I am having problems with the
insulation jackets on the microphone coiled
cables. I
have two
Icom VHF M-602s (microphone model # HM-136B) on board. One is
mounted in a covered recessed pocket in the
cockpit, the second is mounted at the
below decks
navigation station. We also have one
Icom HF
Marine M-802
(microphone model # HM-135) installed at the below decks
navigation station. The
cockpit location is protected from direct sunlight, rain and sea spray. Obviously, the
below
deck installations are completely protected as much as physically possible on
a sailboat.
The
insulation jackets are crumbling and falling off in pieces. I am not talking about
Normal use wear and tear. I am talking about the insulation crumbling and falling off
the cable while it is hanging at rest in the microphone clip. The below decks
VHF is
a very lightly used
radio. The first time it happened, I noticed what, I thought, were
cockroach or bug droppings on the navigation desk. Much to my amazement, I
discovered the cable on the HM-136B microphone connected to the VHF M-602
was falling apart! This turned out to be the first incident. I am now dealing with the
same issue on the third of the three Icom radios on board. I am interested in
knowing if other cruising
boats are having the same problem and how Icom
resolved their issues.
When I bought our 44’
CSY walkover in 1992, I did an initial
refit including the
installation of a VHF and a
SSB Icom
radio. I sailed for fourteen years with no
problems with either radio, including the microphones. Between 2006 and 2009, I
did a complete
refit including upgrading and replacing all the
electronics. Based on
my previous experience with Icom radios and favorable
reviews of Icom radios by
other cruisers, I installed two Icom VHF 602s and one Icom HF 802. I also
installed one Icom Command Microphone HM-127B. And, I carry two Icom
handheld VHFs on board.
I had to replace the microphone on the first VHF M-602 in February, 2010.
Surprisingly, this was the VHF installed below decks at the navigation station (a
totally protected radio). Since I hadn’t even left the
dock yet, this radio had never
been used. After numerous
phone calls, I was finally able to secure a warranty
replacement.
In July, 2010, we left
Fort Lauderdale and headed North up the
ICW. At this time,
the microphone cable on the second Icom VHF M-602 installed in the cockpit,
began to crumble and fall apart. We spent many hours taping and patching the cable
together. When we reached D.C., our first order of business was to contact Icom.
After several
phone calls, I was finally able to talk directly to the
Service Admin-
istrator. I explained the problems we were having with the microphone
cables and
our opinion that this was an obvious manufacturing defect. The SA agreed to replace
the microphone upon receipt of the defective one and confirmation that it was
indeed a manufacturing defect. They replaced the microphone. I asked the SA,
during our last phone conversation, if we should replace the HM-135 microphone
on the Icom
Marine HF M-802 as well. My feeling at that point, was that it was
only a question of time before that cable would disintegrate too. The SA's response
was that Icom did not feel that it was necessary to replace it. However, if we had a
problem with it at a future time, Icom would replace it.
We are now in the Rio Dulce,
Guatemala. Guess what I am finding on my
Navigation station desk, pieces of insulation jacket! The HM-135 microphone to
the Marine HF M-802 is crumbling and falling off in pieces. This time I am trying to
hold the cable together with a silicone
epoxy while I
work on getting a replacement.
I contacted Icom and was told :
What you describe is hardly ever heard in our department, and we do take a lot of telepone
calls and answer a lot of e-mails from all over the USand different
parts of the world. The
HM-135 microphone is available from our
parts department and so is the coiled cable, part
number: 8900011080. I believe that a reasonably handy person may be able to change out
the cable. From your description, it almost sounds like there is either a
cleaning agent or
something in the immediate area that is reacting with the compound used in the cables.
Other than this, I do not have an answer for the deteriorating that you described, because we do not typically hear of this sort of thing. Should you wish to get a new mic or the cable, you can contact our parts department via e-mail at:
parts@icomamerica.com.
This response anowed me, to say the least. So, on January 17th, I made one
announcement on the Rio Dulce VHF Cruiser’s Net regarding my problem with the
third Icom radio and Icom’s response. Now that
hurricane season has ended and
most of the cruisers have left, I thought I might get a response from one or two
boats. Within two hours, I received responses from TWELVE different boats
involving TWENTY radios! Including mine, that makes thirteen boats involving
twenty-three radios just in this one anchorage area. In addition to the 602 and 802,
boats are also reporting problems with the VHF M-604 and the Command Mike.
How many more of us are out there having this "hardly ever heard of" problem?