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write your own review of the Heil Classic.
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K4YYY
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 10, 2011 14:12
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Heil Classic Pro Studio + EuroRack UB802
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I purchased the Heil Pro Classic Studio because i like the Retro look and Reputation of Heil products.I'm using a Beringer/Eurorack UB802 (PreAmp/EQ) Robert Heil recommended this setup and it works great.The Rig is a Icom 718 with At100 Tuner. All my antennas are Homebrew inverted V's made from aluminium electric fence wire all give me 1-1:1 SWR. I break through Log jams when DXing with my 100 watts when 1KW stations can't get through. Thank You Again to Bob Heil. 73 Hoyt K4YYY
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KF5AHV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 21, 2010 10:34
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Excellent but can be better
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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i rewired it to run both the wide dynamic element and the hc5 element at the same time instead of just one or the other. its an old trick and makes the mic sound even better!
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KC0JEZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 23, 2010 06:24
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Great for Broadcast Use
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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We purchased this mic more as a "functional prop" to use on a live stage during a stage show for the 60th anniversary of the radio station I work for. It worked easily as well as any other mic on the stage, as our newsman narrated the show.
After that it came back to the studio and has been used in on air and production work in typical broadcast station use. For broadcast use it has demonstrated a very good sound, both in the demands of quality FM full range sound broadcasting, AND on AM. Now, please note there is a HUGE difference between broadcast and ham audio requirements and sound. What works great in broadcast can often be horrible in a ham setting (you don't want or need "full range" sound in ham communications).
I have no experience with the varying elements, etc. Ours came from Heil with the typical pro audio 3 pin XLR connector. WE connect it to broadcast or multichannel audio mixers in the production studios depending on where we need it. In three years use we have seen no quality issues, no loose or bad electronics, stripped screws, etc.
Heil IS no longer supplying the letters for call signs, etc. However, you can go to a decent office store or trophy shop, etc, and obtain a variety of nice looking letters in varying styles that work very nicely, and cost very little. There is also an outfit selling very nice inserts for these mic flags at:
http://www.mpglighting.com/accessories.html
They are also on ebay at a lower price, (the ones from mpg)and they look quite nice (I have one on my personal Classic that I use in my home recording studio where I do voiceovers, etc).
So, in my experience as a full range broadcast or recording mic, it works quite well. Apparently there are some quality issues depending on which mic you happen to get, but I've had two in regular use with no issues.
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K2ER
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Rating: 2/5
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Dec 31, 2009 08:10
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Yuck
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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There are products that work with everything, and products that don't. Obviously some people love this mic. It looks great and that was a major motivation for me to purchase it.
This mic is discontinued but I got it from AES for a "great" price of $99. Note to others who might do this: The call letters are not, repeat NOT, available any longer from Heil. So if you like the look of a blank callsign flag on your mic, terrific - otherwise you are hosed!
There are reports of poor performance with Icom radios, but this mic did lousy with my Ten-Tec Orion, which is saying something since the rig has a jillion audio adjustment settings.
The worst aspect of the mic, though, is that with the full range element switched in, there is practically no vibration isolation. When placed on the table in operating position, about 9" in front of my linear amplifier, it picks up fan and other noise to the extent that a decent signal is actually modulated when keyed. That means, it transmits a significant signal WITHOUT any talking. Just the mechanical noise. If you tap on the cable or anywhere near the base, it's like playing a drum kit.
I can hold the mic in my lap and this problem abates, but that's not exactly practical. Strangely, the "DX" (HCL-4) element does not exhibit this sensitivity. But it also sounds worse, so basically we are out of luck on this attractive but very mediocre microphone.
I am back to my ugly but far better performing Kenwood MC-80 desk mic.
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W2YM
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 16, 2009 20:19
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Real nice Mic
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had the Classic mic for over 2 years and it works GREAT on my IC-775DSP rig. My audio is Great and I have know problems with this mic in anyway. I give it a solid (5)... Mark W2YM 73's.
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MD11DRIVER
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Rating: 3/5
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Aug 3, 2009 22:01
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Looks nice, but quality is lacking
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This mic looks nice, and for the most part works pretty good, but the fit and finish and over all choice of materials leaves a lot to be desired. With the current "Discontinued" blow out price, it's not a bad value, but for the original close to $300 price, it's not a good value. Two screws were stripped out of the box, and the rubber shield at the bottom of the mic was lose, exposing the wiring of which at least one wire wasn't fully insulated.. Response we good, but nothing like my Sennheiser MD441U.. not even close. Then again the Sennheiser is 4x the price.
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KE6IRP
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 17, 2009 19:29
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GREAT mic on my icom 746 pre pro
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Sure-- it looks great-- unreal in fact, but with the ic element on my pre pro ic 746 i have had the best and most consistent great signal and audio reports----this has worked very very well----- i hear it is being discontinued-- if i were you i would go find one before it's too late--- it is truly destined to be a classic---chris de KE6IRP
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VA6BCS
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 13, 2008 20:42
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Works great
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Being new to amateur radio, I was looking for equipment for my shack.
I read the reviews on eHam.net. Then talked to other hams.
I decided on the Heil Classic 4 because I like the look of the microphone and that you can mount your call sign on it.
Also I have been told the mic sounds good.
I have it mounted on the PL2T boom.
So far I have no complaints with this mic.
I will buy Heil Products again. And I would also recommend this microphone to others
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WB5CYS
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 2, 2007 10:28
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Superb Audio Reports
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I am using my Classic HC5 with my Icom IC-756Pro II and I am getting just outstanding audio reports. Friends I have talked to for years tell me that I sound absolutely natural with crisp and clean audio. I am not running any rack gear, just the adjustments available in my radio.
My mic gain is at about 11 o'clock and all other settings are as suggested on the Heil web page - see information at this link:
http://www.heilsound.com/amateur/harmonics.htm
I know others seem to be having problems with this mic and their Icom radios; maybe I just got lucky, but I've had nothing but superb reports with mine. It replaced an SM-8 and I sure wouldn't go back based on the reports I am getting now.
I wish I knew why it seems that some work and some don't with Icoms, but mine is a top performer and I'm gonna stick with it.
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KE7GWY
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Rating: 1/5
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May 17, 2006 01:17
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Noisy and low gain
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I liked the cool retro look and recommendation by the Ham Radio Outlet salesman. So I tried the Classic Pro 4,5 and "IC" version on my Icom IC-7000. All had low gain and poor s/n ratio when compared with the stock ICOM mike. It was easy to check the microphone performance using the ICOM "Voice Mic rec" feature by playing back the recorded audio and comparing it to the stock ICOM microphone. Even with the gain at 100% the noise was high and modulation was poor. I tried all combinations of impedance and filter settings but the results was consitantly poor. I continued to get a mid level rumble about 20 DB down that definitely came from the Microphone and was not audible with the stock micropone.
I talked to Steve at Heil and was given an explanation that the Icoms had high tolerance components and poor audio design and that results would vary from radio to radio. The bandwidth switch in the back of the mike improved the s/n ratio, but cut the gain even further. Modulation was only 25% when talking very close and laud. After four trips to Ham Radio Outlet I'm returing the microphone.
Perhaps this micropone would work better on other radios, but I would not recommend this microphone for any ICOM radio.
73 Roger W1RMS
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