Why I Choose Icom For My Ham Radio Shack

[@synonyx]

A 7610 will be my next rig. I also have a 7300 and a 705. It's nice that you only need to learn one to know them all. Out of all the brands I've used over the years, Icom just works. It's realizable and easy to learn. Good support as well. Plus Ray Novak is VERY active in our community. I've never met or seen a single person from Yaesu or Kenwood in our community like Ray is. Now if they can just give me an updated 7100 with color screen and ATU, I'd be over the moon.

[@1shARyn3]

In the western US, 20 meters is the most heavily used band -- then 15 then 40.

[@45auto]

Looks like you're currently knocking on the door of 60k subscribers. You'll have to have a TimTam giveaway. 😉

[@HamRadioDX]

Vegemite instead?

[@45auto]

@@HamRadioDX Only if you promise that I won't win.

[@VE9ASN]

People often sight Yaesu being atop sherwood's list, all the while Rob sherwood himself runs 7610's.......

[@ALIENdrifter66]

That doesn't mean anything. One thing is testing and a different thing is how much you enjoy using it. Using it goes down to button placement, display, speakers and so on, each one has it's own usability preferences.

[@robertmeyer4744]

Great video ! Please keep making them. You are helping HAMS all around the world ! I keep hearing about the Sherwood list. But that is textbook and lab tests. But the real world is different. Look at the Sherwood contest station. What radio does Rob Sherwood use himself. The menu system that ICOM uses is much better and easier to use. I do love Yaesu radios and many others. This is great for our hobby ! The man that put yaesu at the top of the list ,uses a ICOM 7610 himself. The common complaint I hear is with the Yaesu menu system. The radios do work great .I have worked many on the air. Yes 20 meters in the US for POTA. 73 from USA !

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Robert! I always say that you use what suits you best and for me that has been Icom. I run Yaesu’s too though! And a couple of Kenwood’s 👍

[@paulziminskin2ghr282]

Im an Icom Ham as well, I found Yaesu not to be as user friendly as Icom , . They are all super radios but Yaesu is a bit more confusing and you must have the manual to operate, where I found Icom can be figured out with out the manual, Just my opinion..after being a Ham for over 40 years

[@jamesseaman2950]

To each his own. I've always found Icom's menu to be confusing, much like icon indicators in automobile dashboards which always send me to the user manual to figure out what they actually mean. Yaesu's much maligned menu system is a mile wide, but an inch deep, and logically organized into functional groups.

[@jippel1]

Thanks for the video hayden 👌haven’t done my exam yet to busy with daily life unfortunately but haven’t lost the spirit 🥵looking at a ic 7300 and start listening that would be already a lot of fun cheers from Pete at Waaia victory

[@TheGmr140]

I love icom and their expensive prices 😂😂

[@DavidS-iw4ei]

The all expensive.

[@HamRadioDX]

You pay for quality

[@DavidS-iw4ei]

@@HamRadioDX "They are all expensive." I just don't like menu driven controls. Yes, I am a Yaesu guy. I bought the FT710 gave it 30days. Now it's back in the box under the desk. There is nothing like having old fashioned knobs. I say more knobs. I am sure the Icom makes a great radio. Don't go chasing waterfalls.

[@tateantrim2203]

@@DavidS-iw4ei TLC references always get a thumbs up - knobs or not - lol

[@jrhalli2]

​@@DavidS-iw4ei so...youre saying, stick to the buttons and knobs we're used to? 😊

[@pale_2111]

I'm an Icom fan boy myself. Started out with the ID-5100A, then the IC-705, the IC-7300 a year and some change later finally the ID-52 for a while before I got the Kenwood D-75A on trade. Recently picked up a used IC-706 and IC-7100. What Icom did correct was making the menu structure mostly consistent with a few minor differences. Yaesu, on the other hand, has a new menu structure for every radio, which makes things difficult. With the IC-7100, 7300 and 705, the built in sound card makes working data modes plug and play.

[@PrecisionGroupYT]

When I started out in HAM radio I wouldn’t have thought I would be primarily an ICOM guy but after a few years of buying radios I just ended up acquiring more Icom radios than any other brand……. ( 7300, 705, 7610 and 5100) it’s just the way it went! And I have no regrets as I love them all! Cheers 73

[@robertgarland9342]

I've pretty much been an Icom person from day 1 as a Ham. I have owned and used other radios from Yaesu and Kenwood but I always find myself going back to Icom. I'm not knocking Yaesu in any way but I just find that they are too menu driven and I need to keep going back to the Manual just to make simple adjustments where the same adjustments can be found on the front panel of the Icom.

