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

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

National NCL-2000 Linear Amp review in Feb 65 issue!!! 
 
73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 
Oklahoma City, OK



> To: icom at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:16:36 -0400
> Subject: Re: [ICOM] Query: 1st Icom HF Transceivers ???? -- Thank You Thank YOU!!
> From: manualman at juno.com
>
> 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  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
> ----
> 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/