Bob Heil and Heil Sound

[K5LDL]

I have the privilege and honor to have done business with Mr. Bob Heil K9EID.  To some he's just another ham who happens to be just another equipment manufacturer.  That all is true.  What I am here to tell you all is that the man makes a wonderful line of microphones including his newest design, the HS-706 for the Icom 706 series to name one, and that he does business the old fashioned way... he conducts business HONESTLY.  

I purchased a(n) HS-706 from AES in December, prior to leaving on my vacation.  I wanted to use the headset at home and give it the once-over.  I had even decided to review the headset somewhere else on eham.  As luck would have it, I took my radio along on my holiday vacation to Oregon during which my HS-706 decided to give up the ghost.  Up until the time it died, it was performing like a champ!  The transmit audio was just not working.  When I returned home, I decided to skip AES and  write Heil Sound directly.  I contacted 'them' through their website address.  Imagine my surprise when 'them' turned out to be Bob Heil K9EID himself returning my email!  I was not talking to a sales rep, I was to talking to the Owner himself...  That impressed me.  Usually we are dealt a sales rep or someone else to handle any problems we have with a product.  Not so here.

I wrote to him about my problem with his newest product.  He assured me that if I returned my headset to him he would in turn replace it with a new one.  That being said, I did as requested.  He understood not only my disappointment, but also my need for a headset for the then upcoming January VHF contest.  He did as promised; the only glitch was the US Postal Service.  I wrote to Mr. Heil, describing the lateness of the delivery.  He assured me that he would send a SECOND unit out to my home if the first one did not make it on time.  The postman delivered my replacement unit on the Saturday of the contest.  I had no time to prepare either my rig or any of my friends' rigs in order to use the HS-706.  The headset received RAVE reviews on the air for its transmit audio not only during the contest, but during lulls in the contest, we'd go down to HF territory and see who we could scare up.  The headset performed like its maker, faithfully and honestly.

My dealings with Bob Heil left me confident not only in his products but in the way he conducts business.  

From here on out, it is HEIL SOUND Products for my rigs!

Luis KD5KJD

[W9ICU]

Bob Heil is one of the good guy's! They have a great product and Bob is always seems more than happy to answer question and help you get the right audio for your rig. There's no hesitation when comes to buying Heil Sound Products.

[K8IG]

I fully agree!! I recently purchased a Kenwood TS-570DG and received a free Heil GOLDLINE. It came with the correct cable and in hooking it up for the first time found that it did not work. Dropped Mr. Heil an email & received a reply in less than 2 hours stating that a new cable was on its' way and if that weren't the problem to return everything & a new mike would be sent. Total turnaround time? 7 days including shipment by US Mail. Definately will purchase from Heil Sound.

[WB9YCJ]

Never answered my E-mail.  Still wondering what the better mic is for an Icom 781 ? The GM-5 w/ HMP pre-amp OR HM-I ?  Just received the GM-5, and HMP.  Perhaps I will always wonder should I have bought an HM-I ?  GM-5 still smells "nausea" like.  Glad I'll get good audio reports.  Very good company w/ very good products.

[NW9R]

I sent Heil Sound three different Emails asking for some assistance/help on using one of their headsets, but never got one answer.  Called and was placed on hold, no one picked me up twice.  I gave up.  I sent an e-mail to ARRL technical guys and got some direction/help.  I like Bob and all, but come on.  This isn't customer service...sucks....guess I won't bother them again....

[KC8TLF]

I need to get motivated to try to get ahold of them and see if they can do something with my Goldline 5. When I got it the HC-5 element didn't work at all so I sent it in. Everyone said it sounded better than the wide range after I got it back so that's what I've used all these years. I hit the wide range on accident the other day, and everyone said they could barely hear me and I noticed it was barely driving the radio. I think something is wrong with that element too...

[NW9R]

Good luck..hope your experience is better than mine was....I think I will shop around elsewhere next time I need something...

[N4NYY]

Emailed them twice. Both times the emails were replied in a timely manner. Once by Bob Heil himself.

[NW9R]

Again, mine were never addressed or answered....

[KC4MOP]

I have a smelly GM-5 also. Very nice microphone that matches up perfectly with my Kenwood TS440. It took a couple of years for the odor to fade away.

[K1CJS]

Everybody has their good points--and their bad.  After all, Heil Sound lets RadioMart market their wares!

[MAGNUM257]

Everybody has their good points--and their bad.  After all, Heil Sound lets RadioMart market their wares!

Irrelivant.

[K1CJS]

I don't think so.  If Heil Sound did in fact do any sort of investigation of the companies that they allow to be "Official Distributors" of their equipment, there is little chance that RadioMart would have gotten that designation.  Yet they have it.

[WB6VHK]

I agree with K1CJS , I think Heil Sound should revoke radios marts "dealership" .....I can't imagine why they would let such a fly by night shiest er represent their company.

If enough of us emailed them and complained maybe they would listen ? 

[W4VR]

Bob is a good man and unpretentious.  Every time I've asked him for an opinion or had a problem with a microphone he always came to my rescue.  He's usually very responsive to an email request for information.  I've also chatted with Bob on 17 meters on occasion.