[Elecraft] Microphone preamp and Heils

[David Wilburn]

Just curious of why the focus on the ICOM mikes?  When I looked at the 
drawing for the pins on the front panel, it looked like the Kenwood was 
the least complicated to wire.

A bit off topic, the Heil website does not show the hand mikes anymore. 
  Well not a 'real' hand mike that sits and your hand as something 
rugged.  They have these little microphone mikes.  Not something that 
I'm interested in connecting to any of my radios.  If I want a hands 
free setup, I'll use a headset and boom.  Bar that, if I want to talk on 
a mike and listen via the speaker, I want a substantial mike that feels 
like I have something in my hand.

My current plan is to wire my K2 up for the Kenwood microphone.  My 
other radio is a TS-570.  The assumption on my part, is that I will then 
be able to use my Heil headset on both the Kenwood and the K2.  Is this 
a valid assumption?

David Wilburn
dave.wilburn at verizon.net



Don Wilhelm wrote:
> The Heil microphone preamps are required for the Heil microphones using the
> HC4 and HC5 elements.  The electret elements do not need a preamp (but they
> do need a resistor at the mic jack).  The Heil mics designated for use with
> Icom transceivers are usually of the electret typw and work quite well with
> the K2.
> 
> Remember that Heil has a wide variety of mics, just saying that you are
> using a Heil mic is not sufficient information, one must specify WHICH Heil
> mics - they are not created equal.  I guess an anology is that you would not
> refer to an automobile as a General Motors car - you must specify if it is a
> Chevrolet, a Buick, a Cadillac, etc., and in many cases one must also
> specify which variety of Chevrolet, Buick, etc.  Heil mics are much like
> that.
> 
> So, yes choose the Icom mics if possible, but if you prefer those with the
> HC4 or HC5 elements (those elemetns have low ouput), you should plan to add
> a mic preamp.  As far as I know, no PC boards or kits are available for the
> mic preamps.
> 
> 73,
> Don W3FPR
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>>
>> Hi, sorry if this repeats previous information request, but I did
>> a lot of
>> searching and didn't find anything directly on point (even though
>> there were
>> several threads on preamps and Heils, etc.)
>>
>>
>> I downloaded the Microphone Pre-Amp for Heil  schematic on the Elecraft
>> website.
>>
>> My questions are:
>> 1.  Does anybody make a PCB for this  project?  I imagine all
>> these parts are
>> available from Radio Shack  or Mouser?
>>
>> 2.  Does the preamp make the microphones  work really well, or is it just
>> something that "gets you  by?"
>>
>> 3.  As far as Heil microphone modules go,  if I build the preamp,
>> and want to
>> buy the Classic, can I use any module, like  the Pro, HC-5, HC-4,
>> etc., or
>> should I get the ICOM only module, which I believe  is an
>> electret module.  I am
>> a bit confused about all this.  I asked  Elecraft and they said I
>> should get
>> the electret module.  Bob Heil said the  Classic was not a good
>> choice for the
>> K2 and he suggested his iCM mic for  ICOM.  Doesn't the iCM mic
>> have the same
>> electret element  that the Classic with the  IC element has?  If
>> all I needed
>> was  an electret element, do I need the preamp at all, or does it
>> make the
>> electret  work even better?
>>
>> 4.  Once I build the preamp, is it  something that I can tuck into the
>> microphone itself (like a Heil Classic) or  does it go inside the
>> K2 or do I need to
>> put it into it's own little  enclosure.
>>
>> Thanks for your help.  I am a new ham, and  am trying to sort through all
>> this stuff.
>> Christ Kacoyannakis
>> K4CMK
>>
>>
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