|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for Heil HMM-iC (Icom) |
|
You can
write your own review of the Heil HMM-iC (Icom).
|
N3UMW
|
Rating: 0/5
|
Sep 26, 2005 12:02
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Poor support
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
I asked Bob which mic to use with my IC-746. He suggested the HMM. I got it two years ago and had terrible reports for the audio every time I tried to use it, lots of AC hum. His reply to my first email was to change my gain settings.
After emailing him several more times over the years he finally said that it sounded like the decoupling capacitor was missing and to return it.
I returned the mic and when it came back, it came with an added capacitor and a bill for $27!
I told him that I should not have to pay for his mistakes, but he refused to compromise on the bill. I'll never buy another one of his products and wanted to warn everyone else.
|
|
K9NYO
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 28, 2005 18:57
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great mic!
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
Since I was using the HM-i mic on my Icom 718, I jumped at the chance to buy a HMM-iC when I saw one used at Dayton in the flea market. I use this hand mic when taking the IC-718 portable for Field Day. I've gotten great audio reports, even though the OEM hand mic is pretty decent. By comparison, though, the HMM-iC is better sounding. The new Handi Mic probably rivals this, though, and I'm looking forward to doing a side-by-side test.
|
|
K0TEX
|
Rating: 0/5
|
Jun 9, 2004 17:39
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
No RJ45, No DTMF, 'top-talking' sounds ?better?
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
-So I thought I'd get the Heil sound for the 706G, NOPE- talking into the front sounds more like the thin, bass-free mediocre stock hand mic, (carrier offset at -200 for maximum bass) while 'top-talking' the mic into the screen on top yields a slightly bassier sound but sans high-frequency clarity.
- Maybe if I got the correct wrist action while transmitting, and rapidly occillated the mic from the front of the mic to top and back 2-3 times per syllable...
RJ45??? - NOOOO!! - But you can nearly double the overall price with a handy-dandy adaptor! @ ! # !
Actually started off asking for a Gold Line ELEMENT ONLY to install into an older Motorola hand mic with DTMF for the 706G in the mobile, was told "NO CHANCE!" - "I'm incompetent with audio, don't know what I'm doing, wouldn't sound right" including a little colorful language.
Now looking for a USED Gold Line to gut and install the ELEMENT ONLY into my older DTMF Motorola hand mic for the 706 in the mobile...
A private party will now get my cash instead of Heil, and I'll have what I originally asked for.
|
|
WB8CAC
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Mar 19, 2004 14:16
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
I love it!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
It's hard to understand some of the earlier review of this mic when I see how well mine works. I'm running it on an IC-718. With the stock mic everyone said I sounded "OK." Now I have the Heil mic on the rig...WOW ! More often than not, when I say I'm running the 718, I get asked what kind of mic I'm using because it sounds so good!
I run the compressor all the time and set the mic gain for voice peaks about 2/3 of the ALC scale. I havn't looked inside it and don't plan to. It works and works well!
THANKS HEIL!!!!!!
|
|
AA5CH
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 14, 2003 18:01
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Update and Adjustment to Rating
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Heil very promptly sent me a replacement microphone and I am now receiving good reports on both FM and SSB while using it on my 706. However, I am disappointed that I was charged shipping by Heil.
I originally gave the mic a 2 rating, but feel that under the circumstances I should now give it a 5 so that my average rating would be 3.5. This seems appropriate to me, given the problem with the original mic and the added expense I incurred in getting one that works properly.
The bottom line is that I now have a mic that is producing audio on my 706 that is somewhat better than that of the stock microphone.
73,
Brad
AA5CH
|
|
KC5LVW
|
Rating: 2/5
|
May 10, 2003 06:48
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Confused & disappointed
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
MY bottom-line report is DON'T BUY IT! (at least til Heil does a re-engineer), Now why... I bought a HMM-iC when they first hit the market. It 's one of the tan body ones. That thing sounded beter than sliced bread & have enjoyed it ever since. I was a little confused as to why Heil DOES NOT offer a modular plug version whule they offer an adapter at nearly the price of a Mic. (?)
