| M0WZM |
Rating:  |
2022-05-23 | |
| Suitably impressed |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Bought a ProIII a couple of weeks ago and so far so good. The good reviews here are certainly right. It has a superb receiver and received good audio reports even with the supplied hand mic. The twin PBT is very useful as is the option to display more info with the mini display.
IMO wasn't sure what the fuss was about but the more I use it the more I like it.
The fluorescent backlight does take a few minutes to achieve full brightness but it does and it's perfectly readable.
Arguably a classic and doesn't seem to appear used very often. Well worth a look. |
|
| W8KMA |
Rating: |
2022-02-13 | |
| My favorite! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
First post from 2018…My favorite after having the following rigs, Flex 5000,TS-990s,FTDX3000,TS-870,TS-950SDX,TS-590sg,IC746,IC756,TS-480,TS-520,TS-830,TS-940,IC7410 IC7300,and a few more along the way. They come and they go but this one will stay a long time...Receive is just super sounding to my ears and the transmitter just bangs it out all day long. Everything just works like it should! I hope I can find another one this good for a spare!!! ( if I need it ) For the $$$ now days I think they are a great buy and will do most anything you will ever need including a decent band scope. I use a SP-21 external speaker and a SM-30 mic with the rig and they blend perfect. Although it has no touch screen,the knobs/buttons are very nice and solid feeling!!..All in all, seems like a great combo to me and I've seen a bunch!! 73!!
Update: Still the best rig I have had the pleasure to use.
And it is a pleasure!! Still no issues whatsoever!! I have even picked up another for my workshop!! Both are just solid rigs and can’t imagine ever using anything else at this point! Maybe a 7610 someday just to see?..???? |
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| G4RNW |
Rating: |
2021-04-02 | |
| Still going strong |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Have owned this one since new for 8 or 9 years. Still pleased with it. No problems of late (CI-V socket faulty when new) and still get good audio reports using an Adonis desk mike. I don't feel any need to upgrade at all at present.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by G4RNW on 2012-01-22
Still go strong - So Far ! My only minor niggle is the tiny power adjustment pot, otherwise it has not dissapointed so far! I can't see myself trading this in, in the hear future.
I would still recommned this rig, even though it is no longer the latest technology. But it depends of course on what your priorities are. I am not a contester, just an occassional DXer and rag chewer.It is an easy rig to use and soon becomes instinctive.
You dont have to keep delving into the menus once it is set up to your liking.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by G4RNW on 2009-06-28
This is an update. Now owned the Pro111 for 16 months. Nothing untoward to recall. It still performs exactly as reported in my earlier report.
V good on close in working.This helps a lot in pile ups and on busy bands. DSP can distort a little but not serious and NB not v. effective, but then they never are. Getting good reports on audio. I still think it rates 5/5 and am in no way dissapointed - so far.
This rig is now superseded by the 7600 which is about double the price. I would be surprised if it warrants the extra cost. I for one am not the least tempted to trade up to it, although I have no doubt the 7600 would not disappoint.
I Still have this rig and continue to enjoy using it. Only thing I notice is that the fluorescent screen takes a little longer to hit full brightness. Otherwise, nothing further to add, except its performance still seems to compare well with the current opposition. |
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| K4DDT |
Rating: |
2020-10-02 | |
| So far, so good.... |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Update 10/2020
The more time I spend with this rig, the more I like it !
At first, I thought the slow refresh on the screen would make it unusable, but I now find it's slow but still valuable and usable.
The sample I have is an earlier one, probably now about 15 years old. The prior owner really pampered it and everything is original, including the screen and backlight circuit. At this age, all issues have been revealed and there are a few which are well known and still generally fixable and/or updateable, and except for the pre-driver for the finals, are still available. I must admit being tempted by newer rigs seeing - and hearing - what offer possibly a more refined experience - however, at a much, much higher price. Based on this, I'm upping my rating to 4.99 ! Overall, these are well made rigs , still viable and should remain so for a long time..
73 K4DDT
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I give this rig a 4.5, but couldn't...
Having spent just a few days with this rig, here are my initial findings.
-size, weight, looks and construction are all good and exude a certain 'quality'.
-knob and function buttons are all placed in a similar Icom arrangement to previous models, so no new 'learning' required.
