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Reviews For: ICOM IC-756PRO2

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

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-756PRO2
Reviews: 152MSRP: 2969.95 Street
Description:
HF+6m Transceiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://WWW.ICOMAMERICA.COM
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
151524.5
N5LXI Rating: 2003-09-06
Great Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I get good audio reports (work SSB with a Heil GM-5) and it receives great. For a complex radio, the user interface is very good. The display is way cool and even useful. It's a pleasure to listen to shortwave broadcasts, if you are a SWL.

It's not cheap. But no options, no filters, nothing else to buy. For me, it was worth the splurge to upgrade my 756 Pro.
NUTONES Rating: 2003-08-03
Aweful Basic Performance.. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
We tried two Pro-II rigs at FD 2003. The unit suffered from extreme overload under multi-op conditions. A third FD station with a FT-1000MP had no such difficulty on any bands.

From what I read, everyone is buying this radio for the display and not basic performance. It is as if everyone becomes a "deer in headlights" the moment they gaze at the screen.

This is ICOM's third attemt at trying to get this radio right. How long will it take to produce a respectable front-end design?
KC5LVW Rating: 2003-08-01
Very Good but look closely Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I started with the 746 then went to the 746Pro & now the 756ProII so what's the diff? Well, what I don't like: Data on screen is smaller, variable transmit bandwidth not available, no RX EQ adjust available, meter movement on the digital ones is very fast even with the peak hold on. What I do like: active scope, compression level displayed on digital metering at the same time as everything else is, Dual watch, digital recorder, EX ant availability, multiple Attenuator steps. What's a wash? Rx sense, filter shape, filter bandwidth, staking registers, DSP, Notch system, PBT sytem, pre-amps. Bottom line, using the same microphone, I could use either 756ProII or 746Pro & HEAR the same signals or TALK to same folks so it really comes down to "creature features" & about $1000....Hmmmm?
73
Jon, KC5LVW
W4TME Rating: 2003-07-23
This one is a winner! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After reading the comments about equipment reviews from hams that have only owned the equipment for several weeks, I decided to wait over a year before expressing my opinions. Since I am not an EE, I can only provide my opinions rather than a more technical analysis. Bottom line is that this is a fantastic rig – best ham radio purchase I have made and would do it again in a heartbeat. The receiver is better than most I have listened to. The transmitter has performed flawlessly with over 2000 QSOs in the log not counting contests. I normally run SSB and digital modes and very little CW. In that time (I have only had HF privileges since 4/02) I have worked enough folks for DXCC (200+ entities), WAC and WAS. I work everyone I hear with just 100 watts and a dipole. I have had no problems with the rig what so ever.

I won’t comment too much on the bandscope. Once you have used one you’ll never be able to do without one. As noted previously, the peak hold feature does not release after several seconds, so you have to change the VFO to get it to reset which is a little annoying.

The digital filters are great. The front end is not as strong as with crystal filtered rigs, but the DSP provides flexibility unsurpassed with older technology rigs. The TX audio sounds phenomenal without any add-on devices except a Heil Goldline Pro. I get unsolicited audio reports about it all the time. The other DSP features work great. Nosie Reduction works very well for random noise. The Noise Blanker kills pulse type noise and the notch filter is superior, IMHO.

I really enjoy the SSB digital mode. The ability to bypass the microphone pre-amp and use the balanced modulator with narrow filters really rocks on PSK31. My only complaint is that I can’t easily shift the center frequency of the passband without using the VFO. A slight inconvenience in order to be able to use a 50 Hz filter in SSB mode.

I’ll agree that the ergonomics of the rig could have been improved. Especially with the little flimsy knobs, but once they are set, you shouldn’t need to adjust them often.

I don’t really understand some of the other comments about the rig being too complicated to operate. The menus are not 20 levels deep like some rigs I have used. The 706 MKIIg is a lot worse that the Pro II in this respect. I guess it is because I have worked with computers for the past 20 years, it all seems second nature to me. If you want a real challenge, program in Assembler HI HI.

I can appreciate the problems some folks have had with quality control issues. Icom’s product quality seems to be better than another one of the Big Three Japanese radio manufactures (out of respect, I will keep the bashing to a minimum). Electronic devices are made with and by components made by humans, so some level of error is to be expected. Parts do fail. Every manufactured makes limons. As a previous reviewer stated, even when Icom finds they have a problem, their customer support is exceptional. This I know from first hand experience. I have had some issues with their repair technicians regarding the 706MkIIg and have found their non-800 number technical support to be less that average. I asked 5 techs the same questions and received 5 totally different answers - not good. But then again I am not reviewing the repair service.

No rig is going to satisfy everyone, so be objective and research your purchases carefully. Hopefully you will be as happy with your purchase as I am with mine.

73 de W4TME
-Tim

VE1CHS Rating: 2003-07-22
Xmit Chain Failure Twice - Dan Miles is Outstanding Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My story about the 756 Pro II and its effect on me takes a little time. I hope you read it, for you will get a new perspective. I’ve been a ham for 40 years, and have scratch built Xceivers.

