I was reading the post,s on Icom 718 problem,s and I have some question,s . Has any new information come out regarding low modulation and what to do to fix it. And in that post the talk was about peek reading meters . I have a SX-100 bye DIAMOND antenna is this a true peek reading meter from what I read it is but some say it,s not . The reason for this post is I have a 718 and I did the conversion on it , it work,s OK but I also had low modulation , at that time I was not worried about it but I am getting closer to the time when I can use it on ham freq . I want it working 100 % . PS no i,m not useing the radio on 11 meters I have other radios for that. thanks
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ICOM 718
- Thread starter BigLou
- Start date
the 718 can easily achieve 100% audio peaks on SSB. if you are talking about AM having low level modulation then thats the way it is. all "rice box" hf rigs are designed to have low level am modulation. AM is not a mode of concern for most amateur operators and is not used that often. therefore manufacturers design the am circuits with just enough to get by if you wanna use it. set it up right and it can sound good. my 101d does only 90% on peaks but it sounds phenomenal. your not gonna get that 110% plate modulated audio sound if thats what your looking for.
I have not used AM for years no , I take that back I did talk on AM for 1 or 2 days . The locals by me for the most part talk AM I do not like AM so I only have SSB to talk on . That said I am only talking about side band and to have low modulation is not good. O and I to had a 101 mine was a 101ee loved that radio and I never have had a radio with that kind of modulation again it was a MONSTER .
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
Should be able to get inside and turn up the max power to give it more headroom. This changes the percentage of limiting to give it less of an effect. This is what the guys do for AM, as well as turn the modulation limiter up and the carrier down.
Is this a new/recent issue with your 718 or did it show up that way? I have to keep my mic gain @ 35 to keep the ALC meter happy. Lower if I turn the Compression on. With the stock mic. SSB
BJ radionut
Supporting Member and 6m addict
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Uh ..... That's not true at all or anywhere close. Very many hams including me enjoy operating AM on HF. Very many ham rigs sound great to excellent on AM .... you just have to know which ones do and which ones don't. My Icom 746 sounds very good on AM and is one of the reasons I chose and stay with it. All of the modern Icoms .... excepting the 718 .... sound good on AM. The newer Yaesus do well on AM and and pretty much all of the modern SDR rigs also sound very good on AM.
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
The 718 sounds great on am after it is adjusted properly. I enjoy mine with the rack gear plugged in the back. For an entry level rig, it is an exceptional value.
it is true.at least 90% of hams are on cw, and ssb. am IS NOT a poular mode any more, just listen on the air. yea there some, 3885 etc but not may, fact! manufacturers dont put alot into the am/fm circuits in the rigs, just enough to work, fact! so tell me what part is a lie?
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Personally, I couldn't care any less if my 718 sounds like a Sears walkie-talkie on AM or doesn't have FM. Not what I bought it for and obviously not what Icom designed them for. But, whatever blows your skirt up, right?
S&W357
$upporting Member KO4RJD....WDX-556
I get great SSB audio reports on my 718 locally and on DX.
Never tried AM and probably won’t.
Never tried AM and probably won’t.
It,s that way from the start and it,s a SSB prob like I said AM is just another spot on the dial . I have not used this radio more than a few times I dont want the get inside the radio if I can help it . When I have more time to play with it I will do what the user manual says again and then go from there . Thanks to all.
Lou,
Just curious. Are you using the Icom OEM microphone? And where do you have the mic gain set? And where is your RF power set when you're not seeing the "swing" on your meter? Also, what is your ALC meter showing during transmit?
73
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My icom works great on SSB and AM. There are two issues I know of with the 718. Some of the microphones were bad right out of the factory (i think only the earlier ones, you would have to look that up). My mic works fine though. Another issue is that it is very sensitive to input voltage.
Assuming the menu settings are correct and nothing is wrong with the radio....
If the input voltage gets too low it rolls the output back to half power. On am, that might only happen during talking and not show up on dead key, but I'm guessing because I haven't used mine on AM enough to know. On SSB, I have to run mine 13.6-13.9v to get 100w, if the voltage is any lower, it immediately drops the power output to 50%. If you have it on a 12.5.v lead acid battery or a 12v supply (thats really 12v, not 13.8), this might appear, on a watt meter, as a low modulation problem as the ratio between dead key and peak power might not be right.
Assuming the menu settings are correct and nothing is wrong with the radio....
If the input voltage gets too low it rolls the output back to half power. On am, that might only happen during talking and not show up on dead key, but I'm guessing because I haven't used mine on AM enough to know. On SSB, I have to run mine 13.6-13.9v to get 100w, if the voltage is any lower, it immediately drops the power output to 50%. If you have it on a 12.5.v lead acid battery or a 12v supply (thats really 12v, not 13.8), this might appear, on a watt meter, as a low modulation problem as the ratio between dead key and peak power might not be right.