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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
001524.5
TI2TL Rating: 2008-04-28
Good but I expected more Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well after a long wait I finally bought the Pro II because of the great reviews. I decided to go with the pro II and not the new Pro III since they are basically the same radio but with a mayor difference, the price. I was expecting the radio to blow away my FT-1000MP but it wasn't so. The radio performs well, but it is not at at the level of my FT-1000Mp. Now to be fair and honest let's say that my yaesu has the NB and AGC mod done to it, and it also has the inrad roofing filter installed, plus all the extra filters. Anyhow the listening in the yaesu is much more natural and relaxed. The noise floor is lower and signals are just heard better.
Now on the good side the Icom has the scope witch is very nice to have and it is fairly easy to make work since all the menus appear as they should and you don't need the manual (like the yaesu) to understand each menu.
I recommend the icom but don't expect the best of the best.
N3AWS Rating: 2008-03-30
Outstanding deal! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Two of the best deals on the used ham gear market these days are the 756 Pro and Pro II. I bought a like-new Pro II and what a deal! The DSP is fantastic. The real time spectrum scope is all it is reputed to be and more. The voice recorder and voice keyer are great for SSB contests. I love the rig for digital modes. The RTTY filter is unbelievable--just be sure to read Don Hill AA5AU's web page on how to use it to it's best advantage. There's so much more and I haven't delved deeply into it yet... it's easy to get up and running but there is plenty under the surface to allow room for growth.

Try it and you WILL like it... these have to be the best deals on the used equipment market!

Jim N3AWS
N6QL Rating: 2008-01-05
99.9% of a Pro3 for 1/3 the price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The ProII doesn't get much play these days now that the ProIII is out. Heck, even the yahoo ProII group converted to ProIII and there is hardly any ProII discussion there. Don't let all of this fool you. Look closely at the specs (look on the Elecraft website - they have a nice table you can compare) and you'll find that the ProII receiver performance is essentially identical to the ProIII. For example:

- MDS figures are identical
- BDR figurs are only 1 dB down from the ProIII
- IMD DR3 numbers for 5khz spacing are only 1 db different!
- IMD DR3 numbers for 20khz spacing are only 5-6 db down
- IP3 for 5khz spacing are 0-3 down
- IP3 for 20khz spacing are 4-5 db down except Pre-amp 2 numbers which are 11 db (that is a nod to the ProIII - the second pre-amp is pretty good
- IP2 - the Pro II is actually better than the ProII with the pre-amps turned off. It's equal with Pre-amp 1 on but it is down about 11 db with Pre-amp 2 on.
- Phase Noise - the ProII is actually 4 db better than the ProIII

The second pre-amp is definitely better on the ProIII but otherwise all other measurements are in within the margin of error. Don't let the guys who plunked down nearly $3k for a ProIII tell you otherwise. A ProII at $1600-$1700 (seems to be the going price) is 99.9% of a ProIII (and actually better in some ways as a result of the Phase noise number) for $1000 less.

I've looked at the numbers and have spent hours at HRO using their ProIII trying to convince myself to buy one and just cannot find an area where the ProIII is discernibly better than the ProII except for those few unique situations where you can use the second pre-amp. Reality is the ProIII is really just the ProII with a better pre-amp2.

So, my point is, the ProII is one of the best high-end transceivers out there - the numbers tell the story. Pick one up for around $1600 and you've saved a ton of dough over buying a ProIII and you won't be able to tell the difference except for the badge and the very minor changes in the menu.

If you are looking to spend a bit less. Take a look at the IC-746Pro (much better radio than the IC-756Pro). The radio has great specs - in fact equal or better than the ProII in some areas - for about $600 less.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N6QL on 2007-09-21

This is the second ProII I've owned. The first I sold thinking the TS-2000 would be a better choice for me. I was wrong. I sold the TS-2000 and bought another ProII. The ProII is without a doubt the best HF rig I've ever owned which includes old stuff like TS-120S, and newer radios like aforementioned TS-2000, TS-870, IC-706MkIIG, FT-100, FT-857, FT-897, plus a number of others. I rate it highly for these reasons:

1. Flawless operation and no failures
2. Outstanding filters and receiver
3. Ease of use - excellent user interface
4. Quality feel

