Within the first year of owning my Icom M502, the Command Mic stopped functioning. I sent the radio in to Icom service and they repaired it under warranty - replacing an IC. Sometime in the next season or two the same problem occurred, and I took to using a handheld in the cockpit. Recently I decided to inquire about having it repaired again, and in speaking with Icom service in Michigan, I was informed that the cable from the nav station to the cockpit mic location acts as a giant antenna for static discharge, during an electrical storm for example, and this is what blows the IC in the radio. I am thinking about cutting an access hole in the side of my nav station (it would face the quarter berth and not be visible from the salon) so that I can disconnect the cable from the rear of the radio when we are not aboard. Anyone else ever had this issue, or have any other suggestions? By the way, I have two Command Mics, and they both exhibit the same symptoms, so I am reasonably sure the problem is in the head unit. I did send the mics in with the unit to be checked though.

Thanks,
Scott