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| Reviews Summary for Icom IC-718 |
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write your own review of the Icom IC-718.
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LU5DDX
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 16, 2008 13:00
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mejor de lo que parece
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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the equipment has an incredible receiver for its range, dsp is limited since it is in optional high frequency and, the sound is pleasant and works to full to power without problem. a exelente equipment to begin greetings Jorge
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2E1RDX
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Rating: 5/5
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May 17, 2008 14:24
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Love it !!!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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this is my 3rd IC-718 and I love it
It's all the better for having the DSP unit fitted set it to no 4 it removes all the background hash without distorting the audio
Always excellent audio reports from the standard mic and very sensitive receiver this radio also has the narrow ssb filter fitted which helps a little all in all fantastic value and this time a keeper
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N8EB
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Rating: 5/5
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May 13, 2008 08:47
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Final Follow-up...
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought a brand new 718 right after getting my general ticket and having a bad experience with a used rig I bought at a hamfest. I didn't want another experience with someone else's old junk, and the 718 was the cheapest new rig I could find.
I just bought a new HF/UHF/VHF rig and had to let my 718 go to pay for it. While I love my new rig - Yaesu 897D - I am kind of sorry to see my 718 go.
I had never planned on keeping the 718 for too long, just long enough to figure out what I wanted in an HF rig and then upgrade. My IC-718 did so many things well that it stayed in my shack for over 3 years.
It is not the best at any one thing, but did everything reasonably well - a great starter rig for a new ham or a great back up rig. Easy to set up and operate, and it just keeps humming along. You can't go wrong wit this rig, especially at the price!
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VK5FRAQ
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Rating: 5/5
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May 11, 2008 04:32
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Great Value For Money
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Time owned: months
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I have owned my IC-718 for 2 mths now and find it to be easy to programe and use
Some say it is not an entry level rig but I beg to differ the inital setup was well laid out and in sequence the quick setup is the same
The only gripe I have is that the manual is a little vauge at times but thats it
Great Rig Great price and very user friendly
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GM4SLV
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Rating: 5/5
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May 2, 2008 16:29
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Value for money personified
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've read all the reviews of this great little HF transceiver and guess I should add my voice to the overwhelming concensus "this is a great radio for the price".
I am a professional RF engineer, so I can read and understand lab reports, as well as replicate them myself. Admittedly the IC718 is not the best performing (in the lab) radio you can buy, but most of us can't afford the ridiculous prices of the "high end" radios that tempt us from the pages of QST or RadCom every month.
I have put it through its paces on the test bench and in the shack, and for the price payed I've been amazed at the quality and versitility of the radio.
My main reason for buying was to get a second general coverage receiver to use on the 500kHz experimental allocation in the UK. My main receiver is an AR7030, which is rightly held to be an excellent receiver. The IC718 is easily as sensitive, has shown no intermod on HF or MF and is a joy to use, in stark contrast to the AR7030, with its quirky ergonomics - the AR7030 is a fine piece of test equipment but not the best receiver for day to day use on the amateur bands.
On the IC718 I fitted an INRAD 250HZ CW filter and have used it in RX mode for many cutting edge weak signal 500kHz MF contacts (alongside a homebrew CW transmitter), and for MF NDB reception.
Recently I've used it in it's more usual mode of amateur band transceiver. My preferred mode is (and always has been) CW and it's a good performer in this role. Much more competent than the IC706IIG that I had previously. I have a K2 (QRP CW only version) and for CW operating the K2 is the better rig, but I've never found a signal that the K2 can hear that the the IC718 can't.
On SSB the IC718 is perfectly adequate too - easy to use and a worthy performer.
The build quality is impressive - a lovely cast chassis, lots of space on the the RF filter board for real sized components, nothing is shrunk to its minimum size to make a tiny "shack-in-a-box".
It does have some faults, but they still don't detract from the overall impression of 5/5, but I'll mention them, to show I'm not blinkered or biased.
1) Ultimate rejection of IF filtering is poor. With both the stock SSB filter or the INRAD 250Hz filter it is possible to hear strong signals well off tune. Close in to the filter skirts they disappear, but well off tune they are audible as high pitched artifacts. This gives the impression, on a very busy band, of activity and noise. The same symptoms were evident in the IC706IIG I had, so perhaps it's a function of the IF architecture?
2) The shape factor of the stock SSB filter is poor, such that USB and LSB have vastly different tonal qualtities. This is only really evident when swapping quickly between sidebands. It doesn't affect the readbility of signals using either USB or LSB, but the effect is more pronounced than I was expecting.
3) The S-meter is useless for meaningful signal comparison. It is slow to read at first and then shoots up towards S8, with intervening steps of approx. 2-3dB/S point. No real problem in real life, but it precludes using the S-meter as a serious piece of test equipment.
