Well, a good percentage of 7000 owners would dis-agree. About 15% of them have my upgrade package. If you have an operatic voice and run the mic level at 100% and add the compressor- you can get full output. It isn't going to sound very good. On FM, you can yell at 100db and only get 2.5khz deviation. AM transmit is useless at any setting. With my custom element and mod package, set it at 50% and all is perfect. It's like the radio should have been to begin with. 2200 users-113 5-star reviews...
Right.. I listened hard for any difference...and there may have been the slightest difference in tonal quality, but the levels were identical. That "difference" was so slight- I couldn't confirm it's existence. I'm sure having significantly more audio level to work with- will make it much easier to get superb TX quality. Thanks! Bob
I have told a few of my fellow hams in Sydney about this. They sent it off from Australia to the USA in a 7 day turn around time. Good price and good service. This mod really really works, get it done. Cheers VK2MAT
After receiving many poor audio reports with my "stock, out of the box" 7000 and spending a lot of time tweaking the tx settings, I had the conversion done about 3 months ago and am very happy with the reports. My first 6 contacts never made mention of the mike change and each one received unsolicited "great audio!" reports. Well worth it in my opinion. 73 de Jetstreamguy
Super Fast results,outstanding service I highly recommend Bob's modification for the HM-151 Now all my reports are 59+20db super clean audio everybody ask me what kind the radio and mic I use. Bob you are a genius my friend.Icom should reward you!!!God Bless you and 73'Gabriel VE3BDE
Thanks Bordercollie ! I do my best to get the mics shipped back out the same day they arrive. I know it is hard to believe that Icom would ship out over 20,000 IC7000 radios with a poor microphone, but it is the case. I hope that keeping my price low and providing excellent service will make my upgrade a easy decision. Thanks everyone for making this such a great experience for me. Bob-AB5N
degrangier- sorry for the late reply. Two problems. First, you cannot use the compressor on FM. You just cannot get anywhere near full deviation even with 100% mic level. Second, the mic has too much bass response - and on SSB, it is muddy sounding. Adding the compressor just compounds the problem by adding a little distortion. With my new element and modifications, 50% mic level gives pure and clean SSB & FM TX audio. The radio is capable of excellent TX sound when using the correct microphone.
Hi Yavor. I find your videos fascinating. I have a problem with my uploaded videos to youtube. I loose a lot of volume, I guess from compression that occurs during uploads. What is the best way to have a music video on youtube without loosing a lot of the SRS and other dynamics that sound so great in my computer, but that sounds so different once I upload my videos to youtube. I got lucky with one of my videos. Somehow it sounds OK but the rest sound bad. Please Help. Thanks in advance.
I have an IC-2300H which has developed relatively low mic audio levels. I have to really eat the mic to get any decent output. I have sent it in for repair but it came back from ICOM stating that the audio level is within spec. We have tried different stock mics with no change. HRO's demo 2300H has significantly higher audio levels which really frustrates me on ICom's reply. So I'm wondering if you have a mic mod for the IC-2300H stock microphone or if you have any other suggestions. - Mike KM6KWG
Exclusive- The problem is TH-cam. For voice (like my vids) it is fine, but TH-cam compresses the video to such an extent that the audio suffers terribly. Your only option is to pay them to become a subscription user and get the less-lossy compression. For free, you have to admit, TH-cam is fantastic. Best of luck
Lewis- There really isn't anything you can do to improve the radio except getting the hand-mic's element upgraded. Most important is reading the manual several times. Setting of the DSP filters etc.... If you want great transmit audio, send me your mic! Bob-AB5N
There really isn't anything wrong with the IC-7000 microphone this is simply another perfect example of only needing to be 10 percent smarter then the equipment you're using and is the result of the CBifcation and dumbing down of ham radio .. Of course you can't blame someone like AB5N for capitalizing on the ignorance of others. When properly configured The IC-7000 using the stock microphone can produce fantastic audio so If you can't personally get the sound out of your IC-7000 that your looking for then maybe you should learn how to configure the radio properly. I use the stock microphone with my 7000 and I regularly get unsolicited complements on the quality of my audio, at least on par with my Pro-3 and 7800. On SSB phone I'm constantly told that I have "broadcast quality audio" But then again, I've been a ham for over 60 years and I know how to setup a radio because I learned and understand the fundamentals. By the way that old Cushman of yours is getting a bit long in the tooth, so I have to ask when was the last time it was calibrated and certified. By the way I hold a commercial ticket, I'm retired now but I used to service and maintain commercial marine communications equipment. The reason I ask is my Motorola R2600 which I have calibrated every year as required indicates well over 5khz deviation at 100 percent mic gain which means that I can easily over deviate the 7000 on FM using the stock mic. This further begs the question are you sure you're using the proper TX filter and not "accidentally" using a narrow filter. Its been my experience that everyone I've run into complaining about low deviation with their 7000 had their radio improperly configured and were actually using a narrow filter for FM limiting the deviation to +-2.5 khz
Well, actually - No. They outsource the mics to China and although slightly better due to just using different components, it is still not working right. Check my other video for the Chinese mic check-out. Bob
why would anyone want to run the mic gain at 50%? Just crank the mic gain up to 100% or less and the stock mic works fine! Modifying the mic by Using a higher gain mic element is OverKill. 73 Ni6r
![เปิดบ้าน โคตรสวย ป๋องกพล รู้จักตั้งนาน เพิ่งรู้ว่ารวย!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tmgCF_2HfYI/mqdefault.jpg)
Well, a good percentage of 7000 owners would dis-agree. About 15% of them have my upgrade package. If you have an operatic voice and run the mic level at 100% and add the compressor- you can get full output. It isn't going to sound very good. On FM, you can yell at 100db and only get 2.5khz deviation. AM transmit is useless at any setting. With my custom element and mod package, set it at 50% and all is perfect. It's like the radio should have been to begin with.
