[ICOM] Tough Icom rigs

bonddaleena at aol.com bonddaleena at aol.com
Thu Nov 29 19:09:25 EST 2012 

 Hi Al, wow. Almost kinda scary, because on top of my 761 (yes, it's buttons had the numbers worn off) sits a Timewave DSP-59+!!!
I love it. I have several and also the 'plain' 59. Some folks claim the 59 works better. Dunno. I use the 59 with my 75A-4.
I also have a couple of Autek QF-1As. I really like those also. Those are used with my Drake equipment.
I remember reading the QST review of the 765. What astounded me most, was the MSRP.... And that was in 'old' money. ha ha
The 761 and 765 sure have a LOT of parts inside. ha ha
Being retired, I'll never own a new, state-of-the-art radio. However, I feel that receiver technology had LONG ago, reached the point of diminishing returns....especially on HF.

Funny you mention the 701. I've kinda always wanted one. You see, for many years, the flagship radios I had for VHF were a 551D / PS and a 251A. Those radios were acquired new and were reliable as a rock. As you know, they look identical. I used the 551D with a legal limit amp and worked Meteor Scatter very easily from an 'average' location back in KY. The only thing I did to the 551D was to add a JFET preamp made by ARR.
I never sell anything (!!!), and still have everything packed away. Heck, I still have my first 2M FM radio an IC-22A. Ah, crystals..............
I just have heard too many horror stories about the encoder in the 701. Main problem is the lack of replacement parts.

Thanks for sharing all these parallel experiences.

ron
N4UE

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: VE1AL <VE1AL at eastlink.ca>
To: 'ICOM Reflector' <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thu, Nov 29, 2012 2:27 pm
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs


Well, Ron, you bring up a number of points.

First, I did mean the '751A because it did have several refinements over
the '751.  I only ever used the '751, though, because a friend had one.  So
my experience with it was very limited.

I have a '701 that has been sitting for most of a decade.  It, of course,
was the one of (if not the first) commercial amateur synthesized radios.
Not my favourite rig, despite its technology.  My '745 worked very well
but, like the '701, I wasn't terribly impressed by its physical size.  I
don't have big fingers, mind you, but neither seemed much like the old rigs
I grew up with.  When I met my '761 I kinda fell in love with it.  Big,
heavy, easy to use -- it offered the latest technology (I added a Timewave
DSP-9+) and I like to think it has almost as good a front end as most of
the newest receivers but without the bells and whistles of those radios
that are as expensive as a small car.

There are many who will disagree with me, of course, but I don't think the
'765 was the same sort of improvement over the '761 as was the '751A over
the '751.  When the '765 came out I looked closely and decided against
"upgrading".

73

Al, VE1AL






  

-----Original Message-----
From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of bonddaleena at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 3:05 PM
To: icom at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs

Hi Al, I am NO expert, but I do own 21 Icoms... ha ha, don't know it that's
good or bad.
The 751A is a MUCH improved version of the 751. I don't remember the exact
changes, but I do remembering they were significant.
That said, I have a 745 I bought new. It had a couple of small problems and
I brought it to KI4NR  (John) here in Florida. I just have too many "irons
in the fire" to mess with it. It is too mint to ship. Only been xmitted on
twice. One day, I tried to Xmit and it was receive only. I just used it as
a receiver for my VHF/UHF converters. John found a bad diode, replaced the
original battery, and replaced all the 'bad' trimmers, and gave it a total
alignment.. Boy, Icom must have used these crummy caps by the millions! It
now out puts 100 W.
My favorite is a 756PRO, I purchased in Tokyo just as they were announced.
This took a nearby power line surge that came in the Neutral and took out
half my house and shack. It too received only. These incidents happened
years apart. I fixed everything (including the TVs and VCRs), but I let
John do the PRO also. I thought it was the famous IC151 problem, but it was
something else in the xmit side. I did what every owner of these Icoms
should do and purchased a couple of these highly suspicious (and fragile)
parts .There are MANY, many reports of these components
failing................ Nothings perfect, I suppose..........
I also purchased a 706g on a different trip. It is the "European" version,
which is identical except for the 2 Meter band assignments.

