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

[Peter Markavage]

Remember, the ARRL Product Review list on the web starts at 1980.
Icom IC-701, QST, April 1979, page 39 - product review

Pete, wa2cwa

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:40:50 -0500 Jan Robbins <swanman at cfu.net> writes:
> 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