Posted: 12/8/2009 7:41:00 AM EDT
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Damn! This is worse than BRD!
But I did good here... the ONLY thing I don't like about the Icom IC-718 is the shape/feel of the microphone. It's like holding a box of playing cards. Boxy, just not comfortable. I had actually thought of finding a Yaesu mic and putting the mic element and cord from an Icom mic into it. Then a friend and assistant net control suggested the Heil Handi Mic: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/mics/3318.html  
So I ordered the Heil HM-IC, which has an Icom type electret element, and the CH-1 i8 coiled cord to go with it. The first thing I noticed, upon getting the mic out of the box, was that though smaller than a "stage mic" (Shure 58, etc) it has the heft and solid feel of a quality stage mic. Also, the cord has a little pigtail coming out of the 8-pin plug, a 1/4" socket so that you can plug in a footswitch for PTT. I turned the radio's power to the lowest setting, switched the display to read ALC, and set the mic level according to the instructions in the manual. If anyone is wondering, on the IC-718 I ended up with it set to "17", down from the default "50". But checking the Icom supplied mic, I had to turn that down to about the same level for the correct mic gain/ALC. A while later I made a call to a fellow I had a QSO with just the evening before. He asked, "What did you do??? You signal is more powerful and you sound GREAT!!!" Powerful... could have just been propagation. But he said the sound quality was much, much better. He remarked, "Heil, no wonder. I've never heard a ham with a Heil that didn't sound good." Money well spent, I think. 
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Quoted:
Bob Heil is a member of our radio club. He just donated 500 buck worth of stuff for our van, and 80th anniversary. Really nice guy. I remember driving past that place all the time in Fairview Heights. Never once bothered stopping in. Probably should have. |
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I have nothing but good things to say about Heil equipment. I have used some of his higher end mics and his headsets and have never had any bad reports. He does have a new mic element (HC-6) out that I am wanting to try. It is more of a full range element. I think that factory mics are sometimes an after thought for some of the manufacturers and they go the cheapest route. Not always the best quality. |