[@skepticalmechanic]

FT-DX10, FT-891, FT-991A are the only radios I Need.. And I know all the menus…

[@MI7DJT]

Yaesu Menus and I have trust issues lol. I do love my FT5D though.

[@FrankW1VBX]

Thanks for the great video. I love ICOM.

[@VP2EIHonAnguillaIsland]

Great stuff, love me some ICOM rigs.. In the Caribbean there are several IC-7300.. The 40m band is heavily used as well. C-ya on da bands, 73

[@vk3wl]

Kenwood and Yaesu for me.

[@jimrecord6505]

I think what makes the 7610 much more than two 7300s is the two digisel preselectors.

[@ivandubinsky1857]

There's no doubt that Icom makes very good radio gear. I have a few pieces of their gear in my shack as well as a marine VHF handheld. I own stuff by other manufactures, as well, including Kenwood, Yaesu, Xiegu etc. It's all good...the more radios, the better. 🙂

[@nyworker]

Its awesome to still have some major manufacturers still innovating and competing. But still in the end you here the same signals 😊.

[@karlmadsen3179]

Good. For. You.

[@mikemcdonald5147]

you chose icom because they just work, the menu structure is easier, the touch screens make things easy to use and change settings, ive been a Yaesu person for a while but since I went icom I sold all my Yaesu radios and not looking back. wish I had icom years ago. much easier for settings for digital stuff.

[@MikeN2MAK]

The 905 is so tempting, especially with my preference for portable ops and being up here with active VHF groups in western NY and southern Ontario.

[@HamRadioDX]

I'm glad to hear you getting bit by the bug that is the higher frequencies Mike!

[@KO4VNX]

About 60% of my POTA QSOs are on 40M, and about 40% are on 20M, with a small touch of 15M and 10M, just for a perspective from the east coast of the US.

[@ch716]

Good point on the 905. My fear of getting one where I live is that I wouldn’t have anyone else to operate with and I can’t afford two! I think it looks fantastic though.

[@HamRadioDX]

Yeah you do need to have a active community interested in the higher bands to take full advantage

[@raymondmartin6737]

Thanks for your rundown, very nice, about operations in Australia. The Icom's are good rigs and innovative. The ic 905 is very interesting too, for an all in one VHF and above. 73 de W2CH Ray 😊

[@talkpodtech]

I see even in our country, Icom is still one of the best choices for the HAM Users

[@don_n5skt]

I will stick with my Aussie radio. I almost bought a 7610 but fortunately, we had a presentation from Flexradio so I bought one of those instead. Extremely happy with it. But about a year later, I found the Hermes Lite 2 via a friend in VK. Loved it and ended up going with a full blown Anan when I was able to. The Aussies make great radios and great amps (VK3AMP). Should really look into them.

[@dexterslaboratory5155]

I like Icom, prefer them over Yaesu for similar reasons to yourself, BUT!.. They need a rocket up their backside.. they are always *almost* there when they bring out a new rig. The IC-7300 should have FT8 and a CW decoder internally, or even better an API of sorts so people can create lightweight apps / applets to pop on the rig. The IC-705 should have been USB TypeC with USB-PD, and again should have had FT8 & CW decoder. Also seperate HF +6M and 2/70 sockets would have been good, but that micro B port (not the mention the uSD card) in an awkward spot is unforgivable. It's not a great radio to use out of the box for the simple lack of being able to tilt it. Again... just short of what could have been an easy A+ The IC-905, could have been a great rig to have it's RF unit on a rotator ready to work satellites 144/430/1296/2.4 and 5.8GHz, but no sat mode, which makes no sense whan they already have the code for that in the 9700. Further on the IC-905, Analogue TV?.... It's been a while since the last analog TV repeater in VK3 went offline. A common theme, all these new fancy SDRs have the ability to synthesise signals... but none of them expose this functionality to the user. Really disappointing when you think about it, and the lost potential. There is only so much you can do over an audio interface.

