| KI5SO |
Rating:  |
2011-09-08 | |
| Gets a bad rap! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Compared to many new radios in the $1500 and under range, with the exception of the Icom IC-7000, this radio is one you should grab if you see it under $700 and the display is still intact at all. If you never owned a high dollar radio this one still will impress the fool out of you. It has a hot receiver and some good filters. The screens would be the only negative I could put on it but I will not let that influence my rating because it's a great performer. That's all I've got to say. I think it's gotten a bad rap over that screen. It should not been defective from the factory but it is an old and known issue now. It's a great used value. Great talker. |
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| W8KQE |
Rating:  |
2011-06-29 | |
| FAULTY DISPLAY ISSUE RUINS IT FOR MANY! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Icom needs to 'own up to' the fact that they gave us 756 owners a run of bum displays, and PAY TO REPAIR THEM. They were defective (flawed) from the beginning, and it is just a matter of time before most of them succumb to the 'blue lines' issue. I now have at least 6 blue lines and my bandscope completely died on me. What kills me is that I take utmost care of my equipment ('baby' my rigs in smoke free environment and cover them) too. I have a 'soft spot' for the IC-756 in that it is a very natural sounding rig (no DSP artifacts!), and I really wanted to keep it a long time...
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Earlier 1-star review posted by W8KQE on 2007-06-23
This really sucks! The IC-756 has been my main rig for almost 10 years now, and I have had nothing but high praise for it. In the past, I had read some of the other surprising reviews here that mentioned a blue horizontal line or lines suddenly appearing on the 756 display without warning, but I didn't think I would be affected since i've had this rig for years with no display issues. I've 'babied' this rig since the day I bought it in 1997, never transporting it from it's fixed shack position or using it portable, always covering it with a dust cover when not in use, and even using Q-tips (yes, I am obsessed with keeping this what I thought was great rig in mint condition) on front panel switches and buttons! I turn the rig on this morning to check out 6 meter activity, and I see my first ever horizontal blue line where none should be! Icom no longer stocks this 'Sanyo' LCD display, and if the display should completely fail, as it has for some, the radio is essentially inoperable. Icom needs to somehow own up to this widespread manufacturing flaw and give owners fair trade in value towards a current 756 ProIII, or another current Icom product. |
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| MM3XXW |
Rating: |
2010-12-22 | |
| Still a player! |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
This may appear a wee bit of an outdated transceiver but make no mistake this radio will hold it's own amongst many others of (alleged) higher quality!
My example still has it's original screen which has shown no issues whatsoever!
With the external SP-21 speaker attached, fitted with the FL-222, 223 SSB filters, CR-502 high-stability crystal unit & powered by a 40amp Zetagi psu this thing will run full tilt all day without blinking an eye.
Other reviews have delved deeper into detail but I thought I'd keep it simple!
They don't come on to the second-hand market very often but if you get the chance to get one snap it up!
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|
| DH5JBR |
Rating: |
2010-12-19 | |
| Update: good after all |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I miss my original review which was VERY disappointed with the display. This radio - which is a very good one - just cannot be operated without a working display. So, my verdict had to be very negative as long as there was no reasonably priced cure for the display.
Thanks to the OM in the Netherlands, this has now been cured. It is a little pale, but ok in shack surroundings an is a 1:1 image of the original display.
I have a very early model, but over all the years, apart from the display, nothing ever went wrong with it. Long SSTV QSOs - the rig took them without getting warm.
The intersting thing was that the fuses in the DC lead warmed up and acted funny. At first, I thought there was something wrong with the rig. No power out? Check the fuses! Sounds crazy, but there were a few occasions, when I suspected the rig to be faulty and it was just a faulty fuse - a cylindrical glass fuse which was originally fitted. I got rid of the fuse holders and fitted car fuse holders with blade connectors. My new FT-897D also came with fuses of this type.
These fuses work better, but even now when the rig was back from Holland, it would just cut out when trying to transmit with power. I just pulled and re-installed the fuses and all was well again. In earlier years, I once recommended the rig as "unkaputtbar" which is a humorously incorrect German word which implies that it cannot be broken.
As far as receiver qualities go, it rarely is the radio. I also own an NRD 525, HF-150, FT-817, FT-897D and FT-2000 and on the FT-2000 I could just make out some traces of music in the transmissions from Radio St. Helena. That was with the main RX. I did not try the 756 on that for fear of losing out on anything of this rare DX, but I think it is doubtful if the 756 would have been up to it. Even with the Yaesu, a QSO would have been impossible in SSB, so the difference is minute for practical use.
