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Reviews For: AB5N - HM-36 IC-7200 / -7600 Mic. Modification

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : AB5N - HM-36 IC-7200 / -7600 Mic. Modification
Reviews: 25MSRP: 32.90
Description:
Modification of recent-manufacture Icom HM-36 hand microphones that come with the Icom IC-7200 and IC-7600 to improve frequency response and drive. The modification replaces the microphone element and capacitor.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.7000mic.com/IC7200.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00255
KK4X Rating: 2021-09-28
HM 36 modified for Apache ANAN Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hi Gang, i needed a microphone for my Apache ANAN 200d radio, in the past i purchased Elecrafts micrphone, but there price is a killer for me. I asked Bob if he can modify a HM 36 with his element for me. Well he did and the microphone works very well. i had a Chinese HM 36 type microphone shipped to him($12.00) actually i sent him Two of them, well he gutted them and placed in his element and rewired the microphone for my Apache ANAN Radio and I am totally satisfied with its preformance and super quick turn around, Thank you 73, Ed kk4x
VK2NZA Rating: 2019-04-05
Big Improvement! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Three years ago unhappy with the HM 36 mics supplied with an Icom IC-7200 and a pair if IC-7410's I owned, read reviews on Bobs modifications and decided to bite the bullet and send two mics to him for modification.

Before doing so I ordered two standard HM-36 mics from China via E'Pay. They were remarkably inexpensive (about $11.00 US each) and posted free of charge. They arrived 3 1/2 weeks later and I posted them off to Bob from Eastern Australia anticipating a period of time with out mics hence the additional purchases.
Well they arrived back within 2 weeks and the difference is noticeable,a big improvement in modulation and output.
They have continued to work well and I was inspired to write a review after recommending Bobs work to another young amateur unhappy with the IC-718's gain with the standard HM-36.
I intend to send the other mics to him soon.
My take for Icom continuing to supply these very lacklustre mics is that they intend for you to be frustrated with them and purchase the more expensive but much better desk mics the SM-30 and SM-50 to solve the lack of gain particularly.
very sneaky Icom!
Bobs mods defeat this marketing ploy and I recommend his work!
N5EKF Rating: 2017-12-10
HM-133 improvement Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had several comments about my audio being low on my old Icom IC-208 even with the mic gain on high. Researched the issue and found AB5N. I had some questions so I e-mailed Bob. He was quick to respond to my questions. I boxed up my mic and mailed it to Bob on a Friday. USPS delivered it Monday morning and Bob e-mailed me that afternoon the mod had been done and had shipped it back the very same day. Total time was 5 days with almost all of that due to USPS. Great reports on audio now. Several of my buddies will be sending their mics to Bob as well. Awesome service and great results! Thanks Bob!!
WA2EHL Rating: 2016-08-30
Excellent service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My HM-133 mike never sounded better on D-STAR or FM since being modified by Bob.I sent the mike to him on Wednesday and got it back the following Monday.Service is excellent!
W4FMS Rating: 2016-08-11
Icom HM-36 mic mod Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My Icom HM-36 which was Chinese manufacture and got it new with an IC-7600. The audio was dull and muffled and most listeners recommended putting it back in the drawer after hearing it.

Bob modified the HM-36 with a new element and it sounds fantastic. I've always enjoyed using a hand mic and now use the HM-36 with my 7600 all the time. I get great audio reports of bright and clear audio.

Bob is great to deal with and highly recommend.
K0KSL Rating: 2016-02-05
Wonderful MOD! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Several Months ago I received my new IC-7200. Knowing the HM-36 MIC was standard Chinese issue, I immediately sent off to Bob.

The audio reports have been better than good. Today I compared the HM-36 with my SM-30 with another station, and the modified HM-36 won out. According to the other station, it wasn't even close. Other reports have been "sounds broadcast quality."

And, the MIC output is very high (turn down the gain!).

Thanks Bob for a great design and MOD!
AF7RV Rating: 2015-11-13
Why couldn't Icom do this?!? Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
One would think that a world class transceiver manufacturer would spend a few extra pennies for a decent stock mic, but so is the way of corporate cost savings on the back of an unsuspecting consumer.

Bob Nagy's microphone overhaul is worth every cent. My audio reports went from something like Charlie Brown's school teacher to crystal clear 59's on my IC-7200 without even touching the speech compressor. If you need a compact mic for field day and are stuck with one of those HM-36 paperweights, let Bob repair it. Have him replace that fragile PTT switch at the same time. If you don't, you will wish you did at the worst possible time - on the air in the wild without a backup mic slowly growing horse while yelling into a Chinese knock-off hockey puck.

Great Job Bob! Keep up the good work!
N5BMD Rating: 2015-07-20
A must for Icom 718 Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I'm returning to amateur radio after 25 years away. After researching the Icom IC-718, I decided it was the radio for me. The rig lived up to my expectations - except when I keyed the microphone. The watt meter barely moved. AB5N's HM 36 mic mod has made a HUGE difference in modulation. Friends I usually talk to noticed an immediate difference. I continue to get compliments. I sent the mic to Bob on a Monday and had it back by the following Saturday. Thanks for your quick, excellent work.
N2VU Rating: 2014-11-23
Mod applies to other ICOM mics as well! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bob has modified several other mics for me:

- HM-152
- HM-133
- HM-133V x2
- HM-207 x2

For as much as anyone can assume modifying their mic's themselves, what Bob Nagy does so effectively with these hand mic's makes any of these associated ICOM radios sound so, so much better … and also makes them FEEL better too.

What he does to the mic's - or at least to mine was;

- Change the capsule for one that has far better dynamic range and overall sound
- Swap out the high-pass filter capacitor, allowing for the qualities of the capsule to be appreciated
- Swap out the factory pop-filter (foam at the mic hole in the mic case) to one that's less dense and more acoustically transparent yet still affective.
- Subtly opens/widens that microphone hole just a bit without affecting the aesthetics in any way
- And a detail that I really appreciate a lot is the one once weight that Bob adds to the inside of the case which gives the mic a far better, solid, dense feel.

I first had Bob do the mod to my HM-207 which is the mic that comes with the ICOM ID-5100 D-Star Radio. The results exceeded my expectations. Having two 5100's I compared the modified and unmodified mic's on the air and the reports were all the same. Everyone said that the modified mic sounded louder, clearer, fuller, warmer … as for detail, it was as if toggling between being many miles away from the repeater to being at the repeater … simply far better than stock.

Suffice it to say that my second shipment to Bob was a box that had the other HM-207 and the HM-133's for my other ICOM radios! Well worth the price now that all my ICOM's sound so much better. I literally get unsolicited remarks about my audio very often. By the way, his turnaround time is pretty impressive too. Each time he worked on the mic's the day he got them and shipped them right back.

Great guy, very impressive and affective mod with stellar results. The AB5n mod is a must!!
K6HMD Rating: 2014-11-11
OUTSTANDING! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Wow, simply wow. Bob got my mic on Friday, upgraded it and shipped it back the same day - it just doesn't get any faster than that! His workmanship was top notch. I'm a (lazy) EE and see lab work all day, his work is as good as any of the techs I work with.

This mic had terrible signal reports as received with my 7600 from ICOM (ICOM you should be ashamed) before Bob worked his magic. My first attempt following Bob's upgrade was 599 and outstanding voice quality! I did several tests with my local club and they reported great dynamic range and great copy. If you have a HM-36 send it to Bob. It's simply a no brainer and you'll be sorry you hesitated. Thank you Bob, you ROCK!!!