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 What is the difference between the Icom 746 and 746pro?
Hi there,
What is the difference between the IC-746 and the Ic-746pro? Has anyone used these and have an opinion?
73s,
Wesley -- W5XXL@aol.com
--W5XXL-- (extra extra large)
"In God we trust, all others must pay cash" (or paypal or Money Order)
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Not exactly sure but I recall the 746 had display problems and Icom could no longer support it because parts to repair the PA section were no longer available. So it was redesigned.
Corrections appreciated.
73 de Charles - KC8VWM
North American QRP CW Club #3159, SKCC# 5752
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The 746Pro added digital signal processing.
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The IC-746PRO has IF digital signal processing, which allows you to select receiver IF bandwidths all the way down to 50 Hz, no extra filters to buy. It also has many other typical IF DSP features like automatic notch filtering and DSP noise blanking. It also allows you to select your transmitted signal bandwidth on SSB (independently from RX bandwidth), and adjust the bass and treble response (high and low cutoffs) for phone modes. It has not only an SWR bridge (which almost all rigs have), but a way to plot SWR vs. frequency on a front panel graphical display.
It has a lot of features the original 746 didn't have. It's also 4 year newer technology and still serviced by Icom, which I believe the 746 is not.
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The 746PRO had an IC that is notorious for blowing. Not hard to replace (well, not hard for ME!), but Icom gets SERIOUS money for them, and they seem to blow frequently. I wouldn't touch a 746PRO on a bet (unless it was REAL cheap!)
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 Originally Posted by WA6MHZ
The 746PRO had an IC that is notorious for blowing. Not hard to replace (well, not hard for ME!), but Icom gets SERIOUS money for them, and they seem to blow frequently. I wouldn't touch a 746PRO on a bet (unless it was REAL cheap!)
Not expensive nor difficult, I agree...had to do it, myself.
But I "think" that was a problem mostly in the earlier PROs, and in the later ones they changed something to reduce this problem. I have no idea what S/N that occurred.
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"The 746PRO had an IC that is notorious for blowing. Not hard to replace (well, not hard for ME!), but Icom gets SERIOUS money for them, and they seem to blow frequently. I wouldn't touch a 746PRO on a bet (unless it was REAL cheap!)"
Do not a lot of Icom rigs have that wonderfull "ic151"?
now with true viterbi decoder!
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I have owned both with no problems. Still have the Pro. I like it and much more than the non-pro.
The DSP is great for weak signal stuff with some noise. Being able to set your own filters is great too.
I understand it has the same DSP engine as in the 756 Pro3.
It is my opinion that the Pro has a quieter receiver than the non-pro but I am not certain of it.
There have been problems with the PA driver transistor failing and a transistor for the display backlight failing. If you keep it at 100% then no problems.
Both are well documented. There are several theories on why the PA driver fails but even the RF gurus disagree on them, no real consensus.
They do not happen in a large % of the radios. You will of course hear a lot from the people that did have a problem and nothing from those who don't.
If you base it on what you hear, you will have a very biased sampling.
A friend of mine has had both models as well with no problems. He uses a 746 Pro for EME work on 2 meters.
Compare this;
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0074.html
to this;
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamhf/0657.html
Do not a lot of Icom rigs have that wonderfull "ic151"?
I don't know but I have not heard of it being a problem at all with any other models.
Last edited by K7MH; 07-30-2011 at 05:30 PM.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to receive."
-Otto Watt Sept. 5 1925
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"I don't know but I have not heard of it being a problem at all with any other models."
cough*703, 756pro, etc...
now with true viterbi decoder!
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Originally Posted by N0SYA
"I don't know but I have not heard of it being a problem at all with any other models."
cough*703, 756pro, etc...
Ok, now I have!
Is it the same transistor as a PA driver?
I have heard of issues with the IC-7000 but I don't know if it is the same problem with the driver transistor.
Do you have any more specific info about these rig issues? A brief summary maybe?
I don't remember seeing anything about those rigs other than the 7000 and something about the 703 posted around here.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to receive."
-Otto Watt Sept. 5 1925
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