Not buying.....for now

With BREXIT, Japanese goods, and USA goods, priced in USA dollars should be some 10% more expensive to import into the UK. I expect dealers will absorb some of this, but maybe not all. This could mean some prices go up later this year or next.

I was thinking about investing in a new rig like the ICOM IC7300 but the offered cash price was too great, so I shall stick with my present rigs for now. The FT817 has served me well and has enabled me to work some impressive QRP DX over the years. I like the rigs I own and don't need a new radio. We are always bombarded with adverts trying to persuade us to buy consumer goods and we have to ask ourselves can we, should we, resist?

Our whole society is based on buying "things" we don't really need that wear out quite soon. In the end this is not sustainable in a world with a growing population and limited resources.

New rig - not at the moment

I was going to invest in an IC7300, but, for the moment, I have decided not to bother. The FT817 serves me well and I am not that interested in running more power. If the price drops a lot I might think again.  The FT817 certainly serves my needs on 10m and 6m JT65 even on the middle power setting. I also have a transverter for 630m (see my design in the latest QST). I also have a stand-alone 500mW WSPR beacon for 10m.

IC7300 Reviews

Both PW and the August RadCom have reviews of the ICOM IC7300. RadCom's is by Peter Hart and is the more "heavyweight" review.  Both rave it with Peter Hart saying it is "a superb radio" and "outstanding value" at £1050.

More IC7300 reviews

See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12742 .

I see there are now 95 reviews of this radio on eHam with an average of 4.9/5. One person clearly has some reservations, but most love it. I like the look of it too, but not the price.

ICOM IC7300 reviews

There are now 10 pages of reviews (93 reviews) of the new ICOM transceiver on eHam.net. Most reviews are 5/5 which is very good. Just a few have had a few niggles so scored it lower. When the price drops, I shall probably invest in one. I am sure the price will fall later in the year, although at the moment they are creaming off sales at silly prices from early adopters.

See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12742 .

IC7300 video

This was received from Steve G1KQH yesterday. I think he expects me to buy one. With no FT817 replacement shown at Dayton, he may well be right, when the price drops and the bugs are ironed out, but I am in no hurry. It uses 15 band-pass filters in the front end. These stop overload in most, but not all, cases.

15 bandpass filters Roger?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaWmFoLp9Bc

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

New rigs?

At the moment I am happy with the rigs I have, so I can wait to replace rigs.

At the moment the IC7300 looks a favourite over the FT991, but a decent FT817 replacement at the right price might fit the bill. All decisions on future investments are predicated on the price being right. I want dealers to make a fair margin, but I do not like being ripped off.  On the IC7300, dealers are making a mint out of early adopters who want the rig at any price. Later, the IC7300 price will drop.

I am awaiting Dayton to see if Yaesu really does replace the workhorse FT817. I have my doubts. As you know, 5-10W is quite enough for me.

ICOM IC7300 first reviews

Steve G1KQH has brought to my attention the first reviews on eHam of the IC7300.

Because of the wide front end filters, some have reported front-end overload issues. Software/firmware updates will not fix this as it is an inherent issue with wide front-end filters: nearby BC or amateur stations can swamp the front end and the rig sensitivity nosedives. As long as the overload does not occur it is a fine rig. I can see no good reason why this rig should be any worse than others that use sub-octave filters rather than narrow bandpass filters for each amateur band. Such designs are common nowadays in front ends.

I think sensitivity starts to collapse if the rig sees more than 70mV in the front end. If you have a nearby 1kW station operating in the same band, you could have problems. You might also have problems with multiple very strong BC band stations.

Although without 2m and 70cms, the European version does have 4m, which is good. I still just prefer the IC7300 to the Yaesu FT991. The price needs to drop though!

Eham reviews point to an overload in the front end:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12742

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

IC7300 groups

As you know, I quite like this new ICOM, but not the price. Unless a good replacement for the FT817 comes along I may buy one later when the price drops. Steve G1KQH has sent me details of some IC7300 Facebook groups.

Joined this one

https://www.facebook.com/groups/829412910506732/

and this one:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/920301584731431/

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

IC7300 video

This video is available on YouTube. It is an in depth look at this new ICOM IC7300 transceiver.

IC7300 price

Still I reckon that the UK price of the ICOM IC7300 is too high.

With a simple SDR architecture I believe the price should be some way below £1000, but the dealers will keep prices high if buyers are prepared to buy at the high price. What I am saying is the price is what it is because some in our community want this rig and are prepared to pay. I like the IC7300 at a fair price.

Dealers are not greedy, just following the rules of the marketing jungle.  It is only because some are prepared to buy at a high price that the dealers charge this price. All dealers will plead poverty and say their hands are tied by the Dollar prices and exchange rates.

Charge a fair price (dealers make a fair and reasonable profit) and the IC7300 will continue to sell well.  At some point this year there will be an ICOM-Yaesu price war between the IC7300 and the FT991 . ICOM is better placed to win. In the meantime, I shall wait and I hope others will do too.

