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write your own review of the Icom IC-R7000.
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K9PU
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 18, 2009 01:20
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Reliable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had this radio since new, sometime in the late 80's. Bought it as I had no hf antenna in an apartment but could get along with VHF/UHF indoor antenna. Used mostly to listen to public service bands as a scanner (although ICOM insisted it wasn't a "scanner", and, in fact, it didn't have the best scanner functions, slow scan rate, small memory size, scan delay bug). Many little problems could be fixed with an aftermarket program and there was a circuit "mod" for the scan rate improvement. But the radio just sang for years, contineous use, no airconditioning (in L.A. S.F.valley, 100F plus summers). Lots of action on LAPD frequencies back in the day, car thiefs, drug deals, shootings, car chases, helicopters, fires. Even more exciting when things happen in your block, behind your car, or in front of the apartment building (don't leave the apartment without listening to the scanner first, don't want to be shot at). Oh, and I listened to the ham freqs too, less exciting, needed the "f" filter, lots of activity though.
They have now gone to digital encoding (P25), oh well. And the TV option is obsolete too, HDTV. Still hams and fire though, just not as much activity, we are so much more civilized now, what price liberty?
Scott
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KB7QND
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 17, 2009 19:48
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A Strong Performer
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I purchased mine new in 1990 and still use it to this day. Its had no problems, no capacitor problems, no trimmer problems, no trips to Icom for service, and the original backup battery still works!!! Not bad for a radio that is now 19 years old.
It is wonderful for weak signal work. When I compare it to my Radio Shack scanner by swapping the radios out using the same feedline and antenna, the Icom can "hear" things the Radio Shack scanner can only dream of. For example, the Icom can hear the wireless mics from a local Burger King 4 miles away (all be it not very strong yet still somewhat intelligible)and the Radio Shack scanner doesn't even know the signal exists.
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VE7AFZ
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 24, 2009 13:07
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Nice Receiver handles strong signals well
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I had an opportunity to purchase a clean, single owner (and lightly used) R7000 for a reasonable price. So far I'm happy with the radio. It has met my expectations with regards to selectivity, overload resistance and sensitivity. The only issue I have is that the back of the radio gets a bit hotter than I would like. A small fan placed behind the radio seems to have solved this problem.
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K4RO
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 9, 2008 17:57
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Still working great after 20 years
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've owned an IC-R7000 since 1988. I've used the same radio and Icom discone antenna at various locations for twenty years. The gear still works great today. The build quality of the IC-R7000 is considerably above that of most consumer scanning radios.
The basic radio performance is very good for a "scanner." I found the some of the scan features to be very limited, and I was surprised at the lack of certain scanning functions. However, when hooked to a computer, the IC-R7000 is a very useful scanning tool. I use RadioMax software with a home brew computer interface.
Built to last, I expect the IC-R7000 will remain a useful VHF/UHF utility radio for years to come.
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N4TSV
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 7, 2007 11:22
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Great receiver
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have three of these receivers and love them all.
They just work and work. Yes capacitors do go bad but what do you expect after 20 years. You absolutely can't go wrong with it.
One of mine is hooked to a discone on the roof and is alot of fun. The others are in the shack being used for weather decoding and some research on SDR radio.
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K7SU
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 7, 2006 15:56
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I really LOVE the R-7000
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I picked up my R-7000 off Ebay a few weeks ago and have been having a ball with it ever since. In fact I was more active on the ham bands BEFORE I got the R-7000 so I've got to stop turning it on when I get into the shack and just go right to the ham bands because if I turn the R-7000 on first I find that I have too much fun to set it aside!
For a radio that is several years old it is still very functional and fun to use. I did find, like some other reviewers of this radio, that it got quite warm (hot actually!) after being left on for a time. I stopped by the electronics parts store and picked up a 50 CFM mini-fan, and hooked it up to the 12 volt internal power supply on the radio. Not wanting to drill holes in my "new" receiver, I neatly attached the fan with double-sided carpet tape directly over the ventilation slots on the back. Now I can leave it on for hours at a time and it remains cool to the touch. The fan made a BIG difference and for those who have not yet made that modification I highly recommend it as the constant heating and cooling of the radio may eventually cause problems.
I probably paid more than I should have for mine but hey....no one forced me to keep bidding! :>) And now that I have it, I forget about the price I paid whenever I turn it on and tune in to the action. The frequency coverage is from 25 mhz. to 999 mhz. then picks up again at 1.25 Ghz. and goes up to 2 Ghz with no other gaps. I've been able to download the software to pick up and decode the GOES weather satellites that transmit between 137 - 138 mhz to get a look at the weather! I have found that the radio is very sensitive and has picked up anything I want to hear.
