Well done video review Bob. You hit the major points within a short period of time, with emphasis on a couple of them that mean the most to new buyers: ease of use (i.e., ergonomic user interface), and the Rx and Tx audio quality. Direct conversion rigs (and DDC ones like the 7300, 7610, etc) produce the cleanest-sounding audio for the very reasons you mentioned. Hams want this kind of great audio and often spend hundred of dollars in add-on accessories to try cleaning up their rig's audio output -- outboard dsp filters, better speakers, better headphone, and so on. But if the rig itself doesn't have a clean, high dynamic range to begin with, it won't be easy to 'clean up' afterwards, regardless of the money you throw at the setup.
Hi there Robert. Thanks for a very interesting and informative video. I love the look of the IC 7610. It all reminds me of back to the 60's and first getting to use a Racal RA17 in training as appose to the Eddystone recievers that I had been use to before. Not that Eddystone Rx's were bad, but the Racal was like just so good. The state of art acurate tuning and stability of its day was out of this world due to the "Wadley Loop" circuitry and the precision engineering of Racal. When I took the C&G A.R.E, it asked for a description and drawing of a Rx or Tx. I chose the RA17 as I had to learne this for my trade exam. So it was still in the grey matter. (I got a pass on it). Looking forward to more of your reviews. 73 de John - G0WXU.
Today I passed through Hot Springs heading to the MTC radio gathering in Paris Texas. At one of the water filling stations I ran into a sailing friend of yours. When I told him where I was going and that I am ham, he mentioned your name. I immediately recognized it from some of the several videos you produced. Perhaps one day I will catch you on the air. 73 de K2LED traveling from near Niagara Falls New York.
Hi Bob, great review, and your predictions certainly held true about the price. One friend saw the 7610 for under $3,000 in Ohio!! I've also proven that the 7610 is quite a bit more than just a beefed up 7300. I tried the 7300, loved it and is about the perfect $1,000 radio...however it's no 7610!! Thanks for the review(s), 73, Jim WX3B
Yes, I agree especially when many of us use the 7300 in mobile service. You'd think Icom would have put that feature on the IC-7610 at 3x the cost of the 7300.
It does show the bandwidth, but not on the main screen. You can use other software with the IF/AF output (to name some common outputs) and the sky’s the limit, use sdrsharp etc.. Yes, 200 watts would’ve been nice, but the IMD is so good, you could take advantage of the radio and use it with a high quality amp. I don’t actually own this radio, I own a very late version IC-7300 with more mature hardware & firmware, but a friend does and I’ve babysat the 7610 for a while when he was away. And yes , exactly like you said, it’s right out of the gate and does require some tweaks and I suspect new features as well. What’s interesting is the quick menu functionality was fully editable on the 7300 and unfortunately dumbed down on the 1.14 firmware update, for what I heard. I understand your video was only a quickie, but this 7610 has so much functionality that’s easily accessible that works flawlessly. It’s ability’s for digital communications are just fantastic, filters are great as you quickly pointed out. I love the UI setup and the radios menus are very intuitive. Like the 7300, updates are a snap, compared to say other non SDR radios I own such as the Yaesu FT-DX5000MP, it’s easy for me, because I’m a computer software engineer, but some people would say it’s a bit cumbersome because of the individual setup exe’s needed and different pre-setup procedures for different parts of the radios update stages. The easy USB connection and the Ethernet capability on the 7610 is just a wonderful addition. Having the ability to easily direct different frequency ranges to specific antenna ports is wonderful and all clear and menu driven. The ability to save unlimited working configurations into an SD card up to 256Gb or more along with the USB ports which does support storage drives as well as other devices is fantastic, with screen shots and unlimited memory’s and prerecorded files as well as audio snapshots, that can be played over the air using external software or custom software. You also have the virtual com port functionality which I won’t go into detail. The price point is well a bit high, I think, or I would have purchased my own, not that I cannot afford it, thank god. But I usual don’t go purchasing new radios right off the assembly line, I learned my lesson with the 5000, and look at it now it’s cheaper than this radio which is unbelievable considering the Yaesu 5000mp’s quality and abilities that I feel are currently in the same ballpark or better than the 7610 in some important areas. It doesn’t have the UI, but it’s a traditional super H design and I would technically prefer it over the 7610 for personal reasons. The receiver is on par or better than most radios. But getting back to the 7610. The modern input/output features are a nice sight considering radios in this price point are still using legacy input/output connections. Which I’ll never understand? Glad to see Icom is using the current technologies when other manufacturers preferred to stick with older methods, but thankfully they are still functional anyway. I waited until the 7300 was priced right before I pulled the trigger and stole it for 1k after rebates and specials. Which to me was a fantastic deal. Hopefully the 7610 will follow the a similar price path. Overall I believe SDR radios in the same traditional radio form factor are here to stay, it’s going to be interesting watching the other big three companies compete for market share, that will only benefit us in the short term anyway. 73.
