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Reviews For: ICOM IC-2800H

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-2800H
Reviews: 55MSRP: 500.00
Description:
VHF/UHF Mobile w/ 3" LCD Screen.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00554.4
VA3MKS Rating: 2005-10-20
Awesome.. Awesome.. I want another one Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Alright.. here goes...

You get what you pay for.. this radio is awesome. Audio is amazing. Features are great. I bought the programming cable for it off ebay and it's pretty easy to program..

100 channels + on both VFO's for programming! I couldnt fill them all.. over 200 channels total memory.

The only thing that scares me... I live in Toronto, canada... Weather goes down to -20C and more.... Ive been reading posts about the remote head acting up in cold weather... Im thinking I'll take my radio out of the car from NOV to End of march. this baby doesnt deserve to suffer in -20 or -30 deg. weather.. (not only that, the manual says you should keep out of -10C weather.

MANUAL

*** AVIOD using or placing the transeiver in direct sunlight or areas with temperatures below -10C (+14F) or above +60C (140F)****

I use to put a baseball cap over my remote head in the summer.. it makes a great ball cap hanger too!!! (not only that, it prevents people from getting sticky fingers.. I was always worried about people breaking into my car...(but maybe thats just me)-- the remote head is awesome.

Otherwise.. I've been using it with a SB-15 comet and a diamond SG7900 (two of the best high gain mobile antennas) and let me tell you.. This thing gets out.... I can hit repeaters that I never thought I was able to hit... and I'm planning on adding a UHF/VHF amplifier for the 2800h too.. anyway.. It's a great radio..
I would buy again in a second...
Read the manaul.. it makes the radio that much better to use.

73's and dont think twide about the 2800h.. .. just buy it! :P
AD8BC Rating: 2005-07-15
Liked it very much until display died. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine used about 3 years ago and liked it very much. There was one downside -- the display. The most exciting feature of this radio was also it's Achilles heel. In the winter, the backlight would take up to a minute to come on. In the summer, the backlight (and possibly the inverter) makes the radio very hot.

Yesterday I used it on my lunch hour and left it on all afternoon. It overheated. No more backlight.

I took the control head apart and found the LCD still worked if there was a light source behind it. But there was no voltage going to the cold cathode. Plus, the guides that guide the buttons to their switches on the PCB (that surround the display) warped in the heat so the buttons became very sticky.

I intend to replace it with probably a Kenwood V708A, since it uses modular connectors as well and I have already got my car wired with two runs of Cat-5 cable for the Icom's mic and control head... plus Kenwood seems to be the only manufacturer making displays that show more than frequency, memory number, and idiot indicators :-)

All is not lost, I intend on converting my IC-2800 to a base unit, putting in my own cold cathode lamp and a cooling fan.

If you run across one of these radios for sale, I recommend not buying one no matter how cool it looks and functions. You would definitely enjoy using it, for sure, but sooner or later that display is going to crap out on you.
IZ8FMW Rating: 2005-06-06
Very good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Transceiver,design optimum innovative,very functional thanks to the wide Display to Colori.Unico problem according to me the noisy cooling fan!
W3NRL Rating: 2005-03-10
wished i didnt sell mine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
i had one and like an idiot i sold it for something else that i thought was better,,, that was not the case (well new one is better but not by much).
So if you have them keep them and if you plan on selling them make darn sure the one that will replace it is by far a much better radio.
just me .02 cents
M0MRR Rating: 2005-03-10
Recently bought one! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been looking for a dual band radio without breaking the bank, I came across an IC-2800. I have been really pleased with this radio and love the display. I am getting reports that my audio is good. What dissapoints me is that my multimode FT-897 is proved now not to be so good. I can hear vhf/uhf stations with the Icom but not the Yaesu - I do wonder why Icom discontinued this model?
K6BLA Rating: 2004-05-26
NICE RIG... cool display! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I really like this radio. The learning curve is a bit rough if you're used to Yaesu and Alinco. It's like learning a new language.

I installed the control head in a blanked out compartment in the ceiling console of my '99 Tahoe, just above the mirror, using lots of velcro and no hardware. It went where the rear a/c controls would go if my car had that option. Some folks used that space for satellite radio.

Anyway, it's a true heads-up display in this installation and does not get direct sunlight to wash out the display. It is visible from the outside at night, almost looking like I have a DVD setup, only no tiny Shrek or Donkey or perhaps Tully will be displayed like I see on most screens inside giant SUVs at night. :)

I installed the xcvr box under the driver's seat with velcro, as recommended here by an earlier poster, and thus the mic cord was perfect for hooking the mic clip to the center console. The cable lengths were all perfect for this method.

I have been getting great signal reports and comments that audio quality is great with full quieting to most repeaters.

The built-in speaker works like a champ, even with the control head velroed into the little cubby-hole I used. The convex properties of this hole sometimes cause an odd imaging perception. My nephew said it sounded like the audio was coming from above the headrests, almost floating in space. Wow, what an interesting sensation. But, that's just an odd quirk of my install, and it really does sound great!

I do worry about rumours and reports of display troubles in the future, but for now, it is the best radio I've ever seen mobile.

73! de K6BLA



VE7LID Rating: 2004-02-04
Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had the radio for a few years now. Got it as part of an insurance claim to replace a power surge damaged kenwood. Love the radio. Screen easy to read,and the front end is great. One of the most usefull features I find in "intermod alley" that I live in (powerfull pager transmitters less than 1/4KM away) is the variable RF gain. As the squelch is increased, the RF sensitivity is decreased. Just like having an RF gain control. I like the speaker located in the control head. That brings the audio up front where you need it.
I have the tranceiver mounted behind my radio console, and on other radios that would mean I would need an external speaker. Not with th 2800. Speaker is right there on the back of the control panel. Great sound, lots of power, and did I mention you can plug a camera, or any other video source into the control unit and use it as a 3" LCD video monitor.
PY1BR Rating: 2003-06-27
I wonder why it was recently discontinued Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It’s an excellent dual band transceiver. Excellent audio (Tx and Rx), sensitivity, selectivity and modern project conception. I wonder why it was recently discontinued. Today I use it as a base radio only. I built a homemade desktop support fot the control head. I have another excellent old Icom (IC-281H) for mobile operation. I really don't regret paying some few more bucks for a dual band a year and a half ago. The mic cord is not very long and I needed to buy the cable extension accessory. Great product.
PD1ABU Rating: 2003-05-21
Cloning software Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hi there
I have read a lot of comments to the ic2800h, and I'm planning to buy one.
Is there anyone who can mail me the cloning software? It would be very nice. The diagram of the cable I allready have.
Excuse me for bad english, I am from the Netherlands :-) pd1abu@grupstra.nl
W5GM Rating: 2003-05-04
AWESOME!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this rig for a few years now and LOVE it!!! Sure, I wish it had v/v and u/u but hey, I adapted. I have my control head mounted with a rear view mirror mount over to the left of the windshield in my 98' crown vic PI. I extended all cables with CAT5, using stranded cable for the mic extension and soldid for the remote head. If you live in an urban area or commute to a downtown RF jungle, you will want to enable the squelch attenuator feature. This is COOL! It adds attenuation to the receiver the tighter you close the squelch. I use the pc programming kit to program mine which saves a lot of time. The only problem I ever had was with the mic. I think Icom has fixed that as evidenced by the new mic that comes with the IC2100 nowadays.