273 pins, and the listing has long cross-referenced EF Johnson part number 250-0740-31001; treat both as leads to check, not as guarantees. One unit in stock, sold exactly as photographed with its coiled cord and connector attached.
Key Features
- Connector: 13-pin circular with a grooved metal coupling ring, carries audio, PTT, and control lines
- Contact count verified in photo: thirteen square sockets in a cross pattern
- Compatibility: EF Johnson RS-5300 / VM400 series, also known as 53SL and 5300 ES
- Style: palm microphone with side push-to-talk bar
- Approximate impedance: 620 ohms
- Mounting hardware: side hanger clip plus round metal hanger stud on the rear shell
- Cord: coiled, with molded strain relief at the body and at the connector
- Connector hardware reported as Hirose RP13A housing with HR273 pins - not confirmed, verify before ordering mating parts
- Housing marking: JOHNSON badge only, no date code or part number visible
Applications
- Fleet radio technician replacing a cracked or dead mic on an RS-5300 dash install without pulling the whole radio
- Public safety shop keeping legacy VM400 mobiles in service past the point where new mics are stocked
- Emergency response fleet manager holding one spare mic per vehicle instead of one spare radio
- Two-way radio restorer who needs a correct 13-pin EF Johnson mic to complete a bench setup
Frequently Asked Questions
Which radios does this microphone fit?
It is intended for EF Johnson RS-5300 series mobile radios and VM400 mobiles, the same family sold as 53SL and 5300 ES. If your radio uses a different mic jack, this will not mate. Compare the connector photo to your radio's front panel before you order.
How do I confirm the 13-pin connector matches mine?
Photo two is a straight-on shot of the socket face. Count the square contacts against your radio's mic jack and check the keyway position. Thirteen contacts in a cross pattern, inside a round metal shell, is what you are matching.
Is it tested, and what exactly ships?
It is listed as fully functional. You get the one microphone shown in the photos, with its coiled cord and 13-pin connector attached. No radio, no dash hanger bracket, and no mounting screws are included.
Is the Hirose RP13A and HR273 pin reference confirmed?
No. That connector hardware pairing, and the EF Johnson part number 250-0740-31001, come from the reference material behind this listing and are not stamped anywhere on this unit. Verify against your radio manual or service documentation before you buy mating connectors on the strength of it.
Why buy a single microphone here instead of a bulk lot on eBay or Amazon?
Because one radio needs one mic. We sell the exact quantity you need instead of forcing you into a lot of five or ten you will never use. Shipping is $8 flat rate, free over $28, so a single piece still lands cheaper than a forced-quantity lot, and it goes out same or next business day from Idaho.
A palm mic earns its living in the narrow space between a dash bracket and a gloved hand, and this one still carries the badge, the bar, and the coil that got it there. Plug it into your RS-5300 and put it back to the only job it knows.
