That new radio

Steve G1KQH has been encouraging me to buy a new radio. Any new radio would have to include 160m, 10m and 6m. Bands like 2m and 70cm would be useful. If the radio has a fan, it would have to be quiet.

I was holding back just in case Yaesu announced a real replacement to the FT817 at Dayton.  Neither Yaesu nor ICOM made any great announcements of new products of interest to QRPers like me sadly.

At the moment I am warming to the FT991A. The IC7300 is probably the better radio, and is SDR based, but I gather the fan is always on and some can be noisy. Yes there is a mod, but I am in danger of invalidating any warranty. The rig would be used at 10W most of the time, so a fan that comes on only when the PA is warm would be good. At the moment, there is a 3 year warranty with Yaesu and cash back on some models. Having had many Yaesu rigs over the years, I am pretty happy with this supplier. Knowing me, this rig would have to last for years!

If anyone has any strong opinions against the FT991A I'd like to hear them. As my voice is not too good these days, FT8 and WSPR would probably be the main modes used.

Specific questions about the FT991A. If the answer is in the manual, I cannot find it! Does the fan come on only when the radio is hot? If I run mainly QRP will I hear the fan?

New radio?

My Christmas present was a new radio, although I have still not bought one! Main candidates are the IC7300, the FT991A or the FT450D. In my mind the FT818 is suitable, but is really only an FT817 dressed up a bit.  As my voice is poor most of the use would be on FT8. The FT450D is far less expensive. I could almost certainly buy an SDR with this as well.

In my operating, it is unlikely to be run at more than 10W. Sadly, the IC7300S, which is the low power version, in not available outside of Japan. People tell me the IC7300 is a great radio, but I am in no great hurry. For my sort of operating any of those listed would probably do.

If you want to offer any suggestions please feel free. BTW, I have already seen the eHam reviews.

IC7300 sometime?

My XYL said, "why don't you buy a new radio?"

My favourite is the IC7300, although I am in no great hurry. I was hoping the price would drop, but at the moment there are no signs of this happening.

Quite a few dealers are offering "deals" with cashback, free covers or low cost PSUs. It feels like they want to compete on price, but they fear for their profits. Maybe ICOM is stopping the price dropping? Maybe the dealers have had a quiet word and have agreed to keep the price high? I have no evidence for this, just a gut feeling. Perhaps ICOM wished they had priced the IC7300 higher? Even with guarantees and VAT it is far less expensive in France.

The next stage is to get a cash price and guarantee details from the suppliers. At this rate, my target is to buy in the new year sometime, before the Es season. I am not really interested in dust covers: I would like a lower price for cash - no trade ins, with free delivery.

That IC7300 fan...

Well, it seems the IC7300 fan questions remains unanswered. Unless I am told the fan is a non-issue, I shall delay buying one.

As I said in my comment, as soon as I buy a 100W version, they will CE approve and sell the QRP version in the UK for £799 and the IC7300 price will drop to £999!

IC7300 fan questions (again)

Basically, these questions were asked a few weeks ago, but I did not get a decent reply. If you know the answer(s) please post them here or send me an email.

My basic questions are about the IC7300 fan noise. As a confirmed QRPer it is very unlikely high power would be used. Mostly 10W or less would be used if I bought one. It is by no means certain I shall buy one.

My questions are these:

1. Is the IC7300 fan noisy? 
2. If operating at well below maximum power does the fan run quieter?
3. Does the fan only operate when the rig gets hot?
4. Does the fan only operate on TX?

On the IC706, which I briefly owned, the fan was very annoying. I have seen mods to change the IC7300 fan to a quieter one, but I would be reluctant to do this on a radio still under guarantee. Running at way below maximum power, I may be unnecessarily worried.

If you can help, please let me know.

IC7300 fan

I did not get a clear answer to my question about this a few days ago.

Basically does the fan run at full speed all the time on TX or does it get faster only when hot?

If it is quiet at low power that is OK. What would be annoying is running 5-10W yet still having to live with a noisy fan. Any answers welcomed.

What I would really like is the low power version with CE approval and a good guarantee. Somehow I suspect this is unlikely.

IC7300 question about fan

Can anybody tell me if the IC7300 fan can be programmed OFF when running QRP? I had an IC706 and the fan annoyed me as it was far noisier than I expected. The IC703 (10W) had no fan.

Also, if not running full power, can you use a lower rated PSU? If I ever bought an IC7300, it is doubtful high power would ever be used. I think my linear PSU is rated at 20A.

Icom IC7300

This is a fine HF/6m/4m transceiver which I am tempted to buy, but still feel it is over priced. In all the time it has sold, the price has hardly changed. Some are offering free covers or reduced priced PSUs. What I want is just the radio, but for less money!

The trouble is people are prepared to buy at the current price and, like the FT817 from Yaesu, it has no real competition. It is almost as if the dealers have been "got at" to hold the current price.

One thing is certain: if I buy at the current price they will all offer it for far less within 6 weeks!

IC7300 Price

Are the UK dealers playing chicken?

In the UK the IC7300 price is still the same, but now accompanied by all sorts of free extras.

Now, I have little doubt this is a good radio, but I still feel it is being "market priced". By that I mean we buy at the ticket price as there is no real competition from the other big players and most are happy to pay.

The architecture would allow the price to be reduced to less than £1000. Will it happen any time soon?

ICOM IC7300

Probably the best commercial radio available to radio amateurs currently is the IC7300. However, its price is still set by market forces: it could still be profitable at a much lower selling price.

