ICOM 7300 and HM-219 Stock Mic: Over-the-air DX test

WW8X - Having an opinion doesn't necessarily mean that I'm "sniping." I just think its a big inconvenience to have only one RF out on any modern radio with built-in and optional remote ATU. I'd like to run one port with the internal ATU or AH4 and the other without. I would gladly pay an extra $50 for the extra $2 or $3 of production costs for Icom to add a second RF out. I'm an Icom fan, love the 7300 and I'd buy it again.

In My Opinion - I think it was short sighted of the manufacturer to have a single RF out.

 

I Love my 7300 & I can't wait to see whats next from icom ! I have other mics but if it works DON'T FIX IT !!! 73 KI6PMD..

 

I have the Ic-7300 also and love the radio...I like the stock mic that came with the radio and I also have the Heil Icm that I purchased for my Icom-718 (which needed something more then the stock mic)....I connected the Heil icm to the ic-7300 with great reports..The Heil icm is ready to plug and play to your radio...I guess it depends on what I am doing with the radio to which mic I will use....I used head phones to see what I sound like while making contacts and I find the Monitor switch is a nice touch to this radio. I don't know if this is what I sound like on someone else's radio but I think it helps you adjust the highs and lows...

 

Thanks for setting me straight on that. Cheers.

 

No worries. I wasn't trying to start a pissin match. Icom did a great job on the 7300. However, if we don't voice our opinions the manufacture may never know what the consumer is thinking.

 

Does the Heil ICM sound any better? After seeing what one looks like inside, I was shocked. The Heil ICM is nothing but a cheap elec. mic put inside of the body of an XLR mic. Also, the button fails quickly, from reports.

https://www.google.co.kr/search?q=h...BhrwKHfmlBrwQsAQIKw&biw=1920&bih=1080#imgrc=_



Photo from K3DAV.com

 

you got it. overpriced. you can make your own by installing one of these electret condenser capsules into an existing (pick your flavor) microphone. You can buy the electret condenser capsule for about $1 from Ebay etc. The Icom already has voltage on the audio line, so its a simple 4-wire hook up. 2 wires for the capsule (pin 1 and pin7) and 2 wires for PTT (pin 5 and pin 6).

I put one of these little capsules inside a D-104, removing the amplifer and crystal element (and all the guts except a simple switching contact set) .. works great, looks old-school...

 

How do you know the element is cheap?

Bob Heil has made a reputation on providing high quality mic elements, so what proof do you have that this one doesn't have good audio qualities?

Grrrr.

 

Does this also meant that you can easily wire up a computer headset to the 7300?

 

yes, provided the microphone in your computer headset is an electret condenser element. Some are...some aren't. Audio out is also offered via the mic jack and you could easily wire a foot switch via the mic connector or via the 13 pin DIN on the back panel.

 

Cheap does not mean bad audio quality, just low price. these elements sell for about $1 on ebay...the most expensive ones are $4....so they are cheap. That does not mean that they are bad....just cheap/inexpensive. These Heil ICM mics sell for $90 bucks new and look to contain maybe 12 dollars in materials.... lots of profit.

Studying the spec sheets, these $1 condenser mics have a near- flat freq response from around 50Hz to around 11000 Hz...very flat and wide audio characteristics. Usually they sound pretty good...

 

Yes, and I agree.

Also, in defense of Bob Heil, I'm going to say that I believe (and hope) that he's employing local people to do a lot of the work. That's not inexpensive. I value what he does for the Ham community, and I respect what he does for the Ham industry, and his hometown. I want to be clear that I didn't post that photo to say that Heil sucks -- on the contrary, I like Heil, and I really enjoy listening to Bob. The funny thing about that ICM mic is that it is indeed nothing but a little condenser mic inside -- yet some people swear by them. That, in itself, leads me to believe that the difference between what the HM-219 stock hand mic puts out, and what something like the ICM puts out, is so small, it's not worth buying an ICM over. I think I'd much rather go big, and get one of his better mics, if I were looking for a stronger mic than the HM-219.

I don't own any Heil products yet, but I am sure that I will, one day. I just happen to live overseas, and it costs a mint in shipping and possible customs fees above the already robust pricing on some of their items. As it is, I have, so far, been able to make what I need.

Here's a great video of his, BTW:

 

Want to also add this link, for future IC-7300 readers. It explains the blocking capacitor, and talks about some settings info:

https://www.heilsound.com/amateur/support/dsp-settings/all-things-icom

 

He got into the audio punch business by using reject elements that didnt have the bandwidth and/or shape specified.

I call that turning a pig into a rooster if you are familiar with them, I am several times a day