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Heil PR40

S

sixwheeler775

Member
Apr 14, 2005
55
0
16
New Hampshire
OK, there we were in the HRO store in Salem checking out the new HEiL microphone testing stand that they just put up, and trying all the different mics. During testing of all the different mics, I stopped and said "WOW!" when I heard the sound of the PR40. I then quickly handed the headset to my friend, and said "check this out!" He then started saying something into it, and as soon as the first word came out of his mouth he stopped, & said "holy... (cow), that's the best mic I've ever heard!" He's still saving up for one of them!! :LOL:

The audio does'nt get any smoother than with this microphone!!! HEiL did a fantastic job on this one! Spendy, but sounded like it would be worth getting.

Anyone have one of these?
 

Couple things.

The passband filtering of the radio will determine what will actually make it on the air. Typical might be 300Hz-2600Hz . A lot of the enhanced range of higher end mics will be lost when used with a stock rig and mostly not effective frequencies for communications audio anyway.

Each person's voice has their own characteristics. A mic can't make a voice. EQ and compression however can help far more than a mic _if_applied_correctly_. Again though, the EQ has to be set to be effective in the passband of the rig or it won't make a difference on the air.

Heil mics aren't garbage, but they are mid to low level pro-sound mics that are wired up for use with radios. You can achieve very similar results with far less expensive mics if you just wire them up yourself.

The Shure PG48 as an example is a 600ohm mic that sounds great for radio use, simply wired up to the rig. It's about $40 and will require a PTT switch to be used with it. If I get around to setting up a boom and foot switch, this one is a likely candidate. Until then I just use a Shure 522 I picked up for $35 from ebay and it works great.

Here's a link to the PG48, no clue about the vendor, it was just a short URL to paste in.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUPG48
 
The PR-40 is designed for the pro audio/broadcasting/recording market. It will provide no advantage to cb/ham radio operations......BECAUSE OF THE RADIO!

The bandwidth of the radio is limited to the design of the audio section. I had a Eagle 5000 briefly which Justin expanded the audio bandwidth to match Heil's PRO Handi Mic. The mic had a wider bandwidth than the radio could handle. The lows were cut off and the highs were cut off. It was amazing what Justin was able to do to the audio sections by changing out a few components.

I am good friends with a number of the AM guys here in Southern CA. These are guys who are using military and converted broadcast transmitters in the ham band. Their tests, with help from Bob Heil (who owns a home here in Southern CA and is here all the time), found that the PR-30 is a better mic for radio.

There is a way around this, but not for the faint of heart. You can use professional broadcast gear (compressor, EQ, etc) and BYPASS the audio section inside of the radio. You can now control the audio externally and are not limited to the radio's audio circuits. You have to know where to tap in the audio and you are still limited by the bandwidth of the operating mode and those receiving your signal. This will give you more control of the audio.

The Heil Mic Rack uses a simple amplifier so you can hear the mics. This amplifier is NOT a radio and the mics WILL sound different when used on a radio. The rack amp provides full bandwidth reproduction and audio response of the mic, which allows you to hear the differences in the mics. Not a fair reproduction!

Just something you should know before you put down the big $$$ on the PR-40.
 
I'm not the most experienced ham....first to admit that.

I was however a touring sound engineer and tour mgr full time for a bunch of years. Sound equipment and processing, I know very well.

I work on people's audio on the air pretty frequently and see all the mistakes they make and the maladjusted gear they run. With a cooperative 'student' I can get people zeroed in and majorly cleaned up in quick order.

The newest rigs like the FT-2000 Yaesu with parametric EQ are pretty amazing, particularly since they can run 3kHz passband without mods now. Transmit carrier offset in some rigs is another major win as well when adjusted properly (sets the center frequency of the passband width, lets you slide it towards the highs or lows).

This guy's (Julius) gear is pretty nice stuff, I didn't paste it right away as if you don't have the right rig, it may not make the major difference a user is expecting.

http://w2ihy.com/

The 8 Band EQ and the EQ Plus are amazing together when adjusted properly and run on the right rig with the right settings...a lot of qualifications.

