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Reviews For: ICOM IC-7610

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

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-7610
Reviews: 117MSRP: 3300. USD
Description:
NEW ICOM HF Radio IC-7610
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/7610/default.aspx
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
44.51174.5
W9BB Rating: 2023-02-18
NICE Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Nice radio, does everything well, is simple to use, small learning curve, pretty much plug-and-play. It's not an Anan or a flex, what I mean is the displays aren't the same not even close. Besides that, the radio works and let's face it most radios today have their own selling points. Overall nice radio if you like Icoms you will like the IC-7610
KB9NGX Rating: 2023-02-17
Effective and enjoyable Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The overall quality of this unit includes the effective implementation of its features. Accessed through a logically planned interface. Making its leading performance very easy to use. Its thoroughly enjoyable audio, makes this rig completely available - devoid of time limits.

For me, the difference from my previous rig (Kenwood TS-590SG) is the stark contrast between having to grudgingly tolerate the process, with effort to stay 'active'. And now the enjoyment in being active, is including the process. A remarkable turn-around in enjoyment of my Hobby.

It should be included (here): Addressing the cost difference between my previous rig, and the IC-7610; the enjoyment that I had experienced for many years of operating, was absent from my previous rig. That rig represented a good value in hardware. But its execution as a Transceiver, was too lacking in fundamental ways. It took effort to tolerate, in order to get use from that purchase.

For me, any hobby requiring that degree of tolerance in its pursuit, does not provide enough relief from the 'everyday'. In fact, had it not been for, not wanting to lose touch with those Hams whom I had conversed with for over 20 years. I would have very quickly found my previous rig, on its own, was wasted money. Indeed, I would have been better off with an older, used rig. For addressing the needed qualities.

The Icom IC-7610 was well worth my money. Once again, allowing appreciation of what I knew to be available in my hobby. But was for too long being curtailed, by my supposedly 'cost-effective', previous newly purchased rig.
DL4QB Rating: 2023-02-17
What could be better Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my IC 7610 for about 2 years now and I am thrilled! What more could you want?
All USB interfaces available and plugnplay usable. In addition, 2 completely self-sufficient VFOs. The device leaves me absolutely no wishes unfulfilled.

Switch on, no waiting time and it runs.

What I as CW OM very much appreciate are adjustable filters down to 50 Hz. I lack nothing, but also nothing at all on the device and would buy it again at any time. For me it is very reliable and easy to use.

Would I buy it again? Yes, and without hesitation!
VK3ZAZ Rating: 2022-10-16
Initial experience Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This review based on data mode only not any other mode.
And weak signals only using data.....ok?
Radio is great on cw and works with pw1 in that manner.


Glitch number 1.
The inordinate amount of time to set up usb interface to this radio imo!
Based on the yaesu ease of interface.i
No presets yet like 9700 and DX10 but then ft8 was in its infancy when this was designed based on psk/rtty/cw inbuilt decoder..

Glitch number 2.
Using very same i7 HP laptop that talked to my 2000D, after setting up on 28 mhz ft8 as I could hear data there, imagine my surprise when activating WSJT the ten metre waterfall went up 3db and was filled with hash.
Turn off the program (not the computer) the hash disappeared.
Tried it on 20m more hash double that on 10.
Changed USB lead no joy.
Changed laptop down to an i5 Aldi running off a 12v supply, much better.
Conclusion high speed data 19200 radiating into rx from USB line and or port unsure.
But you don’t see hash on a nearby rx connected to another antenna.
Common mode rejection issues?

Dropped speed to 9600 and vhf usb leader from mouser $30 solved it..

Glitch number 3.
Every time I transmit on 40 ssb with another radio, the old I 5 laptop loses the radio and audio, requiring power down reset.
Works just fine on FT991a using same laptop and lead, now filled with

Solution turn on USB inhibit command under connectors.

Glitch 4.
This was funny except it’s not because it’s two way, you tx into a dummy load on port 1 I imagine you will radiate micro watts over port 2, I could be wrong.

Saw signals on ten metres ft8 only to discover that was on open antenna port 2.
Cross talk between ant 1 and 2 30 dB maybe..

Reported by others no solution..

Glitch 5.
The total erroneous and confusing tube videos showing how to set one of these up including don’t touch nothing, so adjust everything.
If I keep this unit I will and my two bits worth just to confuse more.
Main thing is use address 98h.

Yes 98h usb 1 and 9600 only combo that works out of 6 factorial variations.

And ten meg reference can’t tell difference but if you use one it has to be on...leave it off no fall back to internal radio just does not go obviously..


