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Reviews For: Heil BM-10-5

Category: Headphones & Boom-microphone Headsets

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Review Summary For : Heil BM-10-5
Reviews: 11MSRP: 89.95
Description:
Dual headset /mic
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.heilsound.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00113.9
KF2AX Rating: 2010-02-20
Great Boom Headset Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I recently purchased this headset for use with a Yaesu FT-450 & FT-817ND. It is superb in terms of comfort as it is lightweight and it doesnt make your ears sweat. It is fully adjustable and just feels good to wear. I receive consistently good signal reports on the audio. As for the headphones themselves, they are clear and very intelligible. I like this headset very much. In reading some reviews about it not being durable, I can say that if you manhandle it or abuse it, like anything else, it will probably break. The headband/headset is lightweight by design and flexible so should be handled with that in mind.
Overall, I like it very much.
K7RFI Rating: 2008-10-05
Works great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used 2 of the BM-10-5 headsets for over 10 years
they work great! I like them much better than the larger head sets. Had to replace the ear pads after about 5 years.
K3JJC Rating: 2008-10-05
Not well made Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought the first one new at a hamfest. Great audio reports. Comfortable to wear. Cord for microphone failed while running a morning net. Headset was less than one year old. Instead of ordering new cord or sending to Heil Hospital for cord replacement and new ear cushions, I ordered another BM-10-5 from Heil. In about 3 months, the nut that holds the boom swivel came loose and the boom dangled. The nut is on the inside of the left ear piece. While trying to remove the mic boom from the plastic clip to take the left ear piece apart, the plastic clip broke.
Having two broken BM-10-5 headsets, I was able to make one good one.
Ear foam pads don't last long if you use the headset every day. They are too expensive after you add 4 or 5 bucks for shipping.
Won't buy anymore BM-10-5 headsets or parts.
KG4RUL Rating: 2007-09-14
NOT one of HEIL's Brighest Moments! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Boom mounting bracket is a joke - it broke within a month. The foam earpiece cover quickly disintegrates in normal use. The microphone element went defective after less than a year. The shielding in the adapter for the FT-100 is marginal. I ended up with 4 clamp on ferrites to cure that problem. I have a generic, PC style, headset-boom mike, that is head and shoulders better in quality than this unit.
WF2S Rating: 2007-05-29
Great for Summer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the headset/microhone combination for well over 10 years. It was paired with an Icom 725 when I operated UF7V and went to Antigua as V26Z and operated from /VP9. Several friends shared the rig and everyone was pleased with the lightweight headset in the scorching heat. I now have it teamed with a Ten Tec Scout for field day and other summer outdoor operating. There is no reason that this would not work fine at the home QTH and certainly does not take a big bite out of the wallet. The ear pads do deteriorate, as does any foam product. Replacement is at nominal cost and is an expected item of maintenance. Perhaps light weight cotton covers would be a nice touch but cetainly not necessary. I would recommend the BM10 to any ham looking for a top shelf microphone/headset combination at a low cost.
KG8JF Rating: 2007-02-20
I would buy it again Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is my third Heil headset/boom mic. I bought it specifically for the summer months down here in SW Alabama. I have one, "not good", thing to say. The blue foam earpiece covers wore out and just fell apart after less than a year. They acted like they did not want to give me a new set and I actually had to get a little bit adversarial with them. Bob Heil, himself sent me an email which, essentially, said, "gee that's too bad. At price they charge for the headset complete, and their admitted weakness for body oils, they should offer a free set every year. On the positive side they work great and I am happy will all my other Heil products.
AD5TH Rating: 2005-05-20
One of my best Ham radio values Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am so pleased with my heil BM-10-5 headset. I run it on an Icom 746 Pro but plug the headphone jack into my Heil Clear Speech Speaker. What a treat. The headset is lightweight, well-built and very comfortable / adjustable. I am enjoying VOX operation for ther first time and this headset coupled withthe Clear Speech Speaker is a joy to use. I feel it is the best $100 (headset + adapter)I have ever invested in Ham radio. I give it a 5 on comfort and audio quality both Rx and Tx.
K4WDE Rating: 2004-03-06
Easy to break Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
My BM-10IC (for Icoms) garnered many great audio reports. Very inexpensive. Unfortunately durability matched the price pretty well. Within 6 months of purchase the mic portion went erratic and eventually failed. The wires on the unit are so small you can forget repairing them, plus the mic element is sealed and cannot be accessed. I'll have to identify a higher quality version of this product that can be repaired after normal use, rather than replaced.
KG4GSC Rating: 2004-01-21
Great Sound, but Needs Mods for Mobile Use Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bob Heil definitely has the sound part down pat...recently got my BM-5 (w/HC-5 element) and was able to work a nice opening on 6M immediately....all commented on how good the rig (thus the mike) sounded. Running the headset mobile with a Yaesu FT857...as Mr. Heil recommends, I run the mike gain a bit higher on sideband, but lower on FM (stock mike is good on FM, fair on SSB). Strong, clear audio resulted. The -857 allows individual adjustment of SSB and FM mike gain....nice.

One Caveat. If you're buying this to go mobile with a rig similar to the FT857, this is NOT a plug and play solution! You'll need to make some adapters....or do as I did and modify the cabling to be direct plug-ins to the rig. The BM5 comes with a 1/4" plug for audio...good for the shack, not good for mobile. The PTT switch is a 1/4" female...bulky. I changed all the plugs to 1/8" and color coded them....the PTT switch uses the unused audio line on the headset (normally used to drive the second earpiece on the dual earpiece BM-10) and thus is at chest/lap level while mobile. Very efficient but the headset is now dedicated to my mobile rig.

Of course, Mr. Heil's descriptions on his web page do detail these things, and I knew what I was going to have to do, so no major problem there. I would like to see a native 1/8" plug for audio....my junkbox has 4 or 5 of the 1/8" to 1/4" adapters...the other way is a bit tougher. Small nit, just enough to drop it to a "4". I used a Traveller for a few days...buy the BM5 and modify it....MUCH better headset, in my opinion. I'll post long term once it has survived 6 months of use.

Andrew
KG4GSC
SM5AM Rating: 2001-04-25
5 Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
hi folks. having had the heil hm-10 with dual el. for 4 month running it with my icom 756 pro w the heil mike amp in line, it works great and the report using both alements are excellent, i have a medium high voice. also using it direct with my kenwood ts 870 w.o. amp with the same good rprt. this one has the 6 foot cable, i think it is a bit on the long side. by the way, using the kenwood mc 60 mike stand for the heil, i can also use the built in mike amp w. an adapt cord. i have compared it with the sm8 and the mc60b on the air , they all sound very good. 73 de sm5am