Icom IC-9700 - First Impression

ICQ Podcast Episode 285

In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Chris Howard M0TCH, Martin Rothwell M0SGL, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Ed Durrant DD5LP and Frank Howell K4FMH to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief and this episode’s feature is our first impression of the ICOM IC-9700.

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News stories include:-

• Record Year for Online Amateur Radio Training Course
• D-STAR ONE Launched, Telemetry Received
• VHF/UHF Workshop Aims To Boost Activity Above 30 MHz
• New Amateur / Ham Radio General Class Question Pool Released
• Amateur Radio eBooks Available for Download
• Court Ruling - Excessive Antenna Application Fees Violated Reasonable Accommodation
• Amateur Radio Exam Success in Holland
• French Amateur Radio "Tax" Removed
• New Amateur Radio Technical Requirements in Bulgaria

The ICQPODCAST can be downloaded from http://www.icqpodcast.com

 

Good grief... I had to skip ahead to 1:24:00 to get to the IC-9700 talk.

 

Praise to NL7W for his tip on skipping to time code 1:24:00 to hear the IC-9700 portion of this long-winded podcast!!

Based on the British pound conversion - preliminary price would be around $2300 USD.

 

Well that's interesting - based on his QRZ page, NL7W is moving from Alaska to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Nothing like relocating "south" to a better climate - it was about ZERO degrees F here last night!
I look forward to an eyeball QSO in the near future.

 

Thanks Steve, I made it 5 minutes and gave up. I will move to 1:24:00.

It was an interesting review.

Mark N5RFX

 

Not a better climate! I love Alaska! Really! And, I might go back to retire.

A great position managing Milwaukee's public safety radio system brought me south.
I wish that I was still up there. But alas, after 25 years I had worked for all those orgs I cared to up yonder.

 

Wouldn't a dual-band transverter with the 7300 work as well...just curious...???

 

Yes, it would, and in some cases with better performance. However this is a new radio, and if one can avoid extra boxes and cables, that would be preferable.

 

Not wanting to play the video tonight, sound card is running a radio so I have a question.
Does it mention if the radio is Full-Duplex so you can hear yourself on a Satellite QSO?
I see a shared antenna connector for 2/440m and so you would need to use a multiplexer at the antennas for Sat work it would seem?
Art

 

This is all answered in both the current manual and specifications published on Icom's own website. It has three antenna connectors and is full-duplex.

 

I'm buying a beer. You saved me one and a half hours of life.
Not nice of podcasters to put up such clickbaits.

 

price wise.. it looks like they have NOT made the same mistake with the icom 7900 like they did with the icom 7300
this is a very expensive radio for vhf/uhf.. can,t see them selling to many here as those frequencies are dead here anyway..

 

Based on what W5pFG pointed me to, it seems like features for a Satellite radio.

 

For FM birds, I surely hope not!

 

What I am trying to say is that this radio appears to be a radio for weak signal enthusiasts.
And if FM birds are all a person is interested in working, there are cheaper options out there.