Anyway, I suggested this mic to a friens as a way to make his 706MKIIG sound "natural". He orders & it sounds worse than a $3 C.B. mic would have. Must be something wrong so he sends it back to Heil for investigation. Meanwhile, I'm feeling bad so I order one just to see for myself & again this one, while better than his sounds "hands-down" worse than the stock mic. Why?
I decided to disassemble both & see what there was to see. Essentially they look the same but.... both have "dual" elements where one is NOT USED and not even wired up. In my first mic it looks like they just cut the wires & added a electric condenser element (which looks identical to Radio Shack part number #270-090, $1.99). The new mic, has same parts but wires were never soldered to the dynamic element. So, both mics have an elemnt not being used nor can be used but is physically there.
Still, whay do they sound so much different? A closer look shows the famous Heil accoustical foam packing layout. The old mic has foam in front & back of the electric condenser element while the new mic only has a 1" square piece crammed in from the back, nothing in the front. Hmmm?
Also interesting was what was NOT there. There aren't any "shunt" capacitors & resistors across the electric confenser. Most of my HT mics, OEM & aftermarket, all use these to taylor the sound to housing being used. It's an easy way to change tone of the element anyway. Heil has none.
So, in closing (whew!), you could get a junk box C.B. mic , a $1.99 electric confenser from Radio Shack, & a little bit of foam (1" square) and essentially come up with what Heil has done. I'm very disappointed in engineering and most of all QA/QC from that kind of company.
73's
Jon, KC5LVW
|
|
NY4T
|
Rating: 2/5
|
Oct 29, 2002 12:48
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Not as good as stock mic
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
|
I bought this mic and the HMM-K for my Kenwood TS450 at the same time. Tried the HMM-Ic on my Icom 761 and got better reports on stock mic even when using 8-band equalizer on HMM-Ic. Same reports on the Kenwood. Microphone also has a cheap feel to me and is uncomfortable to use for long periods of time.
|
|
KC2IGY
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 26, 2002 00:29
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Quick review.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Good audio. A little on the bassy side.
Built very solid.
Fairly inexpensive at $50.
It gets a 5 because it's the only HH mic that sounds decent on my ICOM.
|
|
K7UFO
|
Rating: 3/5
|
Sep 19, 2002 18:09
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
HMM-iC dba Hmmmmmm....
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
I had a need for an electret mic so as to be compatible with my Icom 765. I bought the HMM-iC for about $60 at the local ham store, brought it home, and installed it on my rig. Yeah, it worked OK with my rig. HOWEVER, the HMM-iC did not outperform what a typical electret mic element offers at a price of about $1 at your local electronic parts store. In fact the standard electret dynamic mic element for $1 has a flat response curve, with a slight gain/rise at the high end of the audio spectrum. In my opinion, the average parts house electret mic element does JUST AS GOOD A JOB as the HMM-iC. I opened my HMM-iC to see what appeared to me to be the same electret mic element as I got at the electret parts house for $1! My *new* HMM-iC also had a 'dynamic' mic element in it! However, the voice coil wires were clipped on this element - apparently to give the HMM-iC the weight and feel of a 'stout' mic. Perhaps this is what makes the HMM-iC "A very special hand microphone that contains the new Heil 'ic' electret condenser element that works only with ICOM tranceivers. HMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....
|
|
N7KKR
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 27, 2002 02:22
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
706IIG Booster Shot
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I'm a proud owner of a 706IIG and a FT-817. I use the HMM on both of them. My "5" rating takes into account the limitation Bob Heil had in producing mics for the Icom as the audio system insists on electret condensor elements. His great HC-4 element isn't an option there. You must make adjustments to the mic gain and compressor gain and confirm the suitibility on the values by looking at the ALC meter when you transmit.
Bottom line, hams I talk to routinely noticed something different and better. The clarity improvement on 160 with its early evening noise levels meant I was more easily understood.
73's Kevin N7KKR
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