Even though it is an "old" radio and no longer made, it is still very rugged and fun to use. It is somewhat heavy for its size (which I think is a GOOD thing) and seems to be well built. It is now proudly placed next to my ham rigs and I use it every day. If you have a chance to pick one up and are in to "listening", I think you will be very happy with this radio.
Kelly
www.K7SU.4t.com
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K9KJM
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 24, 2005 01:08
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QUALITY
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought my Icom R 7000 used when the IC R 7100 first came out, From a person who just had to have the latest........
The R7000 is a VHF/UHF receiver for the serious listener.......... It is not all that great for use as a "scanner" (The internal band select relay constantly clicks between VHF and UHF) as it scans....... But it does function well as a scanner if you understand that......
AND this radio will do a lot more than most simple scanners will....... It is one of the top choices for the SETI project ARGUS systems...
I really like my R7000 and have no plans to get rid of it. (I have been a real Icom fan over the years, Just do NOT buy one of those JUNK IC 2720's like I did! I "jumped ship" and got one of the great Yaesu FT 8800 radios that work great when I finally got rid of my junk 2720H....)
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N4UE
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 23, 2005 18:58
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Fantastic!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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OK, OK, I LOVE Icom radios. I have bought several on different trips to Tokyo. I had always wanted a R71A and I found a 'nice' one on e-pay, er,
e-bay. Of course, it was advertised as being 100% functional, etc. Blaaaah!
It needed a trip to Scott Malcom at MTS to be put 'right'. I realize that some of these older Icoms had problems with trimmers, etc. No problem. Scott fixed and aligned my very nice example of a R71A.
Next, I lusted over it's big brother, the R7000.
I put out feelers and found some real beauties. I eventually bought one from the west coast.
It was as mint as the seller indicated (and I'm REAL picky!!)
I recieved the radio today (about the BEST packing job I have ever seen, double boxed +).
Tonight, I got to trying it out. Yesterday, I put up a RS Discone antenna, but also have the ability to switch different antennas between MANY different radios.
Results?
Switching back and forth from the R71A and the R7000, reveal that the R7000 is a much (!!) better receiver. It just 'sounds better'. Of course, the frequency overlap between the 2 radios is very limiterd,
I have also tried comparing the R7000 to my new 756PRO, my 271A and my 471A.
In summary, the R7000 is a wonderful receiver.
I installed a broadband low noise figure preamp (50 - 900 MHz) in-line, in case it was needed. No problem. The R7000 has more than adequate sensitivity for all frequencies tested so far. I simply bypass the preamp....
I'll probably never use all of it's scanning feaures, since I bought it as a VHF / UHF propagation aid.
Ron
N4UE
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G1HBE
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 1, 2005 12:12
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RF performance, built like a tank
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought mine in about 1988 after owning other 'lesser' scanners, and boy could I tell the difference! Beautifully designed and built, with performance to match in all areas. The scanning facilities were slightly quirky (the lack of a 'hold' position seemed a peculiar omission) and having the FMn and LSB switches around the back grated on such a 'semi-pro' RX. I'm sure Icom could have ditched a couple of the superfluous front panel switches (the remote on/off springs to mind) to make room.
After about 10 years I had to replace the caps in the inverter board, but this was easy for an electronics engineer such as myself. It must have been a pain for those not so fortunate though.
Despite these reservations, the R7000 will go down in history as the first multi-mode scanning receiver with real RF performance and serious build quality. I kept mine for 12 years (that's a long time in my shack!) before moving to an AR5000, another serious performer.
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DT593
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 1, 2004 02:16
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What I Was Hoping For
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Bought one on e-bay for about $500 total . Got a nice clean rig without any mods done to it. Seemed a bit weak on receive so found a shop manual online and tuned only the IF's and re-adjusted the S-meter. the results couldn't have made me happier. Compared to my Pro-2006, my Icom-PCR-1000, my BC-780 and my BC-895 it is just a "bit" better in regards to sensitivity than all of them (Comparisons made with a splitter going from various antennas to the R-7000 and what ever radio I was comparing it to.This seemed to be true across the entire received spectrum. No bad capacitors or bad solder joints (as of yet). I am not at all disapointed in what I got for my $500...True Quality all the way.
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