If you've owned an Icom rig has it ever had to be repaired?

[Moleculo]

I was thinking about starting similar threads for Yaesu and Kenwood to keep it fair . My personal gut feeling is that they all probably have about the same failure rate if you looked at it over a long enough period of time. They each have solid rigs but everyone once in a while they come out with one that just has some issues (Icom 2720H). Personally, I really like the Icom rigs I have and I like some of the ones I can't afford.

 

[bamacj]

Yes all brands are going to have their little quirks. My 706 is doing fine now, my ts2000 is doing great no problems so far, my ts 850 has a reciever problem and in the shop now. I also have a ft101ee that is working fine.

 

[Robb]

I haven't owned my Icom long enough to make a truly fair statement.
It came highly recommended and was very affordable (IC-718).
I didn't mod it either...stock.

 

[big mike]

I worked a 756 Pro and now are using a 756 Pro 2 no problems.....yet..

I was all set to pull the trigger on a 746 Pro a month or so ago when HRO was running that sale but the eham reviews scared me away from that rig.. :headbang

 

[Moleculo]

I have a first run Icom 746 Pro. It's a good rig. It has been back twice for repair, but it was the typical problem and Icom fixed it no charge. I would buy it again. I'm thinking about selling it though to try the Flexradio 3000.

 

[big mike]

I have a first run Icom 746 Pro. It's a good rig. It has been back twice for repair, but it was the typical problem and Icom fixed it no charge. I would buy it again. I'm thinking about selling it though to try the Flexradio 3000.

I had a nice QSO on 10m last weekend with a ham on the 746 Pro, he was using a Heil PR-781 I think.....at any rate the audio was oustanding !!

 

[Sonwatcher]

It's interesting. I meet with a group on 10m nightly and almost all of them are talking on Icoms and like to use the term "It's an Icom baby" . I have been interested in getting a newer rig and have been asking them about different Icoms but almost all I mention they tell me don't get that one because of certain problems . It's got me leery of buying an Icom HF rig. They are mostly into the Pro3. There is one guy that set his Pro3 on the shelf and uses a TS-2000. They are always sending their stuff in for repair, finals, displays gone bad etc... . My FT-757gx I have been using since 2003 has been a workhorse but these guys have me gun-shy about buying an Icom HF rig.

 

[bamacj]

I think there are some known problems with the "pro" series displays. I wouldnt let that stop you from getting the rig you want.

Now if they were saying the rig came back and they could do nothing to fix it, that would get me worried.

I have a icom 706 been to the shop once still luv the little rig. I also have a ts2000, nice radio and no problems yet. My ts 850 is my favorite hf rig and is currently down with a reciever problem. My old yaesu 101 has a problem on the higher bands but works fine on 75, I still like it also. My point is all brands may let you down at some time, as long as it can be repaired and does not keep going down it will be ok.

 

[C W Morse]

I was rag chewing with some locals on 75 meters last night when the topic of "which rig should I buy" came up. Of course, several people had various recommendations.

Then an interesting comment was made by one individual that has a ton of equipment and has probably owned almost every HF rig available at one time or another. He said that he loved the way almost all of the Icoms he ever owned worked. However, he got tired of sending them all to Washington for repair, so he recently gave up on Icom and sold them all. He said, "it seems like every Icom I owned went to Washington". Then an interesting thing happened: a couple other people chimed in with, "me too".

This made me stop and think about my own experience. I currently own 3 Icom rigs. Two of them have needed repairs by Icom. One went back twice. One other Icom HT that I bought new never needed repairs, but I didn't keep it that long, either.

Let's do an informal, unscientific survery:

1. Of all of the Icom equipment you have owned, what percentage of the equipment has had to be repaired for problems that were not end-user related?

2. If you had Icom equipment repaired, how quick was the turn-around?

3. If you had Icom equipment repaired, did it deter you from buying Icom again?

4. If you have to pick just one, what is your equipment brand of preference?

I've had one Yaesu (no problems until old), Two Kenwood TS50's w/ no probs. and 4 Icoms, 737, no issues, 3 IC 706's, all bought new, One sent for repair, that was 10 years ago when they first came out. The mobile (the next oldest) NO problems), One use for base, NO problems--all at least 7 years old. The mobile almost 10. Would I buy another Icom? YES!
OR a Kenwood, OR Yaesu if it fit the bill. I DO like the Icoms, but am not "brand conscious.

CWM

 

[kc9owm]

I've got a icom 775 dsp and after a few years it developed a display glitch where the duel watch side would sometimes act like it was partially out and the light would flicker. I called matt in mich. and he said to send it to him and it would take about an hour of bench time to fix it, no parts needed. I drove up there from Indiana, and he fixed it in a half hour. All I was charged was labor.I also have a 706 mark2 and a 207 duel bander. I'm sold on Icom.
mike

 

[Sonwatcher]

I was wanting to buy a mark2g and they informed me not to buy one with a serial # before 151 million as they have the old finals that aren't available anymore and require a very expensive board change to fix them when they go bad.

 

[airplane1]

I think any of the newer radios when they faze them out get expensive to fix. the new surface mount and computer boards just cost more because if you need some thing replaced it is a whole board not just a small part like older radios.

Ron, I would not be afraid to get a 706GMk2 or a 7K. Italked to several ops who run either one and have no problems and love um.

AP

 

[Sonwatcher]

I did get the scoop from an Icom tech about the MllG when I asked about a serial # of a radio I was looking at-

HI Ron:
That serial number has the older version finals (that are out of production). They are not so much bad, as not replaceable as a device.

The new version start with a 6 digit serial number, the old version were 5 digit. The new version started at 15xxxx. I think they are over 16xxxx right now.

Scott Malcom
MTS

 

[Sonwatcher]

I just bought a MKllG .Hope to get it by Monday.

 

[airplane1]

Woo Woo Ron, I hope to hear you on it. Get it new or used?