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Reviews For: Heil HMM-iC (Icom)

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Heil HMM-iC (Icom)
Reviews: 15MSRP: 59 (Street)
Description:
Hand Microphone for Icom Radios
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.heilsound.com/HMMnew.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00153.5
N7YJ Rating: 2002-04-27
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
K4TBN Rating: 2001-07-17
What IC706 needs Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Good sounding xmit audio and Icom aren't usually in the same sentence, but that's now changed thanks to Heil. The mic, in addition to sounding darn good, is physically more stout than most amateur mobile microphones. It's not quite the weapons-grade quality of a Motrac mic, but still feels like a handfull of real microphone.

At about $90 (mic, adaptor, shipping), the value exceeds the price.

Also, it works on my IC2100H, but the audio is too piercing for normal FM use.
KC8JKA Rating: 2001-07-03
Just OK Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It works but not worth the money.

And that adapter... Why can't Heil make a version of this mic with the RJ-45 connector for the 706's?
WB9GKZ Rating: 2001-06-14
OK Mic But Bad Q-C Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the Heil HMM-iC from Universal Radio
for $49.95 plus shipping. It is now on its way
back to Universal for a refund...I'll relate why:
The mike arrived safely and within 3-days of order. I quickly noticed that something was wrong
with the mike's connector upon opening the box. It was impossible to screw the retaining ring onto my Icom 746 because the little screw holding the connector's black pin assembly to the metal
shell was cross-threaded and protruding from above
the shell. I pushed the connector onto the 746
and used it anyway without the ring threaded to the radio. I monitored my audio with the HMM-iC
and the Icom stock hand-mike. I noticed right
away that the audio was different but not to my
liking. It was much like the "bassy, paging
type audio" that Bob Heil despises in his advertising. I reset the TX EQ control on the
746 way up to "+12". This made the mic sound
less mushy and more intelligible but was then
sounding more like my original Icom hand-mike.
I attempted to carefully unthread the cross-threaded screw and re-thread it straight-on to
the plastic on the connector with no success, the
threads were stripped. A little QC at Heil's
factory could have caught that! I also noted
that the PTT switch is a bit mushy (along with
the audio quality!), the switch lacks the positive
"click" action that the Icom presents. I also noticed the
lack of cooperation that the coil-cord gives when
asked to stretch-out and retract like any "normal"
mike cord is capable of. Folks, this mike
has "Made In America" written all over it! Sorry
Mr. Heil Sound, this mike was just not for me.
The only positive of the transaction was the fact
that Univeral Radio approved the refund.
K3XT Rating: 2001-02-24
Good Upgrade Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Heil HMM-iC hand microphone is a nice upgrade to the stock Icom hand microphones. Heil?s Icom version of the mic only has one element. The mic has a nice shape and fits comfortably in your hand. The audio is improved over the Icom hand microphones, HM-14 & HM-36. The HMM-iC audio does not have the hollow sound or the upper end harshness of the Icom mics. You can hear a noticeable improvement but the change is not dramatic. This Heil mic has a smoother rounded sound. For best audio it is a very close talk microphone. Audio was improved in both FM & SSB modes, radios used were Icom?s 746 & 821. For my voice a Tone setting of +12 on the 746 produced the best audio. I had one minor issue, a few of the unused/unsoldered pins came out of the 8 pin round connector as I was switching mics for testing. Good option for improved audio if you can not use a desk microphone.