If you've owned an Icom rig has it ever had to be repaired?

[Moleculo]

I was rag chewing with some locals on 75 meters last night when the topic of "which rig should I buy" came up. Of course, several people had various recommendations.

Then an interesting comment was made by one individual that has a ton of equipment and has probably owned almost every HF rig available at one time or another. He said that he loved the way almost all of the Icoms he ever owned worked. However, he got tired of sending them all to Washington for repair, so he recently gave up on Icom and sold them all. He said, "it seems like every Icom I owned went to Washington". Then an interesting thing happened: a couple other people chimed in with, "me too".

This made me stop and think about my own experience. I currently own 3 Icom rigs. Two of them have needed repairs by Icom. One went back twice. One other Icom HT that I bought new never needed repairs, but I didn't keep it that long, either.

Let's do an informal, unscientific survery:

1. Of all of the Icom equipment you have owned, what percentage of the equipment has had to be repaired for problems that were not end-user related?

2. If you had Icom equipment repaired, how quick was the turn-around?

3. If you had Icom equipment repaired, did it deter you from buying Icom again?

4. If you have to pick just one, what is your equipment brand of preference?

 

[Wire Weasel]

Bought a 746 new 1st year they came out. Kept around 10 years. Never missed a lick. Used every day. All bands except 160. Bought a 2nd one, used, used mobile (yeah mobile) for a couple of years. Again no troubles. Sold when in between jobs one time. Bought IC 2200H 2 meter rig have have run mobile for years. Never any trouble except for occasional loose contact in the modular mic plug but they all eventually do that...not Icoms fault. Have had 3 different W32A dual band HT's. Never any problem with any of them. Also have had SM 20 desk mic. Awesome performer.

Wouldn't hesitate to buy Icom again and next purchase will probably be a 746 PRO after I find the next job.

Good luck Mo

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I had an Icom IC-735 for about 15 years and it never failed me.Not even the CPU backup battery. The guy I sold it to about six or seven years ago never had a problem with it either up to the time he sold it. I also had an Icom IC-2000H 2m mobile which did have a problem.It blew the VHF RF power module which as I later found out was not uncommon. Apparently there was an issue with lack of heatsink compound and they would overheat the module without the operator knowing because the heatsink would not get that hot.The module was replaced by a local dealer and it is still working today. It's funny you should ask this because I have heard the opposite about Icom; that they are good rigs.

 

[bamacj]

Ic 706mIIg. 5 years old one trip to the shop for a broken trace on input power.Still going strong.

 

[bob85]

all the big three brands suffer failures, i have repaired 6 or 7 706's all flavoures, 2 x 703's, that does not mean they are less reliable than others it more reflects their popularity in this area, 756 displays ouch,
857's suffer dry joints in the pa fets which are almost impossible to repaire with regular soldering equipment, whoever designed it wants shooting,
my ft1500 had literally hundreds of tiny blobs of solder from new waiting to come adrift and cause problems,
ft1000mp mark-v field looks not too bad, my opinion may change when i have delved a littel deeper,
ts50's dry joints intermittent output alc pumping to 180w then down to almost nothing,
none of them make radios like they used to, lead free solder SUCKS.

 

[Simon004]

Well I've always had Yeasu's in the past, but as I was working for an Icom dealer and I got word of a 706MKIIG going cheap, this was the display radio that was on show at all the Hamfests/Amateur radio rallies in the UK. It had never been used, just powered up occaisionally and put on display. They were getting rid as the IC7000 was replacing it.

When I first got it it seemed fine, but after an hour or so just powered up, the S meter went full scale and RX went deaf. Also the cooling fan did not work and even on RX only the radio got EXTREMELY hot to the point where you could cook your breakfast on it.

I sent it back to Icom (under warrenty) and they replaced a board (sorry can't remember which one) and turnaround was very quick, around 7 days. Since then the rig has never missed a beat and been going strong for the last 3 years.

It wouldn't put me off buying another Icom at all, the service department were very helpful, sympathetic and very professional with the repair and kept me informed. As Bob says, all manufacturers have problems with their equipment from time to time, it's the way they deal with the problems that matters to me, and for that I would give Icom (Icom UK at least) 10 out of 10.

 

[kd-5-bgt]

I currently run a 2200H ...had it for close to a year and it has yet to let me down,I know a few people that have various Icom rigs and they all say they have not given them any trouble to speak of.

