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| Reviews Summary for Gap HEAR IT dsp speaker |
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Reviews: 11
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Average rating: 4.0/5
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MSRP: $159
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Description: Small speaker with dsp unit inside. Connects to speaker out plug of rig. Requires 13.8v, and has 8 possible filters.
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More info: http://
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You can
write your own review of the Gap HEAR IT dsp speaker.
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KC8HXO
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Rating: 5/5
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May 14, 2008 18:51
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Superb
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Ok-
Yes, it has some hum with NR off, and radio volume all the way down. (Wonder how many contacts he makes THAT way!!????) Turn the volume up, and the hum disappears. Yes, it has some delay... match the speaker volume to your unamplified volume. Then it won't "rip your ears off" during short delay. No RFI in mine, and I run a little power, with open wire feed running right in the shack. No problems with my headphones. If the bracket gets in the way, reverse it, and hang speaker upside down. Only thing then that could then be hard to get at is the bypass switch.... and trust me, you won't want to bypass this little baby.
I would prefer a rotary knob to determine which of 8 levels the DSP operates, but that's really my only small gripe. Still have to give it a 5.
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IRONHAND
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 12, 2007 02:25
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Absolutely Amazing
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I did a lot of research on the different D.S.P solutions by GAP, MFJ, TIMEWAVE and others. I have an Icom 707 with no filters and needed something to help with atmospheric noise. There were several bad reviews here so I decided to buy the Hear It DSP Speaker on E-bay for $90.00 with shipping that’s about ½ the cost of a new one.
This unit preformed perfectly. When I turned my radio on there was 2 s-units of noise then I activated the D.S.P and the noise was gone and I heard 5 different conversations. I am really upset that people would write bad reviews on a unit that will prolong the life of an older rig like this. Next I want to buy either the chip that installs in the radio or external speaker. I would have gone that way in the first place if it wasn’t for the bad reviews I read here. Shame on you!
There is one minor flaw in the unit. When you transmit there is about a ½ second recovery time. Compare that to the fact you may not even be transmitting when you couldn’t here them in the first place and that’s a fair compromise.
This is the best thing I have ever found for voice clarity in radio.
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KPAX2
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Rating: 0/5
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Apr 25, 2007 04:52
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JUNK-O-LA
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I look at this thing as a Gimmic is all, same as all the DSP garbage that's out there.
The RFI wipes it out on transmit, the frequency response is shot to hell, the high ends rip your ears off, the overall tonal response is degraded so it's really not even communications quality audio anymore.
AC HUM in the signal using a poor quality AC ADAPTER.
Like, what is the rants and raves for about this junk anyhow? We like good old fashioned QRM! AT least the frequency response is still there.
It's worth $49.95 -
By the way - Todays technology is far superior than when they released this thing!
They got a product that was released way too soon and wasn't finished correctly.
Just like all the crappy software out there, you're the BETA-TESTER! They read enough complaints, then they'll release a NEW and improved version, disgusting...........
And some people call this good business?
We sold it our after using it, Always a sucker on EBAY I guess.
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N6ZV
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 7, 2007 11:59
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Slow recovery after transmit.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The noise suppression is nothing of short of amazing. It does require a power supply common mode choke if you have RF in the shack. The only real fault I have with it is the couple of seconds of recovery time it can take after you transmit before the noise suppression is working again. When you release the PTT, the unfiltered audio initally comes through full blast and then, depending on the degree of processing you have selected, the noise goes away over the next few seconds. This can be problem when the other station responds to your call and you miss it in the noise only to hear him repeat your call the second time. If it had a faster recovery, I'd give it a 6.
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K5SBU
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Rating: 2/5
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Mar 5, 2005 13:19
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No drum roll here
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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If one only looks at the noise reduction, yes that works well and I will not repeat other comments made here already, both positive and negative, with which I agree totally.
Here are my additional and new comments not yet posted by others:
1. The unit has a serious audible hum with the dsp feature turned on or off, vehicle turned and all vehicle and radio accessories off, and the receiver audio turned down fully. The hum is very significant.
With the 706 receiver audio turned up with the dsp turned off you can still hear the hum which modulates the signals on careful observation.
If the dsp feature is turned on the dsp circuit removes the hum but there is some clipping of signal audio from the hum. Not good. Grade of F for hum in an audio device.
