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Reviews For: Heil HC 5.1 Retro Element kit

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Heil HC 5.1 Retro Element kit
Reviews: 16MSRP: 59.00
Description:
New life for the old Astatic D-104 or any vintage microphone with our conversion kit which includes our low impedance 600 ohm HC 5.1 dynamic element, with great speech articulation. It works great straight into Elecraft, Kenwood, Yaesu and most later ICOM rigs. Icom usage requires the supplied decoupling capacitor on the audio line (phantom powered 8 volts). http://www.heilsound.com/amateur/harmonics.htm#DC

For the high impedance vintage rigs, the kit includes one of our XT -1 high impedance transformers. A mounting ring and cover foam is included to mount the HC 5 element.

NOTE for ICOM USERS: Be certain to decouple the ICOM 8 volts! A 1 mfd. non polar capacitor with instructions is included for use with ICOM radios.

This is a great way to get all of your vintage microphones back on the air!

Product is in production
More Info: http://www.heilsound.com/amateur/hcelements.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00164.3
W4RKS Rating: 2011-05-07
Works as expected. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Easy to install in my old D-104 head. Looks like a D-104, works like a Heil HC5. Good reports on my low impedance K3.
WB4LFC Rating: 2009-12-21
I had to do this..... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I had RFI in my signal with my D-104 conversion.
I grounded the shield to the mic connector and to the mic stand and that cleared it up.
I get compliments with mine used on my TS-2000.
N7ZM Rating: 2009-10-27
Easy and Works Great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Coverted an old D-104 50K impedance to a Heil HC-5 low impedance microphone with the Heil HC-104 conversion kit. You do have to bypass the one transistor active impedance built in circuit. If you have any questions just ask. Works great on my Yaesu FT-2000D.
73 Ron N7ZM
N7ZM@att.net
K4ELO Rating: 2009-06-18
Good Product Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Easy to install and works fine.
Nice to have the D-104 working with new rigs.
former_WA6L_JG Rating: 2007-12-31
New Life For An Old Friend Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have had my old D-104 for years. Originally it came with a Swan Cygnet, but it stayed in the shack long after the Swan was gone. I just like the looks of the mic.

However, when I attempted to use the D-104 with some newer solid-state rigs, I got less than optimum audio reports. The audio sounded "funny" and "high pitched." This is a common problem when the D-104 is used with the lower input impedance of modern rigs.

There are several solutions for this problem, but none are easier or better than this kit from Heil. It turned my D-104 into a great-sounding mic with consistently good audio reports. It is the best of both worlds -- the timeless beauty of the D-104 combined with the superior performance of the Heil HC-5 element.

Installation is fast and easy, but the instructions that come with the kit are less than helpful. It starts out with an inventory that does not include all the parts, and the step-by-step is totally confusing. However, with a little patience and common sense, you can read between the lines and figure out how to get the new element mounted. Minus one point for the bad instructions.

All in all, this kit was worth every penny. I look forward to years of great service from my old faithful D-104.

73,

John, WA6L
KC5OLC Rating: 2005-11-26
Easy to do works great Time Owned: N.A.
Conveted a 30 year old D-104 to the Heil and use it on a Ft-736R.Both FM and SSB and the audio sounds very good and has good drive to break the 6 meater pile ups.