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Reviews For: Icom IC-703

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

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Review Summary For : Icom IC-703
Reviews: 181MSRP: 400.00
Description:
QRP HF and 6 Meter all mode radio. Comes standard with Antenna Tuner, DSP, Keyer, Memory Keyer, Power Conservasion system.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/hf/703/default.a
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001814.3
KC9ECI Rating: 2005-09-29
Garbage Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased my 703 from HRO in October of 2004, by the end of January 2005, it was in the bench in Bellvue being repaired after it quit pumping RF in to the aether. Took about a month to get back to me and worked fine up until I took it with on a once in a lifetime family vacation to Ireland. Once again, it quit putting out RF.

Here is the timeline to date for the 2nd failure:

23 August Quit transmitting
26 August Returned from vacation
27 August Emailed Icom
30 August Called Icom. Told to send it in.

02 September Sent 703 to Icom via UPS ground
06 September Icom replied to Email
09 September 703 Arrives at Icom
16 September I call Icom and inquire on the status. I'm told it's going
to be repaired, but it's going to take a while, told it has something to do
with RD0, a FET, and that they are waiting for the part to come from Japan.
Since they can't order just 1, it may take a while, but not to worry,
they're going to fix that radio up good as new.
22 September Emailed them again
23 September Got email from them telling me that someone would be in contact with me from the service department soon.
29 September Got tired of waiting for someone from the service department and called them myself. Spoke to Chris. He claims that there are at least 40 of these units in house waiting for the same part as mine is right now. Replacement is not an option, and he claims he'll be surprised if its out of their shop in less than a month.

Flat out, this is my last Icom. In fact, as soon as it gets back here, IF it ever gets back, I'm selling every last bit of Icom stuff that I have and the Brewers will win the Superbowl before I ever purchase anything from Icom again.


NI6S Rating: 2005-08-27
Fun rig!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I really went wavered between buying a used rig or a NIB 703+. I decided to go with the latter, as the Icom rep in Japan (I went to Osaka in Apr) assured me that all the reported anomolies had been dealt with. The downside is that I would have to pay the premium...$699 from AES!! But well worth it since I'd been planning a camping trip and wanted the radio for it. I installed the 250 Hz filter and what a difference! At the campsite, I threw up a Cobra Ultralite with ladder line fed to an external 4:1 balun. The 703 tuned it remarkably from 3.5-52 MHz with no problems. Got great reports on SSB and CW....Simply a blast. The 703 is a keeper for sure, though I recommend buying a brand new one. The box it came in had an Icom America QC tag, so I suspect it was thoroughly tested. Bought the acc'y battery and charger, too. Fantastic combo! Highly recommend this rig.....
WS4Y Rating: 2005-08-05
Fun to Operate Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought an Icom repack. Comes with full factory
warranty and it was a good thing. Burghardt
made the factory mods to the driver and the
keyer. Also had two feed thrus fail that were
repaired under warranty. Total of 3 trips to
get all working properely. I added the Icom
500 hz cw filter. On SSB always get great audio
reports and the receiver is very nice. CW
operation is smooth with nice sounding sidetone
that controls with the AF knob. Very strong sigs
will blow by the cw filter and can be heard
after tuning through zero beat and up the backside. My rig is HF no 6 meters but the faceplate reads HF/50Mhz transceiver...misleading.
WA8VBX Rating: 2005-08-05
Great QRP Radio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I received a 703+ for Christmas last year and really love it. I have had 2 FT-817's and even though they work 2/440 I don't think they can touch the 703. The internal tuner works great on my G5RVjr, even tunes up on 6 meters where with the 10 watts I have worked into AL,VT,NH. I now have picked up a second 703 with all the mods done. Don't know if I will use it mobile or camping or to trade, but one thing for sure I will be keeping the 703+.
K3GO Rating: 2005-06-27
poor audio - Pass on this one Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After owning two of these radios I will concede the receiver is ever so slightly better than my 706MKII-G but I shoulD have learned from the first 703.

