About us
Alessandro IU2IBU, Francy and Stefano IK2QEI @FH2026 Hamset Booth
From sore ears to HamSet
HamSet was not born from a business plan. It was born from sore ears. Back in 2017 I had already spent what was probably an unreasonable amount of money on headsets. Some sounded good but became uncomfortable after a few hours, some were comfortable but had microphones that were not really suitable for radio, and others required a collection of adapters, splitters and mysterious little cables that made the operating desk look more like an experiment than a station. Multi-operator contesting made the problem even more obvious: amplifier fans, station noise, people talking and, of course, the operator sitting next to you shouting into a pile-up as if his life depended on it, while you are trying to copy a weak DX signal. At that point comfort and isolation stop being luxuries and become part of the operating equipment. What I wanted was actually very simple: a lightweight headset I could wear for many hours, good isolation, a proper microphone and one clean, reliable cable.
Then came the Bose QC25
My friend and right-hand man Stefano, IK2QEI, was already using the Bose® QC25 for CW, and that is how I discovered them. They were light, remarkably comfortable and their Active Noise Cancelling system did exactly what I needed it to do. The listening part of the problem was solved. There was only one thing missing: a proper microphone for ham radio. So I started experimenting. The first prototype was made for my own operating position, adapting a microphone boom to a QC25 and trying different capsules, cables, shielding, connectors and mechanical solutions. I did not want to simply hang a microphone from a good pair of headphones. I wanted the headset, boom, microphone and cable to work as one complete system.
From prototype to HamSet
The electrical side was just as important as the mechanical one. A cable that works perfectly well connected to a computer may behave very differently in a station running serious RF power, so I paid particular attention to shielding and to keeping the microphone and headphone paths properly separated. The goal was simple: make it clean, solid and reliable. Then some contest friends at II2S and CN3A tried the prototypes. They liked them, they wanted their own, and suddenly what had started as a solution for myself was becoming a real project. That was the beginning of HamSet.
Giving the QC25 a second life
Since the Bose QC25 has been out of production for years, I search for them on the second-hand market and refurbish them one by one. Each headset is inspected and tested, worn parts are replaced when necessary, known weak points are corrected and only then is the HamSet microphone and cabling system installed. It is certainly not the fastest way to produce a headset, but mass production was never the idea. I actually like the fact that every QC25 has already had a life before arriving on my bench and that I can give it a second one as a serious radio headset.
The microphone matters too
The microphone system has evolved a lot over the years. For contesting I particularly like dynamic microphone elements because they do not require bias voltage, offer excellent compatibility and behave very well in RF-heavy environments. In a Multi-Op station this simplicity matters: plug in, adjust the microphone and operate. Electret solutions are also available for operators who prefer that type of sound or need them for a particular setup. Over time I also developed different dynamic responses, from the more natural and balanced STD version to the more focused DX version for pile-ups and contest audio. The idea has always been to offer the right tool for the job rather than simply putting a microphone on a pair of headphones.
Built for contesting
After all the prototypes, tests and different versions, the philosophy behind HamSet has remained surprisingly simple. For me, a contest headset is a tool, just like the radio, amplifier or antenna. During a contest the operator already has enough to think about: listening, transmitting, logging, checking multipliers, watching the bands and trying not to make too many stupid mistakes at four in the morning. The headset should not add another problem. That is why I like one cable, a solid boom and a simple, rugged construction. In fact, the perfect headset should almost disappear while you are wearing it. You should not be thinking about pressure on your ears, the microphone moving around, a cable getting in the way or some adapter deciding that right now would be an excellent time to stop working. You should just operate.
Proven on the air
From my own operating position, HamSet gradually moved into real contest environments such as II2S and CN3A and later reached stations like K3LR. Today HamSet products are used by contesters and stations around the world, and honestly I am really proud of that. Not because a specification sheet says the product is good, but because serious operators tried it, asked for their own and kept using it. For me, that is probably the best test a contest product can pass.
Still the same idea
HamSet has grown a lot since that first QC25 on my workbench. Today there are complete headsets, different microphone elements, Clip-On solutions for newer Bose models, cables, booms, spare parts, upgrades and DIY components, but I still approach everything in exactly the same way: would I want this at my own operating position? If the answer is no, there is probably still some work to do. Comfortable, simple, reliable and designed from real operating experience. Not a generic headset, but a real tool for serious radio operators.
Alessandro, IU2IBU
A funny moment during a contest – Stefano IK2QEI and Alessandro IU2IBU
