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Reviews For: Heil Classic

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Heil Classic
Reviews: 30MSRP: 229
Description:
A new classic microphone with a "Broadcast" - wide band element and either a HC4 or HC5 element
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.heilsound.com/Classic.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
12304
MD11DRIVER Rating: 2009-08-03
Looks nice, but quality is lacking Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
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.
KE6IRP Rating: 2009-01-17
GREAT mic on my icom 746 pre pro Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
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
VA6BCS Rating: 2008-04-13
Works great Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
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
WB5CYS Rating: 2007-03-02
Superb Audio Reports Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
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.
KE7GWY Rating: 2006-05-17
Noisy and low gain Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
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
NE5C Rating: 2006-04-10
Classic with MP1000 Mark V Field Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was blessed, to find a used PERFECT Heil Classic which I added to my Yaesu 1000MP Mark V Field and simply set the EDSP Menu exactly as Bob Heil lists on his home site. I tell you the very next morning when I came on the air I instantly recieved "RAVE REPORTS" from all the operators that I speak with. I haven't had to add equalizers, Rack gear, or anything else, and absolutely NO - RF Problems either. I highly Reccomend this Mic with the YAESU 1000MP...Thanks Bob Heil for Fine Business. 73's and God Bless all DE N5JFJ in Texas.
YO3HMA Rating: 2006-01-25
Disaster Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered this microphone through Aesham ( good company ), they send me the wrong connection cable for my Icom 756 PRO III, the finish of this Classic microphone is very bad, screws were stripped, electronic components seem cheap, and the HC-4 element was not wired !!!! I can not believe this microphone has got so many 5/5, I dont care about the money but I will never think to buy a Heil product again. Do NOT buy this microphone !!!!
KG2CQ Rating: 2005-12-26
Great Desk Mic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had the Heil Classic now for over 12 months and it has worked asume. What a great Mic Heil has made. I agree with the screw thing but other then that the mic works great on my IC-775DSP. wow, it is unreal the mic sounds so good when you hear it. Well, what else could I say but buy one and try one I did. Mark KG2CQ 73's.
KB4QLZ Rating: 2004-08-16
Sweet........ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.

I recently purchased the Heil Classic with the HC-5 element. This is fantastic microphone! The mic is connected to a Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark-V, and sounds sweet! I have the mic mounted on the Heil Boom. The DSP settings are key factor. Set it up the way Bob says, and then do some on-air test with folks who know what you sound like in person. Do not rely on the monitored audio from your transceiver. Tweak the settings as needed.

I’ve got many Heil products, and they all work GREAT!
KA4KOE Rating: 2004-06-13
Better than ICOM stuff Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
After pricing an SM-20 desk mike (expensive) and seeing what you get, I purchased a Classic and boom mounted it on my desk last January for my ICOM 756PRO. The Classic is only a few dollars more.

Sounds really great on the PRO if you set it up the way Bob Heil recommends.

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Earlier 4-star review posted by KA4KOE on 2004-01-13

Tried to remove the flag head. The screws were in so tight I rounded one off. Did manage to get it apart. Seems the threads may have had a burr on them. Emailed Bob and he sent me some new screws to reassemble this thing. Otherwise my experience has been good.