It's also tough to hear your own xmit audio well and it's even tougher to find a qualified set of ears to tell you if you truly sound good.

The serious AMers and the ESSB guys can be a good source, if not a rough audience in judgement ;-). A lot can be learned from the audiophile nets on 80/160. Lot of former broadcast engineers around.

The direct feed into a balanced modulator on something like a Kenwood 870/850/940 is something I might eventually try myself. Ragchew and big audio is something I'm finding that I like more and more as I learn about it.
 
Hey, thanks fellas! This info is exactly what I'm looking for. 8) The amp thing in the stand makes sense. Couple more :?: after reading though...

He's planning on getting a 756 pro III though, and those have a built in equalizer for the TX audio. Is it still not a good idea to use one of them on that rig, or?

So the PR 30 is the better mic for the pro III. He's currently using a 706 MKIIG, & has a SM-20 on it. Sounds good, but a little weak in some areas.

Thanks again.
 
You will see no advantage of running the 40 over the 30. Stick with the 30. The Pro III is a great radio!

Want to know what separates a good radio from a GREAT radio?

THE RECEIVER!!!
 
Want to know what separates a good radio from a GREAT radio?

THE RECEIVER!!!
Click to expand...
AMEN!

Lots of radios have speach processors and put out 100, even 200 watts....but the old saying is....

"If you can`t hear them you can`t work them"
Its the honest truth.

73
Jeff
 
Master Chief said:
You will see no advantage of running the 40 over the 30. Stick with the 30. The Pro III is a great radio!

Want to know what separates a good radio from a GREAT radio?

THE RECEIVER!!!
Click to expand...

I agree, the pro III is a great radio! I had a proII, & wish I kept it!

Thanks for the input/advise you guys! 8)
 
Actually
the sm-20 desk mike sounds great on a IC-7000
far better then it sounds on the 706 MKIIG

i am not one for heil mikes
i disagree with a earlier post
i think they stink

i threw out 2 of them
they were not even good enough to give away to someone else

Oh and the Pro III is a great radio
if you can not hear them
you can not work them
is very simple
 
sixwheeler775 said:
OK, there we were in the HRO store in Salem checking out the new HEiL microphone testing stand that they just put up, and trying all the different mics. During testing of all the different mics, I stopped and said "WOW!" when I heard the sound of the PR40. I then quickly handed the headset to my friend, and said "check this out!" He then started saying something into it, and as soon as the first word came out of his mouth he stopped, & said "holy... (cow), that's the best mic I've ever heard!" He's still saving up for one of them!! :LOL:

The audio does'nt get any smoother than with this microphone!!! HEiL did a fantastic job on this one! Spendy, but sounded like it would be worth getting.

Anyone have one of these?
Click to expand...
here are some kickass mics for you to check out: (I have them all in my tractor). Electro-Voice 603-T
Electro-Voice 602-T
Electro-Voice 602-F
Shure 577b
Shure 488c
Astatic 551
All of these mics kick ass when properly impedance-matched to your radio
 
sixwheeler775 said:
OK, there we were in the HRO store in Salem checking out the new HEiL microphone testing stand that they just put up, and trying all the different mics. During testing of all the different mics, I stopped and said "WOW!" when I heard the sound of the PR40. I then quickly handed the headset to my friend, and said "check this out!" He then started saying something into it, and as soon as the first word came out of his mouth he stopped, & said "holy... (cow), that's the best mic I've ever heard!" He's still saving up for one of them!! :LOL:

The audio does'nt get any smoother than with this microphone!!! HEiL did a fantastic job on this one! Spendy, but sounded like it would be worth getting.

Anyone have one of these?
Click to expand...
here are some kickass mics for you to check out: (I have them all in my tractor). Electro-Voice 603-T
Electro-Voice 602-T
Electro-Voice 602-F
Shure 577b
Shure 488c
Astatic 551
All of these mics kick ass when properly impedance-matched to your radio
 

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