[ICOM] Icom 7300-a contest radio?

[Jim Wilhite]

Hi John,

I agree with the comments so far.  However, like all things, there is more 
to the story.  Since it does not have filters preceding the first stage, it 
can have problems in a high RF environment.

To solve that problem, Icom put a light marked OVF on the screen so you 
would know.  When overload occurs, then the light will either flash or 
illuminate.  Also they have what is called IP+ which is nothing more than a 
dither circuit.  Because of the design, it will lower the sensitivity but it 
adds that noise to the receiver so the noise floor increases, making weak 
signal detection a bit of a problem.

The best way to combat all this is to be sure the tuner is turned on which 
adds some filtering to the front end, use the attenuator and adjust the RF 
gain control to solve the problems of overload.

If you are in a low RF environment you will find the receiver is excellent 
provided you monitor its performance.  I live in a rural area and there 
isn't anyone around to give me problems, nor is there a high power radio 
station, but occasionally I see the OVF light flash on 20 meters.  That can 
be cured by turning off the preamp which is another thing used to combat the 
situation.  I am lucky in that I don't have much electrical noise here so I 
turn both preamps on to operate 20-6 meters.  If I see the light flashing, I 
turn off one preamp then if it continues, turn off the other.  As a last 
resort I reduce the RF gain.  All this hold true for adjacent signals if 
they are strong.

Other than those little things, the radio performs better than any I have 
owned.

73,

Jim
W5JO


-----Original Message----- 
From: John Geiger


That is good to hear.  It does put up pretty good receive numbers.

73 John AF5CC

On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 10:04 PM, Dennis Kippa via Icom <icom at mailman.qth.net
> wrote:

> It has a great receiver.  Sharp skirts. Plenty of audio punch.  Yes well
> worth the money for any contest.
>  Dennis Kippa Lake Hawkins Tx W5DPK
>
>     On Tuesday, August 8, 2017 9:37 PM, John Geiger <af5cc2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>  Is the receiver on the Icom 7300 good enough to make it a contest radio?
>
> I realize that any radio can be used in a contest, and for years I have
> contested with radios that really wouldn't be considered contest radios,
> and had a lot of fun.  Is the 7300 good enough that serious contesters
> would say it is a contest radio?
>
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