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write your own review of the ICOM IC-7200.
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K0EX
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 20, 2010 07:04
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well-pleased !!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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i bought the IC-7200 primarily for Field Day. using it this past week in my home station has proven it to be an all-around great-performing radio. the IF-level (not audio-level!) DSP RX filtering works quite well... i am very pleased with that! the dually-adjustable Pass-Band Tuning is also great for eliminating QRM. the parameters menu is easily accessible and has relatively few entries -- most of which are "set-and-forget". it's retail price is, i think, a bit high for what one gets compared to something like the Yaesu FT-950 (which i also own). however, for a rugged grab-and-go radio that has this kind of RF performance, it can't be beat. btw, i have also owned an IC-718. if you've considered the IC-718, spend the extra money and buy the IC-7200. it is well worth the upgrade!
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ZL2GTB
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 14, 2010 14:19
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Best tx audio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Hi i dont have one of these but i have heard 3 of these ic7200 on the air they have the best tx audio of any radio i have listen to.
The only other radio that sounded as good was the ic7800 this far.
Next time you are on the air listen out for the 7200 you will be amazed.
At the end of the day you can have a radio that does all the bands and has all the features but if it doesnt have good audio then its just pointless.
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KK8ZZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 27, 2009 22:18
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Pack and Go
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had the FT-450, FT-817Nd and others and this is by far the best... really effective bandpass filtering, no filters required as with the IC-718 radios.. and the USB port makes it even more effective.. nice work Icom !!
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K7ZOV
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 27, 2009 19:36
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IC-7200 vs Ft-450 and other things
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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When trading or buying radios it probably is wise to check the specs before getting the radio instead of complaining about what the radio is missing. I had a FT-450/AT and traded it for the IC-7200 and glad I did for a lot of reasons. I want to make a point here in saying that the FT-450 is a fine radio. It has a few features lacking in the 7200, like maybe an internal 3:1 ATU which to me is a so what. I want a ATU that has some range to it. But then again the 7200 has features that, in my mind, makes it a better deal. Looking at the features of the 7200, at least to me the radio looks like a hybrid of the PRO series, IC-7000 and IC-718 and something altogether different.
The front panel is clean and simple to learn like the 718. But that is where it stops. This radio is solid and water resistant to boot and makes the 817 feel like a toy next to it. Features from the PRO series and 7000 include the same 32 bit dsp and 24 bit adc. Twin band pass filtering. Not just wide/medium/narrow filtering fixed like the 450 but all adjustable and you can make the filers sharp or soft. Also not just auto notching or manual notching but both. A much more effective AGC then found in the 450 and closer to that found in the top line in radios. And I found the noise reduction capability far better then the 450 and far better then my IC-756 classic work horse. This little radio really cleans up and pulls out signals like you would not believe. (SSB and CW). Comparing the receiver background noise without real expensive equipment is not practical so it has to be subjective. However I will say that with all the filtering in the 7200 (plus the 450 when I had it ) turned off and comparing it to my IC-756 classic (non-pro) I personally found the 7200 to be much hotter and quieter receiver then the others. That also includes other radios that I still have or traded off such as the IC-703, IC-706mkII, IC-718 FT-817 and FT-857D just to name a few.
From what I have been able to figure out ICOM really needed a field radio that would go against the FT-897D, FT-857D and FT-450 but not with too many features that would hurt the IC-718, IC-7000 and PRO class (now 7600) market. I think they did it. The radio is really nice looking , built like a tank, easy to use and really took advantage of the powerful 32 bit DSP and 24 bit adc that has made the PRO and other ICOM radios so powerful in pulling stations with user defined hooks to make the radio do what it’s owner wants and not so much what the factory feels the owner wants (i.e. FT-450)
Hope this review was useful I know I can go on longer and feel I left something important out. If I did I will be back.
73
What I forget in the last review was the USB port and how really simple and powerful computer control is with this radio as compared to others I have owned, including the FT-450/AT.
First I downloaded the driver into my Acer Aspire-One net book (and later into my main radio control computer which is a dual core Toshiba laptop). I still had Ham radio deluxe 4 so I downloaded and installed HRD 5, which supports the IC-7200. I dug out an A/B USB printer cable and plugged it in and in less then 30 minutes I was controlling the radio with HRD, running Digital master, Fldigi and Digipan with NO interface boxes and cables. All digital and coded audio all went though one no-brainer USB cable. Hoe coolis that anyway?
The FT-450 and I just noticed the super-duper FTdx5000 still have a 9 pin rs-232 cable. WHY? With both of those radio you need a computer control interface capable of RS-232 interfacing to the radio and computer and a sound interface that may or may not use the sound card but will cost at least $100.
