Sidebar Sidebar
  • You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

Heil Sound Microphones......

There is some good information in this thread. Ham radio should be part experiment.

Back to the original post. You didn't say exactly what your definition of good audio is. Many people have different ideas of this.
 
HiDef said:
There is some good information in this thread. Ham radio should be part experiment.

Back to the original post. You didn't say exactly what your definition of good audio is. Many people have different ideas of this.
Click to expand...

A nice deep rich and natural reproduction of one's own voice with just enough processing to cut through the noise level........

I keep trolling fleaBay for Heil microphones, and a few have been listed, unfortunately there's way too many assclowns in the amateur radio community that seem fit to grab onto every one of them listed, and run the final bid up to, and even past the cost of a brand new unit from HRO.......:headbang

I'm watching a couple now that were just listed, and already with over a week to go, one of them has generated way too much attention from idiots that will surely drive the final bid way up beyond it's true value......:censored:

Anyway, I keep an eye on them, and I figure one of these days a decent GM with an HC-5, or an HM-10 dual element will pass under the radar of these fleaBay fools, and I just might score a Heil mic without draining my wallet. After all, you still need enough money to buy the right cable, and maybe even a foot switch and shock mount to go with it. I've already got a stand with a heavy duty goose neck left over from my amateur recording days, so I won't need to buy that......;)
 
Mic

Behringer | XM8500 - Dynamic ULTRAVOICE Mic | XM8500 | B&H Photo

Mixer to pre-amp and EQ

Behringer | XENYX 1002 - 10 Channel Audio Mixer | 1002 | B&H

Stand for the desk

On-Stage | MS7920B - Kick Drum Microphone Stand | MS7920B | B&H

Cut the connector off and connect to PTT in mic jack or back of rig

Yamaha | FC5 - Foot Switch Style Sustain Pedal | FC5 | B&H Photo

Total is roughly $150 when you add the cables.

All that is missing is a mic cable from mic to mixer XLR to XLR I think will work there, then a cable to go from mixer to mic jack on the rig, probably a TRS male for the mixer end and you would wire that cable to a mic jack.

This would give you a lot of flexibility and it's not much more than a new GM5 and should sound just as good if not better....should you be inclined towards more fiddling than just plugging in a mic.
 
Thanks Chris....

I got a music shop close by here that I used to deal with a lot, and he always has stuff like this used and for real cheap, I just might stop in and see what they got. I have use Behringer equipment before, they're like the MFJ of the sound and recording world, but their stuff is much better built.....
 
Consider this...I took an old Realistic base amplified mike as I'm sure everyone has seen and in it I placed a HC-5 cartridge.Modded the batt. case to accept 9V and did nothing else.
Work with Empereor TS-5010 in mobile and never get no complaints and by me thats good

Remember the HC-5 cartridge is a close talker so always stay right up on it
Cheers and Beers
 
WX2MIG said:
A nice deep rich and natural reproduction of one's own voice with just enough processing to cut through the noise level........
Click to expand...

A rack full of the right processing gear and a nice RE-20 would be something to shoot for in the future. In the meantime have you tried one of those spare D-104 heads into an MPF-102 impedance converter? A lot of folks seem to think a D-104 cannot reproduce low end. That's simply not true.

Looks like this project should cost about 2 bux. I forget what you have for an H.F. rig but many have low current voltage available at the mic connector for condensor mic elements and/or mic preamp. That works perfectly for an MPF-102 FET.
 
I took my research one step farther and e-mailed Bob Heil direct, told him I was running a TS-130S with a D-104/T-UG8 base, included the fact that I usualy get good audio reports, however if I wanted to improve my sound, what microphone would be my best choice.
I also indicated that I liked the looks and specs on the Heritage, and why it wasn't indicated as a good choice for the Kenwood TS-130S.....

His answer was....
"Hands down the PR-781"

He went on to say that the PR-781 is his best work to date in a microphone for amateur radio, and he feels it would make my rig sound it's best over any other model in his line up......

