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Author Topic: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered  (Read 7051 times)

K6AER

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IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« on: September 22, 2018, 06:29:13 PM »

I just got back from the Duke City Ham Fest in New Mexico and talked with the ICOM Sales Mgr. Ray Kovac (Not sure of spelling on last name). I just bought a 7200 used and ask how long they plan on producing the radio which came out in the Fall of 2008. Ray said they are close to the end of production and with limited spares they had no idea how long they could support the radio (shades of the 756 pro). I ask if they were going to produce a IC-7300 version of the great weather proof radio and he could not say.

The 7300 is a great radio but for different reasons and cannot in its present form fill the shoes of the 7200. Different weather proof DNA.

What a shame.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2018, 06:34:56 PM by K6AER »
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N8GD

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2018, 07:06:59 AM »

According to Icom's own information, only the front panel has a "measure" of water resistance: "Waterproof protection technologies that are used in Icom’ s marine radios are applied to the buttons and knobs on the front panel to provide a measure of protection against water intrusion. * IC-7200 is NOT waterproof." (from the IC-7200 brochure).  The rear panel is as open as any other Icom Amateur transceiver.  They mention standing the radio on its rear bumper with the front panel facing up to prevent water intrusion (I assume rain) from above - not an ideal position to operate the transceiver.  As far as comparison to the IC-7300, the 7300 is a far superior radio, and just because the front panel doesn't resist water, does not diminish it in any way.  I would be hard pressed to want to put ANY electronics out in areas with water splashing around, including the IC-7200.
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K6AER

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2018, 09:39:57 AM »

Greg, Your observations are partially correct.

Top and bottom covers are also gasketed with rubber seals, I do not know about the rear connections but Monday I will take mine apart when it arrives and take a look. As for the far superior 7300, it has about 10 dB better dynamic range at 4 kHz separation. Where the 7300 shines is at 2 KHz separation where the dynamic range is better than 25 dB improvement. The 7200 is not a contest radio which you would connected to a 4 element beam up high. Typical use is a dipole in the park sort of thing.

The 7200 is an analog conversion type design with DSP audio recovery it the IF stage. Remember this radio was designed in 2007.

My God look at the TS-2000 which was designed in 1999. I owned a TS-2000 and would switch between the IC-7600 and the Kenwood and never did the TS-2000 not hear the station I was working. I would have bought one for a back up radio but non were offered in my price range. The TS-2000 is still in production and is the largest production radio in ham history. There will always be better radios given an unlimited dollar point. What would be the best HF rugged radio for outdoor use for $700? You have the SRT-8, FT-450 and the IC-718. None of them come close in this dollar range to the IC-7200.

I think ICOM is shooting them self's in the foot on this one. I would rather see ICOM stop production and save critical parts for the radio that will need repair support as time goes on.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2018, 10:03:21 AM by K6AER »
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K6AER

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2018, 10:09:02 AM »

AB4OJ has a URL that shows the gasketing used on the 7200 for water protection.

http://www.ab4oj.com/icom/ic7200/int.html
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N8GD

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2018, 12:10:08 PM »

The cover gasketing is a good thing, but the rear panel is pretty much like any other Icom rig, so no real water protection there.

I do like the 7200.  I operated one that a friend of mine bought back in 2013.  He really liked it and so did I.  As you stated, it is much better than an IC-718 (a radio that a lot of folks like - but not me!).

You make a good observation: Icom should save their parts stock for future repairs to existing 7200s rather than trying to squeeze the last bit of profit from that radio.  I would suppose the bean counters want the inventory to vanish to save on inventory taxes (provided that Japan and other Asian countries where the 7200 is assembled have regressive tax systems such as ours).

Thanks for your insight into the IC-7200.  Probably the last of its breed (unless you go to an Icom HF Marine radio).
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W8JX

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2018, 04:56:47 AM »


The 7200 is an analog conversion type design with DSP audio recovery it the IF stage. Remember this radio was designed in 2007.


What is kinda "funny" is that if its design is so inferior today and rigs before it even moreso by some standards, how did ham radio even survive for 50 years and more without it?
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Ham since 1969....  Old School 20wpm REAL Extra Class..