2. On transmit the unit is susceptable to RFI with dsp feature turned on or off. With headphones like the Heil Traveler or the Heil Pro Plus attached, not hearing the speaker, it pipes so much RFI garble on transmit into your ear that its totally distracting. Not good. Grade of F for RFI to a radio accessory device made to go in a RF environment. Looks like they quit engineering too soon or did inadequate field testing with the final units. Not acceptable.
Overall rating therefore is UNACCEPTABLE at any price and at over $150 I have to give the product a fat thumbs down. Its the boot out the door for the GAP Hear It gadget.
Caveat Emptor
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K6USN
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 9, 2004 14:16
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Works Great in FT 817
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I love my FT 817, but operating from hotels with all the attendant electrical hash has been less than thrilling.
I bought the HEAR-IT model for internal mounting in the FT 817, and had it installed by W4RT Electronics.
In a word - night and day! Everything the other reviewers said is true. It cuts out most of the
hash and QRN (depending on the setting) and makes ham radio fun again.
I've been using the Clear Speech speaker for my home rigs, and the HEAR-IT is just as good, and fits inside the FT 817 with one small button to push.
Allen
K6USN/VK4DSN
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W4MY
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Rating: 4/5
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Feb 6, 2004 11:18
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Improved Audio/Mechanical just so-so
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This speaker performs as good or better than the advertisement. Combine this speaker’s AF-DSP with good IF filtering in your rig and it’s a killer combination. I was uncertain because it is a bit pricey (for what it is) but in the end I’m glad I bought it.
Here’s why I didn’t give it a 5. Its hardware configuration is such that it is mounted at two points on the side with a “C” shaped bracket. If you opt to have the bracket support the speaker from below its OK. But if you (like me) want to mount the “C” shaped bracket from above there are some issues. First the 1/8” headphone jack is obscured by the bracket and is completely unusable. Second the top “DSP IN/OUT switch is tucked in too tight next to the bracket preventing my fingers from reaching it. I have to use a pencil to switch it back and forth (probably will leave it on mostly anyway). Ditto with the gain control, its obscured also.
Additionally, why the 1/8” jack for headphone out? 98.5% of the headphones I know of have a ¼” phone jack. If I could get to the headphone jack (see above) I’d have to use a gangly adaptor.
The audio in cable is hard wired into the back with about an 8’ cable length to a 1/8” audio plug. This covers most installations, I’m not a big fan of hardwired cables coming from back of my boxes. I’d prefer an RCA on the back for this.
Performance is a 5, Mechanical design 3. When the warrantee expires this one will definitely be getting modified.
73 Marty W4MY
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AB0O
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 7, 2003 14:33
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Outstanding product!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I agree with all the previous reviewers' remarks and would add that this item was a very fast and efficent solution to my mobile operation/vehicle RFI problems. Instead of taking my car apart, chasing down special ignition wires, arguing with the car manufacturer, etc, I simply turned the GAP speaker switch on and it was pretty much all gone. Simple as that.
Also, if you have never used a DSP system, you may find the audio pitch and quality different such that you are inclined to turn the GAP off for initial tuning, then turn it back on for the QSO. However, after a few hours' operation you will become accustomed to "GAP audio" and the unit will likely stay on 100% of the time.
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W4WB
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 23, 2003 15:44
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Great Perfomance
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have been using the HEAR IT Speaker with my FT-100D in my mobile installation. It makes the difference often in being able to make the QSO or not. I have found it so much more enjoyable to operate with the DSP turned on, that I leave it on all the time now. For most operations, I use either level 4 or 5 out of the 8 available levels. Thw level is selected by a DIP switch on the back. At first, I "wanted" the level control where I could easily change the setting. After a bit of playing, I found that I rarely needed to change once I found the level I liked. So I think I like having the DIP switch okay. I also note that as you increase the level of processing, you need to tune more carefully as might be expected. Distortion of the audio is insignificant expect at the level 8 (a slight bit). Overall, it is an excellent addition to the station and I have since added the GAP HEAR IT In-Line module to my base station (FT-1000MP). Also, a great addition that beats the ClearSpeech unit I had used for about 2 years and rarely turned on.
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AF4KK
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Rating: 4/5
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Nov 9, 2003 15:22
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Excellent speaker!!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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This speaker is truly a marvel! It works well, sounds great and is small enough for a mobile enironment! I only wish the DSP adjustment switches weren't on the back where it's difficult to reach them. Aside from that, the "Hear-It" is a fine piece of equipment!!
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