2200 users-113 5-star reviews...
Right.. I listened hard for any difference...and there may have been the slightest difference in tonal quality, but the levels were identical.
That "difference" was so slight- I couldn't confirm it's existence. I'm sure having significantly more audio level to work with- will make it much easier to get superb TX quality. Thanks! Bob
I have told a few of my fellow hams in Sydney about this. They sent it off from Australia to the USA in a 7 day turn around time. Good price and good service. This mod really really works, get it done. Cheers VK2MAT
After receiving many poor audio reports with my "stock, out of the box" 7000 and spending a lot of time tweaking the tx settings, I had the conversion done about 3 months ago and am very happy with the reports.
My first 6 contacts never made mention of the mike change and each one received unsolicited "great audio!" reports.
Well worth it in my opinion.
73 de
Jetstreamguy
Super Fast results,outstanding service I highly recommend Bob's modification for the HM-151
Now all my reports are 59+20db super clean audio everybody ask me what kind the radio and mic I use.
Bob you are a genius my friend.Icom should reward you!!!God Bless you and 73'Gabriel VE3BDE
Thanks Bordercollie !
I do my best to get the mics shipped back out the same day they arrive. I know it is hard to believe that Icom would ship out over 20,000 IC7000 radios with a poor microphone, but it is the case. I hope that keeping my price low and providing excellent service will make my upgrade a easy decision. Thanks everyone for making this such a great experience for me.
Bob-AB5N
degrangier- sorry for the late reply. Two problems.
First, you cannot use the compressor on FM. You just cannot get anywhere near full deviation even with 100% mic level. Second, the mic has too much bass response - and on SSB, it is muddy sounding. Adding the compressor just compounds the problem by adding a little distortion. With my new element and modifications, 50% mic level gives pure and clean SSB & FM TX audio. The radio is capable of excellent TX sound when using the correct microphone.
@cocoloco1105 It makes AM actually usable for the first time. AM TX requires
a lot of audio drive - which my Type #2 element provides. Bob
Excellent Videos Bob.. So, has Icom fixed the problem in the 2010 Models at least ?
Hi Yavor. I find your videos fascinating. I have a problem with my uploaded videos to youtube. I loose a lot of volume, I guess from compression that occurs during uploads. What is the best way to have a music video on youtube without loosing a lot of the SRS and other dynamics that sound so great in my computer, but that sounds so different once I upload my videos to youtube. I got lucky with one of my videos. Somehow it sounds OK but the rest sound bad. Please Help. Thanks in advance.
I have an IC-2300H which has developed relatively low mic audio levels. I have to really eat the mic to get any decent output. I have sent it in for repair but it came back from ICOM stating that the audio level is within spec. We have tried different stock mics with no change. HRO's demo 2300H has significantly higher audio levels which really frustrates me on ICom's reply. So I'm wondering if you have a mic mod for the IC-2300H stock microphone or if you have any other suggestions. - Mike KM6KWG
Exclusive- The problem is TH-cam. For voice (like my vids) it is fine, but TH-cam compresses the video to such an extent that the audio suffers terribly. Your only option is to pay them to become a subscription user and get the less-lossy compression. For free, you have to admit, TH-cam is fantastic. Best of luck
Were you the guy I spoke with that told me the 7000's have a driver issue and it is a simple mod to prevent them from blowing?
Lewis- There really isn't anything you can do to improve the radio except getting the hand-mic's element upgraded. Most important is reading the manual several times. Setting of the DSP filters etc....
If you want great transmit audio, send me your mic!
Bob-AB5N
Web site not working. Are you still doing mods to these mikes?
There really isn't anything wrong with the IC-7000 microphone this is simply another perfect example of only needing to be 10 percent smarter then the equipment you're using and is the result of the CBifcation and dumbing down of ham radio .. Of course you can't blame someone like AB5N for capitalizing on the ignorance of others.
When properly configured The IC-7000 using the stock microphone can produce fantastic audio so If you can't personally get the sound out of your IC-7000 that your looking for then maybe you should learn how to configure the radio properly.
I use the stock microphone with my 7000 and I regularly get unsolicited complements on the quality of my audio, at least on par with my Pro-3 and 7800. On SSB phone I'm constantly told that I have "broadcast quality audio" But then again, I've been a ham for over 60 years and I know how to setup a radio because I learned and understand the fundamentals.
By the way that old Cushman of yours is getting a bit long in the tooth, so I have to ask when was the last time it was calibrated and certified. By the way I hold a commercial ticket, I'm retired now but I used to service and maintain commercial marine communications equipment. The reason I ask is my Motorola R2600 which I have calibrated every year as required indicates well over 5khz deviation at 100 percent mic gain which means that I can easily over deviate the 7000 on FM using the stock mic. This further begs the question are you sure you're using the proper TX filter and not "accidentally" using a narrow filter.
Its been my experience that everyone I've run into complaining about low deviation with their 7000 had their radio improperly configured and were actually using a narrow filter for FM limiting the deviation to +-2.5 khz
This works for AM too?
Well, actually - No. They outsource the mics to China and although slightly better due to just using different components, it is still not working right. Check my other video for the Chinese mic check-out. Bob
why would anyone want to run the mic gain at 50%? Just crank the mic gain up to 100% or less and the stock mic works fine! Modifying the mic by Using a higher gain mic element is OverKill.
73 Ni6r
Interesting video, v good....