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Reviews For: ICOM IC-7100

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-7100
Reviews: 173MSRP: 1600
Description:
A new Mobile HF,VHF and UHF Tranceiver from ICOM,.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/7100/default.aspx
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
251734.4
G4RNI Rating: 2014-07-03
Better than expected but awful TX digital audio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I avoided buying an IC-7100 like the plague. I detested its sloping front and separate head with no means of attaching it to the radio body. I had stated on a number of occasions that if Icom had built it into a proper sized box I'd have retired my FT-847 and replaced it with one if only for the 4 metre band (70 MHz).

At the recent LAMFEST 2014 (Barnsley UK) I played with a 7100 on the Icom UK stand. Well, seems I could live with the sloping head after all. It's steady enough and the touch screen is quite a breeze to learn. So, I bought one...

Practically, it's very usable although I feel a short CAT5 lead could have been included so as to avoid bunching up the standard 10 feet or so. Minor point as a 1 metre or shorter screened cable can be bought for around two pounds ($3).

The inbuilt speaker performs quite well despite being small and backwards-facing. The controls feel positive and the option to select indentation on the main tuning knob is good too.

Instead of the good points and there are very many, I'll look at some of the niggles I've found.

Tuning. In the UK we use 12.5/25kHz spacing on 2 metres & 70 cm but 10kHz on 6 and 10 metres FM. The 7100 can't store these offsets per band. You select either or the other and have to change with bands. I do wish some forward thinking manufacturer would include 2.5kHz as that would fit everything even if a tad slow on the qsy.

TX audio. What on earth is that tickety-tick all about? I find it quite annoying and I'm not the one listening to it. Perhaps it would be better if the mic (HM151) had more output to help mask this gremlin. It's not too bad with my SM-8 as that has more output and the 7100 mic gain can be turned down to around 25%. The more the mic gain setting, the louder the tickety tick.

Also TX audio. The supplied HM151 whilst being full of facilities, sounds bloody awful. Huffing and puffing like an old scrapman's horse! Boxy. Just plain nasty.

DSTAR....Point to point audio is horrible. It sounds like the audio is sent through a babbling brook complete with nearby waterfall gently trickling cool, clear mountain water into the stream. Seems everything digital ISN'T better.

Still playing with it, the 7100 is a capable radio but as I'd suspected before buying, a gimmicky wireless that's more concerned with completing a mission to turn a technical hobby of investigation into a touch-screen, plug n play pastime that will allow users to "DX" over the internet.

Will I keep it? For a while at the very least. It may even grow on me.

Would I recommend it? If you want to play computer radio it's a definite YES. If you like to transmit nice audio AVOID IT. If you couldn't care less how radio works but want to push a button and talk to the world GO FOR IT.

It's the radio world equivalent of a flight simulator.
N2UBP Rating: 2014-06-25
Great for portable use, more difficult for mobile operation Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Last week I took my 7100 on a short vacation trip. As a portable base in our rented cottage the physical format of the radio worked in my favor, allowing me to place the radio in a corner adjacent to where the coax entered the building and the control head in area easily accessible to the operator. Mobile operation would have been impossible. There was no place to put the radio or control head in a modern 4 door sedan containing 3 passengers and our cocker spaniel along with the baggage carried for a one week trip. If I took a bit more time I probably could have found a temp location for the radio, however the control head would not have found a reasonable location. I suspect other mobile hams have similar issues with mobile operations. ICOM could probably make some decent profit on offering an optional control head designed for mobile use that would be an easier fit for today's vehicles. they might even be able to modify the IC-7000 head to do the job, who knows. The 7100 did perform well from my portable QTH on Cape Cod, allowing me to join in with my rag chew group. - 73, Steve, N2UBP

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Earlier 4-star review posted by N2UBP on 2014-05-03

I've owned the 7100 for a little over a month. I have no complaints about the design of the radio. The touch screen works, it does a better job receiving weak stations on 10 meters than my 746Pro. D-Star works as designed. VHF/UHF repeaters are strong as expected. VHF simplex might be a bit weaker than expected with marginal stations. On HF with the stock hand microphone my 80 meter rag chew group say my audio is the best when I side talk the microphone an inch or two away from my mouth, mic gain set at 50 percent. I found the manual a bit confusing and lacking in the D-Star arena for novice D-Star users like myself. I paired the radio up with an LDG IT-100 auto tuner which meets my needs for voice but is only rated for 30 watts digital, so this may not be the solution for everyone. I like being able to connect to my PC with USB cable instead of CI-V. The built in sound card works well with Winlink RMS Express software. No problems with an older version of HRD with defaulst set to IC-7000. As always, ICOM overcharges for their branded accessories for all their radios, this is no exception to the rule. Many of the locals in my area are fond of comparing the 7100 to the 7000. Many are afraid of the touch screen and prefer the color screen of the 7000. They also feel the 7000 has better filtering than the 7100. I don't own a 7000 so can't make an honest comparison. The built in filtering of the 7100 does the job for me. It will take me a few more months before I learn the in's and out of this radio. The only thing I miss is a second antenna connection for base use, but hey, this is a mobile/portable rig right?
ZS4N Rating: 2014-06-23
Noise on mic audio Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Great rig used daily in shack, excellent tx audio with Heil GM-5 mic, just one note, a tip tip kind op digital noise on tx audio while using standard mic as well as Heil mike, but clear with Icom SM-6 mic, the noise is present even without mic by just ptt'ing the radio, on monitor as well as recordings, and reports received from other stations, any body else experience this glitch?
AD9Z Rating: 2014-06-11
Fantastic! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I run mine mobile. It has a great receiver, noise blanker actually works, unlike some rigs out there! I've not experienced any touch screen problems at all, like others have mentioned here. I use mine, primarily on cw, some ssb. I use a little tarheel II for the antenna. It's a winner for me! :-)
WM4RB Rating: 2014-05-22
Great Radio!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this radio for a year now and I can truly say ICOM hit it out of the park with this one. It is simple to use if you read the instructions. I really like DV of HF. I have no complaints at all.