It's not his most expensive, but it ain't the cheapest either. I've got the stand and boom, but I'd still need to purchase the correct cable, and either a foot or hand switch, so I'd still be looking to spend somewhere's in the $225.00 range for a complete arrangement.
That's not going to happen anythime soon......
 
Last edited:
Now that you know which of the Heil mics would work best with your rig keep an eye out for a used one in good condition. That will save you a couple of bucks. As far as cabling goes, that mic uses a standard 3 pin XLR plug. You can pick a cable up at just about any music store. Remove a plug off one end and wire it to the appropriate plug for your radio along with a piece of single conductor shielded wire and a momentary switch to make a ptt switch.

Another option is to watch Fee Pay for used items. I picked up a PL2T boom, SM1 shock mount and a HS2 hand switch all in like new condition for under $100 shipped to my door. (y)
 
WR0220 said:
Another option is to watch Fee Pay for used items. I picked up a PL2T boom, SM1 shock mount and a HS2 hand switch all in like new condition for under $100 shipped to my door. (y)
Click to expand...

That's the option I'll most likely take......(y)

Per HRO......

PR-781.................$179.95
CC-1 cable.............$35.95
FS-2 Foot switch.....$38.95
Total....................$254.85

I'm not so sure about FleaBay though, every decent Heil microphone that's been listed in the last two weeks has ended up in a bidding war between knuckleheads that drive the price of used mic's up to and sometimes over the cost of new one's.....
Checked QTH.com, but there's ony 3 Heil mic's listed there, none of which interest me.....

HRO does have a hard to pass on deal running right now if anyone is interested in a Heil Classic with either the HC-4, HC-5, or Ic element, close out sale at $99.95, suggested retail on these mic's.......$245.00
 
A low-cost alternative to the Heil units are the microphone elements (transmitters) used in some Bell Telephone equipment manufacured prior to the AT&T breakup in the early 1980s. Three units in particular work well as radio mikes: The AF1 and EL2 transmitters, and the LB1 receiver. All have hunan speech response curves, 600 ohm inpedance, and were built to Ma Bell's exacting standards. The EL2 is especially nice because it is an electret element with a built.in FET preamp. It was used in the 4A speakerphone. The AF1 was used in several operator's headset models, and the LB1 was the general purpose receiver unit used in almost all Bell handsets made after 1977. It functions perfectly as a mike element. These are all available on Ebay for next-to-nothing prices.

I've run an EL2 on my base for years, and I feel that the voice quality is as good as anything out there. Anyway... for the money, they're worth a try

- 399
 
That PR-781 sounds really nice, especially after reading the review on his site. I like to talk with my mouth right on the mic and the GM-5 is a little hot for that. It sounds like they built the 781 with guys like me in mind. Unfortunately to change over to that 781, I'd also have to buy a new shock mount and cable to make it work. Oh well...maybe someone will come along that wants a GM-5, shock mount and Icom cable to make it worth my while to switch over. :) :)
 
Hey WR0220.......

Thanks for that link my man, they have the best prices on stuff I have seen anywhere on the net.........(y)

Still haven't made up my mind which way I'm gonna go with this, might just stick with the old D-104 since I keep getting great unsolicited audio reports. Had an 80 meter contact with a guy the other night, and out of the blue this dude tells me I have a booming signal, and outstanding audio. When you keep hearing that, it's hard to spend money needlessly on another mic.
I'll continue to troll QTH classifieds, and FleaBay, and if I stumble on a hard to pass deal I'll jump on it, besides that I think I'll just keep with what I've got....

However, I may do something with the Icom 2200H I use as my 2 meter base unit, I do a lot of 2 meter nets with ARES, SkyWarn, and a few casual repeater and simplex nets, I might fit that up with a Heil Icm, or Handi-Mic, put it on my goose neck and add a foot switch......
 
Last edited:

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.


      Top Bottom
      Back