#45 How to get the best microphone for your ham radio shack with Bob Heil

So much vitriol for no reason. If you don't like Heil microphones, don't use them. But I'd be willing to bet that those of us who do like and use them (I have two) don't really care why you don't like them. Personally I like audio that sounds crisp and clean with a good punch. I don't expect a ham radio microphone to sound like a hi-fi audio microphone with lots of bass. That's simply a waste of power.

 

Welcome to the Zed Forums.

 

So many people just can't resist the opportunity to run down and abuse, someone, anyone, Bob Heil. Of course you are are brighter, smarter, more clever and more spitefully tongued!

My experience? Bob is easy to work with. He has modified product to my specs and delivered on time at excellent prices. The customer service is ALWAYS prompt, cheerful and helpful.

I have Heil products in my shack, and no complaints from my customers. I'll do business with him anytime!

 

HI AA5H the problem with your mic is the ground and braid is not making contact to the 8 pin connector inside of it. take the 8 pin connector apart pull the ground and braid up so that it touches the metal of the 8 pin connector. Hope that helps DANA 73.

 

I took it apart (see photo) but the 8-pin connector looks electrically isolated from the shell. Four wires present Red & White for Vox I assume -----2 Black shield wires: one goes to Pin 6, the other to Pin 7 (one is common and the other is PTT ground).



I was hoping your idea would fix the problem, did I misinterpret your instructions?

 

Hope you are not including me in that group. I have a valid customer service issue that I accurately described in detail. I think my response was that of an unhappy customer, but still respectful in tone.

Not sure about the cheerful and helpful part, I haven't been able to get past the "prompt" as we are now going on four weeks; still no response to calls, voicemails left, and emails (except an autoresponder). For what it's worth I like the product and intend to keep it, I just need the MIC to work.

 

NO you did not now all you have to do is take a small screwdriver. take the two grounds black wires and pull a little on the wires till the braid is up a enough to make contact with the metal plug. or you can add little blob of solder to grounds pins to make contact to metal. hope that is clear enough. if you need more help just let me know. had to do this to my heil-ICM MIC. DANA 73.

 

I can contribute a first-hand account of Heil's awareness of "phase" connections. He was staffing a display at the Dayton Hamvention some years ago (2007?, I would have to check my ticket stub), and his table included a comparison demonstration between the venerable, well-respected Electro-Voice RE-20, and one of the many ham radio microphones he hoped to sell. A visitor could put on headphones, and address each microphone in any manner they wished (side address, head-on, whatever axis and proximity) to purportedly "hear" how much better the Heil model sounded, in Heil's opinion. After a few tries, I asked him whether he had a phase reverser. This is a popular, XLR barrel connector that allows one to check correct phasing through the use of a small switch on the body of the connector.

He acted like he didn't know what I was talking about.

I suggested the RE-20 was "out of phase," and was there any way to check? Again, he pled ignorance, and said the cables were all commercially made. I then said, may I unscrew one of the XLR's (on the RE-20) to check whether Pin #2 is "hot," or at least the same as the XLR for his own mic. He got huffy and said he didn't have time for experimenting.

I walked off, fairly confident the old snake oil salesman had simply swapped the pins at one end or the other of the Electro-Voice microphone, to give, in headphones, a difference to the listener that would favor his Heil unit.

Mmmm-hmm...

Here's a nice primer on the topic from someone not selling anything:

https://www.cameratim.com/electronics/xlr-audio-leads

 

Wow! Just. Wow.

You caught him, Paul ... hardcore! Thank you for sharing that experience, troubling as the message may be.

73, Master Jeff

 

No vitriol, just common sense.
Nobody likes to be made fun of, and in these discussions I see that most think like me.
Why pay a lot of money for a microphone? better put money aside and invest in better antennas.
Here in Europe we have excellent microphone manufacturers, Germany, France, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, England; Austria etc etc.
Again, it is not a question of malice, but the vast majority of radio amateurs are not fools.
73 and take care

 

Who knows, Jeff. I think I was more surprised at his reaction to my question, than going into the demonstration thinking I was going to catch him at anything. As I wrote this right now, I wondered why I didn't think to suggest swapping the two cables on the microphones, which would have been even easier to achieve, without any "experimenting" that he opposed.

 

I didn't mean to imply you were "hunting." I believe you asked an honest question with no nefarious intent.

The truly devious snake oil salesman would have prewired the microphones to "do his bidding" for him and avoid the cable swap suggestion.

 

OK FOLKS...!! I'll be damned if this guy was not 100% correct

I ran a temporary jumper from the sleeve of the MIC cable jack (which is pin 6-ground in the connector) and shorted it directly to the 10-Pin connector shell. Keyed up and crystal clear transmit audio (per the monitor function). Tried a QSO and WebSDR, crystal clear audio on remote receive. Removed the jumper, modified the "Custom Heil Icom adapter cable" with a soldered jumper, and it looks like a permanent fix!! Per my meter there appears to be a slight ground impedance balance between the chassis ground and the PIN 6 ground, jumpering PIN 6 clears the imbalance and eliminates the feedback condition.

So 4-5 weeks of calling and email Heil support for nothing, this guy provided a 15 minute DIY fix that works. I can't blame Heil for the problem, it appears to be a 7300 issue, but perhaps this could have been fixed a month ago had Heil support answered my support ticket.

Thanks WD4ANA --- Kudos for providing better support than both ICOM and Heil

 

I *love* happy endings. Even ones like this.

 

You are correct. Be very careful with too much processing. Find a mic that fits your voice. Every mic doesn't fit every voice. Don't be afraid of condenser mics. Bob doesn't like condenser mics because he says they have too much noise--not always true. By the way, the PR40 is a very good mic..I've used it in commercial radio as well as HAM radio.