As far as operability goes - I could leave the rig to an experienced but uninitiated OM and tell him: if you see a signal coming up on the display, turn the dial towards it, use the fine-tuning aids of the SSTV software and the picture would come in. He was so impressed with the look, feel and performance that he went and bought himself a 756 right away.
One minor thing: the internal clock that is visible on the display is accurate to a few seconds per year (if that), while the expensive DMU-2000 loses two or three seconds per DAY.
If you find an IC-756 WITH the Dutch display fitted: get it (it looks pale grey, not blueish purple). If you get one cheaply with the display gone: get it and have it repaired in Holland. It may sound silly, but fit more solid fuses to the DC supply. Works a treat! The radio (apart from the display which I have seen SOME fail) is beautifully made and rock solid and performs without serious flaws in RX/TX. |
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| DL9RDM |
Rating: |
2009-08-22 | |
| a IMD nightmare |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I had : FT-101, FT-102, IC-735, IC-765, IC-706, IC756, TS-930, TS-570, TS-50 TS-480, Elecraft-K2, FT-857, FT-950...
I made some A/B comparesen to my TS-570 I had at this time.
IC-756 sounds good in SSB
But RX:
The IC-756 is a nightmare on a huge Antenna in DL. A lot of IMD problems.
The TS-570 had no problem in this issue.
Most of the time I had to use 20dB ATT to hear something.
I do not recommend this Radio in Europe regarding strong IMD problems.
TS-570 had no IMD problems.
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|
| WA2WNJ |
Rating: |
2009-08-08 | |
| Great |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Love it . 5 5 5 5 |
|
| LU5DDX |
Rating: |
2009-08-07 | |
| muy bueno !! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| realmente el mejor audio en transmision que trabaje en mi vida de amateur .. mejor que el ft-847 lejos .. lastima que en ese tamaño no le pusieran una ps switching .. nada que objetar .5/5 saludos jorge |
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| KW4DP |
Rating: |
2009-07-15 | |
| Very Nice Rig BUT.. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I have been a ham for 40 years so I have experience with several different radios. My first experience with Icom was an Icom 706MKII. Upon arrival the first thing I noticed was no ALC reading on Xmit and very little power output. Ran the mic gain wide open and still no ALC and not much more RF output. So I ended up running compression on and wow that made a difference and sounded good. Over the years I have owned the 706mkII, 2 706mkiiG and now the 756 all with the same problem. I know the IC-756 is an oldie but goodie. Same experience with the audio using the ICom hand mic HM-36. Mic gain all the way up very little output without compression What's the deal with the Icoms. Has it changed with the PRO line? I have been a Kenwood person for years and I have never experienced that problem with them. I like the operation of the radio, the placement of the controls and all the features if I could just get enough mic gain.... |
|
| KD8EUJ |
Rating: |
2009-03-02 | |
| From a 746nonpro to a 756 nonpro |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Ok, Speaking on only owning Icoms a 706mkii, 746 and now a 756 i can only say im impressed.
The graduated advancement of the menu structure makes it easy to upgrade from any icom to the next. Making settings a breeze.
As far as radios go, each one was better than the last. only complaint is the crappy audio from they speakers, you need to buy a Sp-20 speaker another 200 bucks and oh, i highly recommend the sm-20 desk mike,another 200 bucks, if you dont buy a speaker buy the mike.
This is an subjective comment, not gonna get technical the radio is perfect for what i do.
Ok heres the best part this is serial number 02343 not a line in the display i never saw a line in the display, these radios were suppose to have a display problem well i havent and i bought it on ebay for 775.00
I figure if it had a display problem it would show up by now i've had it a month, no problem with the display , I got Lucky on Ebay:))
Thanks
kd8euj
Thanks
kd8euj |
|
| WD7F |
Rating: |
2008-10-23 | |
| Replaced the Display |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| My IC-756 display had deteriorated to the point of unusable. ICOM says they don't support it any more and I found you could have the display refurbished by Sanyo via a UK ICOM dealer with a long lead time and more expense that the rig is worth. I found that PA7FA - Richard Rosenberger in the Netherlands has developed an LCD replacement display. I sent him the front panel of the rig and in less than two weeks I was back in business. Check it out at: http://www.pdatechcenter.nl/ham/ |
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