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

[NorthStar]

Newer ICOM stuff is always breaking. A few Engineer's in the Radio world will tell you numerous reasons why and problems with alot lof their rigs.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

My ICOM 718 has been back as the power gradually dropped from 100 watts (around) to 50 watts on all bands when using CW. They said they replaced a couple of diodes as it did seem better when it was returned. However after just one week it started to lose power again. I am not going to bother sending it back, nor will I get another ICOM.
Jon G4FUT

I understand the frustration but saying you will never buy another brand because of one problem is a bit of an overreaction.It sounds like the problem is with the service department and not so much the actual product itself. I would not have any gear if I had that attitude. I curently own Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu gear but my first Icom purchase, a 2m mobile, blew the VHF power output module. My first Yaesu developed a problem with the 6m section and my first Kenwood (THG-71A) needed the keypad replaced. I have since bought something from all of them again.

 

[WR0220]

I own an IC-7000, a 756 Pro II and a 2820H - never had a problem with any of them.

 

[W4KVW]

I know this is a very OLD topic but it's still relevant Today. I sent an ICOM 756 PRO II back to Kirkland, Washington for repair of a receiver preamp & it was out of warranty by a few weeks. It was repaired for FREE & returned to me. It eventually failed many years later when it burned a hole in a circuit board & no longer turned on. I sold it as is & the buyer jumped a trace & it operated 100%. ICOM gear has been very reliable to me for the most part unlike Yaesu radios which have given me lots of issues. I once was a Yaesu guy but I'm now a DIEHARD ICOM MAN & I own a whole lot of ICOM Gear that I Love. I own a Yaesu G-800DXA rotor & a Yaesu SP-8 external speaker that sounds better than any ICOM external speaker I have ever heard or used. You can't give me any Yaesu radios if I'm required to keep & use. YAESU = Yet Another Excuse Simply Useless.

W4KVW

 

[Crawdad]

You can't give me any Yaesu radios if I'm required to keep & use.

And I wouldn't trade my Yaesu for any Icom you've ever had.

 

[L2]

Of all the Japanese brands, I've owned mostly Icoms. Never had an issue with any of them.

 

[N8YX]

Yes, with caveats:

Have a number of R-71As, R-7000s, a couple each IC-751As/R-70s, an IC-745 and 3 IC-720As plus the amps, auto-tuners, etc. Some were bought broken and restored. Others...the trimmer capacitors in the PLL sections of these rigs are known problems and have either been replaced or are in the process of being done. Likewise with the battery backed RAM setup featured in some of those radios. Piexx, Nardo and WillCo to the rescue.

Newer stuff:

IC-718 (x2), R-75, IC-7000, IC-703+ (x2), IC-7200, IC-706MkIIG, IC-M710. All have been damn solid. I'm eventually going to add several more R-75s to the lineup and run 2x R-75/1x IC-718 as "triplets". Antenna sharing handled by an SDR switch, PC control via the popular ham/utility software.

 

[morseguy]

I wish the voting had a comment part. All the new Icom stuff I have bought never failed. I did buy a broken IC-765 and fixed it myself and it has been working fine for years.

 

[Rwb]

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.

thats what happened to my first yaesu ft 2980

 

[W4KVW]

I currently have an ICOM 7610, ICOM 9100, ICOM 7000, ICOM 725, ICOM 575H, ICOM 703+, ICOM 4100A, ICOM 2730A, ICOM ID-51A+2, ICOM O2AT, ICOM 2AT & an ICOM PW-1. I also have a YAESU FT-920 & I have no issues with any of them. I have had Terrible service from YAESU over the years but the 920 was so CHEAP I could not pass it up. It's a backup to my 7610 & 9100.

 

[Rwb]

4 ic 2300,1 let out that majik dragon smoke of death 2 weeks old. sent it in to i can only moniter and sorry lightning hit it. i replied really? its death vally days in missouri and we have no storms ,lightning or wind. had a shop look and was told bad solder job. i only have 1 left traded 2 for things i needed and this last 1 isnt real good hearing is why i didnt trade it.im no crook