Lovely video Bob. We can't wait to get our videos up to your standards :). Your audio is excellent to listen to! It seems your disappointments are pretty much exactly the same as ours. Also, good job the beard; we feel this is essential to reviewing radios too :)
Vary good review on this radio I however don't plan on updating anything any time soon I'm using my trusty ft-920 with a tap for sdr works great for me.
It's due to the fact that the design of the 7610 (and 7300) allow for a flat response curve on RX (and TX). The bottom and top end are there. Because Yaesu wanted to do all they could to get high on the Sherwood charts, they have high and low-pass filters in the RX audio line that you cannot bypass. Let ME choose what audio I want please! This is also why when you work someone using a 7610 or 7300, you know it immediately. These radios sound magnificent on TX. The FTdx-101D and the FT-10 sound alright.... They are fine, but not at the top level you'd expect.
Thanks for the review. Current owner of a 7300 and you are spot on with the pricing. My plan is to wait till the price goes down to just over 3k as you said, or perhaps find a lightly used "review" unit. That said, I am very happy with my 7300, and will not have a problem using it until the initial price hype wears off. 73!
My buddy just had to send his back. At full power he was only getting 30watts PEP on SSB and other modes and the ICOM engineers reported having similar issues on the 7610. Just thought I'd share! I'm happy with my 718 for now :D
Thanks for the review I haven't been on the ham radio for 1516 years. It is whole thing of those today is a big culture shock. Thanks for the review 7 3 KQ 4CD
Yeah! Today they compete who has the biggest........... Wallet when the frequencies become empty more every year. No BBC no something intressting to hear except the usual exchange of numbers from obesity guys.
7610 owner here. Waited till price dropped. It's a beautiful radio and a pleasure to operate. Very customizabe to your liking. Very happy with my purchase. If cost is an issue get a 7300. If you have the budget it's a great choice in the mid tier range. Having the second receiver is amazing and allows for receiving two signals even on different bands. Great for DXing in split or having two pileups and switch back and forth to put out your call sign. All radios are not perfect, but they got it mostly perfect.
I couldn't agree more. In the end - is it a pleasure to operate? It IS. It is such an easy operator. You fly around the bands and the spectrum scope is EXACTLY what I want. the "3D light show" on the FTdx-101D seems cheezy. I want my display to look like a spectrum analyzer and have smooth averaging. the 101D doesn't have a smooth display. TX and Rx audio are great...what more can you want? 73's Bob
@@robertnagy2163 - couldn't agree more. I havent seen the 101D in person yet. Yaesu finally came out with a nice display though compared to prior models. Not really a fan of the font and 3d watefall. Maybe it will grow on me. I am loving my 7610 and recently added a new toy as well (TS-890) to the shack. The 890 is a little more sensitive and has better audio, but no second receiver. Build quality is superior though. It has the CW decoder/encoder which I am using to learn CW which is why I bought it. It's not SDR, but actually like that you can fiddle with the knobs. It's a great time to be a ham with so many wonderful radio choices. 73
The MB-1 is certainly an impressive SDR. It may be the best SDR in a box with knobs. As a student of Russian history, culture and language- I can tell you that I would not expect solid or reliable support on the MB-1. Things are just not that stable there.