[@nikpresservk3ba779]

Another great video, Hayden!! Cheers from another Icom fanboy... 🙂

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks Nik!

[@benvanloggerenberg1863]

Excellent video Hayden. Keen to understand how you got your Shure mic to work on the 7610 and also if you have a button/key that triggers it

[@HamRadioDX]

Hey mate, I have a foot switch PTT. More info in this video - although it's for the IC-7300 it works equally for the 7610 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3XMlKqHn7tmo5o

[@benvanloggerenberg1863]

@@HamRadioDX thank you

[@KQ4KXA]

I wish i had more time to build antennas if i would have known what i know now few years ago i would have lots more radios and antennas and traveled doing pota and sota

[@bassmanjr100]

I love my 7300 and I love my FTM-300. All of the digital repeaters went fusion here so Yaesu for VHF and UHF was a no brainer. I would probably lean toward a 710 over the 7300 if I was a brand new ham though.

[@SmokeSignalsRF]

Great video…I have over $10k invested in ICOM over the last 30 years….and will continue to. Hope all is well Vy 73s 🎙 Don

[@SteveBerwick]

Why Icom? Because they have the best support and largest user base. I'll take massive popularity and intuitive menus over a few DB of dynamic range every. single. time. Sorry Yaesu fans.

[@oldfartonabmx2122]

I do need to check out 10 meter FM. Another thing on the to do list! I need to retire from work so I can do the important things in life.

[@B_MAD_24]

Im team yeasu. Getting a ft710 AES for my first sdr

[@paulKJ5GKK]

You now have one more subscriber! 😄

[@HamRadioDX]

Welcome aboard!

[@vk2ycj]

Hello Hayden, great questions, excellent answers and a beaut presentation. I'm feeling inspired ! 73, Jamie VK2YCJ

[@HamRadioDX]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@kellypaws]

Because the UIs aren't designed by schizophrenics after an LSD bender.

[@alexalonso2093]

😂 man you ain’t kidding

[@mattmiegel]

Can you do a video on 10m fm I would like to try it thanks mate

[@BoboAthanassion]

Great video! I'm thinking of getting into microwave communications. I'm a Yaesu fanboy, please don't hate me too much. Is there a distance barrier between the 1.2 ghz through 10 ghz bands? I'm in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. and would like to talk to hams from your country as well as all over Europe. Also are the antennas that Icom makes for the 905 good enough for my long distance communications or do I need a bigger antenna array as well as a dish per band? Any knowledge you may have would be greatly appreciated. 😊

[@HamRadioDX]

Hi mate, the higher bands are typically line of sight. The only way to “talk” to hams outside of your local area on these bands is via moonbounce, usually using data modes or maybe satellites (although not that many active above 1.2 GHz). If you’re located close to water, or up high and under the right conditions sometimes you can get thousands of miles on these bands.

[@carlosfiretablet267]

IMHO and product of experience, i do stick with ICOM among the big 4. Why? Good old Japanese quality and QC. If you open up/work on radios from different makers and examining closely, you will catch the differences: thicker circuits boards, well distributed, connections with well made cable flexes and bridges. They seem built to last (with certain exceptions). Until early 2000s, they were totally ham serviceable and service manuals are ready available. My rank would be1 ICOM, 2.Alinco and Kenwood and 3. Yaesu. Yaesu was top quality until late 90s when production moved to China/Malaysia, then became more of a dingly dangly appliances with colourful screens, ringy buttons and attractive whistles but not good RX sensitivity and selectivity (some very expensive exceptions). Kenwood keeps quality but lack of features and confusing menues; alinco underdog with excellent craftsmanship but very poor selection. You can tell how reselling value of ICOM rigs keeps upping, even more for classics. Long life ICOM

[@pauls8456]

Also because it’s easy to find an Icom dealer in VK, Yaesu not as much and Kenwood not at all……

[@judd_s5643]

I’m not any brands fan boy! I use what works! Seriously this my widget is better than your widget is so grade school!!

[@shigityshigityshwa]

Weird K0LWC just uploaded the exact same video. Icom paying you guys?

[@northerial]

I noticed that as well!

[@HamRadioDX]

No. I did this as a favour for Icom about 2-3 months ago when I was asked the questions.

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Your current “check”?? Is that “shack” with a VK7 accent? 😂

[@HamRadioDX]

I think so!