Read the Warning from iCom NOT to use a civ level converter or else risk damaging radio/amp or both

Update after seven days.
Support for combining the 7610 to the pw1 was non existant.
Solution..
Hex address must be 98h on wsjt and us 54h on pw1.
SYNC it as per handbook.
Speed must be 9600 NOT 19200
7610 has two USB ports.
USE USB 1 near audio jacks
Set speeds to 9600 in radio settings for USB and CIV.
Load drivers.
Check out each port details..
Use the com port by going to
System properties/details/device details if the hex number ends in a B it’s usb 2 do not use.
If comm port details end in an A it’s usb 1 USE.

Read icoms description of civ porting.
Read icoms pw1 handbook
Read icoms advanced 7610 handbook.
Now read how to sync pw1.
Push input one and power up.
Power up 7610
Turn dial until I put one light stops flashing.
Synced, turn off pw1 and radio.
Turn back on..
So sync pw1..
Set up wsjt to comm port you identified as A
and connect it via shielded high quality USB lead to 1.
Set speeds to 9600
Set wsjt to 7610.
Test ptt green light.
Set setup to CAT
Green light?
Set radio up to Data2 usb. From ACC.
Enter
Radio should click over to selected band and mode.
Cross check.. select any band on 7610
Computer should follow suit
If not check again.
Pw1 MUST follow radio or else it will not swap settings as you change bands and you will screw it if you rx.
Only radio and pw1 can live on the CIV connection nothing else.
The 7610 is not downward compatible be warned..
Ends


Final ps
On six metres using same antenna the signals decoded on the yaesu ftdx10 are 1dB in snr better than the 7610.
Which puts 7610 on par with ftdx101.
So in order of six m performance decoding ft8 on the paths.
Ftdx10
Equal 7610/ftdx101
Ft2000/ic7300/ft 991a
Ftdx5000/ft950.







F5NZY Rating: 2022-08-21
Highly recommended... Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
It has been about 6 months since I acquired the IC-7610.
Before buying it, I had the chance to try it at a neighboring OM and friend, Pascal F6DFY.
I am really happy with this transceiver which in terms of performance and ergonomics, meets most of my needs.
It's a transceiver perfectly suited for fast and efficient traffic, as well as for Contest.
As an example, recently, during a contest (CW), there was an EU station that arrived 599+10dB and 200Hz lower, a VE4 station that arrived 529.
I was able to contact the Canadian station very easily, the TRX discrimination being excellent.
Excellent QSK, as well, with diodes for TX and fast relay reed for RX.
The APF is very effective in improving the signal to noise ratio without any bell-like effect.
The audio quality is excellent and allows you to listen for hours without getting tired.
Sometimes we hear that the 7610 would be two 7300s.
Having had an IC-7300 for several years, I can assure you that this is totally inaccurate.
If like me you like the QRP, the RF power can be reduced to 0.1w to full 110w (20m).
Enjoy!
73 de Steph, F5NZY.
N7KM Rating: 2022-03-06
Enjoyable! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I picked this radio up about two years ago from a ham who for some reason didn’t like it. I’ve owned several ICOM radios and always enjoyed them. I have a Kline which has been, and is, a superb radio and it’s not going anywhere. The more I use the 7610 the more it has become my go to radio. It’s taken awhile get it setup just right but now it’s smooth as silk. I thought I had the screen retention problem then discovered the previous owner had changed one default screen setting, when I switched that and it’s beautiful. To make a long story short. I’m a very active CW rag chew op and and I’m involved with a large SSB traffic net as control station. This radio is a workhorse and an engineering masterpiece. It’s a joy to use. I’m still discovering what it can really do.
K7NG Rating: 2022-01-26
Pretty darn good radio. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I dearly love(d) my Ten Tec Orion, but it appears that components made of unobtanium are making it an excessive challenge to keep on the air. So I went out to find a replacement. I chose the IC-7610.

I find that it has a few 'wowee, gee whiz' features but really I am interested in operating CW in contests and DX pileups, plus digital modes in casual situations... and ease of operation, ergonomics, and basic performance specs are of more interest.

....Good:
Control of the RX filters. Three stored values of which the parameters may be adjusted.

The noise reduction is great, and works very well in CW mode, which in my experience is the exception.

CW QSK TX is quite adequate. I don't send fast enough to bump my head against the QSK limitations some folks have griped about, I guess.

The CW audio boost is NOT as good as the Orion, though it works somewhat. This with the NR does get some pretty rough signals up to good-copy status.

The SSB TX seems to be very clean and bright sounding, according to on-air checks I've made.

