Adding an External Mic Jack to a Panasonic GS320 Camcorder

Having just bought a GS320 camcorder, I couldn't be more pleased with the video end results. However, I miss the audio input jack that my older Panasonic has. After numerous fruitless Google searches trying to find the hidden service menu for the camera, I gave up on my idea trying to get the USB A/V port to accept audio input.

No fancy graphics or flash here, just the facts for you to see if you want to try it.

Let's get started.

Here's the camera being taken apart. I found there was plenty of room to install the 1/8" jack, so it was just a matter of the soldering on SMT boards.

Here's a close-up of the board that holds the light sensors, A/V jack, and the flex-ribbon that goes to the two mic elements under the board.

I'm going to unsolder the flex-ribbon from the board and  mic.

Here's the board removed, the flex-ribbon, and the 2 mic elements.

Here I already removed the ribbon cable and soldered 30 gauge 'wire-wrap' wire to the mics.

Here you see the re-wired mics with the wires going to the external mic jack. The jack hole has been drilled in the camera plastic and the jack is mounted.

It's a normally-closed 1/8" stereo jack. When the external mic is not plugged, it reverts back to the internal mics.

Putting the board back on top of the internal mics.

Here's the wires soldered from the internal mics, to the normally-closed jack, then to the circuit board.

The end result turned out great. I'm using a dynamic cardioid mic and the audio level is fine. There is even enough room inside the camera to wire in 2 jacks, either for 2 mics, or a headphone, and room for a small audio mixer or pre-amp board inside.

Total time, including a drive to RadioShack, about 3 hours.

Tom M

www.thelasercutter.com