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Reviews For: ICOM SM-30 microphone

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : ICOM SM-30 microphone
Reviews: 41MSRP: 195
Description:
Compact, lightweight goose-neck style desktop electret microphone with low cut function
Product is in production
More Info: http://icomamerica.com/en/amateur/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15414.8
SQ5TSS Rating: 2018-12-15
Perfect microphone Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I get great audio reports, is wonder mic
AB0RE Rating: 2017-03-08
Enjoy my SM-30 as well Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The price is right and the mic is attractive.

Doing a search for SM-30 windscreen or SM-30 windsock on eBay yielded a hit from a ham seller who offered a perfect-fitting windscreen on the mic. Helps keep the ALC from spazzing out over Ts, Ps, etc.

Although I debated about the necessity of a desk mic over a hand mic, there's something to be said about always having the mic right there where you left it, ready to go.

On my IC-7300 I reduced the mic gain to "30", which nets ALC deflection of 1/3 - 1/2 scale as suggested in the manual.
N0YXE Rating: 2017-03-08
Perfect match for small ICOM Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I addd the mic to my IC 7200. The mike gain had to be lowered from the default of 50 to 48 and I did not have to adjust the control setting on the mic. It works well and looks good.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0YXE on 2013-11-30

I am using my IC SM-30 with an IC-7200 radio. It works great. I just turned the gain up to about 3/4, for the heck of it, and everything on the radio is set at default. Nothing else to do but enjoy. It also works perfectly with an IC 703 Plus which I just sold. I have a very expensive HEIL PR 40. I made adjustments to bass and treble and compression, as stated by Bob. It works well, but my little SM-30 does a really great job, too. One of the best....
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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0YXE on 2011-08-03

I AM USING THIS SMALL DESK MIC WITH MY ICOM 706MK3 RADIO. I COULD NOT TAKE HAVING THE HAND MIKE LAYING AROUND THE LIMITED SPACE THAT WAS LEFT ON MY DESK, ESPECIALLY WITH AN AMP, AN EXTERNAL TUNER, AND MY ICOME 756 PRO3 SHARING SPACE NEXT TO IT. IT APPEARS TO BE WORKING FINE AND IS SAMLL, WELL-MADE, AND DOES A NICE JOB WITH THE RADIO. SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL HERE.....
N5AS Rating: 2017-01-27
Great Audio Reports Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just replaced my old SM-6 with this SM-30. Received the best audio reports ever from the critical bunch that I chat with daily on my IC-756ProII. This is why I rated it a 5. Even better than the Gold Line GM-5. No mic clicks/noise reported.

The Up/Down buttons would be nice addition. Size is perfect for my desk, needed something with a small foot print.
W8NIC Rating: 2016-12-02
Kept Simple Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Very nice mic and a very affordable price. worked well with my ic-775dsp and works really well with my ic-7700
doesn't get much use as i am mostly on cw mode but when it is in use, i get great reports.
N1MXB Rating: 2016-11-18
Excellent. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have two, excellent audio, correct size, good overall quality. No need to spend 300.oo dollars or more for a good mike.
G7HZZ Rating: 2016-11-18
Lousy ergonomics - sent it back Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I do not know how this microphone sounds - I do know that the way the Lock and Instant PTT buttons work is no use to me whatsoever. Hence my mark is 2/5, no more, no less.

The Instant PTT button is very large and placed at the front of the mic. base; however, the Lock is much smaller and is inconveniently placed behind it at the base of the goose-neck.

Some people may like this arrangement, but for me it is completely unacceptable. Many other microphones place the Instant and Locking buttons side by side in very logical and easy to use arrangement. It was possible to do this even with the SM-30's slim slim, lightweight (skimpy) design, but sacrificing function for style is not smart.

Other negative points are that the SM-30 does not have up/down scan buttons and Icom do not even suply a foam windshield costing pennies (let alone a free modular plug adapter) - skinflints!

The one I ordered by email was returned immediately so I am out of pocket for postage and really very disappointed with a microphone that has less functionality than an Adonis 308!

It will be a good buy for some people, but it's a good bye from me.

SM6XUN Rating: 2016-06-21
Universal Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used the SM-30 for a few years now, first on my IC-7200, IC-7410 then TenTec 516 with an adapter and now the IC-7300,
I change radios more often than desktop microphones.
Good quality, it sounds good and it's Heavy enough to stay on the table.
I actually can not find a single complaint.
K7DXT Rating: 2016-06-20
Stellar Reports... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
In 26 years of SSB radio, I've only received excellent unsolicited audio reports twice. The first time was when I got a wild hair to hook up an ElectroVoice RE11 stage mic to my then new Kenwood TS-570. I recall there were some eq capabilities with the rig, and I was told many times that the audio was great. After I got rid of that radio, I used the stock hand mic on everything I owned.

Just before stores ran out of the Icom 7200, I pulled the trigger on one, realizing that the stock mic had a reputation for sounding terrible. It did not disappoint from that report.

So I started seeking advice on what mic to use with the new 7200. I wrote Heil and asked their opinions, as well as posting a question here on this forum. Several noted that the SM-30 sounded superb with the 7200, so I ordered one. It was either the first or second QSO that I got an unsolicited audio 'attaboy', and many more since then.

So I guess this review is really the reports of quite a number of other hams who bothered to tell me about the good audio of the SM-30. There is no eq potential with the IC-7200 on board. I keep the mic at normal bass with the switch at the bottom, and run the processor on and the mic gain fairly high. No reports of over modulation.

In time, I may be tempted to play again with some of the studio or stage mice I have hanging around. But for now, the little SM-30 is doing wonderful.
K3KRN Rating: 2016-05-21
great mic Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
works great with the ic-7410. highly recommend.