I do like the I/Q output which interfaces to HDSDR. Heck of a band scope. At least in my configuration, I only get radio HDSDR control of frequency. Not mode, and no sub-rx marker or anything. I don't know if this is 'normal' or if I'm doing something wrong. For general band watching I haven't any complaints other than I never liked the way HDSDR looks.

.... Not as good (IMHO)
I wish I had a single button to push to bring the manual notch function into operation.

I'm not particularly impressed with the performance of the noise blanker.

The 'Digi-Sel' preselector is probably nice if you're in a multi-multi contest operation or field day, or have a lot of high-power hams living down the block, but it didn't have any discernable positive effect in my situation through a couple of contests I dabbled in.

- update -
Let's not talk about the display problem seen in early production radios. It's over and done with. Newer radios don't have it.

I learned a lot in the last several years about how to get the most out of the IC-7610, and I more than ever find it hard to believe how good a performer it is in the receive arena.
SDR opens up a whole new vista of enjoyment on the bands.
I have even entered several of the ARRL FMTs (Frequency Measuring Tests) with it and using just the internal standard have gotten into the 'winners circle' (1 Hz or better accuracy) more than once.
I have compared the transmitter performance (noise and IMD) to a number of other radios and it's near the top of the heap there too - if the heap is other radios with 12V finals.

I am a very satisfied 7610 user.
IK0YKM Rating: 2022-01-11
Outstanding radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great radio, easy to use (like all Icoms) and beautiful design. Excellent preselectors and filters. Connected to a linear amplifier, it doesn't make me miss the other equipment I have. This radio, together with the IC 7300, constitutes Icom's winning move.
I am also very satisfied with the quality / price ratio.
Henry
N2DTS Rating: 2021-10-05
Very nice gear... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I really like this radio, its easy to use, and it works well overall. Four things are lacking in my book:
1 antenna tuner is limited in range,

2 Audio is limited in response, lows on RX and highs on TX,

3 The way the agc works brings up background noise a lot, the RF gain helps some...

4 the mouse can not click on options, it would be much more useful to pick settings and options then signals but they restrict its operation to the scope only.

Overall, the radio is a joy to use, what audio there is is clean and good sounding and the 200 Hz cutoff helps with high frequency hearing loss somewhat, but that should be optional, not mandatory.
The display is top notch, the band scopes fast and detailed, enough buttons in the right places make the radio easy and fun to use.
Like the 7300, the 7610 modulates ok on AM, with a slight amount of digital grunge on the signal at full power, some sort of AGC artifact I think.
Not that good for the AM or essb guys with its limited fidelity on RX and TX.

The dual RX is nice, I can watch 80 and 40 meters at the same time and just hit the change button to switch between them.

Close strong signal reject seems very good while control of that is not as easy as a real computer based sdr where you can drag the filter around on the screen with the mouse, Icom does not give you a filter overlay or the ability to control it.
Flex gives you filter knobs and the overlay to allow you to move the passband just past the signal you do not want to hear on their M models which is easy and effective. Icom gives you dual passband knobs and no overlay which just makes it guesswork.

Overall, Icom got more right then wrong and for all the features the radio has its a good buy at the current price.


WX3B Rating: 2021-10-04
A Masterpiece, A radio anyone can enjoy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After several decades of mostly Yaesu ownership, I purchased several Icom IC-7610's for use at my station. The first thing that surprised me was the easy to use touch screen user interface!! This radio is a joy to learn and use, and the important menus and functions can be "guessed" without ever opening the well written user manual. The second impression I got was how REMARKABLY quiet and precise the receiver is. Half of my operating in SSB, the other half is CW. The 7610 a very flexible radio and you can tailor the filtering and dozens of other parameters to make the radio uniquely enjoyable to you. It was a novel experience being able to do radio control and CW keying over one USB cable. I discovered for DXing and contesting that the Heil IC microphone element is a perfect match for the radio once the highs are emphasized some bass is dialed out. The fact that the radio has a built-in voice keyer and also lets you RECORD QSOs from the receiver were two very useful and fun additions. But wait, there's more: the radio actually performs extremely well in my multi-operator environment with very closely spaced antennas - and that surprised me since the radio is of SDR design and has no traditional IF filtering. As another added plus, this also happens to be my radio of choice for portable operating in my camper. It is small and light enough to be easily transported. I even ran it in my car several times; what an upgrade from my 706!

There is so much to like about the 7610; It is easy to setup, learn and use, it is a top of the line high performance DXing and contesting radio, and it will hold its own with high fidelity sound on both transmit and receive (this makes a great short wave receiver!)...AND you CAN take it with you. The 7610 is truly a crowd pleaser for all.

Kudos to Icom for an excellent product!

73,

Jim Nitzberg WX3B