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Author Topic: FT8WW  (Read 5170 times)

W8GX

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #90 on: February 17, 2023, 08:27:44 AM »

Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
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W2IRT

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #91 on: February 17, 2023, 12:10:12 PM »

Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
Maybe their newer stuff is better, but I've found so many mechanical issues with Heil hardware, and severe RF ingress into an earlier noise reduction headset when I was in C6A that I just gave up on them. I bought an Arlan Radiosport headset in 2016 and it's been perfect ever since. Not a single complaint, and you can beat on them like a red-headed stepchild. Heil mics do sound really good, though. I'll give Bob credit for that. But the price point he has to hit means the construction and components aren't top-notch. Just my own experience, but I'll never touch anything from Heil again.
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

NU1O

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #92 on: February 17, 2023, 12:14:56 PM »

Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
Maybe their newer stuff is better, but I've found so many mechanical issues with Heil hardware, and severe RF ingress into an earlier noise reduction headset when I was in C6A that I just gave up on them. I bought an Arlan Radiosport headset in 2016 and it's been perfect ever since. Not a single complaint, and you can beat on them like a red-headed stepchild. Heil mics do sound really good, though. I'll give Bob credit for that. But the price point he has to hit means the construction and components aren't top-notch. Just my own experience, but I'll never touch anything from Heil again.


I agree.  They are built like crap.  Also, the Heil Ic mike comes without a coiled mike cable so it becomes a length of linguini after a short time.
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EI2GLB

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #93 on: February 17, 2023, 12:24:54 PM »

300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar  ;D ;D

Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks,


Yeah, what the heil? I recently switched to a Heil Pro Set and I can tell you it is far superior to the WG set I had been using. Heil rocks.
Maybe their newer stuff is better, but I've found so many mechanical issues with Heil hardware, and severe RF ingress into an earlier noise reduction headset when I was in C6A that I just gave up on them. I bought an Arlan Radiosport headset in 2016 and it's been perfect ever since. Not a single complaint, and you can beat on them like a red-headed stepchild. Heil mics do sound really good, though. I'll give Bob credit for that. But the price point he has to hit means the construction and components aren't top-notch. Just my own experience, but I'll never touch anything from Heil again.
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N2SR

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #94 on: February 17, 2023, 12:33:32 PM »

300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar  ;D ;D

Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks,

Agreed.  Mine was $40 from Amazon.  Works just fine.  Sold my Heil headset years ago. 
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W2IRT

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #95 on: February 17, 2023, 12:45:25 PM »

300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar  ;D ;D
Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks
You get what you pay for. I didn't have a hand mic or desk mic for my radios, so I relied on Heil headsets because they were the "in" thing. Once the mics started failing regularly (MB-5 and MB-6 boom mics) and I missed a few SSB slots I said to hell with that and bought the best I could afford. I'm firmly in the "buy once cry once" school of equipment purchasing.

I tried all sorts of PC headsets for Zoom meetings during the pandemic and I wouldn't want to spend hours in a pileup or contest using any of them. I've heard good things about the Yamaha, but admittedly never tried that one. In the end, I bought the PC interface cable for my Arlan in Dayton last year and have been happy as heck with it ever since. Only complaint is the Arlans do get a bit heavy by mid-day Sunday in a contest.
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

EI2GLB

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #96 on: February 17, 2023, 01:42:49 PM »

I bought a Yamaha when I was in TX years ago for Business and it broke, I never found it comfortable or nice audio and lots of people said they were great,

I have a almost 20 year old Heil that still works but is a bit tired, It needs a new windscreen and ear covers,

And I have a Koss 45 from Amazon, it's nice a light and my ears sit nicely in it, only complaint it the mic boom is a bit flimsy but it sounds great on TX and RX and it was only about 45 euro which is about the same in $'s these days,

If you can write the $400 for business then I am sure it's a no brainer but it's too rich for my blood no matter how good it is,

300 bucks for a headset and another 100 for the lead to connect it to the rig all so you can look like a crew chief in Nascar  ;D ;D
Forget that I will stick with my PC headset I got on Amazon for 60 bucks
You get what you pay for. I didn't have a hand mic or desk mic for my radios, so I relied on Heil headsets because they were the "in" thing. Once the mics started failing regularly (MB-5 and MB-6 boom mics) and I missed a few SSB slots I said to hell with that and bought the best I could afford. I'm firmly in the "buy once cry once" school of equipment purchasing.