Not with the IC-7200. Free software and a cheap USB cable and you are into PSK31/RTTY and all the other digital modes. One super great feature which for a person who really wants a digital mode radio will find this radio to be more then he could ever ask for. If you have a 7200 and have not tried using the USB port I encourage you to get a cheap cable, down load the free software and have some real fun, hassle free.
73
Harry K7ZOV
Harry K7ZOV
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W9BGX
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 27, 2009 11:22
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Excellent value for the price, easy to operate, great for clubs
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is an impressive SSB radio for the price (we paid $899.99 at AES the day after Thanksgiving). It has ultra-easy (primarily pushbutton) controls suitable for a club station having members with a wide range of operating experience. The DSP-based QRM-fighting features are comparable to those sported by radios costing much more. Particularly impressive is the twin passband tuning combined with the auto/manual notch filtering. On the transmit side, we've received unsolicited reports of excellent audio using Icom's SM-20 desk mike, a low-end mike gain setting, and a mid-range compression setting. We easily drive a Drake L-7 linear using the Ameritron ARB704 interface to do the T/R switching. Very pleased! 73, Al WA9JLV, trustee for W9BGX.
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K2TPZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 27, 2009 01:18
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Excellent Little Rig
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The first few days of use I wasn't sure I liked it. Now, after a month of use, it's the first rig I turn on. The noise blanker actually works, the notch is fantastic and the DSP is competitive with rigs two to three times the price of this rig. I am very pleased with this rig and highly recommend it.
When I purchased the rig I knew it didn't have FM or an antenna tuner. So I can't say anything negative for what I already knew. I am a 100% CW operator and this rig meets all my operating needs.
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KD7RDZI2
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Rating: 4/5
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Dec 6, 2009 13:36
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solid
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have the feel that this is a radio designed to last many years. The rx is very good for ssb. The internal speaker put in the front of the receiver is small but a very good one and I wouldn't search for other external speakers.
About the cons, it does not have an internal ATU. There is no FM as well. If you want to go beyond 6 meters using a transverter, the FM mode would have been a big plus.
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K3BO
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Rating: 3/5
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Oct 21, 2009 17:37
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Ok radio for the $
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I have had the 7200 since May 2009. Honestly, the radio sounds great. However, the roofing filtering stinks on CW. If I am listening a few KHZ below two strong (S-9+) I will hear artifacts come and go with the keying of those signals. This intermod can be cut down drastically with the Attenuator, but that will cut down the received station as well. So, for a DX chasing radio, this ain't it friends.
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N5IKG
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 23, 2009 07:47
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minimal meter
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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When I sent the radio back to Icom for the adjustments that the early models needed service was quick and the radio was returned faster than I would have guessed. I mentioned to Icom that I wasnt sure if the meters were working right as when trying to see if an antenna is adjusted I couldnt tell much from the minimal meter. I bought a seperate meter to read SWR. I have read that ICOM meters are generally minimal compared with Kenwood meters.
Compared to the 857 much easier to use, although not as compact. I regularly read the Yahoo 7200 blog which is useful information. 73s Tom
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KK7XE
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 19, 2009 15:32
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Very Nice Transciever
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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My 7200 arrived on the 18th of Sept. Did not get to use it much last night due to the fact we have lots of family visiting, but without even reading the manual, was able to check into the Montana Traffic Net without a problem. I went through the manual today. Well written, simple to follow. There are lots of reviews written on the technical aspects of a radio, summed up from various test's done with equipment that most Hams do not have access to. We are physical beings depending on our senses, sight, touch, hearing, and that truly lets us know if we enjoy a product. This little, although, not so small radio, is not in any way difficult to use. I am using it with an off center fed dipole and it works great. Very nice reciever to listen to and more than enough filtering for what you pay. One review I read said not having a built in tuner was a bad deal. Have always been a fan of outboard tuners myself, so this does not pose a problem. He also stated that you needed a TNC of some kind to hook up to the computer. I think he missed the USB Port on the back, which provides a direct link to a computer. Quite nice and simple. I use a straight key and was simple to set up and get running. It's a solid rig and has a very comfortable feel to it. It's not a $5,000 dollar radio, but it still does the same thing a 5 or 10 thousand dollar radio does. Talks around the world. I think all of the manufactures make some nice products and for a long time had been using Kenwood, but when this came out, was time to get another Icom. Very happy with my decision and it looks great next to my Palstar AT-500 Tuner. Also you can now use any of the Heil mics with the newer Icom rigs, so that makes it nice if you have a Heil mic. Just need an Icom cable. I hope this has been of help to some. Thanks for reading, God Bless.
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