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Author Topic: What would be the best selling radio of all time?  (Read 1414 times)

PY2JF

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What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« on: October 18, 2022, 06:34:52 PM »

I heard or read somewhere, I don't remember where, that Icom's IC-7300 was the best-selling radio in history. Could this be true? And if not, what would have been the best-selling transceiver? I imagine some contemporary model, since nowadays the number of radio amateurs is much higher.

73 from PY2JF
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K4QE

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2022, 07:00:23 PM »

Over 11,000 Heathkit HW-101s were sold.  I think the IC-7300 has a long way to go...
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W9AC

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2022, 07:14:58 PM »

The 1970s Yaesu FT-101 series would rank near the top in global sales.  That would include suffix B, E, EE, and EX. 

Paul, W9AC
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K4LIX

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2022, 07:24:46 PM »

My guess would be the IC-706, all three models, I heard over a million were sold, mostly to the 11 meter crowd, especially the truck drivers, they used them with the mobile Henry SS-500 and SS-750 amplifiers and the SCG tuners and antennas made for mobile use.
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KF4HR

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2022, 08:07:06 PM »

The IC-7300 is a big seller but there have been many reasonably priced big sellers over the years, many Heathkit models, Kenwood TS-520, TS-530, TS-830, etc.  Back in the 70's I remember the ICOM IC-701 being a big seller, then the IC-706 series, IC-7000, and numerous other ICOM models.  And of course the very successful Yaesu Ft-101 series, and many other Yaesu models. 
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KI4VEO

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2022, 11:05:01 PM »

Most likely, not the most favorite, but I really enjoy my Yaesu FT-102 station,driving my Heath Kit SB-1000, and my Heath Kit SA-2060a, modified using a Balun Designs 4: 1 current balun
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G3RZP

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2022, 02:50:01 AM »

In terms of receivers, the National HRO would win. Considering it got copied by the Australians, Germans, Japanese and some say the Russians, as well as National having been told  by the US Navy after Pearl Harbor "Keep making HROs until we tell you to stop". Other contenders would be the RAF R1155 receiver and associated tx, the T1154 and the RCA AR88 receiver. After some of the more disastrous for Bomber Command raids, there could be as many as 100 bombers shot down in one night. There were a lot of R390A receives built as well - I don't know how many thousand, but there were an awful lot of them! At the end of the Vietnam war, the US Army and Marine Corps were down some 480,000 tactical VHF radios.
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W2UIS

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2022, 04:31:33 AM »

Icom IC-2AT 2 meter HT, 500,000+ as of December 1987 (See CQ Magazine December 1987).
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Short-Wave/archive-73-idx/idx/80s/73-magazine-12-december-1987-OCR-Page-0020.pdf
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KC9BUH

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2022, 07:00:09 AM »

the one that you buy
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G8FXC

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2022, 07:07:11 AM »

The 1970s Yaesu FT-101 series would rank near the top in global sales.  That would include suffix B, E, EE, and EX. 

Paul, W9AC
It would be interesting to get the sales numbers for the FT-101. The effective price when it was on the market was the equivalent of more than $5,000 today, so not really comparable with the IC7300 - more expensive in real terms than a modern day FTdx101MP or IC7610...

Martin (G8FXC)
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KD2HCU

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2022, 07:15:26 AM »

I think that at some time in the future the sales record will probably go to the Baofeng uv5 series of HT's.  Everyone I know has one or several, not that they are very good but they are cheap and they do work.
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K5LXP

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2022, 07:26:24 AM »

I know there were a lot of Icom 735's out there but my vote would probably be the 706 series.  Up there in longevity would be the Yaesu FT-60, that thing's been in production a long time.  Wouldn't surprise me to learn that the UV5R and variants would end up being the winner in sheer numbers, heck you see pictures of ISIS terrorists sporting UV5R's, they're everywhere.  I have at least half a dozen of them.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
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AI5BC

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2022, 07:54:36 AM »

Apple Iphone period.
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N4MJG

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2022, 08:51:55 AM »

FT 102 AND 897D  BIG SELLER the Ft 102 is abit heavy and great rig it was gave to  me on my birthday jan 6 the ft has no micorphone when it was gaven to me have hunt me a new  mic to go with ! i had behiner b-1 sould had kept it but needed a better mic for ft 102 i have 802 mixer to go with it ! need to find due to my recent stroke i can't climb or anything ! but will find it one day ! anyway i love ft 897D  brought it new from Dayton ohio i still have it now with 500 hz cw filter go with it ! and plan on keep it the 897D

73
Jackie
N4MJG
SKCC 7305 SINCE 2005
NAQCC 5233
OMISS 11548
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JACKIE GREEN

W9WQA

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Re: What would be the best selling radio of all time?
« Reply #14 on: October 19, 2022, 11:02:47 AM »

well, now that that is settled...
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