I tried all sorts of PC headsets for Zoom meetings during the pandemic and I wouldn't want to spend hours in a pileup or contest using any of them. I've heard good things about the Yamaha, but admittedly never tried that one. In the end, I bought the PC interface cable for my Arlan in Dayton last year and have been happy as heck with it ever since. Only complaint is the Arlans do get a bit heavy by mid-day Sunday in a contest.
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WO7R

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #97 on: February 17, 2023, 02:12:21 PM »

I've owned a fair bit of Heil gear, usually bought used, that has been OK.  My main "mike" on my Flex 5000 was Heil and it had an on/off switch that was garbage, actually painful to operate, but was OK enough when I needed it.  If I was a regular on a traffic net or something, it wouldn't have lasted a week.

The rest have been better, but not enough for a testimonial.

I've been doing quite well with simple inexpensive, wired ear buds for a long time now and a low cost Yaesu "entry" mike that they give away with rigs.  For my minimal SSB use, and CW for that matter, it's plenty good enough.  Busted a lot of pileups with no more than that.

I wouldn't advise new hams to spend a lot of money on this stuff, especially if they are DXers.  Flex had this incredible built-in equalizer that can make an eight dollar PC mike sound like a million dollars.  I've seen the demos.
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W2IRT

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #98 on: February 17, 2023, 03:32:52 PM »

I wouldn't advise new hams to spend a lot of money on this stuff, especially if they are DXers.
The best headset is the one you'll wear comfortably and enable you to hear clearly with for the longest time. The best headset is also the one that won't mechanically fail on you at the most inopportune time. Mics are definitely secondary, but if listening is a chore you won't want to do it as much. My K3s has EQ built in as well that really helps, especially since my advanced tinnitus has made regular listening even more of a problem, however the timbre of the elements makes a big difference.

The other factor is whether you need active noise reduction. Until last summer my amp was in my shack and was so loud that I had to have a way to reduce the sound when operating. The Arlan set isn't ANR and was inferior to my old Bose QC-15s in that regard, but I really hated the recovered audio on the QC-15s; I couldn't find an EQ setting that made it pleasant. Thankfully I moved the amp and I can get away with non-ANR cans now.
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

VK3HJ

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #99 on: February 18, 2023, 11:25:34 PM »

Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous.
Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
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VE3VEE

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #100 on: February 22, 2023, 07:42:13 AM »

Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.

Marvin VE3VEE
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W2IRT

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #101 on: February 22, 2023, 09:31:31 AM »

Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous. Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
Yeah, I got a nice surprise around 11:30pm last night when he showed up on 17m FT8. I hadn't seen any print from him (just his callers) so I swung around Long Path and a minute or so later he showed up with a nice signal (around -06 or so). Took a few calls but I got through. Out of curiosity I swung the antenna around 180° to short path and he was peaking +10!! I also saw Champ, E21EIC in the pileup, so hearing both Thailand and Crozet in the same just-before-midnight pileup on 17 was definitely interesting propagation!

Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.
I hope I can bag him on 10 for a new band, and SSB for a new mode. Here's hoping!
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

N5PG

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #102 on: February 22, 2023, 10:06:08 AM »

Does he still QRT at 0500z ?
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KB2FCV

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #103 on: February 22, 2023, 10:55:37 AM »

Thierry was on 12 m yesterday on FT8 and CW, then FT8 again when the DQRM became ridiculous. Today, he was on 17 m CW, then FT8.
Yeah, I got a nice surprise around 11:30pm last night when he showed up on 17m FT8. I hadn't seen any print from him (just his callers) so I swung around Long Path and a minute or so later he showed up with a nice signal (around -06 or so). Took a few calls but I got through. Out of curiosity I swung the antenna around 180° to short path and he was peaking +10!! I also saw Champ, E21EIC in the pileup, so hearing both Thailand and Crozet in the same just-before-midnight pileup on 17 was definitely interesting propagation!

Thierry spent a few hours today on SSB(!) on 10m. Let's hope he will continue on phone.
I hope I can bag him on 10 for a new band, and SSB for a new mode. Here's hoping!

We were both in there! Nice little 17m opening. Added 17 for a new band last night as well. Will keep trying for 15/12/10.
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KF0QS

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Re: FT8WW
« Reply #104 on: February 22, 2023, 12:15:32 PM »

I was thrilled to see my FT8 QSO from last night, and my CW QSO from last week, show up in Thierry's online log this morning!  I already have my confirmations in LOTW and look forward to getting a paper QSL in the future.

I really appreciate Thierry's persistence in trying to stay on the air as much as possible.  Thanks to both him and Paul (F6EXV) for all their work on this Dxpedition.
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