Icom IC-7610 - Preview from the Dayton Hamvention 2017

I have worked "DX" also, but you won't work 5BDXCC for a while with the propagation (WWV Numbers) as they are. To get 100 Mixed DXCC is pretty much easy. 300 DXCC is a bit more involved....I think I will wait out and see how this new radio performs with actual use. My "older" radios work just fine for me, so no rush to be the first to buy into the first lot released....

 

A person can run a rcv antenna on one antenna port, check out the DX Engineering RTR-1A unit. works very well. I use a FLAG antenna for receive and it really helps cut out the noise and hear the other station if they are in there....

Most of my radios have separate rcv ports but right now, only using the one radio for that function.

 

Radio wave propagation is good and bad always has been and always will be. If you know what band is open to whatever DXCC entity that you want to work, and on the right path like short path or long path, at the right time of day, week, month year, solar cycle and radio wave propagation mode radio wave propagation is always good.

If you want to be successful when it comes to DXing, contesting and even rag chewing you really have to understand radio wave propagation on LF (now), MF, HF and VHF and higher. It also helps to have the skills honed through operating, a good rig and even more so a good antenna(s).

I think that it's unfortunate that so little of radio wave propagation theory is taught in the license manuals now.

73 & GUD DX,
Thomas F. Giella, W4HM
Lakeland, FL, USA
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/spaceweather

 

yep. Sure, sun spot cycles matter, but as you said - sometimes bands are up and sometimes not. Im just surprised to hear so many claims that bands are dead and offer advice to NOT get new radios b/c you won't be able to use them... I try to counter that advice whenever I encounter it as it can be discouraging to new amateurs.

 

Its called reverse beacon.....

Call CQ and look for your station on the list, it will surprise you to find out where your signal is being received and what was perceived as a "dead" band.

 

yep. i use it frequently. i used it last night on 6m and was heard by one monitor. Not enough people check the bands and just assume it's nighttime so go to 40/80 when 30/20/18/10 still have activity

 

I have had zero luck using it on 6, my antenna is a squalo. When I was a kid, Pop had halo for 6 meters and it worked fine, just could not find one. If memory is correct the halo had 2 horizontal loops and end plates, this squalo is rectangular and single loop.

 

i was loading up my 6btv which has resonance on 50.065 - I was heard by one monitor but not by any of the stations calling CQ

I'm not into the band enough to invest much in an antenna - I might throw up a dipole....

 

No, not at all. In retrospect Icom has done its customers very well! 706 series, 7600, 7300; They all shine.

 

Hi Hi ... My main rig is still an IC-761. That was Windows 3.1 era!

I've never played that game of keeping up with every new rig intro, but I'm looking hard at the 7610. I won't be a first adopter though. I'll wait at least 4 months after they start shipping.

Don

 

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/inr-rx7300

 

Like the K3 when the K3S came out, your IC7600's value just dropped to half.... Looks like a great radio, I have noticed Flex is trying to keep up with a radio with knobs...

 

I will argue that with you, NOT EVEN CLOSE to Microsoft.

 

Love this "rag chew" string of comments and great fun to read. I found a slightly used IC-7300 less than 60 miles from my shack, back in February for $1K and just love the radio. Coming up on my 1st anniversary as a ham and smile as I am reading the belly ache complaints about hams and dead bands and this little rig. LOL Last night, I slipped down to 20M and had my first contact (5.1) in CA.... just a tad under 3K miles as the crow flies. Routinely DX deep into Eastern Europe....yeah, dead bands. All this on a 135' end fed inverted V and barefoot, from 50-100W. Someday, when I know what I'm doing, maybe I'll move up.....

 

I didn't buy a 7300 because Icom didn't put 2 inputs on it. How short sighted.