Keyboard Shortcuts
Likes
Search
IC7000 tx audio
开云体育Hi everyone.?? I am considering buying an Icom IC7000 for mobile use and have been reading about the reports of poor tx audio. Can anyone tell me if this problem has been overcome by Icom?? I have had great service and great TX audio from my IC706Mk2G for many years but it is now starting to have some problems so I researched the IC7000. There are so many reports of bad audio on the IC7000 that it has put me off purchasing one at the moment so can anyone advise me if the problem has been sorted in the newer IC7000 please,? or is it just a case of using a different microphone with the IC7000 and setting it up ???? 73 de G0FAJ? QTHR. ? Sent from for Windows 10 ? |
开云体育I use my IC-7000 as my base and occasional mobile. ?The only transmit audio problems I’m aware of are caused by the stock HM-151 mic. ?I used to have a fairly elaborate desk mic/equalizer setup to compensate, with a custom cat5 cable to still allow use of the keypad. ?I recently set it up again as a temp base station and didn’t want to hassle with all the extraneous stuff, so I had Bob Nagy, AB5N (7000mic.com), do his mic element replacement. ?I wish I done that to start with, frankly. ?My audio is better with his $50 mod than it was with $500 worth of desk mic, boom, equalizer, processor, etc. My $.02 worth is that you can’t go wrong with the IC-7000, and if you let him mod your mic for you, you’ve got one sweet setup in a very convenient & easy-to-use package. Mark WC1Z On Nov 1, 2019 at 09:41:03 CDT, Les Barnes <g8ghug0faj@...> wrote: Hi everyone.?? I am considering buying an Icom IC7000 for mobile use and have been reading about the reports of poor tx audio. Can anyone tell me if this problem has been overcome by Icom?? I have had great service and great TX audio from my IC706Mk2G for many years but it is now starting to have some problems so I researched the IC7000. There are so many reports of bad audio on the IC7000 that it has put me off purchasing one at the moment so can anyone advise me if the problem has been sorted in the newer IC7000 please,? or is it just a case of using a different microphone with the IC7000 and setting it up ???? 73 de G0FAJ? QTHR. ? Sent from for Windows 10 ? |
|
Personally I can't hear my own audio with any thought of accuracy.
I think most of the complaints are from other users who can't hear themselves any better than I can. The mike is a noise cancelling (semi) design and that means that it necessarily is not a HiFi kind of thing. I have three IC7000s and each with a mike and I have used all three with no complaints from those who have to listen to me. There is a reason that there are many audio boosters etc sold, but I doubt that many of them are needed |
|
Les Barnes
Thankyou for your reply Mark.? I did read about the HM115 mod that Bob does so if I do get one I will bear him on mind. I do use home brewed headsets for mobile use whatever rig I use so it will be interesting to experiment. I just wondered if Icom had done anything to improve the audio on the newer IC7000s....I know a lot of the problems are caused by poor operating techniques. This is especially noticeable on FM transmissions on VHF / UHF. 73 DE Les G0FAJ On Fri, 1 Nov 2019, 20:30 Mark Chalkley, <mchalkley@...> wrote:
|
|
Les Barnes
Thanks for your thoughts and comments.? 73 On Fri, 1 Nov 2019, 20:44 J.D. Barron, <jeter.d.barron@...> wrote: Personally I can't hear my own audio with any thought of accuracy. |
|
Charles Scott
开云体育Mark: The dirty little secret, at least as far as I can tell, is that
this model microphone never needed the mic element replaced. I've
had several of them and in all cases the TX audio problem was due
to misalignment of the mic element with the pin-hole in the mic
case. I fixed that on mine and all sounded great. Chuck - N8DNX
On 11/1/2019 4:29 PM, Mark Chalkley
wrote:
|
|
Les Barnes
Very interesting Charles...I have heard many stories of this sort of problem with various mics ....73 On Fri, 1 Nov 2019, 21:01 Charles Scott, <cscott@...> wrote:
|
|
k4pwo