Mike, WM4RB
KE4AMQ Rating: 2014-05-22
poor Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i have had this rig for a week now, the display wont respond to anything I do to it. called icom and they act like they never heard of this problem. the price they charge they should be more helpful then that i know 5 or 6 people that also have the same radio and they are nothing but problems....icom brand what a mistake....baofeng needs to make a hf rig
WA6MOW Rating: 2014-05-21
A Winner! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I love ham gear and write a lot of reviews since I have owned many, many rigs. K3"s, KX3, FT3000, just to name a few. I'm a ham gear junky. My bench mark rig is a well aligned K2 with a wonderful receiver. I love the size and ergonomics of the 7100. It is awesome on cw. The dsp is very pleasant and the filtering and notch work great. The receiver is equal to my K2 and maybe a little better to my ears. The fan is very quiet when it does come on. The touch screen is the future of the new rigs to come. I love it. The control head is convenient to move around the desk. It has a solid stable feel. I listen to the aircraft band, 2 meters, local FM broadcast stations, dx on the AM broadcast band etc. This little box does it all. I was up and running without opening the manual and I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree. I think the 7100 is a good value considering how technologically advanced it is. I would definitely buy it again without hesitation and I am the ultimate frugal ham!
K8OCN Rating: 2014-05-20
I'm glad I purchased Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this at Dayton 2014. I was just looking for a new toy. I found this and got it for the head, it is perfect on my desk. My shack is also my office and I do a lot of paperwork for work so I don't have room for a big rig down here on the desk. I love my IC-756 Pro III but I don't use it much because its on a shelf high and to the left and kills my neck to look at it. This little control head fits just perfect under my monitors.
I have used it on 3898 (local rag chews) and I received very good audio reports. I have used it on 2 meters and works fine, D-Star was EASY to set up (I have IC-2820 and its a great rig but the D-Star is a pain to set up without a computer)
I was looking at some other reviews and they say it has a internal soundcard, I have not figured that out yet (but I will). They only thing I found strange is they did not mark on the rig itself which antenna connector is for VHR/UHF and which one is for HF. I will have to put aq sticker on the rig. I have had a 706 and a 7000 and both were marked on the rig which antenna is which. Kind of a pain finding the manual just to figure out which antenna is which.

ICOM You have a winner here!
KC7NYI Rating: 2014-04-30
outstanding Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
AFTER THREE NITES OF PLAYING AND CHECKING OUT ALL MODES, I HAVE MASTERED THE RADIO. SLOWING DOWN AT 79 1/2 WITH BAD EYES.REALLY LIKE THE TOUCH SCREEN, 2 PREAMPS, SCOPE, CLOCK AND VOICE, JUST TO SAY A FEW ITEMS.LOT MORE I .HAVENT GREAT RADIO, ICOM

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KC7NYI on 2014-04-27

STILL LEARNING. BECAUSE OF MY AGE AND EYE SIGHT, HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING FREQ IN TO THE MEMORY LIST, HELP!!!! CAN ANYONE GIVE ME THE STEPS FOR PUTTING FREQ IN TO THE MEMORY LIST. KC7NYI@MSN.COM, KEN THANK U GOT 21 SO FAR BUT 4 HOURS OF HIT AND MISS. I DAY OLD. BOISE HAM FEST HRO
KD6HUC Rating: 2014-04-28
Touchscreen is awesome! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Tired of scrolling through menus for functions that used to be a button or knob on front of rig? This radio has touch screen that makes all of that soo much easier to access. I highly recommend looking at some YOUTUBE tutorials on this rig because a picture is worth a thousand words! Did you know D-Star works on HF? Well it does,and this rig will get you into the 21'st Century for sure!The remote face seemed a bit hokey at first,but now I'm sold because the only wire I need on desk is a Cat5 and microhone cable. Everything else is out of sight and not cluttering desk. I've had a number of Icom rigs and this is the best so far.