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Reviews For: Icom IC-9700

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

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Review Summary For : Icom IC-9700
Reviews: 66MSRP: $2099
Description:
A new release of an old favorite (Icom IC-910H) VHF/UHF All Mode Base Station. Wow - Well worth the long wait!
Product is in production
More Info: http://icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/9700/default.aspx
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
25664.1
G4RNI Rating: 2019-05-09
Very satisfied...but... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The preceding reviews say just as I find the 9700 - excellent but I do have one perhaps not so minor point of concern:
Every radio I've owned over nearly 40 years as a ham has always had a PA made with devices (transistors, mosfets, valves) rated at well above the maximum output power. Example, many modern radios use a pair of RD100HHF (100W each) or RD70HUF (70W each) devices for their 100W PA's, leaving a healthy safety margin of 40% to 100%.

The IC-9700 however uses AFT05MP075 LDMOS devices, one for VHF and one for UHF, which the manufacturer's technical data sheet describes as (quote) "135-520 MHz, 70W, 12.5V BROADBAND RF POWER LDMOS TRANSISTORS".

So, is pushing the VHF PA to 100 Watts, about 30% above spec of 76W @ 136 MHz, also pushing our luck? And the 70cm PA running right at the maker's maximum specified output of 75W @ 450 MHz appears to leave no room for a safety margin to say the least.

A point for concern?
DJ0ABR Rating: 2019-05-06
great satellite rig Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I mainly use this radio for QO-100 satellite mode together with homebrew SHF mixers.
What I like most is the extremely good modulation with the compressor at level 1. The sonorous sound is a dream. Every station gives excellent modulation reports. I also like the integrated network server which makes a PC unneccessary for remote control. The IC-9700 complements the existing IC-7300 perfectly.
KC4THS Rating: 2019-05-01
Good weak signal rig Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I pulled the trigger on the IC-9700 4/22/19. $1,899.95. This radio performs well on 2m 70cm weak signal SSB and CW. I was surprised with the internal preamp. I have check in with several nets on 70cm SSB over 250 mile from my QTH. I have received good audio and signal reports in poor band conditions.
My plan is to replace my ic-910h satellite radio. The radio has D-Star and was easy to setup. I know, the EME crowd is complaining about frequency stability when trying use WSPR. But I am not using the radio for MOONBOUNCE.
G4GNX Rating: 2019-04-26
Welcome new addition Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I collected my new IC-9700 in the UK last Saturday and so far I'm more than pleased with it.
Audio is excellent and I can hear one regular station consistently, which has always been difficult with various other rigs.
Touch screen is easy to use and mostly intuitive.
23cms is a great addition and I will be QRV as soon antennas are sorted out.
I believe that Icom got it right with the 2 metre connector too. Traditionally an SO239 has been fitted for 2 metres, so for those using a PL259 it will be plug and play. For those (like me) who prefer an 'N' type, they've had the sense not to solder it in, so it's an easy unclip and replace.
One gripe for anyone who can't download manuals is that only the Basic (paper) manual was supplied with mine. For full operation, the Advanced manual is very necessary.
A new firmware upgrade was issued (1.06) just before I received my IC-9700 and using an SD card it was very easy to install.
For the price, I do think Icom could have included a carrying handle.
W0NBC Rating: 2019-04-24
Great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Have had the IC-9700 for almost a month now and I am extremely happy with the new radio. Having had almost every Satellite radio made and this one lives up to my expectations. Using it for Satellite only at the moment and using SATPC-32 to control the radio and it works perfectly. I also have the IC-7300 so it was very easy to adjust to. The IC-9100 was great Satellite radio but this one is the best I have had.
KC2FQ Rating: 2019-04-15
Wow . . . just . . . WOW! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well worth the wait and so far it lives up to the hype! It's only been here a few days as it's only just been released in the US but so far I love it. The capabilities seem endless. I can adjust my transmit bass and treble separately on every mode? That's NUTS and I've only just scratched the surface! The receive on this is super hot even without the built in pre-amp on. I'm now pulling in stations I've never heard in the past. The scanning is fantastic and extremely versatile. The D-Star is even easier to use than on the 5100 and WAY, WAY, WAY easier to use than on the 9100. Go to Icom's Japan site and d/l FREE software to program the radio. Nice. I do have two tiny complaints and hopefully many more will complain so Icom will correct this in an update but it does not receive outside of the Ham bands. Yes, this was in the brochure but it wouldn't have stopped me anyway. Someone suggested it might be that way to keep the receiver nice and tight but I do enjoy the ability to listen to the marine and GMRS freqs once in a while. There is no cross band repeat out of the box and no instructions on it anywhere so I guess I'll have to wait for the hackers for that feature. One other small item . . . with all of the flexibility on the scanning it would have been nice for them to have a permanent skip feature for stations you want in memory but don't want to scan. You CAN do this but you have to mark every freq you DO want, leave off the ones you don't, and run it that way.