[ICOM] My letter to Icom

[Bruce]

I am sure it is VERY frustrating for the tech at 
Icom too! They usually cycle the radio in Tx/Rx 
for days on end until either the problem pops up 
or they have exhausted all they
can do to get the rig to fail. As it has been 
said before "you can't fix what isn't broke" or
in other words if they can't get it to fail what 
in heavens name should they fix?
If your that unhappy with what is going on it's 
time to talk to the shop supervisor Dan miles (if 
you get some one by the name of Dave Stoppel 
insist you speak to Dan, Stoppel knows NOTHING 
about HF rigs!). If Dan can't satisfy you then go 
to the shop manager Dwayne Black..if he doesn't 
help go for the MOD (manager on deck).
Bruce W7BCW
At 07:17 AM 10/28/2006, you wrote:
>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 car­It’s always been used as my one 
> and only HF radiio 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 falls­I sometimes find that  unkeying the mike annd keying
>it again—rf is back to full output. The radio 
>after  a few minutes lloses 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 
>rig­but the problem  reapppears.  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
>  hours­and 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
>
>
>
>
>
>----
>Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC, icom-owner at mailman.qth.net
>Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.316 MHz
>Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/