K5LXP

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2018, 06:57:22 AM »


Often what obsoletes a product isn't the design or demand, but parts availability.  A few unobtainium parts is all it takes to bring a production line to a screeching halt.  In a perfect world everything would be made out of #8 machine screws, 2N2222's and .01 caps.  But today's equipment has likely quite a few sole-source parts and not just IC's, but passives, connectors, power transistors, flex circuits, and even mechanical hardware.  Things like processors or logic that go away are probably game over but even "simple" things that drive an assembly re-design nix the product because the updates and requalification cost more than the bean counters believe they will recoup.  So when you've got a product that runs as long as the 7200, the TS-2000 or venerable IC-706 that tells me the company has some serious reach with it's vendors in terms of component sourcing, or as I learned in the case of Icom, they often warehouse a lot of parts and keep them a very long time.  But even they will run out eventually and if they can't be gotten on the secondary/surplus market, then you're pretty much done.  A company I worked for had a product that required a particular IC that went unobtainium and ultimately they ended up buying leftover bare die from the manufacturer, and having a different company die bond and package a few hundred IC's for us.  Can only imagine what that cost but for the right product maybe worth it.  Probably not for a <$1K ham radio.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
 
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K0UA

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2018, 08:32:36 AM »


The 7200 is an analog conversion type design with DSP audio recovery it the IF stage. Remember this radio was designed in 2007.


What is kinda "funny" is that if its design is so inferior today and rigs before it even moreso by some standards, how did ham radio even survive for 50 years and more without it?

No mystery at all.  If the state of the art is a spark rig, then spark rigs are what we will have. Long live the Superhetrodyne.  It served us well for close to 100 years. We are moving on.
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73  James K0UA

N9AOP

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2018, 07:00:40 AM »

These radios could be compared to fast food joints.  One goes bust and two more open up.  I used to own a 7200 and it was not bad.  As JX said, we are moving on.
Art
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VK3BL

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2018, 09:05:20 PM »

Icom currently doesn't have a replacement to the IC-7200.  It was actually discontinued some time ago but brought back, presumably due to demand.

I suspect a similar radio such as an SDR 'IC-7210' will take its place; even today it is my radio of choice for hostile locations, e.g. operating on a beach.

Full USB connectivity, 100w and waterproofing; what more can one ask?
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J.D. Mitchell BA  - VK3BL / XU7AGA - https://www.youtube.com/ratemyradio - Honesty & Integrity

K7LZR

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2018, 08:03:54 PM »

I've bought, used, sold no less than 5 IC-7200 radios over the last 10 years.....couldn't seem to make up my mind whether or not I wanted one for my forever radio. I liked it, especially the receiver and the fact that nearly every feature is CAT controllable. One of my IC-7200s was used as an HF remote base on a 70cm repeater here for a long time and never missed a beat.

Bummer to see it discontinued but used ones are plentiful, and the IC-7200 has proven itself to be quite reliable as far as I know.

Writing is definitely on the wall though for the traditional superhet way of doing things. Embedded SDR technology is taking over because its much cheaper to produce, almost infinitely adaptable to most interop needs, and easier to add new features.

But if you buy a new IC-7200 today, it will likely give you many years of trouble free service :)       
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N5PG

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2018, 09:33:33 PM »

Doesn't the "CE" mean that it must be supported for 10 or 12years ?
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VA3VF

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2018, 08:45:10 AM »

It was actually discontinued some time ago but brought back, presumably due to demand.

I don't know if demand was the driver for its return, but the first time it was discontinued, it was due to parts availability. I recall reading that ICOM had found substitutes for the part/s needed.

I'm curious to know how the IC-718 is still around, while the IC-7200 is gone. Does the IC-718 use standard, run of the mill, parts only?

Another ICOM equipment affected by parts availability was the IC-R75. For a number of years before being discontinued, it did not include synchronous detection as in the early years.

« Last Edit: October 05, 2018, 08:52:44 AM by VA3VF »
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KS2G

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #13 on: October 06, 2018, 05:51:08 AM »


The TS-2000 is still in production...

Production finally ended a month or two ago:
TS-2000 series (Production completed product)
http://www.kenwood.com/jp/products/amateur/hf_allmode/ts_2000/

 ;)
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JAZZMAN

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RE: IC-7200 Days Are Numbered
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2018, 04:07:56 PM »

Oh no I love that radio. 
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