[ICOM] Icom 7200 at Dayton Big Disappointment???

[Gerry Pement]

Hello Icom !!

Wake-up Where's FM on the new IC-7200? I was shocked by the omission of 
that mode. FM was missing on the IC-718. Prior to the IC-718 every other 
Icom introduced in the past 1/4 Century had FM mode. Even the venerable 
old IC-740 had  FM as a option. Available as a option also in the IC-745 
and low end Rigs IC-725-707. Higher end rigs and the great old IC-735 
all had FM Mode standard equipment.  What good is having coverage on 6 
Meters and completely MISS THE BOAT on the new IC-7200 by leaving off 
the FM Mode? That 7200 will be Icom's First Rig to have 6 Meters and 
leave off FM Mode. Come On ICOM Even your old IC-726 & IC-728 early HF/6 
Meter rigs had FM standard equipment! Even the Venerable Old Yaesu 
FT-757GX included FM as Standard Equipment and that Classic Celebrates 
it's 25th Birthday this Month. I think it was introduced at Dayton '83 
and first Advertised in June '83 Issue of TCA Mag. Canada's equivalent 
of QST Mag. at that time put out by CARF. The "New" IC-7200 is not gonna 
create much excitement, and is not very New by leaving off the Important 
*FM mode for 6 Meter operators. *I'm afraid Yaesu these days are 
offering Hams more than Icom in the lower end of rigs. I thought that 
new IC-7200 was something exciting when I first saw the Photos at the 
Tokyo Ham Fair event last August. That IC-718 is now getting Stale on 
the market is now outgunned with Yaesu's FT-450 and FT-897D offerings 
doing so well in the "Affordable" market. That new FT-950 Yaesu 
introduced at the same time as the IC-7200 was Talked About and is still 
only "Talked About", was on the Dealers Shelves and in shacks 6 weeks 
weeks later. Was the IC-7200 shown at Dayton even working Yet??? or just 
a stagnant display Item! That FT-950 is giving the now getting stale 
"Trouble Prone" TX and Display Backlight failure's Galore IC-746Pro a 
good run for It's Money. So far no major Reliability Problems have 
cropped up on the new FT-950 like the Dead TX issue of the IC-746 Pro. I 
am afraid Yaesu today has become No 1 in the marketplace.
73
Gerry VE7BGP

Alex wrote:

  -------------- Original message from Gary <n6lrv at cox.net>: --------------
  

> I was very disappointed by the lack of
> FM and signalling (according to the brochure). I found the control head easy to
> use and had every hope of buying a couple 7200's this year but without FM and
> signalling I may not buy at all. What was Icom thinking? 
>     

Sounds like it's going to be a replacement for the IC-718 (and the IC-78 probably). I think that the omission of FM is a good thing because then you don't have to design a rig that has to pass a wide FM signal through its filters. But for your application that may indeed not be a good thing.

"What, no FM?" Now that is truly an omission of a feature to pack more performance in a small package. ;-)

73,
--Alex KR1ST
http://www.kr1st.com