The radio is so good I'd find it hard to justify upgrading to a ProIII or other more expensive radio unless I was an extremely hard core contester.
IZ1FKS Rating: 2007-11-12
good rx but pwr too low Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The receiver is vy good and the transceiver is also really easy to operate.The power out on ssb is a real problem: the average power is too low also because the ssb-peak never reach 100%.putting a wattmeter at the output of transceiver i could monitor how less power i have in comparison to my ic-745.I decided to bring the peak power (CW) to 120W measured with professional meter:after this i have 120W max in CW and digi-modes (but i use no more than 100W for not overheat) and a bit more power on ssb but thinghs are not very different as i expected.I tried icom mic hm-36 and hm-12:i use the late one because it reproduce my voice more accurately and report are always very fine about the modulation.The problem don't change also using a expensive sm-20, a friend of mine gave me for testing.Anyone have better solution?
73 and good DX to everyone
de Phil
W3GJ Rating: 2007-10-09
Nice Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
An outstanding HF rig. Have owned a number of other hf rigs. For me, this radio is a keeper. An enjoyable radio to operate, I plan on keeping mine for many years to come. Have never had a bit of trouble with any of the Pro series radios. The Pro2 is an excellent transceiver worth considering, and I highly recommend it.
VK4HAM Rating: 2007-10-01
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The best HF rig I have ever owned. I use the Heil PR780 mic with this rig and my reports are awesome. I am now electronics guru, thats why I love this radio - simple to use and you do not need a degree to read the manual.

Excellent Radio - love the start up screen with my callsign.
M0IOD Rating: 2007-08-10
Pretty but average Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I owned a IC 756PRO for over 2 yrs and thought that the upgrade!! to a PRO2 would be a good step up the ladder. I have also owned other radios of this class such as the TS 870,FT 1000MP MKV and the IC 775DSP.


To be honest the reported and hyped improvements by ICOM over and above the IC 756 PRO were just that to me "HYPE". For the difference in money I would recomend a used IC 756 PRO over and above a PRO 2 on any day of the week. The PRO2 is outpaced on audio by the TS 870,FT 1000MP MKV and FT 2000. it is beaten on rx sensitivity and low noise floor in my book by the FT 2000 and IC 775DSP.

I was very disapointed all round by the performance of the PRO2, so much so that I traded the radio and invested in a YAESU FT 1000MP MKV, much better build quality,and performance all round.

Maybe if I could have afforded a PRO3 I may have seen the reported improvements "according to ICOM" over and above the PRO but with the PRO2 I felt as though I had been cheated and wasted my extra cash.

Ian M0IOD
L_UMINA_EX_WT6G Rating: 2007-05-31
Overload is a serious problem Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have three of these radios and they are OK performers. There is a serious problem with receiver overload on all of them.

The problem is most apparent on 40 meters. When the foreign broadcast starts above 7100 and below 7000 the front ends overload terribly. Turning off the preamps is essential but the attenuater is generally required too. I almost never operate without 6 db of attenuation and frequently more. So much for "sensitivity". In the real world on 40 it really makes no difference most of the time.

I use the radios primarily to "see" what's on the bands. My Tentec Orion so outclasses the 756 Pro 2 that its not funny. NOTHING bothers the Tentec unless it's really on frequency. The 250 Hz roofing filter is something close to a miracle.

Operationally the 756P2 is a solid radio but I would never contest with it. It's filters are just not up to heavy QRM. The residual products will drive you nuts after a couple of hours.

The CW waveform is great, far better than my FT-1000D, but I'm not too excited about deviating from a 3:1 ratio. High speed keying can really sound ugly, but this is an issue with most radios.

The radio runs HOT, but I'm used to that having started in the tube days. If you can only afford 1 radio I'd opt for Elecraft or Tentec, but if you can afford more than one, a 756P2 is a great radio and it creates lots of "interest" in the hobby.

If you are a casual operator you will love the 756P2, especially if you keep the preamps off and use the attenuator. At $1500 this radio is a good value. I expect by 2008 it will drop significantly in value because of its lack of internet connectivity and outdated digital technology.
M5TAW Rating: 2007-05-20
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
There isn't much I can add that hasn't been said already. For me the best feature is the real time bandscope - I really can't imagine HF operation without it!
N6BIZ Rating: 2007-04-19
WHOAAAAA !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
WHOAAAAAAAAAAA !!!! sums it up ok let me whine its not perfect why coulnt icom put a iambic key kack on the back along with a mic connector well nothins perfect lolall i can say is 44 years of hamming had it all but this rig is SMOOTH tu