Well, after watching this video and being able to buy these for less than $2500 new, I went ahead and ordered one. I will use my 7300 for SOTA/Camping/Portable. Nice video; Thanks.
The 7610 feels more Analog because of the 16 bit ADC architecture. It is smoother all-round. I had and sold a IC-7851, FTdx-101D and TS-990s...and kept the 7610. That should tell you something!
Thank You For This Video! I purchased a 7610 and it has arrived from DX engineering. You were correct, the price has dropped a $3,200. Icom is having a promotion with a $200 coupon and that brings it down to a little over $3,000 plus free shipping, so we'll see how it performs compared to my Yaesu 1000d and my Kenwood 950 s DX which are dinosaurs, but still good radio. I'm taking it to work today to put it through its paces. Thanks again....W6YDE
Golly...I paid $3800. Well, you will find it is an interesting radio. SDR's don't fail the way superhets do. Not that I have heard the 7610 fail in any way. Now that the I/Q output has been activated, there should be plenty of really nice software show up for this radio.
Nice video Robert, I missed the Noise Blanker, my 7600 is a wonderful radio, I have it in use since 2015, but my older FT2000 was superior on NB function. I wonder if they did a better job on the 7610
Indeed it does. That is one of it's strongest attributes. Although the Yaesu FTsx-101D is easily the best selectivity I've ever heard (it's competitor), the 101D rolls off the bass under 300 hz in all modes no matter the settings. The Icom goes right to zero hz. I've got a Logitech sub-woofer (PC speaker) attached to it and it sounds magnificent. The Yaesu is tight and smooth sounding, but if you are into HiFi SSB, it's not going to cut it. The 7610 is one wonderful radio to operate. No surprise. The IC-7300 sells like hotcakes- and this radio is better in almost all ways.
Thanks for the interesting review Bob, It would be nice to see it compared with the 7300 because I,m not sure its worth three times the cost at that sort of money you have to seriously consider Flex but i do understand some folk want the traditional looking radio. Also your right 200w would be nice.
Steve...yeah, that would be a good A/B. I can tell you that the TX should be all but identical. It will be slightly cleaner because of the better clock purity in the 7610. The RX is "sharper" in the 7300...not quite as smooth sounding, but excellent none the less. The difference between the 14bit and 16 bit ADC chips makes less than 2 DB improvement overall. Anyone who get a few 7300's instead of this radio- will not be disappointed.
We agree with Bob's synopsis. Its a lovely radio but unless the rest of your shack and antenna system is up to scratch the IC-7300 is more than enough radio, especially when used in suburbia. A small percentage of Hams near broadcast stations etc will benefit from the variable pre-selectors, but all in all you can't beat the IC-7300 for your $$$$.
Bob: Thanks for the QSO today 7DEC22 @ 2143Z 18.150 Mhz....and the discussion about the IC7610. I decided to watch this video of yours and its spot on....though I do notice you don't mention using it on CW. I agree with you on the sensitivity issue..yes, this radio is incredibly sensitive. One of the things I enjoy doing is answering the calls of QRP CW operators. I've been working guys overseas with 1 Watt and a vertical antenna! Sure, I have "big ears"...maybe the 55+ years of CW operation has allowed my hearing to "evolve"...The APF filter for CW works as it should..its sort of like an old Q-Multiplier circuit...if you tune it correctly, the weak signal will suddenly "jump-out" from the noise. Thanks again & 73 DE N1MX Walpole, Massachusetts
Q-multiplier indeed! Had not heard that term in decades. I too work the weak ones and the slow ones. Love the QRP Labs QCX Mini... in case you have not seen it. What a sweet CW radio and great value. I usually use the Ic-705 portable..but it is so good, it gets a little boring! Rather use a quirky micro-radio...ha! 73's
The IC-7610 is wonderful on CW. I love the action of the internal keyer with my Bencher. Very smooth even when using full breakin operation. The APF is just plain excellent too.