-the spectrum scope is usable but slow to refresh
-receive and tuning are very good - the noise reduction works, though not as good as newer Icom rigs. Sensitivity seems good. Adjustable filters are effective.
-rig produces more heat than expected
-the lcd and backlight on this rig are bright, but I wonder if/when that might change, since that fault seems to occur on these rigs with many hours of use. That is easily fixable though.
Overall, at the used prices in 2020, the price/performance ratio is perhaps not as good as a couple of years ago. Newer rigs likely excel in performance.
However, if the rigs longevity is as good as I expect it may be, then this may keep me from 'upgrading' to something newer and possibly more expensive. In that regard, it's a win ! |
|
| WA0UAY |
Rating: |
2020-07-06 | |
| Proven solid performer |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have had the pleasure of operating this radio for many years now. Solid, dependable, well engineered, with functions between knobs and menus as they should be.
I’ve had many fine radios, Kenwood, Yaesu, Elecraft, Drake, new and vintage.
Currently have an FTDX3000 and IC7300. Great radios and I enjoy them. But I keep going back to the ProIII.
The audio both transmit and receive is outstanding. The spectrum scope is still better than many. Receiver is quiet,
Filtering is outstanding and easy to use.
Many rigs have come and gone but I would never consider selling the ProIII.
The price of this fine radio is unbelievably reasonable now.
I did have VE3TMT replace the display from CFL to LED.
Probably the only mod to consider.
See you on the bands! |
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| VA6DWH |
Rating: |
2020-02-09 | |
| What a Pleasure ! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Fun to use....loaded with features....still one of the best radios Icom has made....getting a little dated now....and some parts are not available ???...Find one thats in good shape....will soon become a keeper...prices are finally heading down as there are many more modern full featured rigs on the market now....but the RX and TX on the Pro III still is amazing. Take care of it as you would any high end radio and it will last you for years ! |
|
| IW5EKI |
Rating: |
2019-11-08 | |
| Very good |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| A bit older today but what fantastic radio..... I give a 5/5 |
|
| K6TLA |
Rating: |
2019-01-22 | |
| Excellent! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I've had my Pro 3 for several months now and really love it. There are numerous other rigs here which get little or no attention now that the Icom is part of the mix. The feature set for whatever mode you might choose is extensive. The programmable DSP filters make operating in any mode a pleasure and there's nothing else to buy with them. The rig is a workhorse from the lowest HF bands all the way to 6 meters. In several recent 6 meter openings it's more than proved it's worth. When Icom designed this rig they left nothing out. It's a keeper and available these days at reasonable prices.; |
|
| KC7MF |
Rating: |
2018-05-12 | |
| How much better is better? |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
So this is my second 756 pro series radio. I just love to try equipment and have had a pretty good selection of what is out there. Except for a very short time when I flirted with the IC-7300 there has been a pro series Icom on first base.
Was this radio "better" than the 7300? Probably not in lab testing but I kept going back to it anyway. Is it better than an FTDX-3000? IMO, yes. The display is far superior and the band scope more usable than the 3000. The controls much easier to use. The 3000 speaker was better but who uses the built in speaker anyway? With a good speaker (one that is designed for speech and not symphonic music) it is a wash. It is far superior to the TS-590s I couldn't wait to get rid of.
The controls are intuitive and very easy to use. The layout makes good sense. The tuner is not going to tune your non resonate loop but did you expect a built in tuner to do that in the first place? Do you remember life before band scopes? Any way you cut it they are a real convenience.
So what is better? I suppose someone could make the case for the 7700 and 7851. The FTDX-5000, maybe somewhat. But that is the point, isn't it? How much are you willing to spend for "somewhat better"? I considered the IC-7600 but really had to ask myself... will I see/hear the difference? The pushing $1000.00 difference? I had the original 756 pro and I could not raise my right hand and swear that side-by-side under just about every normal operating condition, including contests, I could hear the difference. It appears, judging from my audio reports, neither could the people to whom I was speaking.
As far as reliability is concerned, my experience has been that the 756 pro series Icoms are rock solid.
