[ICOM] Query: 1st Icom HF Transceivers ???? -- Thank You Thank YOU!!

[Jan Robbins]

You guys are great!!!  I didn't need another reason to think this was 
the best reflector in ham radio, but you sure gave me one.

Putting it all together, it would seem that--

FIRST ICOM HF RIG was probably the  IC-700R/IC-700T twins.  They were 
produced circa 1967 or 1969, so would have been "Inoues," rather than 
Icoms, and apparently were not marketed in US.  (These rigs, one would 
bet, were coincident with either or both the Kenwood Twins--599--and the 
Yaesu FR/FT-50.  I can't find a firm date when the Kenwood Twins were 
manufactured, but the Yaesu Twins appear to date to1966.)

FIRST ICOM HF RIG IN US was the 701, manufactured and introduced here 
circa 1978-1979.

FIRST ICOM HF RIG REVIEWED IN QST appears to have been the 720A, in 
1982.  At least ARRL website shows nothing earlier.

And I guess it appears Inoue/Icom entered the American market first via 
crystal-controlled VHF/UHF rigs, probably late '60's or very early 
'70's.  Early rigs were the 2F (date?), and 20 and 21 (1972?).  First 
one reviewed in QST was the 25A in 1982, if ARRL website is complete.

Pse let me know if other interesting info re very early Inoue/Icom turns 
up, and once again tks to ALL!!!!

73 Jan


Gary P. Fiber wrote:

> I think your right Mac. However Icom did make a set of  HF " twins" 
> The transmitter was tube and the receiver was solid state. I forget 
> the model number I do not think they were ever imported into the US 
> though. At one time Icom America had a set of them in the " bones" 
> area I suspect they are long gone though.
>
> According to Icom's published history on the www.icom.co.jp "Tokuzo 
> Inoue founded Inoue Seisakusyo in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan in 1954 then 
> in 1964 he founded Inoue Communications. In 1978 the name changed to 
> Icom Inc. I always heard Mr Inoue worked for another company during 
> the early years and had something to do with discovering microwave 
> ovens and from the elders at Icom America when I worked there.
>
> Its amazing to see rigs that were introduced since July 1989 and have 
> gone out of production for replacement rigs. The original IC-706 has 
> to be 10 years old, the 735 look at the life of that rig just amazing 
> to me. I suspect I " supported" almost 1000 products while I was 
> there. It was different then as I did it all from Amateur to Marine 
> Radar, Now the technical area is split up into divisions. I think 
> Amateur is hardest to support as there are so many features on the 
> rigs. Land Mobile is likely 2nd in support with all of the trunking 
> and selective calling going on today. But one can't take away from 
> Marine with GMDSS and Radar.
>
> Gary K8IZ
>
>
> D C *Mac* Macdonald wrote:
>
>> I am hardly an authority, but I believe the IC-701was the first HF 
>> rig they marketed in US, maybe
>> around 1976 or so???
>>  
>> There was a six-channel crystal-controlled 2m
>> IC-2F that was the first that I know of, but
>> the company was not yet known as "Icom" at
>> that time.  If I recall, it was simply Inoue, but
>> may have had some other name on it, perhaps
>> Varitronics???
>>  
>> My first Icom rigs were IC-20 and IC-21 in 1972.
>>  
>> Dang, that's 35 years ago.  Oldest Icom rigs I
>> still have are the crystal-controlled IC-30 UHF
>> mobile and the IC-215 2m draggie-talkie.
>>  
>>  
>> 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5
>> Oklahoma City, OK
>>  
>>  
>>  
>>
>>> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:49:38 -0500> From: swanman at cfu.net> To: 
>>> icom at mailman.qth.net> Subject: [ICOM] Query: 1st Icom HF 
>>> Transceivers ????> > A collector friend sent me an email with the 
>>> following interesting Icom > queries. I couldn't answer them. > > 1) 
>>> What was Icom's first amateur radio HF transceiver? When was it > 
>>> introduced?> > 2) What was the first Icom transceiver sold on the US 
>>> market? When > was it introduced in the US?> > > Can anyone help? 
>>> Any info greatly appreciated.> vy 73 to all, as always!!> > Jan 
>>> N0JR> > ----> 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/----
>>>     
>>
>> 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/
>>
>>   
>
>
> ----
> 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/
>
>
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