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Reviews For: Icom IC-402

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : Icom IC-402
Reviews: 4MSRP:
Description:
70 cm SSB/CW portable
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0045
ZL3MH Rating: 2016-05-13
The price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I was having a clean out . I payed $432 for the ic402 in 1982
Which was a lot of money in 82 . I still have the ic202s and the
Ic402 . I have brought a mmt50/144 transverter for the 202
For 6m 73 Murray zl3mh

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Earlier 5-star review posted by ZL3MH on 2006-12-07

I brought this rig brand new in about 1982. The radio store said do not buy this rig as there are now far better PLL Icom models coming out very soon but I brought this one to match the IC202. The first Icom PLL radio's soon packed up but this one still keeps going. I Have worked OH on AO10 and 13 and still use it on VU-52 and the now reborn AO-7 and on FO-29 every night. I worked VK6AKI and VK2ZAZ tonight. I also have HB amps to 120w and 20 element beam for the sats

73 Murray ZL3MH
WW2R Rating: 2008-05-27
great radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned mine for 10 years now. Yes there have been many all singing all dancing 432MHz multimodes since, but their synthesisers do not make clean signals

replacing the front end with a 3sk97 resulted in hearing EME signals with no external preamp
K7VO Rating: 2004-01-09
Great inexpensive way to get on 432MHz SSB/CW Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The IC-402 is one of those rigs I've had, sold, and always came back to. It's the 70cm twin of the IC-202S (2m) and IC-502A (6m) SSB/CW portables. A stock radio covers 432.0-432.4 with two additional slots for VXO crystals. It can cover up to 436MHz for satellite work and operates USB/LSB/CW, 3W output. I found an IC-302 (Japanese version) and a 65W amp on eBay for all of $200. The IC-302 covers 430-430.4 stock, but I bought it from a ham in Maine and it was already recrystalled and tuned for 432-432.4. Otherwise there is no difference between an IC-402 and an IC-302.

The receiver is quite good. It's very sensitive, has reasonable selectivity, and the noise floor is very low indeed thanks to a good, basic analog design. Stability after maybe a 15-20 minute warmup period is excellent. The tuning, like all rigs in this series, is quite coarse.

A matching 10W amp (IC-30L), power supply (IC-3PS), desk mic. (IC-SM2), internal charger (BC-20), and a mounting bracket (MB-2) were all available for this radio.

I can't think of a better, inexpensive way to get on 432. Yes, this rig is bare bones, and if you spend a whole lot more money you can do better. Dollar for dollar the IC-402 can't be beat.
WY3X Rating: 2002-06-21
Cute little booger Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just received it, and haven't had time to "play" with it yet. But it is very cute! Will write another review after I've had some time to spend with it. If anyone has a good inside track on some parts, I need the antenna and microphone. Also- the little rubber piece that holds the two PL-259 adapters (YIPPEE! They're BOTH present and accounted for!). First things first, it's getting cleaned and a nice coat of protective carnauba wax. Then checking to see if it's on frequency. Apparently it wasn't used much- came with the original box and the original Toshiba batteries (still inside the radio after 20+ years, but they didn't corrode! A positive testament to that brand of battery!). I think it's going to be a neat play-toy!

-Web Williams in Myrtle Beach, SC