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Reviews For: AB5N - Icom HM-151 - IC-7000 mic. modification

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : AB5N - Icom HM-151 - IC-7000 mic. modification
Reviews: 161MSRP: 39.50
Description:
Modification to the Icom HM-151 hand microphone that comes with the Icom IC-7000. This mod fixes the poor FM audio that this microphone and radio combination has from the factory. The modification replaces the mic element and a capacitor, adds a shaped acoustic foam shell, widens the mic opening, adds a wind screen (pop filter) and a 1oz weight to the microphone shell.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.7000mic.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001615
K4YFW Rating: 2010-05-28
broadcast type audio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I sent the mic to Bob for the upgrade. Turnaround was 3 days after Bob did the work. My very first qso I was asked what kind of rig I was using....this was unsoliticed....he said the radio sounded great. I switched radios and asked for a report....he said to go back to the first radio as it sounded much better. TKS Bob
KI4MSJ Rating: 2010-05-24
A must have mod for the IC-7000 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I know I am just going to echo most every other review here but, it has to be said. I recently bought a IC-7000 and ran across this mod while searching the internet. I sent my microphone and M.O. to Bob AB5N and within three days my mic was back. I hooked it up to my radio and set it to Bobs recommendations and checked into my local 2m net that evening and without asking about the audio I was asked if I bought a new mic. When I told them it was the stock mic with Bob's mod. they could not believe the difference. Then today I happened to catch a 10m opening and with the TBW set to wide, I was able to bust through the noise and made two contact. I asked for a audio report and was told it sounded very clear and natural. I would highly recommend the mod to anyone with or considering getting the IC-7000.
N4FN Rating: 2010-03-31
This Mod was needed Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.

I just received back from Bob Nagy the mods done to my IC-7000 HM-151 mic and that of my friend KC4CSU's HM-133 for his IC-2720. First reports on 2m indicated the audio from my HM-151 was much clearer and more natural compared to my normal speaking voice from folks that know me well. I met Lloyd to get him his HM-133, he was always plagued with very low audio output from his 2720. I could not believe the difference! His audio is clearer, LOUDER than ever before. He sounded great. I have not used my 7K on HF mobile yet but I am sure that the output will be far superior to what I had before. This was a very worthwhile mod to a great rig. Thanks to Don ZL1ATB for his post on the mod.
Neil N4FN
KB1TOC Rating: 2010-03-17
Great work, Very Professional Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bob's work is outstanding and his turn around time is phenomenal. I got my mic back 4 days after mailing! The modified microphone performs extremely well. I have been able to punch through several pile-ups on 20m using just 100W and an attic dipole against stations running 1.5kW and beams. Every time the receiving station commented on the quality of my audio.

If you have an IC-7000 you need this mod!

Thanks for a great job Bob!
N3IR Rating: 2010-03-16
Nice Job Bob, Thanks Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After receiving my IC-7000 the stock Mic HM-151 was nearly DEAD. I immediately sent it to Bob AB5N, while I did have to wait a bit for the mod to be completed. I received it back Priority mail and packed very well.Now remember I have not learned my way around the 7000 yet so I emailed Bob with some of the trouble I was having and between the 2 of us my problems were operator ERROR or ME, LOL. Anyway all is well and WOW what a difference the mod made. Of course Icom will tell you nothing is wrong with the stock mic and the mod is not neccessary. Are they ever WRONG !
Thanks Bob for your service.

n3ir Robert
K1TWH Rating: 2010-01-31
Makes for good audio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The AB5N HM-151 mod was money well spent. Many good audio reports after. (Just be sure that you've selected the 100Hz <> 2900Hz TX bandwidth.)
W8DH Rating: 2010-01-30
Best $40 you'll ever spend Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The title says it all...Best $40 I EVER spent on any amateur radio product. Here's the proof...96 hours, door to door, and...If you don't like it, you can send it back to Bob and he'll restore it for free, and send you back your money. Bob said he's done 1550 of these conversions, without a single request for this service....ENOUGH SAID
W5JON Rating: 2010-01-17
HM-151 & Proset Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I only use my IC-7000 while traveling and contesting in the Caribbean. Rarely do I use the HM-151 and almost always use the Heil Proset. In any case, I was never really pleased with the audio reports I got while using either.
I sent both to Bob and 72 hours later both were back. All reports are now the IC-7000 audio is crisp and clear on both. All mic. VOX levels are now mid. range, and gone is the hollow, low, etc reports on the Proset. Thanks Bob, great mods.

73,
John W5JON
MM3XXW Rating: 2010-01-09
Simply excellent! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
If you've an IC7k do the mod ..... if you don't well stupid is a stupid does!
HB9ERT Rating: 2010-01-02
Makes your IC7000 shine - absolutely necessary Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Before the modification of my HM151 I always got reports of "your voice is clear but thin and very low volume, your modulation is too narrow on FM, very low volume on SSB" - at a 100% mic level setting.
After the half hour modification I simply get "excellent, just right, perfectly sounding, perfect modulation, loud but not overmodulated, keep it just like that, no pops, no hisses etc" - often without asking, at 35-50% mic setting and 5 cm distance instead of 2.5 cm. For some connections I really had trouble with before (and the other party had measured modulation), I now get "this is it - perfect". No more getting lost in pile-ups.
What more could you ask for - and the kit is perfect, arrived fast over here in Switzerland, includes video instructions for every single step.
Do yourself a favour and let your IC-7000 shine as it should. Mine was still a Japanese mic, the newer are Chinese, but except for the level Icom seems not to have improved it at all - too bad they did not incorporate Bob's modification.