I am currently looking at getting a HF rig and the 706 is one that I am looking really hard at

 

[C2]

lead free solder SUCKS.

Go grow some whiskers...

I heard of one person that had to send their new Yaesu HT in for repairs...

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

Regarding Icom radios ..

I have...

706 MKIIG ( many yrs )
IC-7000 ( about 2/3 yrs )
IC-910H ( for 3 or 4 yrs )
ID-800 ( maybe 3 yrs )
T-90A ( many yrs )
ID-91AD ( almost 3 yrs i think )
IC-R3

Never had a problem with any of them ..
Except..

I fell as walking with the ID-91AD and it hit the ground hard ( as did i ) and sent it for repair..
They covered it under warranty without any problem..

However...
It took me 3 months to get it back..

when i got it back they said nothing needed to be repaired
( which wasn't true since..when i had fallen with it..it stopped transmitting all together )

However...due to how long it took to get it back ( and without my saying anything or complaining at all about how long it took to get back)..when they returned it working...they gave me another battery for it at NO Charge..

I had only had the radio for tops a month before i had fallen..
It did take quite awhile for them to repair and return it..
However they covered it under warranty and i got a free battery out of it...

I get nothing but excellent reports when using any of my icom gear..

Heck my T-90A most people do not believe i am talking on an HT and think i am on a base set up..

I guess all the main 3 have their issues..
However i get the best reports when using my Icom's

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

Regarding Icom radios ..

I have...

706 MKIIG ( many yrs )
IC-7000 ( about 2/3 yrs )
IC-910H ( for 3 or 4 yrs )
ID-800 ( maybe 3 yrs )
T-90A ( many yrs )
ID-91AD ( almost 3 yrs i think )
IC-R3 ( many yrs )

Never had a problem with any of them ..
Except..

I fell as walking with the ID-91AD and it hit the ground hard ( as did i ) and sent it for repair..
They covered it under warranty without any problem..

However...
It took me 3 months to get it back..

when i got it back they said nothing needed to be repaired
( which wasn't true since..when i had fallen with it..it stopped transmitting all together )

However...due to how long it took to get it back ( and without my saying anything or complaining at all about how long it took to get back)..when they returned it working...they gave me another battery for it at NO Charge..

I had only had the radio for tops a month before i had fallen..
It did take quite awhile for them to repair and return it..
However they covered it under warranty and i got a free battery out of it...

I get nothing but excellent reports when using any of my icom gear..

Heck my T-90A most people do not believe i am talking on an HT and think i am on a base set up..

I guess all the main 3 have their issues..
However i get the best reports when using my Icom's

 

[Beetle]

Whole bunch of years ago I bought an IC-738. It had some immediate problems with QSK timing so I took it in for service (a pleasant ferry ride to Seattle from Bremerton and a non-rush hour drive to Icom America). Few days later they called and said it was ready, so I picked it up only to have it do the same thing when I tried operating full breakin.

Back it went - twice more.

The last time, the service manager brought out another 738 - slightly older by about 800 units, according to the serial number. He admitted that mine had some sort of problem that "shouldn't have been there", but he wanted to exchange that one for the other. I didn't see any problem, as long as Icom would extend the warranty. They gave me TWO full years' worth of warranty, but I never needed it. The "older" serial numbered 738 has been operating flawlessly since ... let's see ... 1995.

It's handy when the factory service center is (almost) local!

 

[donw35]

No issues

I have owned 7 or more icom radios and HT's, I have never had any issues with them. I keep all my radios in good condition and I always make sure base units are well ventilated. HT’s on the other have been used but not abused. No issues with any of them but I haven’t had any issues with my Kenwood HT and Yeasu units either. Guess I have been lucky…

 

[airplane1]

I have my IC-7000 for about two years or more and never had a problem. I run it almost 24-7 and my shack has no air conditioning so it gets very hot in there.
Still no problems.

Had two Yeasu 2800 mobiles and had to send them both back for repair.

It is like every thing else, some go bad and some dont of all makes and models.

AP

 

[Sonwatcher]

I have an IC-2100h that I bought new in 2003 and no problems at all with it.

 

[EDUK8TR]

706MKIIG owned three years bought used so I'm not sure how old it actually is. I did the extend TX mod on it. It does have a intermittent white noiseTX/RX issue on 2m but it hasn't done it for several months now. I know the fix, just haven't taken it to my local radio doc for the fix which is to resolder intermittent C335.