[ICOM] Icom 761A

[Adam Farson]

Hi John,

As Gary mentioned, the IC-761 was sometimes referred to as the IC-761A.
There was no "Mk. 2" version; the IC-765 replaced the IC-761 in 1990.

The IC-761 is, in effect, a somewhat repackaged IC-751A in a larger cabinet,
with a built-in AT-150 autotuner and PS-35 PSU. The IC-765 is a very
different radio; the differences are documented in Don VE3HUR's IC-765 Notes
(downloadable on the Icom FAQ site.)

http://www.qsl.net/icom/manuals.html

In many respects, the IC-765 is the superior radio of the two. The ARRL Lab
rated it "one of the five best receivers we have ever tested". (QST, Dec.
1990). The 765's DDS synthesiser is much cleaner than the IC-761's PLL. The
765 will definitely benefit from the modifications described in Don's Notes,
especially the W2ISB PBT Mod. The 761 has one strong point as compared to
the 765; it uses the FL-80/FL-44A SSB filter pair, which is much superior to
the 765's FL-30/FL-96 pair. (This is also discussed in Don's Notes). An SSB
filter upgrade is recommended to improve PBT operation and adjacent-channel
selectivity. 

The IC-761 is prone to failure of electrolytic capacitors on the display
board.

Were I in the market for a radio of that vintage, my choices would be (1)
IC-781 (2) IC-765. I had an IC-781 from mid-1993 until the end of 1998; I
replaced the stock FL-96 with an FL-44A, and the FL-102 AM filter with an
FL-223 for a narrow SSB option.

There are price ranges etc. on http://www.qsl.net/ab4oj/icom/oldicom.html

Cheers for now, 73,
Adam VA7OJ/AB4OJ