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write your own review of the Icom IC-718.
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N8ERM
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Rating: 1/5
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Nov 21, 2009 11:12
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Save your $$$$$
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought this with the promise I could return it if I was not satisfied. I guess if you compared the receiver with a tin can and a string it was better. I had this hooked up and compared it with one of the HeathKit HW8 QRP rigs. The HeathKit HW8 rx was much better on all bands. This one is a thumbs down, needs a LOT of help.
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KB4LGM
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 30, 2009 14:03
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Good little rig , Simple and easy
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I got this radio off this site on a whim. The 718 is a light weight next to my IC-735. However, I enjoy using the radio a great deal. The receiver is quiet and easy on the ears thru the SP-3 speaker I have. I us an SM-8 mike and the 718 responds great to it. Audio reports have been excellent. Only 2 draw backs are it uses a mechanical relay for switching, All be it that scheme work well. The other is this is a strictly menu driven rig. Some settings ICOM deemed set and forget are some that hams like to change a lot. Overall this is a great little radio and in todays market a good value used as a beginners radio.
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KB0KYV
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 26, 2009 03:50
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Best HF Rig I Have...
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've owned this radio for a number of years and this is by far the best and most reliable HF rig I've owned. Receive sensitivity rivals my first receiver, the famed Drake R4B. With the DSP module that came free, my IC-718 receiver gives me an edge I never had with my beloved Drake. If the transmitter could only give me 200 Watts out Like my old T4XB I'd be in heaven... (No, I'm not about to mod anything...)
The transmitter handles high duty cycles with ease, unlike my IC-735. I can operating CW at full power without fear, and I can operate PSK at higher power levels than I would ever dare with my IC-735.
I recommend the Heil mike that's designed for Icom radios to get really great audio reports from the IC-718. It's been a great addition to my station.
I just feel sorry for you guys that have to pay so much for this rig now days. I bought it new for a little over $500 a few years ago. What happened with the price? Did Icom figure out what a good radio they had and decided they could gouge a little more out of us?
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AB5NX
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 22, 2009 13:21
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great radio for the money
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Bought this on line from a retired policeman.Paid 430.00.Has DSP installed and I feel it helps a lot.I have modified it to do 200 watts output.I make a lot of contacts on ssb.It hooked up to my pc with ease and has made logging a breeze.A very simple and easy radio to operate on.I did have a problem with feed back in the shack but that was my fault,the antenna was only 20 feet away,moved it to 30 feet and have had no further problems.For the money it's a good radio.As with all modifications there are risks so be aware and be careful.I have all Icom in the shack and would not trade any of it. Dennis
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W5GNB
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Rating: 1/5
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Oct 9, 2009 20:23
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Not Impressed.....
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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The IC-718 is probably a good rig for the operator that operates SSB ONLY but for the CW or Digital modes, it really has a terrible receiver.
It is very Noisy, the AGC control is really poor and there are no adjustments to change anything on the AGC.
I am running with the 500hz CW filter and have the DSP unit installed, it should be about as good as it gets.
I guess I am just spoiled after years of using Ten-Tec gear for CW and digital modes.
I think I will go back to Ten-Tec and pay the Extra bucks for a GOOD rig.....
This rig has been enough of the ICOM stuff for me folks!!
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AC7PN
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Rating: 0/5
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Oct 6, 2009 15:17
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It's bad and ICOM will not fix it!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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So I talked my father WA0FHJ into this IC-718. We have had a QSO every Tuesday for years and his 1959 Collins S-line has occasional down days when relay contacts need burnishing or vacuum tubes replacing and anyway I thought he would have fun trying a modern rig. Initially the IC-718 worked fine and the sound of it was very good. Better than the Collins owing to the S-line's very narrow transmit bandwidth.
But then the IC-718 developed a bad habit of having a carrier on all the time. I could hear it when slightly mistuned as a zero beat and he could see it show on his forward power meter. It was like the mode was set to AM but there is no LSB just the USB plus a high level carrier. If he turns the power off and then on, then the carrier is gone for a while. It is now to the point that he has to cycle the power on and off 3 times in a 30min QSO to quiet the carrier. It is a digital thing, the carrier is either present or not present. There is no in-between.
