IC 7300 is not available in this region for quite some time. Only option available at entry level with Icom distributors over here is IC 718. Will 2024 bring in a new entry level radio from Icom? Happy New Year 2024 to all in advance and hoping for good news from Icom!
The IC718 has been on the market for several decades. And is a solid radio. Its actually not available here in North America at dealers anymore, their stocks have been diminished. It's very surprising to hear that the IC 7300 is not available in your area, maybe check some other places? The FT 710 is a great radio and I think it's better than 7300 because it's a newer radio, it also has external monitor. Good luck 73 from, The K0UO " Rhombic Antenna Farm" miles of wire in the Air & On the AIR daily
FT 710 is a good suggestion. Does it come with USB cable for CAT control and digital modes as well? Anyway I have sent an email to the local distributor. Let me see if I get a positive response. I had enquired in March 2023 and it was not available.
I have a 718. It works okay but I don't love it. Mostly I find the menus unintuitive and I think the receiver is susceptible to noise. That last is my impression only. That said it's a lot of radio for the money.
Yes, I agree it is a lot of radio for the money and I would have straight away gone for it before the current era of digimodes and CAT control!
I absolutely love my 718. Was in a long chat a few days ago with a guy in California who almost embarrassed me with his glowing compliments on my audio. Stock hand mic. Yeah, the menu access to some things can be maddening. But I am about as simplistic an operator as there is. The current popular features on rigs are quite underwhelming to me. Give me a basic xcvr every time.
Love my 718, but one of the things I love about it is that it's basic. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the new radios so there's less for me to screw up. If you want those extra, then hold out for a different radio. The 718 is a very solid basic radio though, and meets all of my basic radio needs. (It would be nicer if it had 6 Meters though)
I would not buy such a primitive and outdated radio. Can't you buy used radio for example in the USA? Over 10 years ago I bought used Icom IC-756pro3 in excellent condition from this site for less than half the price of a new one.
I believe there is not a narrow CW filter available for it any longer; that would be a deal breaker to me. YMMV. I believe otherwise that it was a very nice unit.
I love my IC-718, but, like W5ESE said, it would be unusable in CW without the narrow filter. (I had to get one used and solder it in myself... which I botched and had to send it in for repair...) Among its DSP features, noise reduction doesn't do much for me, but the automatic notch filter works well if the QRM is at a constant frequency; the notch filter only works in phone modes. The DSP does not do anything else. It does not have an automatic tuner. (I prefer manual tuners, because they can work with wider range of mismatches.) Still, I haven't really had a situation where I wished I had a better receiver; QRN around here is high enough that it wouldn't make that much difference, anyway, and, at 100w, I usually have more trouble being heard than I have trouble hearing others. It does not come with any USB or computer audio interface, and you'll need to cobble them together from third-party solutions, like SignalLink and generic FTDI cables. On the other hand, the analog and CAT connections are pretty robust and will tolerate even a badly-designed interface. I wonder if you can get the FTDX-10, which is comparable to the IC-7300; in some situations, it works better, but it seems it's a matter of taste. FT-991, I guess, is its more direct competitor, as is the FT-710, which someone else suggested. There is a sale going on here now that makes FT-710 pretty close to IC-718's price. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy, and see you on the air! (Haven't made any contacts, yet, to your part of the world!) Jordan W7VC
I have had contacts to US way back in 1980s with my homebrew 3 x 807 tube radio with DC input of 120 W and a dipole antenna, on CW during grey line propagation. I was thrilled with my first contact from Maryland! Hope I will be able to contact you on the air soon, with one of the options many have kindly mentioned. Even if I go for FT-710 from the sale in your region, the landed price for me here will be quite a bit more! 73 de VU2JO
