[ICOM] My letter to Icom

[WORKSNTV at aol.com]

The following is a letter I sent to Icom---They have had the rig in  
Washington since the middle of September and can NOT duplicate the  problem..WOW I am 
very frustrated!
 
 
 
To Whom It May Concern:
 
The following is a description of the problem my Icom 706 mk2g, serial  
number 10276,  that I am sending for service.
 
The problems began more than a year ago, I was able to deal with it but the  
problem has gotten progressively worse. Let me say the rig has never been used 
 in the car–It’s always been used as my one and only HF radio for home use.
 
On transmit, on all bands,( I don’t use 2 meters or 440)  using single  
sideband, the rf power output drops almost to zero. Thinking this just may be a  “
meter” problem I checked the current draw. The current from an Astron RS 35 M,  
also falls.  I have tried switching power supplies to another Astron, but  
the problem  persists..
When the rf output falls–I sometimes find that  unkeying the mike and keying 
it again—rf is back to full output. The radio after  a few minutes loses power 
again. At times when first using the radio, from a  cold start, there is 
little rf.
 
I have disconnected the companion Icom automatic antenna tuner, AT 180, and  
ran the radio into a manual tuner.  The problem does not go away.  I  have 
swapped out the coax between the tuner and rig–but the problem  reappears.  The 
swr on all bands is acceptable.
I have tried several  mikes, the hand mike that comes with the radio, an Icom 
rs15, and an Icom sm 20  thinking this was rf getting into the shack—the 
problem persists.
 
One day in frustration I followed the manuals direction for “resetting” the  
radio to factory settings. Surprisingly the rig worked flawlessly for several 
 hours–and the old problem came back.
Finally thinking there may be other  issues in the shack I had a friend bring 
in his Icom 706 and hooked it up. IT  WORKS!!! That indicates to me the 
problem is not shack related, but radio  related.
 
I have enjoyed  the radio many years prior to this problem.. I also  have an 
Icom handheld and duel band rig mobile. I am sold on Icom and will  continue 
to share with fellow hams my belief, especially if you can fix 706  mk2g’s 
problem.
 
73'
Bob Reynolds-WB3DYE