4) The AGC can't be turned off, as others have mentioned. This is not a serious flaw for normal operation, but precludes using the receiver as piece of test equipment - perhaps using test equipment or software to measure audio level, as an analogue of input RF level.
In normal use it's possible to overcome the problems in the AGC system by manual adjustment of RF gain to make signals comfortable to listen to, without AGC pumping etc. Having grown up with real radios I can happily use the RF and AF gain controls to make signals pleasant to listen to.
I can't agree that the receiver is noisy or poor in performance.
I love the 1Hz tuning steps for CW. With an external 10Hz bw audio filter it's possible to do some serious CW work (very weak NDB chasing on the MF bands etc.)
On transmit the CW full break-in is less obtrusive than some other rigs I've used -the relay clunking is fairly quiet, but it's still best to stick to semi break-in instead.
I have had several unsolicited good reports of audio quality, with the built in speak compressor, on SSB.
If you want a transceiver to use for anything that takes your fancy on HF: chuck it in the car or take it to field day, etc.... then you can rely on the sturdy little IC718 to fulfil your needs.
John,
GM4SLV
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HI8HH
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Rating: 5/5
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May 2, 2008 14:38
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Exelent prime entry first radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The 718 is the most complete radio, for a reasonable price, that you can get.If you install the W4RT filters, then you have a real winner.It is easy to program ( a plus for the 60Mts. channels)and operate.User friendly and all of the controls are well identified and easy reach.I have mine for over three years now, and very happy with it.What makes a top performer radio is not the "bells and whistles",but the user friendly features. Here the 718 is THE real winner.
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AB2TC
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Rating: 5/5
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May 2, 2008 11:30
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Unequalled value at the price
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have been using the IC-718 for over three years and yet I never got around to writing a review for Eham. But a few recent unfair reviews have prompted me to come to the defense of this little gem of a radio. The "flaws" pointed out by NT6S are well known in the user community, but to almost everybody they are just minor nuisances that detract very little from the enjoyment of the radio.
His claim that the radio is "noisy" is simply untrue. I have recently purchased an Elecraft K3, mostly because I have a serious problem with power line noise and the noise blanker in the K3 takes care of that - the one in the 718 does not. Truth is that the 718's noise floor is slightly lower than the K3's as evidenced in tests by ARRL and Sherwood labs. In practice it makes no difference, except possibly on 10m when the band is very quiet (as now).
The stock SSB filter is fairly decent and most definitely not wide as a barn door. Ergonomically the radio is excellent, for instance the tuning knob is second to none and certainly superior to the one that comes with the K3. The auto notch filter in the 718 is excellent, again much better than the one in the K3.
I would recommend this radio anytime - I am certainly keeping my 2nd IC-718 for taking places, like out on the deck on nice summer days. BTW resale price on these are excellent - the ultimate proof of an excellent reputation. Lots of people have two, another sign of high user satisfaction.
And comments on the air are always positive.
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PE1NPG
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 29, 2008 01:48
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100% agree with VR2CH
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I fully agree with the last comment. No, it's not a full feature DX supermachine, but for it's price its packed with all the features you REALLY need.
IMHO the only setback is the AGC issue.
So if you want a TRX for everyday use, this is it. IF you want 4% extra options for that rare DX contact, please spend 10 times the basic price of this rig...
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VR2CH
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 28, 2008 23:45
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Doing its duty well
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Being in the hobby for a long time, I found there is always a better QTH, better antenna, transceiver, tower, amplifier….. etc. Yes, there are many better radios than the 718. But in real life operating, most found the IC-718 will handle 96% of all the SSB QSOs for a given antenna and power level at most of the times whereas the current top rig will do say 98-99% only at certain times.
For some devoted hams that spend 40 hours plus a week in front of the radio, they should buy the best equipment they can afford because they don’t want to miss any actions. The IC-718 is not suitable for them. For hams like me who spends a couple of hours a week, the basic IC-718 is perfect – that 1-3% will be missed anyway but I get 96% that come across. How can I find the justification for spending 2-10 times more money for overdoing a hobby?
I’m a happy owner of the IC-718, which is a basic radio for doing basic QSO. The radio is doing well what it was DESIGNED TO DO and I don’t find any defects. I give it a 5 for the 96% satisfaction, not the 1-3% dissatisfaction.
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COUNTERACT
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 28, 2008 05:35
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ICOM should come out with an "IC-770"
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I agree with Harry, WE1X, and I have also been a multiple owner of the 718. Not to repeat anything already said about the 718, I think ICOM is Loooong overdue in upgrading the 718. They should come out with let's say an "IC-770", and re-design all the flaws of the 718. As far as calling Any radio a "beginner's radio", I don't think so. It's strictly what the buyer's are looking for in a radio. It is a "Good" (4/5) radio, but not a "Great" (5/5) radio considering it's drawbacks. Hey ICOM, I'll fall out of my chair if you actually come out with updated version of the 718 called the IC-770...
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