开云体育If you have a mid-range voice, only the Japanese versions of the HM151 have the problem.? The later Chinese made mikes are fine with an average voice BUT you must use the TX equalizer in the radio’s menu to boost bass and mid-range while cutting highs. The exact settings have been listed before and, as my rig is in my mobile, I can’t tell you at this moment. ? Perry K4PWO ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Les Barnes ? Thankyou for your reply Mark.? I did read about the HM115 mod that Bob does so if I do get one I will bear him on mind. I do use home brewed headsets for mobile use whatever rig I use so it will be interesting to experiment. I just wondered if Icom had done anything to improve the audio on the newer IC7000s....I know a lot of the problems are caused by poor operating techniques. This is especially noticeable on FM transmissions on VHF / UHF. ? 73 DE Les G0FAJ On Fri, 1 Nov 2019, 20:30 Mark Chalkley, <mchalkley@...> wrote:
|
开云体育Chuck, I don’t disagree - I think the operative word is “need”. ?I’ve been an “audiophile” for decades: ?For many years, I was able to tell vinyl from any form of digital with near 100% accuracy on any system. ?(I could even tell vinyl that was originally digitally mastered vs. analog-mastered vinyl, so much so that none of my 3000+ records are digitally mastered...) ?Digital music causes fairly rapid mental fatigue for me (I even have a hard time with most solid state amps - so tube audio systems are my thing), no matter how high the sampling rate, etc. ?That’s lessening as my ears age, but it’s still there, and I’m not bragging - it’s been more a liability than anything else. ?I sure wish I had all the money I’ve spent over the years compensating for hating the sound of audio that most people found completely acceptable, if they could even tell the difference... You may be wondering how my ears react to DSP, and they answer is “not well”. ?I have to leave DSP-based filters off mostly and turn them on only for stuff that has to be dug out of the mud... Anyway, at one point, not long after I got my license (& the IC-7000 the same day) I heard transmitted audio that a contact I’ve long since forgotten A/B’ed for me: he’d gone into his stock mic, drilled out the hole a bit, realigned the element, etc., then bought a second and had Bob mod it. ?The difference to my ears was significant enough that I don’t think I completely believed it, so I went with an MXL studio mic with Prosonus tube processor instead. ?I had a LOT of contacts, upon hearing my audio, say there was NO WAY I was using the stock mic, and they were right, of course. ?I even had quite a few who I’m pretty sure didn’t believe I was running a barefoot IC-7000 (but they were wrong). At any rate, to your comment, I do believe that the worst of most of the HM-151’s issues can probably be aided considerably by realigning the element and opening up the hole a bit. ?Nagy (a really really nice guy, btw) says on his site that this is necessary and something he does by default. ?But his custom-made element (he was a broadcast engineer by profession) takes it to another level entirely. ?I don’t doubt that generally, the difference between a re-aligned stock element and Nagy’s won’t be obvious except on FM and SSB under good conditions, but I do also think the improvement in “punch” and intelligibility helps considerably in tough contacts and pile-ups. ?As I said, just my $0.02 worth, and you can tell from the above that I’m not normal, so most everyone else’s mileage WILL (not may) vary... Mark WC1Z On Nov 1, 2019 at 16:00:58 CDT, Charles Scott <cscott@...> wrote:
Mark: The dirty little secret, at least as far as I can tell, is that this model microphone never needed the mic element replaced. I've had several of them and in all cases the TX audio problem was due to misalignment of the mic element with the pin-hole in the mic case. I fixed that on mine and all sounded great. Chuck - N8DNX
On 11/1/2019 4:29 PM, Mark Chalkley wrote:
|
|
Les if you have the DTMF mic on your 706, used that. I do and it works great. Geoff VK3ZGW On Sat, 2 Nov. 2019, 08:10 k4pwo, <k4pwo@...> wrote:
|
|
Les Barnes
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message -------- From: k4pwo <k4pwo@...> Date: 01/11/2019 21:10 (GMT+00:00) Subject: Re: [ic7000] IC7000 tx audio If you have a mid-range voice, only the Japanese versions of the HM151 have the problem.? The later Chinese made mikes are fine with an average voice BUT you must use the TX equalizer in the radio’s menu to boost bass and mid-range while cutting highs. The exact settings have been listed before and, as my rig is in my mobile, I can’t tell you at this moment. ? Perry K4PWO ? ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Les Barnes ? Thankyou for your reply Mark.? I did read about the HM115 mod that Bob does so if I do get one I will bear him on mind. I do use home brewed headsets for mobile use whatever rig I use so it will be interesting to experiment. I just wondered if Icom had done anything to improve the audio on the newer IC7000s....I know a lot of the problems are caused by poor operating techniques. This is especially noticeable on FM transmissions on VHF / UHF. ? 73 DE Les G0FAJ On Fri, 1 Nov 2019, 20:30 Mark Chalkley, <mchalkley@...> wrote:
|
|
Les Barnes
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message -------- From: Mark Chalkley <mchalkley@...> Date: 01/11/2019 21:33 (GMT+00:00) Subject: Re: [ic7000] IC7000 tx audio Chuck, I don’t disagree - I think the operative word is “need”. ?I’ve been an “audiophile” for decades: ?For many years, I was able to tell vinyl from any form of digital with near 100% accuracy on any system. ?(I could even tell vinyl that was originally digitally mastered vs. analog-mastered vinyl, so much so that none of my 3000+ records are digitally mastered...) ?Digital music causes fairly rapid mental fatigue for me (I even have a hard time with most solid state amps - so tube audio systems are my thing), no matter how high the sampling rate, etc. ?That’s lessening as my ears age, but it’s still there, and I’m not bragging - it’s been more a liability than anything else. ?I sure wish I had all the money I’ve spent over the years compensating for hating the sound of audio that most people found completely acceptable, if they could even tell the difference... You may be wondering how my ears react to DSP, and they answer is “not well”. ?I have to leave DSP-based filters off mostly and turn them on only for stuff that has to be dug out of the mud... Anyway, at one point, not long after I got my license (& the IC-7000 the same day) I heard transmitted audio that a contact I’ve long since forgotten A/B’ed for me: he’d gone into his stock mic, drilled out the hole a bit, realigned the element, etc., then bought a second and had Bob mod it. ?The difference to my ears was significant enough that I don’t think I completely believed it, so I went with an MXL studio mic with Prosonus tube processor instead. ?I had a LOT of contacts, upon hearing my audio, say there was NO WAY I was using the stock mic, and they were right, of course. ?I even had quite a few who I’m pretty sure didn’t believe I was running a barefoot IC-7000 (but they were wrong). At any rate, to your comment, I do believe that the worst of most of the HM-151’s issues can probably be aided considerably by realigning the element and opening up the hole a bit. ?Nagy (a really really nice guy, btw) says on his site that this is necessary and something he does by default. ?But his custom-made element (he was a broadcast engineer by profession) takes it to another level entirely. ?I don’t doubt that generally, the difference between a re-aligned stock element and Nagy’s won’t be obvious except on FM and SSB under good conditions, but I do also think the improvement in “punch” and intelligibility helps considerably in tough contacts and pile-ups. ?As I said, just my $0.02 worth, and you can tell from the above that I’m not normal, so most everyone else’s mileage WILL (not may) vary... Mark WC1Z On Nov 1, 2019 at 16:00:58 CDT, Charles Scott <cscott@...> wrote: Mark: The dirty little secret, at least as far as I can tell, is that this model microphone never needed the mic element replaced. I've had several of them and in all cases the TX audio problem was due to misalignment of the mic element with the pin-hole in the mic case. I fixed that on mine and all sounded great. Chuck - N8DNX