After 20 years with a TS-830S, which I sold to buy the Pro II, I thought I was buying the last rig I would ever buy, with a great receiver, that I could use both at home and under demanding emergency Red Cross Forest Fire field conditions if needed.

The only commercial rig in the shack was a QRP+ I have had for 5 years; a much beloved radio that has served me well at home and in the wilderness, despite the less than stellar receiver.

I spent months researching HF rigs, studied eham reviews, talked to hams, and went to a ham store to actually try out various rigs including the Pro II before I bought. I had numerous QST reviews to study over. Made tables of receiver specs. Despite this effort, which in retrospect seems absurd, as the Country-Western song goes, I made the WRONG decision!

I bought a 756 Pro II, and after three months, the Xmit chain failed on transmit. The Rcvr continued to work OK. ICOM Service was back-logged, and after two calls, it still took 6 weeks. The turn-around was slow, but in fairness to ICOM, it was post-Xmas season, and they really did have big demands on the Service Department. They did respond amicably to my phone calls urging them on.

The Xmit chain failed again a second time after one day of use. The warranty period was up. I had to face it: This 756 Pro II was going nowhere and I was doomed to repeat history.

I was a very lucky man. I cannot commend ICOM highly enough for recognizing the disaster I faced, and working quickly with me to arrange a refund. They really treated me well when the chips were down, and $2500 was on the line, despite the slow turn around time on the first repair.

Who were the ICOM staff who worked so well with me? First, Paul Kao in the Service Division took my calls and helped expedite the first repair process, and was a pleasure to work with. Dan Miles, the Service Supervisor read my fax and supporting documents requesting a refund, and worked with me immediately to arrange it, though the warranty period had expired by two weeks. Sandy Williams at Sales was consistently friendly, and made final arrangements with the Texas Towers team for the refund. These three ICOM team members consistently brought to their work the highest personal integrity and professionalism one could possibly hope for.

What caused the Xmit failures? The first one happened on a cold hazy-sun morning with light snow falling. These conditions at my 9,000 foot high home here in the Rockies can create static on the antenna. Receiver was left on while I went to breakfast. Antenna was a roof top vertical GP connected to a Dentron tuner set for 15M. I had carefully tuned the antenna properly for 15M with very low power first. Transmitter was set for about 15 watts out on CW. After breakfast, I hit the CW key and Xmit on 15M and all bands suddenly failed, but the Rcvr continued to work fine. The second Xmit failure happened one day after repair in a clear blue sky. The service notes said that static destroyed the driver Xistor and diodes in the Xmit chain. Yet, when the Xmit chain failed a second time in clear blue sky, no static was present. One would expect FETs in the Rcvr chain to go first if static was involved, and yet in both Xmit failures, the Rcvr continued to work fine.

Bottom line: After discussion with other hams, the consensus is that faulty parts were the most likely cause of both the first and second Xmit failure. Thus the diagnosis of the repair department seems to be in error. Yet honestly, there is still mystery surrounding the actual cause of the Xmit failure two consecutive times.

As it turned out, the return of the Pro II changed my view of my HF needs, as you will see later on.

What did I like about the 756 Pro II when it worked? The graphic display of signals and their strength on the band is very nice. After practice, you can locate possible contacts quickly. The visual picture helps you quickly assess band conditions. Short wave is a joy to tune in. Sensitivity is excellent, and a three-position pre-amp is nice. Filter adjustment on the fly was fun, and it was easy to lock out any adjacent interference. I could tune SSB signals with the filters to enhance my poor hearing at high frequencies. The noise limiter helps take out some static, but I found my Clear Speech II speaker actually worked better in this regard, and I stopped using the noise limiter. The May 2002 QST Pro II review receiver numbers for both sensitivity, dynamic range and selectivity are among the best in the world, and are certainly in the same class with the Elecraft K2, and my hands on experience with the Pro II receiver backs up these highest quality lab-test numbers. CW QSK was excellent, and I got excellent SSB talk power reports from other hams, with just the stock microphone (No Heil was used). I had no mechanical or knob problems; tuning was precise, perfectly on frequency, and smooth. All modes and switches I checked worked fine.

What didn’t I like? The rig is heavy and complex. The complexity may have led to its downfall. The manual is thick, and I never really got through all the bells and whistles. The rig is computerized and menu intensive.

I recommend taking notes and creating your own “cheat sheet” to record menu steps to change settings. Then practice so you can use the rig efficiently. Use your cheat sheet as a reference when you forget how to do something you want to do. Use the radio when you are fresh, drill the most common things you want to do, and refer to your cheat sheet often

When I look back, there was too much complexity for my aging brain to really feel comfortable with the Pro II. There was always something I couldn’t remember how to do when I sat down to use this rig.

Another major drawback was that the display never brightened up enough, even when set to max. My aging eyes could not read the display easily in and around a sunlit room.