Installed the CW filter, loaded up and while the internal tuner and 10watts is nice you have to get past the CW filter blowby noise on CW, the EXTREMELY poor audio quality, (I percieve it as high distortion intermod audio mixing) and just in general a FATIGUING audio quality with headphones on after 20-30 minutes. Certianly not a CW rig for me. The second 703 was WORSE than the first one.

With the speaker on and SSB its ok. But then why mess with it. You can get a 706MkII-G which has a clearer, better sounding audio on CW with no noticeable filter blowby - ran my 706MkII-G at field day this weekend for hours on CW and HAD NO problem. I never would have made an hour with a 703. So I got ride of my second 703 for a Kenwood TS-2000.

I recommend you listen to the audio quality of the FT-817, which I own and enjoy the audio quality totally, or the Kenwood 480s, or other Yaesu's.

I have found Icom's poor audio quality in the past several years of products to be manufactured with terrible intermode distortion, white noise and a general fatiguing sound that makes the headphone + CW experience a chore not an enjoyment. Dump the 703s get a 706, Elecraft K1 or KX1 (I have those too) you will get an earfull of WONDERFULL audio quality. Once you hear a good receiver like that you will not care about the 703s any more. I don't. Wasted my money. I will stick with the Ft-817, FT-480, Elecraft KX1 and K1 and the trusty old 706MkII-G
best QRP to you de K3GO
John
W0VET Rating: 2005-06-08
A Little Mobile Suprise Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I just completed a mobile round-trip vacation from North Dakota to the desert south-west, taking along my 703 with fixed-station operation in mind at my destinations. However, while going through the hills of NM, I decided to give the rig a try on a 20m hamstick, external battery (not the car battery), and Hiel headset. I made a comment outloud that the 703 will not have enough power to make any decent contacts. WRONG. My first hit (phone) was an operator south of Cheyenne, WY - who later reported to me that the signal was off the side of his beam. To make a longer story short, I got great reports while mobile with several stating "You're cutting through the QRM."

A potentially long drive turned into a fun trip with a little mobile suprise.

N2HAM Rating: 2005-05-29
Great Radio!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Super reciver!!! Great QRP the reciver is better than the 706 Watts who needs watts? it gets out quite well. Thanks ICOM!!
N7RFG Rating: 2005-05-04
Excellent Radio Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased the current production run of the IC-703+ a few months back and this is a great radio. It is obvious that they have corrected the earlier problems associated with the radio. I have been running CW on 6 meters for months now without a flaw, and reception on my unit is just as good if not superior to the FT-847 I owned. I have really put this radio through the paces and it has worked flawlessly. The only complaint that I have about the radio is that, it is very difficult to maneuver the menus, but I am coming up to speed. Great radio! Excellent features. I would not hesitate to purchase another one.
AA3LE Rating: 2005-03-20
Great Rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Don't know where the other reviews went but will say the IC 703 is easy to use and the tuner is great. The rig has some problems from Icom. If you buy one under warranty send it back for warranty repair. Thats what I did with mine and it was timely fixed and works great. If you like the IC706 you will like the IC703. I like the display as it is easy to read and the built in tuner is very good. Don't be afraid of this rig as the mods are simple and will be done at no charge by ICOM.
WA3ELQ Rating: 2005-03-08
Very good radio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought my IC 703 last spring. After putting in the recommended mods it has performed flawlessly. I have used the 703 as a battery-powered portable rig in a number of locations with great success - including operating field day 2004 from Aruba with only a SuperAntenna (a six foot portable vertical) and my rental car battery for power. The receiver performs as well or better than any other QRP rig I have owned, and even comes close to my Kenwood TS-2000. The built-in antenna tuner and low power consumption make it the perfect rig for operation away from commercial power sources and with my various temporary antennas. I am very happy with it!