Icom IC-7000 Ham Radio, The BEST Ham radio ever made?
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- Опубликовано: 15 апр 2023
- Gi day all, just my views on why I decided to keep my Icom IC 7000 after a mate said I'm mad to sell it. I reckon he is right, let's have a look at possibly the BEST Ham Radio ever made.
I bought my 7000 in 2010 to replace my 706MKIIG in the mobile so I could use the 706MKIIG in the shack for VHF/UHF side band. 13 years later, my IC-7000 looks just as good as it did when I pulled it out of the box. Great radio. I have no complaints with it. In the mobile, my go to band is 20m but have the ability to use 40/20/15/10 and VHF/UHF side band. Some folks had issues with this radio running hot. I haven’t had this issue. Where its mounted in the storage compartment under the back seat in my 2016 Chevy Colorado Extend Cab, I drilled a 2” hole in the front of the plastic walled storage compartment. Mounted a 2” 12V DC computer cooling fan. Which is wired to an on off toggle switch which has a second 2” 12V DC computer fan going to the storage compartment under the other rear back seat where my dual band mobile is mounted. The switch operates both fans. I have an AC vent on the back of the console that blows AC for the back seats. I removed the air direction vent trim from the console and fabbed a bracket out of 1/8” stainless steel plate so that it fits in the ac vent. Iv got two 1 1/2” flexible plastic hoses running from the custom made AC vent down to both cooling fans. The console has a control knob that allows you to control the amount of AC air blowing through the vent, with the option to turn the vent off. The 2 cooling fans helps blow the AC into the storage compartments where the radios are mounted. I never have to worry about the IC-7000 running hot, even with the 34+ days in a row that we’v had high temps above 100F here in Houston. Iv never used the heater on any vehicle Iv owned here in Houston during the winter time. I just turn the windshield defroster on low and Luke warm air which is good enough for me. Dont have to worry about accidentally having heat air blowing into the storage compartments. No one ever sits in the back seats and the installation looks clean and professional.
Late comment! Totally agree - there is nothing to match this radio on the market right now. That's why I have two (one for spare) It is the best mobile radio made so far - especially with its flip-off front ability. Has a high current draw and does get hot. Recommend not running it on max power - mine is at 75W. I wish they would make a "modern" version of this radio - like an IC705 but 100W and removeable front.
Thank you for your commentary on the IC-7000. I inherited one from a friend who has passed and am looking forward to getting it connected and on the air!
Its a fantastic rig, I've owned one since they we new on the market, i really wanted a IC-706mkIIg but they were hard to find but still produced, so i saved up a bit more an bought a ic-7000 along with a AH4 coupler. Mine 7k had a lot of issues i lost 2 DSP modules ( heat) i modded the blower to run constantly and that took care of it. Its weak spot is that dual DSP board and i think that its one of the reasons they nixed it. It didn't achieve the same following that the ic-706 had , but i still have my ic-7000 , 17 years later its a fun rig and a great receiver, its a mini version of my ic-746pro and 756pro ( still have my old 746pro as well) just don't allow it to get too hot. By the way I've used my 7k camping and portable but its a very hungry rig it pulls about 2½ amps w/ the fan mod. So use a heavy duty battery and even a solar cell if running in the field.
Great video. I bought one when they first came out. I do strictly portable ops including mini DXpeditions to exotic locations using Buddipole portable antennas. The 7000 has never failed me both at home and in the field. There are no options for this radio because everything that you would ever desire is already included in the radio. I agree that Icom should have made a MKII version.
The true "shack in a car in a box"
Damn shame grey didn’t make a mk2 version
Bought one of these 15 years ago when I decided to get back into radio. I'm using it as a base station, and it really is a shack in a box! I use it with a screwdriver antenna and automatic controller. With the regular whip it tunes from 10-80m, but can do 160 with a 2m whip and capacity hat. Need to use a shorter whip for 6m though, but I will build a flowerpot for 6 and an antenna switch. Plan to experiment with a long wire horizontal this Summer and a LDG -AT7000 tuner. Have a 2m/70cm vertical for VHF/UHF.
That ATU-130 looks great. You might want to reduce power when tuning up as the IC7K has a problem with blowing the final stage with high SWR, and keep the fan exhaust uncovered by the tuner box. I found the PREAMP to be pretty useless. Doesn't seem to do anything other than increase the S-meter reading. Mine doesn't drift in frequency but is off frequency overall. Will have to adjust it internally as I have maxed out the external adjustment.
Been using it for digital this month using the XGGCOMMS USB-Digimode-3 with CAT control using a Black Cat CI-V adapter. There is a XGGCOMMS USB-Digimode-4 with CAT control as well, but I need a second CI-V port for the antenna tuner. The system works really well for FT8 and WSPR.
Still learning stuff about this transceiver, it really is great technology for its age. Who needs a waterfall anyway. 73, David
Thanks for the info David, great reply 👍👍
I heard or read that Icom stopped making them as it became too expensive, a notion I’ve heard from other manufacturers regarding their products but that expression is a hard one for me to swallow, i mean how can it then be cheaper to have to redesign and retool for a brand new product, there is definitely something else going on ….
It’s a shame Icom no longer makes HF mobiles.
the ic7100 looks as a mobile. but it costs a little hi for that
I don't know how much it's worth but it's up there on my possible 1st HF radio list.
Let me know if you ever want to sell it. ;)
I do agree the best mobile every made if not going back in the car then make a go box de 2e0ree
Agreed mate!😎😎
Why do manufacturers stop making products that people want to buy?
Like Your radio and the Yeasu 857D?