On 11/1/2019 4:29 PM, Mark Chalkley wrote:
|
|
Les Barnes
开云体育Yes Geoff I have, and will try it if I get the IC7000....73 Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone. -------- Original message -------- From: Geoff <vk3zgw@...> Date: 01/11/2019 21:35 (GMT+00:00) Subject: Re: [ic7000] IC7000 tx audio Les if you have the DTMF mic on your 706, used that. I do and it works great. Geoff VK3ZGW On Sat, 2 Nov. 2019, 08:10 k4pwo, <k4pwo@...> wrote:
|
|
On 11/1/2019 6:38 PM, Les Barnes wrote:
I even have a hard time with most solid state amps - so tube audio systems are my thingI go back to the late 1950's with being an SWL and a ham. I had found that the tube receivers seemed to be easier on my ears than the early solid state receivers, especially on the higher frequencies like 10 meters. 10 was not a crowded band and it seemed easier to hear a single weak signal that was barely over the noise on a tube receiver. Solid state receiver noise seemed more harsh on my ears. Maybe just my imagination, or was a factor of receiver design and not the fact that it was tube vs transistor. Call me crazy, yo won't be the first...... 73, Joe, K1ike |
开云体育Joe, I was an avid SWL’er long before I became a ham. ?I had numerous receivers: Drake R8B, Lowe HF-150, Sony 2010, JRC NRD-535, I’ve lost track. ?But the easiest one to listen to, for me at least, by far, was a Hammarlund SP-600 “boat anchor”. ?I won’t call you crazy - I can relate... Mark - WC1Z On Nov 1, 2019 at 19:00:44 CDT, Joe <k1ike_mail@...> wrote:
On?11/1/2019?6:38?PM,?Les?Barnes?wrote: >?I?even?have?a?hard?time?with?most?solid?state?amps?-?so?tube?audio?>?systems?are?my?thing I?go?back?to?the?late?1950's?with?being?an?SWL?and?a?ham.?I?had?found?that?the?tube?receivers?seemed?to?be?easier?on?my?ears?than?the?early?solid?state?receivers,?especially?on?the?higher?frequencies?like?10?meters.?10?was?not?a?crowded?band?and?it?seemed?easier?to?hear?a?single?weak?signal?that?was?barely?over?the?noise?on?a?tube?receiver.?Solid?state?receiver?noise?seemed?more?harsh?on?my?ears.?Maybe?just?my?imagination,?or?was?a?factor?of?receiver?design?and?not?the?fact?that?it?was?tube?vs?transistor. Call?me?crazy,?yo?won't?be?the?first...... 73,?Joe,?K1ike |
|
A while back, my wife and I had been making yearly cross-country trips from
the east coast (where I live now) to the west coast where we moved from. I too wondered about my transmit audio on my 7000. Even listened in monitor mode, but was never really convinced one way or another how it really sounded. I usually operated mobile on 40 thru 10 meters. Let me tell a short story: I called CQ one day, and was answered by a ham who ID'd, and said right off the bat, that I was running an IC-7000. You can imagine my surprise with me not having given him ANY info on what I was running. I asked him how he knew it was a 7K. He said he could tell by my audio, which to my surprise had never been mentioned before as being anything other than good. He said he had 2 IC-7000's, and that I had my TBW settings wrong, and if I could change them right now, he would guide me setting them. I said OK, since my XYL was driving. Going to the SSB Menu TBW settings, I set values as follows: WIDE LOW 100 QS Menu Setting #3 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second WIDE HIGH 2900 QS Menu Setting #4 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second MID LOW 200 QS Menu Setting #5 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second MID HIGH 2900 QS Menu Setting #6 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second NARROW LOW 300 QS Menu Setting #7 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second NARROW HIGH 2900 QS Menu Setting #8 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second MIC GAIN 50% QS Menu Setting #2 M-3 TBW Hold for 1 Second COMPRESSION ON M-3 COM Hold for 1 Second