Icom 746 Pro - good backup rig?

Do you have any evidence to back up your thousand are fine to each failure statement. I wager the failure rate is much much higher. There are many other web sites with 746 pro info in addition to the discussion group. I personally know of at least six people in the Cincinnati area with failures and three suffered MULTIPLE failures. One of which Icom refunded his complete purchase price after nine months. It spent approx six months on the road back and forth. They finally threw in the towel after the fourth failure.

I will agree it is a great rig WHEN it works. Don't whitewash the failure rates though. I had a friend who thought like you until he suffered his own failure. He then became a believer. Good luck.

 

I just bought a 746 about 4 months ago, looked at 746Pro, but the reliability issues scared me off and I didn't feel a need to buy the 756. With a CW filter the 746 is a great all around radio. I think the bad reliability is probably the 746 is <1% failure rate and the 746Pro is probably 5%, still a lot of happy people, but with so many radios a lot of unhappy people also.

 

746Pro - excellent radio !

I've got a 746Pro bought new at HRO Anaheim about 6 years ago, and have had ZERO problems. I even bring it to Field Day every year and let lots of other people operate it. It's reliable, solid, and the built-in antenna tuner prevents and newbie operator issues. My only tiny gripe - I wish the 4 knobs at the bottom left of the control panel were a little bigger! Changing the CW keyer speed is actually better on the IC-703 and 706, since you do it with the main tuning knob, and get a readout of what you're setting it to. That's my ONLY gripe about the radio!
I have a friend who owns two 746Pros, and he brings his to Field Day also.
It's a great rig for the money, in my book.

Fred, KQ6Q

 

Yeah....I love my ic-746(not pro).....if the new version is what i think it is, aka a hybrid of the 746pro(with bugs worked out) and the 910H, that's going to be one for my Christmas list in '10 or '11.

 

The original 746 is better, IMO...

 

The original 746 doesn't even begin to compare to the 746 Pro.
I have had them both for quite a while.
I have had no problems with either of them.
There is no way to know just what the failure rate is for the rig.
Speculate all you want to, means little. You will hear a lot of yelling and screaming from those that had problems and not much from those who didn't.
Either way, it is too bad that the rig has had problems as it is a great rig.

 

Hence why I said IMO...

 

you da man

 

I'll agree with that about the (non pro) IC-746. Had mine since 2000, and not a single problem or issue.

 

I know it's an old post,but maybe we need to start a new thread to comment positives in the 746..I have the Pro for 18months,and it is the best radio i have owned since i became a ham..I did own lots of different radios in the past..So it is saying something..