So it has been back to ICOM to fix and they said there is nothing wrong with it. I think there is an input to a CMOS gate that is floating but the boys at ICOM just wanted to blow smoke up our ass with some BS about "feedback in the shack". Common, there is only the mike input, the power supply wires and the coaxial cable for the antenna. Anyway, the round trip with the ICOM shop time and shipping came to $120 and the rig is still bad.
His set up is clean. Excellent grounding and a perfect SWR with the antenna on a tower in the yard. The power supply is solid as a rock. I've been there to check it all out. There is no more feedback in his shack than any other shack in the world.
So now I guess the only thing to do is to throw the unit in the garbage and buy him a different radio. It wont be an ICOM next time.
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KE4EX
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 30, 2009 13:47
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Bang for the buck !!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I really like the little jewel. A real plug and play transceiver. Inside I have the DSP unit, voice module and a filter. I use her on primarlly on CW, PSK Digital SSTV.
Operated by laptop into a completely tuned system. I feed the IC-718 thru 100 ft. of RG 8 coax burred in PVC pipe into a 6BTV with 20 radials at the side of my apple orchard. I have no problem working anything I hear. In short the little rig dose a really great job.
Operation is so simple, a cave man can do !!
O’my, Ghezz, were have I heard that before. I nearly sold once but decided no. I use it for field-day and loaner. Loaned it out once to a fella’ his 920 was in the shop, later to discover he got himself one also. After all is said and done it boils down to how well do you hear me and how well I hear you.
Besides, my Big brother Icom’s like the little falla’ around.
72 I O U one
de ke4ex
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KC6RHE
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 30, 2009 12:06
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Solid Radio
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I bought this radio after I upgraded to General, It works great and does everything it supposed to. I have made alot of contacts with it on 80 / 40 / 20 and some DX on 17. I have a 40 meter home made dipole with a MFJ-929 ATT. for the price you get a simple and easy to use radio.
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WA2ART
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 29, 2009 09:29
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really sweet!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've had a number of rigs through the years. Most recently a Kenwood TS 930s - a really wonderful CW rig as that's my mode 95% of the time. Some people would call me nuts for selling the Kenwood to buy the 718 but I did it and haven't looked back. Even without any CW filter installed (that's coming soon) I find it does just about what the Kenwood does and then some. The "then some" is referring to rig control for logging. This is such a sweet radio. Nice large display, easy menu, reliable and doesn't add an elephant's weight to my desk. It's a total pleasure at such a great price too.
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N3OQD
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 24, 2009 07:46
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Simple yet quite effective
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had this set for about 2 years now. I like it very much. I am not sure why the zero review a few posts back. I have a very simple 60 foot end fed wire antenna using an Ameritron ATR-15 antenna tuner. I am even on the "taboo" third floor of an apartment of which is said to be difficult or next to impossible to do. Yet, everyone that hears me say that the radio has very good TX audio even using my AL-811. I even tried 160 meters a few times (of which is supposed to be impossible with my setup) and STILL did well. I even had someone on the other end use a spectrum analizer at one point and the radio was decent (with and without amplifier on). Now, if I had cranked the internal RF power control pot to higher power, then I would probably not only cause splatter but also lose the 100% duty cycle rating of the radio. In this I left it untouched. Anyway that is the TX portion and now for the RX. You know, for me audio quality is just as important as receiver performance itself. This is the aspect that makes ANY set pleasantly listenable for hours at a time without wearing your hearing down. When connected to an external Hi Fi speaker, it sounds natural and unrestricted. Now as far as reception itself, it does rather well. One last thought. Back in the 40's and 50's remember how much those sets cost new? (now calculate inflation). Now remember that those sets DID NOT have all the features of modern day sets either and that you didn't have to worry about tubes wearing out and drift issues. Hmmm. A dollar today is worth about 1/10 of what it was then. Could you find a (then) new tranceiver for about 60 bucks?
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