"Ron Hardin" wrote in message
...
THe new Heil Clear Speech arrived; save your money, it's a piece of junk.

Audio levels all wrong (no output power), produces feedback under
circumstances where it should not, apparently unshielded, audio seems
distorted even when bypassed. I would not be surprised if the unit
were defective, but I fear it is not.

Its noise reduction amount is offered in steps; these seem okay
(factoring out the distortion) though all steps are less noise
reduction than the Am-com Inc units offered as its single step.

``Bypass'' doesn't bypass the unit; and you lose the bass response,
and no audio through if the unit isn't powered. It shares this fault
with the original Am-com unit, though the Am-comII remedied it by
changing the function of its single switch to actually bypass the unit
when it powered it off. (Cost was that the unit started cold when
you switched it in.)

Physically, I can't figure out how you're supposed to mount the thing;
they have one idea in mind but I don't know what it is.

So anyway, it's a large odd shaped piece of plastic that doesn't work.
If you liked the Am-com version of Clear Speech, you'll hate this.

Maybe somebody else will pick up the Clear Speech algorithm and do it
right. It's great for noise reduction; I have three of the Am-com
base units around the house, and had high hopes here.

--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

Hi Ron. Sounds like you may have some stray RF in your shack. Also try
running its power independent from that of your radio?


--
73 and good DXing.
Brian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A lot of radios and 100' of rusty wire!
Zumbrota, Southern MN
Brian's Radio Universe
http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/

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Brian Hill wrote:
Hi Ron. Sounds like you may have some stray RF in your shack. Also try
running its power independent from that of your radio?

No, in fact the last test was trying to filter audio from an outdoor microphone,
with no RF involved; which is the place that the Am-com version of the thing
really shines, knocking down wind and traffic tire noise, leaving birds or
interesting night sounds perfectly clear.

What it's suffering from is probably a ground loop through its own power source,
as to feedback.

I have _every_ JPS filter (thanks eBay), Timewave 599zx, MFJ 784B, and three
Am-com ClearSpeech filters, and all work fine on the same power supply. This
thing just has some really terrible engineering of some kind. I know that the
algorithm is great thanks to Am-com's version.

The box is dated April 2005, in case someday they get a working version. I won't
be buying another until I see a lot of positive reviews first, however.
--
Ron Hardin


On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

Ron Hardin wrote:
I have _every_ JPS filter (thanks eBay), Timewave 599zx, MFJ 784B,
and three
Am-com ClearSpeech filters, and all work fine on the same power
supply. This
thing just has some really terrible engineering of some kind. I know
that the
algorithm is great thanks to Am-com's version.

Ron Hardin


Ron, I've been trying to decide which external DSP to buy to clear up
reception on SWL AM broadcasts and 80 meter ham reception. I'm using a
brand new R8B with a Par EF-SWL antenna. I've considered the 599zx,
784B, SGC ASDP2, and the ClearSpeech options.

The R8B generally performs as well as my main radio, a TS-2000X, but it
doesn't come near the Kenwood in noise reduction.

It seems to me like the 599zx and 784B are eight year old designs.
That's close to antique in computer technology. (Of course, the R8B is
no newbie either.)

I wonder which is the best current choice. More important, I wonder
when the next leap in external DSP will happen.

WT7T
Barry