Once I changed to these settings, he said "NOW it sounds like a 7K SHOULD sound". Ever since I changed to these settings, I have been told the 7K's transmitted SSB audio sounds great, fantastic. And this has been from dozen's of contacts since changing my TBW settings. BTW, my mic has NOT been modified by Bob, AB5N, and, as in a previous posting from Perry, K4PWO (above) mentioned: "If you have a mid-range voice, only the Japanese versions of the HM151 have the problem.? The later Chinese made mikes are fine with an average voice BUT you must use the TX equalizer in the radio’s menu to boost bass and mid-range while cutting highs." By the way, my HM151 mike is the Japanese mic, and the only one I've ever used with my IC-7000. So this is my story for what it's worth. Hope this helps, it certainly did help me. And I still love and use my IC-7000 mobile. 73's, Alan, AB6C |
|
Charles & Sandra Cohen
FWIW -- My club has an IC-7000.? I once did some on-air monitoring of the transmitted signal, using my FT-817 with a 1" antenna.? I don't know if the mic is "Japanee" or "Chinese", but it is whatever came with the rig. I was surprised that any attempt to lower the high-frequency edge of the TX passband (2.9 kHz, in WIDE, if I remember right), resulted in _awful_ audio.? Really distorted, independent of compression setting and mic gain.? I suspect there's something wrong with the DSP firmware. Raising the low-frequency edge (100 Hz in WIDE) -- that worked fine!? Setting it to 300 Hz gets rid of much of the voice's low-frequency power, which is wasted on vowel sounds.? The voice becomes treble-heavy, but it's not distorted, and readability is improved.? It's not as good as an HC-4 element for contesting, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. So I concur with the advice from Alan / AB6C: . . . Use his suggested settings for TX bandwidth. I prefer to do my own settings of COMP and MIC GAIN; but Alan's are probably a good start. .? ? ?Charles / VA7CPC |
|
Les Barnes
That is very interesting and a great help Alan..... Many thanks. 73 de Les G0FAJ On Sun, 3 Nov 2019, 02:26 Alan, AB6C, <fromjusttheking@...> wrote: A while back, my wife and I had been making yearly cross-country trips from |
|
Les Barnes
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message -------- From: "Charles & Sandra Cohen via Groups.Io" <cpcohen1945@...> Date: 03/11/2019 06:49 (GMT+00:00) Subject: Re: [ic7000] IC7000 tx audio FWIW -- My club has an IC-7000.? I once did some on-air monitoring of the transmitted signal, using my FT-817 with a 1" antenna.? I don't know if the mic is "Japanee" or "Chinese", but it is whatever came with the rig. I was surprised that any attempt to lower the high-frequency edge of the TX passband (2.9 kHz, in WIDE, if I remember right), resulted in _awful_ audio.? Really distorted, independent of compression setting and mic gain.? I suspect there's something wrong with the DSP firmware. Raising the low-frequency edge (100 Hz in WIDE) -- that worked fine!? Setting it to 300 Hz gets rid of much of the voice's low-frequency power, which is wasted on vowel sounds.? The voice becomes treble-heavy, but it's not distorted, and readability is improved.? It's not as good as an HC-4 element for contesting, but it's nothing to be ashamed of. So I concur with the advice from Alan / AB6C: . . . Use his suggested settings for TX bandwidth. I prefer to do my own settings of COMP and MIC GAIN; but Alan's are probably a good start. .? ? ?Charles / VA7CPC |
|
The AB5N mic mod is the simplest way to fix the audio on the stock mic.? Filling the empty mic cavity with dense foam will help take some of the "hollow bass" audio out but the ic element as supplied by Icom has terrible audio. Why Icom does not change the element is beyond me. I have two of the 7000's and have AB5N's element conversion in both. I was an early 7000 adopter and have had no failures (other than the early units had a poor mic switch that failed often. This problem HAS been solved with an upgraded switch) in either, using them exclusively for mobile operations.
73, Dennis AG7K |