ICOM Logo—click on logo for ICOM HF radio website.
(Updated: 26 Feb 2011 to include ICOM 9100) I’m continuing a series of posts for hams who’ve just received their General Class license (the middle grade—see here). For new Generals, I recommend that the first antenna be a 40m dipole (here). I also recommend purchasing a new 100-watt radio. There are three main manufacturers to consider for that first radio: Kenwood, Yaesu, and ICOM. This post discusses the ICOM HF lineup from starter radio to over-the-top-of-the-line. (See here for ICOM’s website.) You’ll discover you can pay anything you want for an HF rig. Note, however, that with current technology, any new rig you buy will be a top-notch radio—better than anything available 20 years ago. Note that the model numbers are not sequential. Take a look:
| Model | Cost at HRO as of today | Comments |
| ICOM IC-718 | $584.95 | ICOM’s current least-expensive entry level radio. 100W output. No 6 meters. Needs separate 13.8 volt (12 volt) power supply. No internal antenna tuner. Technology circa 2000. I don’t expect this radio to be on the market much longer, as IC 7200 is their new entry-level radio. This is good value for the money. |
| ICOM IC-7200 | $999.95 | Admittedly entry level, but with all the common features you’ll need for 99% of your HF work. No internal antenna tuner. 100W output. Needs separate 13.8 volt (12 volt) power supply. Technology circa 2009. |
| ICOM IC-7000 | $1199.95 | Icom’s “all in one” compact radio. Covers HF, VHF, UHF. Lots of radio in a (very) small package. Personally, I like bigger buttons. No internal antenna tuner. 100W output on HF, less on VHF. Needs separate 13.8 volt (12 volt) power supply. Technology circa 2006. |
| ICOM IC-7410 | $1999.95 | Nice mid-level contender. All the necessary features for pretty much anything you want to do. Built-in antenna tuner. 100W output. Needs separate 13.8 volt (12 volt) power supply. Technology circa 2010. |
| ICOM IC-7600 | $3649.95 | Now we’re getting fancy. Real time spectrum display, other goodies. Radios in this price class have somewhat better receivers with special filters. Built-in antenna tuner. 100W output. Needs separate 13.8 volt (12 volt) power supply. Technology circa 2009. |
| ICOM IC-9100 | $3799.95 | This is a new radio, technology circa 2010. It appears to be an ICOM IC-7410 that also includes 2 meters and the 440MHz bands, with an option for 1.2GHz. It’s designed to enable satellite operations as well as serve as a competent HF radio. Requires external 13.8VDC power supply. 100 watts on HF, less on higher bands. |
| ICOM-7700 | $6499.95 | Competition-class radio, lots of esoteric features. 200W output. Built-in antenna tuner. Built-in power supply (85-265 VAC to accommodate various voltages around the world). Technology circa 2008. |
| ICOM-7800 | $11,799.95 | State of the art, ultra competition-grade, every HF bell and whistle known to mankind, including internal antenna tuner. 200W output. Built-in power supply (85-265 VAC to accommodate various voltages around the world). Technology circa 2007. |
Dave, I just purchased an new ICOM IC-718 for field/camping use. I had purchased a subscription to ham Radio deluxe some time ago and have updated it to the latest version. To make a field set-up I picked up an refurbished Panasonic Toughbook CF-30. In trying to connect the Toughbook to the IC-718, the manual describes a CT-17 interface. Rather than purchase one of those, I saw that RT Systems offered a USB Cable to connect the Toughbook to the IC-718. I installed the RT systems cable driver from their Website and tried it. No joy. I was not able to get HRD to connect to the Toughbook. Can you confirm that the RT Systems cable is supposed to replace the CT-17 interface? Everything I’ve come across indicates that is the latest best practice as other manufacturers offer similar USB product. Is this sufficient to operate HRD? Do I need another product (e.g., Signaling, Rigblaster, MFJ)? Thank you for your advice. Gerard DE WA2ZMX
Dave, thanks for your work. I am new to ham having just passed the tech. I will immediately start General. I just purchased the Icom 7200. It’s great but I want a larger footprint. I plan to trade up
next week. Money is not the deciding factor. I want a radio that I will be glad I bought in a few years. Thanks Tom