See http://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-pc-302.php.

As I have said many times, the IC7300 is a nice radio at the right price.

The reviews of the IC7300 should make interesting reading.
See http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12742 .

MLS selling ICOM IC7300s from today

Southgate News reports that MLS are selling IC7300 transceivers from today. It looks a nice radio but I think it is selling for too much. My opinion, others may disagree.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2016/march/ic_7300_announcement.htm .

More on the IC7300

See http://yo9irf.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/icom-ic-7300-review.html?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter .

YO9IRF takes a look at the IC7300. MLS is offering this for sale but at a price over £1000, which may interest "early adopters", but is much higher than most are prepared to pay, I believe. Expect the price to drop soon. Even with  the dollar and yen exchange rates, I think a much lower price should be expected and demanded.

£799 would seem a fair price to me. Don't forget that early radios are often riddled with bugs that later get sorted. This is the first time the transceiver will have been mass produced so it is quite likely this will occur, although not inevitable. Personally, I can wait.

I found this via Amateur Radio Weekly at AmateurRadio.com. Always a good source of data.

ICOM IC7300 UK Price

I am certain the UK price will fall once the "early adopters" have had theirs.  Considering the architecture, this price is high.  Even with a less favorable exchange rate than of late, they have room to shave a few hundred pounds I am sure and still make good profits. It will depend how well it sells at the £1049 price. There is sure to be a price war against the Yaesu FT991. Both rigs have merit.

This came to me via Steve G1KQH. 

7300= £1049

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

More on the IC7300

See http://sdr-radio.com/Blog/ArticleID/25/ICOMs-IC-7300 .

The UK pound to Yen exchange rate has deteriorated lately, although I think this will recover.

The blog linked above seems to have a good collection of links and data on the ICOM radio. Although announced, I don't think it on the market yet. Dealers are keen to take a deposit so they know they have "reeled you in".  It also allows them to judge likely demand and quantities to stock. If the price is right, this should sell well in all markets.

But,  please, can we have the 10W version in Europe?

IC7300 First Impressions

AmateurRadio.com has a nice link to AB4BJ's blog on first impressions of the ICOM IC7300 transceiver including videos that I have not seen before. Look for Amateur Radio Weekly - issue 99.

If you are considering this radio, it is worth checking out. He was impressed. So was I.  At the moment, the IC7300 looks the favorite for my shack unless Yaesu announces a neat FT817 replacement that is stable, bug-free and available in the UK later this year at a sensible price.

As an IC703 replacement, I'd prefer a low power version, but this is unlikely to be available with CE (EU approvals) marking outside of Japan. 10W would suit me fine.

See http://ab4bj.com/wordpress/2016/02/first-impressions-of-the-icom-ic-7300-hf-6m-transceiver/?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

IC7300 yet?

As yet, I have not heard that the ICOM IC7300 is available in the UK or the rest of Europe. Dealers are still keen to take deposits and are still quoting a price "below £1000". With an SDR architecture I think the final price will be somewhat lower. At a lower price I might consider this, especially with 4m coverage. At current rates we may have to wait until next Christmas before we see this rig with stable software at a decent price.

See http://www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-base-station-radio-icom-base-station-radio/icom/icom-ic-7300-hf-50-70mhz-transceiver-deposit-pd-6016.php .

New radio?

For a while I have been considering investing in a new radio, possibly the Yaesu FT991 or the ICOM IC7300. As my voice is still poor, my inclination is to wait. Radios, once bought, are usually kept for many years. I consider them investments rather than "whim" purchases. My preference is another QRP radio as I prefer lower power. The low power (S version) of the IC7300 would be ideal but this is only available in Japan. This is a real shame.

ICOM IC7300 - still made in Japan

It looks from the pictures on the MLS site that this new radio is still made in Japan although the fan on the back says "Made in China". One wonders when one of the big Japanese manufacturers will design in Japan but make the radios in China? This would certainly be less expensive. At some point, the high Japanese manufacturing costs will bankrupt one of the big three. It is a case of who jumps first.

With decent volumes of the same design, the manufacture of Japanese designed radios in China makes some sense. Just wait until we see a quality amateur radio product both designed and made in China. It will happen. Then Kenwood, ICOM and Yaesu will be seriously undercut and worried. Why do so many products say "Made in China"? Manufacturing costs are much lower than Japan.

See www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-base-station-radio-icom-base-station-radio/icom/icom-ic-7300-hf-50-70mhz-transceiver-deposit-pd-6016.php

This image is located on the MLS website and not on this blog.

More on the IC7300

There is a little more on this new ICOM radio on the MLS website. Deliveries are expected "in early 2016" with a UK (initial?) price of "under £1000". I shall wait.

See www.hamradio.co.uk/amateur-radio-main-equipment-base-station-radio-icom-base-station-radio/icom/icom-ic-7300-hf-50-70mhz-transceiver-deposit-pd-6016.php