Product Review - The ICOM IC-7000

Cannot wait until the maturation period is over so I can put one in my 1970 VW camper bus. TV, Full spectrum, all for nice camping and portable radio. My wonderful IC-706 can go to my Mercedes. The new technology goes to my bus.

 

That Kenwood radio does look like a sad, chocolate rabbit left out in the sun!!!

 

sounds like the icom coolaid drinkers now have something to throw away 1500 bucks on, ill stick to my lowly 857 that performs great, and sadly for the 706 guys who cant hear me when i can hear them. wait maybe this new 1500 buck one will actually be able to hear something?? tongue firmly planted in cheek , ron ne0x

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this comprehensive "operators review" Fred, if only they could do this for every rig, I just about understood everything and these were the answers to the questions that usually don't get answered until you are already saddled with your rig! I want to have a bandscope rig in the shack but am not willing to compromise on quality and durability - does a small rig like the IC-7K come with risks that a bigger rig like the Pro III does not? Yeah price is affordable but does it compare favourably with current rigs in terms of performance. I currently use an FT897 (yeah bought the filters - internal 240v PSU and the bolt on FC-30 all at additional cost = £1465 UK Pounds!!) or will I just be getting a band scope over what I currently have??

Thanks again for the review Fred,

Merry Christmas to all

73 de Geoff

 

Well if they work the bugs out say model II maybe wouldn't be such a bad rig. price well new toy guys !

 

A friend in LasVegas went to AES and noted that the display IC7000 was very warm. Could this pose a problem?

 

I've run an FT-857 mobile (mostly HF) for two and one-half years.  It is a terrific mobile rig, especially for the money.  The amazing thing is that Yaesu got it right on the first try.  I am considering the IC-7000 now as a replacement/upgrade, but I keep thinking how it took ICOM three tries to get both the 706 and the 756 PRO right.  So did ICOM get the IC-7000 right the first try or do I need to wait for the IC-7000 II/III?

 

The separation cable looks idential to the 706 Mk II G versions. You may not have used a Mk II G, but a lot of the functions you described are identical. It is a shame the band scope is not real time. The scopes in the 781 / Pro III etc. are very helpful, but on HF the "push a button and scan" scopes on other radios have seemed useless to me.

I had a Pro II in the car for field day, and the display was invisible. Went back to my Mk II G. We need to know how the 7000 display functions mobile in bright light. Also what happens when you get in the car in the summer and the temperature is 130 degrees? The Mk II G seriously fades out until the A/C cools the car down.

The noise blanker in the Mk II G is ineffective on ignition noise, and it seriously distorts SSB audio if the signal is over S 9. How does this compare?

The Mk II G, if used on 6 or 2 meters with a good base station antenna, has serious desense problems due to the lack of a front end. My old IC-211A run circles around the Mk II G on 2 meter simplex due to 20 dB of desense issues. What happens on the 7000 when connected to a Ringo, for example? I doubt there is room for any more front end in the 7000 than in the Mk II G.

What about PA / ALC overshoot on the 7000? The Mk II G drives my Alphas crazy with a 125 watt spike when keyed on CW or AM. If an amp needs 65 watts drive for full output, you can imagine what happens to the amp during the ALC spike. Has Icom fixed this problem?

Anyone know if the 706 will now be discontinued?

 

A ham friend of mine put one on the air just a couple of nights ago. This rig sounds excellent even with the factory hand mike! Beautiful transmit audio and he loves the features. A very nice rig. In fact it sounded nearly as good as his IC 7800 does! To my ear this is probably one of the best sounding out of the box rigs on the market with no mods, no audio racks and no fancy mikes.

 

After having my 7000 for a alittle over a week now and trying it on all the HF Bands, I find it has the best ears I have ever had on my mobile rigs..
Having used Kenwood 440/ Icom 706MKIIG/ Yaseu 900 .
I have never had the kind of filteration that this rig has nor the readabilty, Fred is right it has a very sharp screen even in the sun.
I have been told it is the best mobile sounding rig they have heard for a bear foot rig. This has been 9 out 10 contacts that I made, and so far I have made 36 contacts.
What really amazed me, today I was talking on 7.580 net back east when a fellow on a base station here in CA. came on top of them, I told him there was a net there and he said, well I am on a base station in CA. and I don't hear anything, I replied I am in a mobile in Modesto Ca. and I hear them just fine! He didn't understand how a mobile could hear and not him and he moved off.
Talk about making you perk up... WOW.
Anyway you guys can debate all you want,, but with 1.2 million miles Mobile on the road. Iam very happy with this radio and yes it does cost a little more, but the cost has not gone up as much as the gas prices!!

 

Sorry, I didn't mean the display itself, the radio on display. (the whole radio was very warm)

 

Not the display itself, the whole radio on display was very warm.

 

Thanks for the info, Fred.
K1EL's K-40 with K-40FILT...and an AT keyboard... should round out the IC-7000's RTTY and CW keyboarding experiences.
But, I have to wonder about the IC-7000's QSK CW characteristics when using only paddles, given Icom's performance with the IC-703 and similar rigs.
All the other bells and whistles notwithstanding, $1500 for a rig with lousy QSK would just be too much...

72.
Bill, N4QA

 

Dayummmm now you did it, have to have me one.

 

Hi Fred,
Any news of a Mic adapter so I can use my Heil Pro Headset ??
73s
Ron K9QAM