[Elecraft] Heil Pro 7 headset with KX3 - RF feedback?

[Hank]

Some pretty bold generalizations except for pricing maybe and Heil’s industry associations. 

I dislike my CM500’s. They are uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time. I do have RFI issues with them when running full power on HF SSB. 

I have an older Heil headset - not sure which model - came with a used IC-7700 several years ago. It plugs directly into the back Of the K3s. I get better audio reports with it than the Yamaha’s. All fairly subjective.  I do have RFI issues with the Heil headset also. 

I am lucky enough to have used one of Bob’s mixing desks and a B-3 he had modified during a repair.  He’s not a hack. 

Hank
K4HYJ

> On Jun 17, 2021, at 3:42 AM, Jim Brown <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com> wrote:
> 
> Heil products are wildly overpriced and highly over-rated. No ham needs a boom mic headset better than a Yamaha CM500, which sounds great both in the headphones and one the air, is very comfortable, costs about $60, and has ZERO RFI issues. I'm a Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society, have a storage room full of great mics far better than anything Heil makes, do very serious contesting. and I've used nothing but the CM500 for more than ten years. What pro audio folks say about Bose applies equally to Heil -- "better sound through marketing."
> 
> The CM500 plugs straight into the back of an version of a K3 (and probably a K4), and I'll be happy to list TXEQ settings that make it sound FAR better than Heil headset mics.
> 
> I've been a member of the AES Standards Committee Working Group on Microphones for almost 30 years, and I've never met Bob Heil or anyone from his company. That should tell you something about how "professional" he and his company are. :)  This whole thing about "I did sound for XXX rock band is, as my Black friends would say, "a whole bunch of shuck and jive."
> 
> 73, Jim K9YC
> 
>> On 6/16/2021 8:36 PM, Drew Arnett wrote:
>> Shield of mic jack goes to bare metal Elecraft thoughtfully left on
>> the chassis metal.  10 nF shunt to ground.  (Need to see where that
>> is, but hopefully SMT and with very small loop area.)  Sheet 9:
>> https://ftp.elecraft.com/KX3/Manuals%20Downloads/KX3SchematicDiagramDec2012.pdf
>> Heil suggests on their tips page generous ferrite choking of all 3
>> leads of their Y adapter cable:
>> https://heilhamradio.com/support/tips/
>> Drew
>> n7da
>>> On Thu, Jun 17, 2021 at 3:23 AM Drew Arnett <arnett.drew at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> In the KX3 for Field Day department, we plan to use it for the GOTA
>>> station for phone on HF.  (Yes, will have antennas not on top of each
>>> other and bandpass filters on ALL radios.)  Would be great to setup
>>> with a headset and foot switch.
>>> 
>>> Last weekend, I used my KX3 barefoot on 6 and with a
>>> transverters-store.com transverter (also barefoot) for 2.  6m antenna
>>> was 2 elements about 15 ft above the ground and 2m antenna 6 elements
>>> at 10 feet above the ground.
>>> 
>>> I worked a couple of contacts on 2m phone with the headset.  Later,
>>> when I tried to use the headset for phone on 6, seemed like I was
>>> having a feedback problem.  Cabling was the stock cabling that comes
>>> with the Heil Pro 7 headset and a footswitch.  Monitor was on and set
>>> to 4.
>>> 
>>> So, ALC didn't indicate anything at the normal level (60), and
>>> increasing it very abruptly caused horrible sounding audio.  (Yes,
>>> acts like positive feedback.)
>>> 
>>> I have a small electret mic on a 1/8 plug thing I bought some time ago
>>> from the computer store.  (Meant at the time for adding mic to
>>> laptops.)  I have a 1/8" audio extension cable for it.  I plugged that
>>> in instead of the headset mic and it seemed to act normally.
>>> 
>>> Is this purely an RF from the TX antenna getting into the mic audio
>>> problem or is it something else?
>>> 
>>> Best practice to avoid this problem?
>>> 
>>> On my todo list:
>>> - ask here
>>> - look at KX3 schematic to see if it has RF ingress mitigation on the mic jack
>>> - ask Heil
>>> - unplug the Heil mic element and gator clip my cheap electret mic on
>>> instead and try on 6m in driveway with identical antenna/mast/radio
>>> setup
>>> - look for or assemble an RF filter to inline with the mic jack (tough
>>> to do with this little time
>>> before field day)
>>> 
>>> Thanks and best regards,
>>> 
>>> Drew
>>> n7da
>>> 
>>> ps.  Other than this, KX3 was great in the VHF test.  Worked great
>>> with the transverter on 2 and was a lot of fun running barefoot with
>>> the sporadic E opening Saturday afternoon & evening.
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