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Reviews For: ICOM IC-706 - All flavors

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

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-706 - All flavors
Reviews: 425MSRP: IC-706MKIIG
Description:
Ultra Compact HF/6 Meter/2 Meter/440MHz Transceiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/hf/#IC-706MKIIG
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
154254.4
NP3BA Rating: 2007-11-06
Icom 706MKII Great Radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ive had these radio for 6 years now. Ive done Field Day, Contests, Rag chewing, Expeditions almost everything there is to do in this great hobby and it has never let me down.
KD5UDE Rating: 2007-10-24
i love my original 706 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
one excellent radio!!! love to have more of them! i hear icom is going to discontinue these radio's and the ic-7000 is going to take it's place. if this is true then i wish icom would keep this radio in production and sell it at a lower price than the 7000. that way the lower income hams can have a chance to get one of these radio's. i personally love this radio and will try to buy more of them for my self. excellent radio!!! buy one and give it a try,programming is a little cumbersome when putting in repeaters but is worth the time. thanks!
AE5EH Rating: 2007-09-16
Decent little radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just bought one used. MKIIG. The radio is about 12 years old. The previous owner bought it used. These things have been around for a long time. Sure, there's better radios, but for the size and price I paid for mine, I really like what it does. On HF I use the AH-4 and I can cover a lot of frequencies with decent overall performance. I feel like I have a piece of history. Even though I'm sure they will quit making these soon enough, I think they will be popular for some time. Get a J-Pole for 2m/70cm, and an AH-4 with a long piece of wire and a good counterpoise and you'll do well if you need a light simple set-up that you need to set up quick. Buy one used from a respectable source, and you'll be surprised unless you're just you're so damned picky you find fault with everything.
KE5GTX Rating: 2007-09-16
A classic among mobile radios!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this radio for over 2 years. First,I used the radio only for vhf/uhf use and it provided wonderful service. On hf bands,the radio works great and meets the expectations.This radio is worth every dollar paid.
KB0LSG Rating: 2007-08-29
Great radio but NB is ? Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If it tells you anything I just ordered my 2nd new 706M2G with the narrow SSB and CW filters. I never operated my original one in the house and had it in my Ford Ranger until I bought a new Honda Ridgeline Truck back in February. Well, I can honestly say that I have had most of the small mobile radios from the Kenwood TS50, 480, Yaesu FT100 and FT100D, 857D, and the first Icom 706 and 706M2G. They have all had their good points and not so good points so I won’t go into that. All I can say is “If you want a rock solid performer for HF through UHF I highly recommend the Icom 706M2G for your mobile needs”. I am convinced that it gives you the best bang for the buck in the mobile. The only downfall to this radio is the noise blanker, which helps a little but is sadly lacking from the one in the Yaesu FT100D. I still say if noise in the mobile is your problem, try to identify where the problem is and fix it as I had to in my Fords. Or, buy a Honda mount the 706 and enjoy.

I could go on and on about this radio but I would not be saying anything that has not already been said in the detailed reviews. You will not be sorry with this radio in the mobile, so get one before Icom phases them out with something even more complex than the 7000. If you want a well-rounded radio in the house save your cash and get one of the 746Pro or 756Pro line up radios. The 706M2G belongs in the car or truck and just does not stack up to it’s big brother base type radios that you can safely watch all of the fancy lights and spectrum analyzer. Like I say this is my 2nd Icom706M2G and I will not make the same mistake again by selling it. The radio gets a strong 4.5 out of 5. A solid five is a perfect radio and even my Yaesu FT9000D does not get those marks.
W4KVW Rating: 2007-08-13
GREAT rigs! {:>) Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the 706 & 706 MII & liked both VERY much.I used the 706 as my first base rig for 6 & 2 meters before upgrading & had GREAT success.I used the 706 MII when I upgraded in my mobile with a DK-3 screwdriver with great reports on 6 thru 75 meters.I was NEVER disappointed in either rig.I liked the MUCH better than the Yaesu 857D which I did NOT keep long for it's VERY noisy receiver in my mobile & when I put it in my shack it was not much better.I'll stick with ICOM's for ALL of my use from now on!

Clayton
W4KVW
W4KPA Rating: 2007-07-28
11 and 6 year updates Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My original model 706 just turned 11 this summer, and it's little brother, an MK2G, is about to turn six. Both have been great radios. The original model had to go in for minor repair after nine years of mobile service (two coils for two meter receive came loose), but otherwise they have been totally trouble free. There is a reason there are so many of these things around. They are decent, reliable performers.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by W4KPA on 2003-03-22

With over 160 reviews on here for this radio, I'm not sure what I can add. I've got two of these. One is an original model that I bought new in 1996. The second is a Mark IIg I bought about 15 months ago. Both work great. I've never had a glitch with either one. Neither one has any quirks. One of them is mobile in my pick up, and it's been backpacked all over the place, including an overseas trip to England. The other sits in my home station. This isn't a $3,000 radio, and I'm sure a purist can find a few bones to pick with it. But, for $750 you get 95% of the performance of the most expensive hf radios made, plus acceptable performance on six, two, and 70 cm. They are reliable, and now that they're well along into the third generation, ICOM has all the bugs worked out. If you can only buy one radio, this one is it.
K5LDW Rating: 2007-07-27
Great RADIO !! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This may be the best mobile radio ever made ! I would not say this except 5 years of ownership . NO problems at all PERIOD . It is as good on VHF as it is on HF . The only thing Icom could do is put a antenna tuner in the little powerhouse. If you want a UNSTOPABLE HF MOBILE BUY THIS RADIO ! ICOM made this unit to work & work it does. I heard Icom was going to stop making the 706 MKIIG , if that is true buy one while you can.
WA9PIE Rating: 2007-07-17
Probably the best mobile rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I can't add anything to all the great things that have been said about this rig. I thought I'd say a few words about what I think the rig would need to be able to do to get a 5 from me.

The serial computer interface is clumsy. You should be able to read AND write to the memory. By comparison, the Kenwood TH-D7A(G) does a great job of this.

Moving around the menus is often tedious - particularly if you use choices in multiple menus. It would be great if there were a user customizable menu that we could use to add functions we use most often.

Overall, this is the best mobile rig for HF/VHF/UHF.
OE7HPI Rating: 2007-07-12
Working since 7 Years Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After 5 years FT7, 6 years TS430 and 8 Years TS 50,(with 2m separatly rig)in my cars, for a new car I needed a little transceiver with separeted Display, the Icom 706 was a good choice. HF and VHF and UHF, all in one, I love my 706 and I am waiting for good cdx for making DX, like 1980 -81 with the FT7 (10 W only). But what a difference between FT 7 and 706!A great engineering progress. 73 OE7HPI