[Icom] Re: Icom digest, IC-746PRO issues

[Roy Sakabu]

I have a very quiet Icom 745 that I would be happy to trade with you Ken.
Just kidding (not about the quietness though).  I agree that the older rigs
tend to sound more quiet while not being any less sensitive.  I started with
an R-75 and 746 and have since picked up a Kenwood TS-940SAT and IC-745 and
think that they tend to be less noisy than the latest rigs.  It may be that
the added sensitivity is just picking up more atmospheric noise which was
always there and the older rigs were just "insensitive" enough to miss it.

The DSP noise reduction helps a little, reducing the RF gain also helps.  Do
you know about the old timer's trick about turning the RF gain all the way
down, the AF gain all the way up and adjusting the output to the speaker via
the RF gain?  It works pretty good so long as there is a decent S/N ratio.

When you talk about interface, do you mean the C-IV interface?  I found that
the 2 transistor interface:

http://www.g3vgr.co.uk/civ.htm

works great with my 746.  It's pretty simple if you're comfortable using a
soldering iron, but a little tricky if you want everything to fit neatly
inside the DB-9 shell.  I've built several more for other hams who didn't
want to build it themselves.  If you really want something that is perfect,
get the Icom interface or look up the commercially available after-market
ones.  If you're doing this for fun, let me know and I'll be happy to help
you out.

73
Roy
AD6ZU

-----Original Message-----
From: KenK1ZYW@aol.com [mailto:KenK1ZYW@aol.com]
Subject: [Icom] Re: Icom digest, IC-746PRO issues


I just bought the ICOM 746PRO (not because I wanted to - I wanted a Yaesu 
Mark-V but it died after 3 days- has better RX when it works  - and Yaesu is

having REAL QC problems now). Ham Radio Outlet recommended the 746pro over 
the 756proII.  Has anyone seen the new QST?  Seems like Icom is having 
"teething" problems also. My new 746PRO has a very sensitive, hot, receiver
- 
but is WAY TOO NOISY and is unusable for serious DX work.

I probably will live with it - but as a ham for about 40 years, I know the 
difference. QST gave this rig glowing reviews - DO THE REVIEW GUYS IN 
NEWINGTON HAVE EARS? Oh well. Ham radio is going to us old guys - and our 
ears are going to dust soon anyway....

On a positive note, I would like to interface DXBASE with the 746PRO. Anyone

do that yet? Where do I begin with the interface?

73's


Ken K1ZYW