[Icom] 756proII General operation and Bandscope

Sat, 26 Apr 2003 20:38:35 -0400

Adam,

Nice to hear from you, I always appreciate your vast knowledge in the
matter, I have been reading JA7UDE's web site regarding differences between
the two rigs and
after your email as well I now understand the differences a little better. I
guess I have Microsoftiris always running windows update for the latest
service pack or security fix.

I have been following the birth of the Orion and not sure how does it
compare to the PROII, any information on matter will be appreciated. I know
they have come up with a large number of firmware
upgrades.

Thanks,

KN1W
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Farson" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 2:43 PM
Subject: RE: [Icom] 756proII General operation and Bandscope

> Hi Luis,
>
> The transition from the 756Pro to the 756Pro II embodied significant RF/IF
> hardware redesign, as well as DSP and other firmware changes. In
particular,
> the receiver front end and IF chain were extensively redesigned to improve
> strong-signal performance.
>
> http://www.qsl.net/ab4oj/icom/jpro/pro2/improve.html
>
> Although Kenwood provide for user firmware upgrade in the TS-2000 (which
can
> be a risky business in itself), they appear to have frozen the hardware
> design. Another indicator of what may be going on in their organisation is
> the fact that their new TL-933 amplifier is, in fact, OEM'd from JRC.
>
> Cheers for now, 73,
> Adam VA7OJ/AB4OJ
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
> Behalf Of Luis Aguilar
> Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2003 08:48
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Icom] 756proII General operation and Bandscope
>
>
> Tom,
>
> There is a feature that it is never mentioned or overlooked, The
> TS2000's firmware is upgradable, download the latest from the web site
> and upload it through your computer, I consider this a necessary
> feature that will save you money in the long run. The 756PRO has some
> issues in the past and Icom made available a firmware upgrade in Japan
> to try to fix the problems, Here in the US We were force to buy the
> PROII to get rid of the cw artifacts caused by the DSP. Another feature
> very important that is not found on the PRO's is the flexibility that
> you have to create   your on DSP filters through the software
> (ARCP-2000), it is amazing what you can do with this.
>
> In short I regret selling my TS-2000, but I love my PROII and I am sure
> I am going to have to pay in the future for a new ICOM rig with better
> DSP and new bands, instead of just upgrading the new firmware with
> fixes. Mr. Icom knows that we are suckers in this country for ICOM and
> will pay for a whole new rig the get new fixes.
>
> BTW, I don't like the lack of triple band stack in the TS2000.
>
> IMHO
>
> http://www.qtc-japan.net/2001/02_products/dsp/ic-756pro.htm  (This link
> shows the ROM upgrade for the original PRO) I believe ab4oj has a link
> to it on his web site.
>
> Luis
> KN1W
>
> On Saturday, April 26, 2003, at 12:57  AM, Scott Manthe wrote:
>
> > Tom,
> > As someone who has owned both rigs, I might be more help to you than
> > some
> > others on this list. There seems to be the assumption on this list and
> > elsewhere that the TS2000 is somehow flawed because it wears so many
> > hats.
> > This is not the case- unless you've used a TS2000 and have real world
> > experience with it, you should hold your commentary. The TS2000 is a
> > TERRFIC
> > rig, even on HF, easily as good as the TS-870 and better in many
> > respects.
> > It will hold it's own against all but the best HF rigs around (the
> > FT1000
> > series, the Pro and the ProII), but it is not quite the HF performer
> > that
> > the IC-756Pro is. It specifically lacks some close-in dynamic range
> > that the
> > Pro does have. Aside form this specific case, they are very close in
> > performance. This is not terribly noticable, but can be a factor on
> > very
> > crowded bands with very strong signals on SSB. This is not the case on
> > CW,
> > where I would rate the TS2000 and Pro as even, although the Pro has a
> > better
> > electronic keyer, but inferior QSK. The TS2000 does however have
> > features
> > that the Pro series doesn't have, is very, very versatile and doesn't
> > lag
> > terribly in the performance department.
> >
> > You will have to decide for yourself whether the bandscope feature and
> >  size
> > factors are that important to you. As I said, I've owned both rigs and
> > been
> > happy with both. The bandscope, along with the dual recieve, can be
> > very
> > useful and the 756Pro is a very nice rig. The TS2000 is more compact,
> > but it
> > is a very solidly made radio and can even double as a feature rich
> > mobile
> > rig, if you desire. The computer control capabilities, as well as the
> > additional VHF/UHF coverage make it a VERY attractive rig. If you're a
> > contester in a multi-multi situation, the TS2000 might not be your best
> > choice, but otherwise it's a fine rig.
> >
> > If you've got any other questions, drop me a line.
> >
> > 73,
> > Scott, N9AI
> > [email protected]
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Crawford" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Friday, April 25, 2003 2:28 PM
> > Subject: [Icom] 756proII General operation and Bandscope
> >
> >
> >> Hello to the list,
> >>
> >> I don't want to start a war here but...... :)
> >> The 756 ProII and the TS-2000 are on my short list for a new state of
> >> the
> >> art rig.
> >>
> >> The TS-2000 sure seems to offer a lot of capability for the money but
> >> the
> >> controls seem cramped.
> >> I really like the idea of the ICOM's band scope and my general
> >> impression
> > is
> >> that the ICOM control panel is less crowded.  (I've never had a hands
> >> on
> >> opportunity with either instrument.)
> >>
> >> I am questioning whether or not I'll be able to discern a performance
> >> difference between these two instruments.  But I've witnessed a lot of
> >> experience on this list so, any opinions are appreciated.
> >>
> >> Specifically - DOES the bandscope really work as claimed and do you
> >> really
> >> find it useful?
> >>
> >> thanks in advance,
> >> tom
> >> W3TMC
> >> ----
> >> 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/
> >
>
> ----
> 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/
>
>