Whether prices drop depends on many factors, but there is no doubt that the price is what it is largely because people are still prepared to buy at this price. If the dealers can still make a killing why would they reduce prices? Also, currently there is no real competition.

See https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-7300/Amateur_Radio_Ham_Base_Stations

IC7300 circuit diagrams

MLS have the IC7300 circuit schematics for download. They also have a sale on.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/userfiles/file/IC-7300_Schematic_Diagram.pdf  .

ICOM IC7300 - time for a price drop?

Much to my surprise the price has still to fall, although there are "cracks": some are now offering the rig with free gifts.

Personally, I can wait. It is a good rig, but to my mind, the dealers have had a very good time and very good profits. Now is the time to drop the price. Sub £1000 please - soon.

MLS offers

MLS is offering some winter savings. For example, the ICOM IC7300 ships with a free PSU worth £89.95. Price drop soon? It should be much less by now.

See https://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-base-station-radio-icom-base-station-radio-pc-309.php

ICOM IC7300

It still surprises me that the price of the IC7300 has not dropped. I guess the dealers are playing "chicken" to see who blinks first. If people are happy to buy at the current figure they have no incentive to drop the price. Meanwhile, they all make lots of profit.

ICOM and Yaesu UK Prices

The IC7300 from ICOM retails at just under £1200 in the UK. The Yaesu FT891 retails for about half this at just under £600. OK, I know they are different radios, but both are 100W HF and 6m radios and the RX of the IC7300 has a much simpler SDR architecture.

Although I accept I may be wrong, these are my conclusions:

• The IC7300 sells at a price people are prepared to pay and dealers are keeping the price as high they dare for as long as they can. It almost looks like the price is fixed between dealers. I am not saying it is, but it looks like this. Normally by now one has started to drop price, but this has not happened. The true price should be far less.
• Yaesu sells the FT891 at just under £600 to tempt buyers. They may be trying to buy market share. I note a new model Yaesu 2m/70cm handi sells for £129.

Looking at this, I'd guess that ICOM will be around for a while. Yaesu may decide this is not a market to remain in for too much longer? As I said, I could be totally wrong. Personally I hope both stay in the amateur market for a long time.

IC7300 and a slow death?

Recently, Rob Sherwood gave an interesting video presentation on disruptive technology in our hobby. In it he quoted the number of ICOM IC7300 transceivers sold in the first year. If I recall correctly, 11000 (ish) were sold in year one. Apparently, this is good. If the IC7300 SDR based radio sold this number, I'd guess Yaesu and Kenwood sold far fewer of their units.

Incidentally, when I was involved in radio pager design in the late 1990s, we made this number in one day!

As we get older, we can expect the numbers to fall away. People die and fewer new rigs get sold. In the end the Japanese manufacturers will decide it is just not worth their while as the profit margins are too small. Expect progressively fewer new models as the years go forward.

OK, in some countries there are younger people entering the hobby, but certainly here in the UK amateur radio is an old mans hobby and in 20-30 years we'll be gone.

One thing we'll see is cost cutting. There will be a move to SDR technology, as this will allow good performance for less money.

Expect dealers to dwindle and there to be fewer radio magazines. The hobby will be quite different in 2040.

Once again, I am grateful to Southgate News for this link.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2017/june/disruptive-technologies.htm#.WTVAW7pFzIU .

IC7300 - price drop time?

To my thinking, the IC7300 is still way over-priced.  It uses a much simpler architecture than the FT991A and the true price, even with the dealers taking a decent margin, should be well below £1000 especially with the retail price of the FT891 being what it is. Yes, I know they are different radios, but I want to see the IC7300 at a fair price. Dealers are clearly trying to make handsome profits whilst they can.

IC7300 Brochure and News

There are details on the ICOM, UK site about the IC7300. It is my view this radio is overpriced and I expect the price to be slashed later.

I think it will be head-to-head against the Yaesu FT991A and the IC7300 could easily be sub-£1000 in the UK because of its architecture. If the FT891A is retailing at £699 in the UK, then the IC7300 can be less expensive. I know they are very different radios, but the dealers charge what people are prepared to pay. Too many are prepared to pay inflated prices.

See http://www.icomuk.co.uk/IC-7300/Amateur_Radio_Ham_Base_Stations .

Decision time?

Tomorrow, I shall probably ring around the UK dealers to see who can offer me the best cash deals on the IC7300, the FT991A and the KX3.  I have read the reviews, so I need a good deal on price and guarantee.

IC7300 and FT991 prices

The price of the FT991 from Yaesu has dropped below £1000, but the IC7300 is still £1049. At the moment Yaesu is working on an FT991A, having seen the real-time spectrum display in the IC7300. There is plenty of margin in the price of the IC7300 but I guess dealers are presently holding the current price and not reducing it, despite the weaker pound, because people are buying at the high price. At less than £1000 I might be tempted by the IC7300. There is no doubt it is a good radio but please get it below £1000. Note that the FT450D retails at £599. The IC7300 should be comparable - it has a simpler RX architecture. No, despite the weaker pound against the dollar and the yen, I am convinced the dealers can afford to drop the IC7300 price and still make good margins. In the meantime, I shall wait.

UPDATE 1616z:  I see ICOM has announced a firmware update for the IC7300. See http://www.icom.co.jp/world/support/download/firm . Each firmware update improves functionality or fixes bugs.