I tried to force myself to like this expensive radio of intimidating complexity, at first hated to give it up, but eventually breathed a big sigh of relief when it left the shack.

I have since been using my old QRP+ and Norcal 40A, cheap QRP second-hand HF rigs I bought on eham. I've gotten back to simplicity and fun. That used $85 Norcal 40A has nearly as much selectivity and sensitivity as the $2500 Pro II! It weighs 7 Oz. And with the chip that enunciates a CW report of frequency, it is user friendly and easy to use in the field. The K2 or K1 is a future possibility. (See June 2003 QST, page 31). If I want another HF portable CW rig, I could build a five watt Oak Hills 100A for the band I want, at a cost of $129 or a 4 band Elecraft K1 at a somewhat higher cost. If any one of these rigs dies and I can’t fix it at home, I got my money's worth.

The QRP+ here at 9,000 feet up in the mountains, with a huge loop and 8 watts has good SSB talk power and adequate CW, though the Rcvr lacks selectivity, and the AGC pumps on strong nearby signals. Who cares? It cost $300. I’ve sharpened my soldering iron and am building a Radio Adventures T/R delay kit ($35) so that any one of the QRP rigs can drive my QRO Technologies linear to 300 watts out or so, when I want to go back to QRO.

I'm roller skiing 35 KM per week, and am loosing weight. My gut is shaping up. I'm getting back into aerobic physical shape. My wife and I bought a new tent. I'm re-designing my portable vertical GP for backpacking. I'm planning a high altitude QRP backpacking expedition with the Norcal 40A for September in Colorado.

I will never, ever buy an expensive, big, heavy, complex, computerized, menu intensive HF rig again. I will always have a rig that I can repair/align at home with standard test equipment.
DF1AS Rating: 2003-07-17
Voting Revision Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have to revise my previous voting for the pro-II. In January I gave it a 5/5.

Like W17M, me, and as I also heard from some further OM, the 6m oscillation problem exists by design - not by failure!

The additional transverter feature (the common rear connector for RX and TX) builds up this dangerous RF transmit loop. Either the antenna relais (decoupling for the unused RX-path while transmitting) or the diode-switched low-level path has to be improved/changed.

A friend of mine had to pay almost $ 300,- for repair of his pro-II! I cured the problem myself - but I guess most OM cannot do and why should they? It's an extremely weak ICOM design!

Vy 73 - Kay-Uwe
KJ6QB Rating: 2003-06-26
Awesome Rig! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned the 756 PRO2 for approximately 2 months and can't think of anything bad to say. I have owned many HF rigs (Yaesu FT-1000MP, Yaesu FT-920, Yaesu FT-757) and this is a true performer. Much better frequency stability at high power than the FT-1000MP and a great receiver. The 32 bit floating point DSP is awesome and will allow you to "pull in" the weakest of signals and noisy situations. You can tailor your transmit audio to one of many different audio schemes to whatever your liking. The tuner works exceptional as well. Overall the rig is a work of art and I love it! Good Job ICOM.
N4ARI Rating: 2003-06-02
No 60 meters Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ordered this radio and I believe it is one of the best top end HF radio out there (Ten Tec Orion is tops too). I learned from the internet & other users how to open the transmitter coverage in anticipation for upcoming 5 MHz operation. I learned the transmitter power drops to 20-30 watts out near 5 MHz! I checked with an Icom technician and he replied that the 756 was not built for 60 meters and the power will turn into heat in the radio's bandpass section causing the 756 to fail prematurely. That's all I needed to hear to cancel my order for the 756.
At this time there are no mods being offered by Icom to allow 60 meter operation on the 756PRO2.
:(
W2CZ Rating: 2003-05-27
I like what I don't hear!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Yes that correct what the ICOm 756 proII offers in terms of filter combinations and DSP etc. results in a rig that really does eliminate noise.
The rig is not too hard to master ICOM has a good easy to follow manual and a great menu on the radio. Its only my second HF rig...I up graded from an ICOM 746 which I still enjoy. I think that this is a classic. Whether you're a serious DXer, contester or casual ragchewer (like me)you'll enjoy it. As time goes by and I get to use it more I'll write again.
W3SU Rating: 2003-05-19
An awesome radio ! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I previously owned a 756PRO for about a year and purchased a new PRO2 a few months ago. IMO the improvements and changes in the PRO2 make it a more enjoyable transceiver to operate. The control layout seems natural and instinctive, the DSP and receiver noticibly improved. I can hear and understand DX stations with the PRO2 that were unintellegable with the PRO. I'm guessing that the PRO2 has about a 3db advantage over the PRO in digging out and understanding weak signals. Probably not a huge difference if you have a tower and monster antenna system. With a compromised or more modest antenna, 3db is everything in the world. This PRO2 is the finest radio I have ever owned. I considered buying a 746PRO, but after owning a 756PRO, the band scope on the 756PRO was a highly useful tool I couldn't live without.
This rig is a keeper that I hope to use and enjoy for many years. If I had it to do over, I would purchase it again. I can highly recommend this rig, you won't be sorry!