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ic7600 Vs ftdx5000MPL

Obed

Active Member
Sep 15, 2015
86
50
28
Porter, Texas
I currently use an icom 756 PRO III as my base rig.
I plan on retiring in a couple years, and am thinking about buying a new radio in preperation for that.
I like my PRO, there is nothing wrong with it, but it is getting old now, I bought it when they were first released.
The 7600, from what I read could be called the PRO IV, it is very similar to the PRO III, with not too many real improvements... screen and a few minor things...but they do say the receiver is a bit better than the PROIII for weak signals...
I am also considering the 50000 MPL, it is a bit more money... and I need to justify that $1000 difference as being worth it...
I do not need the 200 watts, I use an amp..
the built in power supply may not actually be a plus, I have multiple power supplies now and one goes out, I just swap to another... if the power supply in the MP went out, the whole radio is down until I get it fixed...
the only real improvement over the 7600 I see is the 40+ Dbm on IP3 Vs the 30+ of the 7600...
if any of you have had the opportunity to use both radios... how do you think the receivers of the two radios stack up against each other.
 

well, now i read that the 7600 is being replaced with the 7610, that throws a whole new wrinkly into the works.

Unless your Pro III is giving you problems I would hold tight for another year to see what new options there might be.

The 7610 will likely be a substantial improvement over the 7600. Also another year might see other options from the Big 3.

Several guys I know have the Yaesu 5000 and love it's performance. What ever direction you go you will have a very nice retirement radio.

While you wait on the radio, you might give some thought to how you could improve your current HF antenna(s).
 
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I did post that the revelation of the 7610 coming out changes things a bit. I hope that it is a substantial improvement over the 7600 but I do not really anticipate much in that direction as far as the receiver is concerned. I know that I was not all that impressed with the pro III's improvements over the PRO and PRO II which I also had at the time.
As to the antenna, well that I already took care of.
Just a year ago I purchased a new home and moved out of downtown for retirement purposes and put up a new tower and set a T8 log periodic antenna on it.
I had a T8 before and like how it worked for me.
I have a cross bar and two pulleys mounted on the tower for what ever wire antenna I might want to use for the lower bands.
 
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I hope that it is a substantial improvement over the 7600 but I do not really anticipate much in that direction as far as the receiver is concerned. .

Huh? With the 7610 using a direct sampling SDR design like the the new IC-7300 (only with improvements) it may far outperform the 7600. Icom is pushing way ahead of the competition with these radios.
 
put up a new tower and set a T8 log periodic antenna on it.
I have a cross bar and two pulleys mounted on the tower for what ever wire antenna I might want to use for the lower bands.
Wow - very nice - that should work great.

So many of us have severe antenna compromises that it's not easy to improve over a basic ground mounted vertical or a dipole at a modest height.

I would anticipate that the 7610 will be enough of a performance and feature jump that it would be worth the wait.
 
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Your Pro III is a great rig. The way the market is right now, I would hold off for a couple of years to see what comes out next. I think the technology is about to take a huge leap forward with SDR, interfacing with external monitors, etc. The 7610 may get left in the dust!

73.
Brett
 
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I did post that the revelation of the 7610 coming out changes things a bit. I hope that it is a substantial improvement over the 7600 but I do not really anticipate much in that direction as far as the receiver is concerned. I know that I was not all that impressed with the pro III's improvements over the PRO and PRO II which I also had at the time.
As to the antenna, well that I already took care of.
Just a year ago I purchased a new home and moved out of downtown for retirement purposes and put up a new tower and set a T8 log periodic antenna on it.
I had a T8 before and like how it worked for me.
I have a cross bar and two pulleys mounted on the tower for what ever wire antenna I might want to use for the lower bands.

And congratulations on the retirement and killer antenna setup!

73,
Brett
 
I would hold off and wait until the 7610 comes out, then wait some more for the inevitable firmware fixes.

You have a great radio for now.

As for the Yaesu FT5000, you should see the ARRL Lab tests and you would be amazed on how dirty the transmitter is. I know I was.

The K3 and Kenwood TS590 were the cleanest! No surprise there…

Open file link to read the ARRL Lab test report.
 

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I have to agree with the rest of the bunch, if you can wait it out as long as you can and see what comes within the next couple of years. With Icom making the jump they did, it places the others in a position to either go better or go home. JMHO. And I'm no radio expert. I like my good old Icom 746 (non pro). But I am just a beginner, or have been with HF radios anyways. But have seen the tech jump on other electronics and commercial stuff as well. And it has been just simply amazing!! Good luck and hope you find what you really want!!!!
 
I have to agree with the rest of the bunch, if you can wait it out as long as you can and see what comes within the next couple of years. With Icom making the jump they did, it places the others in a position to either go better or go home. JMHO. And I'm no radio expert. I like my good old Icom 746 (non pro). But I am just a beginner, or have been with HF radios anyways. But have seen the tech jump on other electronics and commercial stuff as well. And it has been just simply amazing!! Good luck and hope you find what you really want!!!!

The older 746 (non-pro) is actually a pretty good radio.
I have the 756 Pro III as my main shack rig, and have icom 7100's in each of my 3 trucks and in my "go box", but I have two of the old 746's, one 728 and one 706MKIIG that I keep out in my "shop". I use those if I am out there tinkering and as loaners to new hams while they look for a rig they want for their "new" shack.
 
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Thx Obed. I'll say this. My old IC746 has been darn good to me!! It's dead on frequency and has been since I bought it used almost 3yrs ago. And it never lets me down when making DX contacts!! I hope you get a good radio and enjoy the heck out of it!!
73 and God Bless!!
 

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