[Icom] IC7800 replaces IC781???

Tue, 22 Apr 2003 17:33:18 -0500

Bill, before you give up, get the proper iron and resolder every joint on
that board, both sides, and tin along every line of etch in case of a
hairline crack. I think you are to the point where essentially you need a
new board, and lacking one, the next best thing is to rework what you have.

Now, if that is a multi-layer board and some internal insert is
intermittent, then I have to agree with Icom. But, if it is two-sided, a
thorough resoldering and tinning of all etch that you can get to just might
work a miracle.

I never used one, but my take on the KWM-380 was that the performance
increase compared to the price increase was far from a match. Collins
designed a radio that was too complex for the job it did (probably because
they could) and cost way too much to manufacture. In fact, their entire
amateur line was essentially hand-built and that cost alone was enough to
take them out of the market. The Signal One followed a similar path . . .

Heathkit did about the same thing with the last two or three solid-state
transceivers they offered. They got too complex for the home builder and
that put them in the sale business buying product from the Orient. Didn't
work out . . .

73/72, George
Amateur Radio W5YR -  the Yellow Rose of Texas
Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13QE
"In the 57th year and it just keeps getting better!"
<mailto:[email protected]>

----- Original Message -----
From: "wjdiamond" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 2:49 PM
Subject: RE: [Icom] IC7800 replaces IC781???

> Bill is right, the KWM 380 sure helped put Collins out of the amateur
> business.  Most hams would not pay that when they could buy almost
anything
> else for 1/5 the price that would outperform the 380.
>
> I know I bought and still have a KWM 380 that I have tried to at least
> recover some of my investment on but no takers.....
>
> Now back to a good but still ailing 761.  I replaced every single diode
and
> transistor and cap that Icom said to do and they said it was a 99.9%
chance
> of fixing it.
>
> Well, things are now different all right. Instead of a measly 4 or 5 watts
> out it has ZERO power out.
>
> Yes, I tested each item before installing them and I did not put anything
> in backwards or break or bridge a circuit pad. I verified 3 times with a
> lighted magnifier and a 20 power glass..
>
> Icom tech support is recommending to use it as a donor rig at this
> point.(parts rig)
>
> Any final suggestions?
>
> I spent about 2 hours on the phone with Bill and about an hour with Icom
> checking every voltage and it should work but it does not..
>
> I had another Icom rig go down on me that I just bought today, the dial
> would increase the freq but would not lower it. Standard Icom cure, reseat
> the plugs..........
>
> 763 to all
>
>
>         William J. Diamond (Bill)
>         Rogers, Arkansas USA
>         [email protected]
>
>         Ham Radio Operator WR�T
>       Flying The Flag Long Before
>             It Was Popular
>
>  Please Visit My Icom Radio Page At
>
>  http://pages.sbcglobal.net/wjdiamond/index.html
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
> Behalf Of William Lambing
> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 1:58 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Icom] IC7800 replaces IC781???
>
>
>
>
> The Collins KWM-380 was not this high.!!  Don't have one, don't want one,
> but with the $5K+ price tag, how many hams would buy one to start with.
> That is one of the things that in reality spelled the demise of the
Collins
> Amateur Market.  Granted, it may be a "military" radio, but personally,
> they
> have a way to go to be on a par with any of the Collins HF systems now in
> use or planned.  R&S inputs may help somewhat.
>
> 73
>
> Bill, W0LPQ
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
>
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/