So at the end of the day I maintain that for the overwhelming majority of hams this radio is beyond competent. This was a fairly expensive radio new and at today's used prices, a serious bargain. It is still here while one-after-another rigs have come and gone. When I kick off my net control duties it is my go to rig.
You can spend a lot more money on your rig and we will all act duly impressed. $13K for a 7851 is a real impressive statement. It is. But we will not hear the difference and in all but the rarest of circumstances, neither will you. Buy one of these then you decide whether to keep it. If you decide to fire-sale it let me know. I wouldn't mind a spare. |
|
| VE3TMT |
Rating: |
2018-02-13 | |
| Happy birthday to me! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
It's been just over a year since I traded my Yaesu FTDX-1200 for a PROIII. There were some undisclosed problems with the radio, but new parts were obtained from Icom and issues resolved.
In my 28 years as a ham, I have had many different radios in the shack. Worth mentioning, the Kenwood TS-830, TS-870, TS-940, Yaesu FT-990, FT-1000 Mark V, FT-2000 and others. Each of them have their own merits, and I had likes and dislikes for each. Around 2007 I owned the original 756PRO, so the PROIII was not that unfamiliar to me.
I can honestly say, the PROIII is one of the best. I find the receiver just superb and all it's associated controls only enhance it. The transmitter works just fine, full output in all modes, including RTTY, for extended periods of time without issue. I have modified the internal fan to run full time, just enough on receive to keep the radio cooled. I also added a 24VDC fan on the rear to pull the hot air out. Running at 12V it runs half speed, reducing stress on the fan, but still allowing cooling of the radio.
From what I have read, the biggest issue plaguing the PRO series is failure of the LCD display. This is caused by an open inverter coil (now obsolete) or blown transistor in the inverter circuit (still available). So if the inverter coil goes, the radio is basically useless, unless you use Ham Radio Deluxe or some other software to read the frequency.
As I was concerned about this, I decided to be proactive. I started looking at ways to eliminate the need for the HV inverter circuit altogether. I found an ultra thin LED strip that fits inside the LCD panel itself and runs off 12V. It comes with a driver board that can be powered from the back of the display board. The result is a nice bright LCD display that looks like new. You still get some adjustability from the brightness control, although not as much as the original CCFL tube, but perfectly acceptable. I also disable the HV circuit which probably eliminates some receiver noise, not that you hear it in the first place. Now, I never have to worry about the display failing.
Operating the PROIII is pure joy. If you can find one at a good price, grab it, you won't regret it.
I'm more than happy to do this upgrade for others, you can email me for pricing.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by VE3TMT on 2017-01-24
I recently took an Icom 756PROIII on trade for my Yaesu FTDX-1200. The Yaesu is a good radio, but without a live waterfall, like the Icom 7300, it's just a gimmick. Also got tired of having to go into a menu to enable a control all the time.
I picked up the PROIII and was impressed with it's condition. Unfortunately, there was an issue with low output power on 10 and 12m, which was not disclosed before the deal. Examining the filter board revealed the problem. The coils for the 22-30MHz range were completely cooked. One coil in fact was so badly burned, the core was cracked in two places. A previous owner was obviously using the radio on 11m. New parts were received from Icom and installed and radio now works as it should.
Using the PROIII is sheer pleasure. The DSP filtering is fantastic and very helpful in crowded band conditions or during a contest. On CW or PSK31, you can narrow the bandwidth down to 50Hz, without any ringing whatsoever. On RTTY, the built in dual filter is a big asset during weak band conditions. On SSB you can dial the RX out to 3.6KHZ and set up three different customizable bandwidths on the fly. The possibilities are endless. TX audio can be set up to 2.9KHz wide, with adjustable bass and treble setting for three different customizable bandwidths. I use a Koss SB40 headset straight into the radio with great results.
Overall I am very happy with the PRO3. Did I mention it's very customizable! Although my radio is a little over 10 years old now, it still holds its own with the newer radios. Over the past year I've had an FT990, FT950, FT-1000 Field, TS-2000, FT-2000 and FTDX-1200, so lots to compare it to. It is still very desireable in the used radio market, with prices right up there with the more newer models. I previously owned an original 756PRO, and regretted selling it at the time. I don't think I'll be parting with the PROIII any time soon.
If you can find one in good shape, jump at the chance.
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