I almost never work HF just 6 and up....... Why? Just listen on 14.313
MHz.......

ron
N4UE

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: VE1AL <VE1AL at eastlink.ca>
To: 'ICOM Reflector' <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 4:29 pm
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs


I have no doubt the '765 had a few refinements, Ron.  But as far as I'm
concerned, pound for pound, the '761 stands up very, very well against the
'765.  I read the reviews years ago (not lately) and I remember thinking I
was only a little bit impressed with the differences.  And I also have no
problem recognizing that the '761 is just a beefed up '751.

The '751 was one of the best radios every built by Icom. :-)

73

Al, VE1AL


 

-----Original Message-----
From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of bonddaleena at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 3:40 PM
To: icom at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs

There IS a difference between the 761 and the 765, Go to the QST 'reviews'
and read the details there. I have a beautiful 761 that has been recapped
and aligned. The only problem I have had is that the 'att/preamp; relay
contacts need cleaning every couple of years.... ha ha The 761 can
adquately described as a 751A with a built in tuner. 
Not bad, considering the 751A STILL has a 5/5 rating on eHam......

ron
N4UE

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: VE1AL <VE1AL at eastlink.ca>
To: 'ICOM Reflector' <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 2:11 pm
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs


Hey John,

As you've been informed by other (as I see now that I've gotten home again,
the '761 doesn't have band stack register.  One of the annoying things
about the '761 (although I have come to live with it) is that it defaults
when I change bands.  So, if I am on 14.023 and I want to go to 80M, it
always defaults to 3549.00 (because I set it to do that), on 40 it is
7049.00, etc.  Another minor annoyance is that it defaults to 24549.00 when
I change bands to 12M and even with the fast TS, it takes a bit to get it
where you want to be on 12M.  However, using the direct entry on the
keypad, it goes where I want it to.  Clicking on a spot works also, of
course.  Band stacking does make the '765 infinitesimally better.  

I haven't studied the schematics and don't have a clue if the '765 receiver
is any better than the '761.  But I can tell you the '761 receiver is
HOT!!! 

I never suggested the '765 wasn't a good radio and with the IFS mod that I
wasn't aware of, I would expect they are virtually identical.

73

Al, VE1AL



 

-----Original Message-----
From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of John G.
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 12:16 PM
To: ICOM Reflector
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs

Hi Al,

Does the 761 have the band stacking registers where it remembers the last
frequency you were on for each band, or is it like the older Icom rigs
where the KHZ stay the same from band to band.  For example, if I was on
7.003 and tune to 20m I would be on 14.003, even if I was on 14.200 the
last time I was on 20m (not that I would run SSB).

John AF5CC
----- Original Message -----
From: <VE1AL at eastlink.ca>
To: "'ICOM Reflector'" <icom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs


> Hi Ted,
>
> Because the '761 is essentially the same radio as the '765 but has 
> both PBT and IF Shift.  They both work well for what they do, whereas 
> the '765

> (due to the issue with Yaesu) has only the PBT.  Not to say, Ted, that
the 
> '765 isn't a great radio also but to me it isn't as "complete".  ?
>
>
> 73
>
> Al, VE1AL
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
> On Behalf Of Tad Danley
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 11:55 AM
> To: ICOM Reflector
> Subject: Re: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs
>
> Hi Al, I owned an IC-765 for many years and loved it - and wish I 
> could find a clean used model with the PBT mod.
>
> I'm curious as to why you prefer the 761 over the 765?
>
> Thanks and 73,
>
> Tad Danley, K3TD
> EM10dq
>
> On 11/28/2012 8:04 AM, VE1AL at eastlink.ca wrote:
>> I have an IC-761 (you may already know that, John) that has served me 
>> extremely well since 1988.  I did do the caps replacement and had a 
>> few minor P/S issues that resulted in its replacement from the IC-745 
>> that it had replaced.
>>
>> They're still available (as is the IC-765) but had I a choice between 
>> the two I would take the '761.
>>
>> However, could I get a digital readout and interface them to my 
>> computer, I'd go back to my Drake B-line.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Al, VE1AL
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net
>> [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of John G.
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 12:27 AM
>> To: ICOM Reflector
>> Subject: [ICOM] Tough Icom rigs
>>
>> Which of the older Icoms are the toughest ones made?  Tough meaning 
>> they have a metal front panel instead of the plastic now used, and 
>> metal shafts for the controls, etc.  I think the 730 and 740 might 
>> fall into this category, correct?
>>
>> 73 John AF5CC
>> ----
>> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC: icom-owner at mailman.qth.net Icom 
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>
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan K7VC: icom-owner at mailman.qth.net Icom 
> Users

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