peanut butter! it's ooog. from the ole riff-raff days on .21 love your videos, short sweet to the point and an honest review. i'm building a house west of austin (on rock) and a tower grounding system is going to be challenge. at almost 1300' it's not if, but when we get hit by lightning, we will definitely need a proper ground. hopefully it will be completed in 5 months then i'll look at this icom, the RX audio sounds great! wonder how it will handle those common HPAV noise generators found in almost every household now. 73!
Hey! A blast from the past! Wow, I totally forgot about those wacky days on the 145.21/R. It makes me smile. Yup, I'm up here in Hot Springs avoiding urban Austin. Built another community FM station like we did with KOOP in Austin. This time it's solar-powered and a benevolent dictatorship. We keep all control. It's KUHSradio.org Still hamming and living on the UT "dole". Huge 73's and best of luck with your radio mansion out north. I talk to the old gang on 7.273...stop by.
Nice job on this review Bob. I really enjoyed your perspective and professional approach. I couldn't agree more, the price will come down (and Firmware Updates will be made). Patience will save money on this radio. Nevertheless, thanks for the quick review. Well done! 73, George K2WO
Thank you. These days it seems all people want to do is one-upmanship on-line. The peanut gallery is full of mud-ball slingers. Kudos are always appreciated.
It would be nice if the minor complaints mentioned here could be addressed through firmware updates by the manufacturer. This would be a major advantage of a SDR where in the old days a circuit mod. or a completely new radio would have to be designed to offer improvements.
Well, that is what happens. Some makers are more responsive...some less. But with a SDR you can change 90% of the radio's characteristics. You could make this into an AM broadcast radio with an analog display. The initial issues with the 7610 were address with Firmware updates. Yea!
I have owned Icom, Yaesu and Kenwoods HF radios and all of their internal antenna tuner range are limited to 50 to 150 ohm range or will not tune an antenna with more than a 3:1 SWR. Internal tuners are useful for tuning resonate antennas that are not flat across the band. Internal tuners can not tune a system with an amp in line and the reason why external tuners are made.
I & many others have found the "background" noise to be an issue with the 7300 also. Depending on the QTH, it may not be a problem. I was wondering if they'd fix that in the 7610. I appreciate you noting that in your review. Very helpful. - 73 Bob
Bob- It's a hard call so far. I do notice that the noise floor jumps up at times on the 7610. I have plenty of noise sources here..and I know a few are switching power supplies. I also have a huge solar array with inverters. I can say that it picks up different noise generators than say my Kenwood. In a superhet, there are plenty of places for noise that has frequency components- to get into the RX. On the SDR, the dynamics are different. They very much want to never overload the ADC chip. The Digi-cel preselectors are basically over-kill. The situations where you would benefit from having it inline... are few. On the IP+ function (dithering), they have chosen a level of dithering that never shows increase in the noise floor. Dithering is adding broadband noise to the incoming signal to randomize any birdies in the receiver. They are converted into white noise. So, you trade a better behaving RX for an increase in noise floor. They kept it very light...you don't notice any difference with it on or off in typical use. I'm sure Adam Farson has a 7610 in the lab now. Let's see what the real numbers are...
As you know, Adam is a real Icom Fanboy. And that is OK & I have no problem with that. But if you look at his write up on the 7300, he has one sentence in there about 80% (as I recall) thru the report where even he notes the noise in the 7300. I currently own Icom's, Yaesu's & Kenwood's, so I am not critical of any of the big 3. They all have their strengths & weaknesses. The 7300 didn't respond to RF gain reduction & ATT like my other rigs. The background noise didn't change much when employing RF gain/ATT, to my ears & QTH. That is not to say others haven't experienced something different. We are all different & have different expectations. Except for the "noise", I loved the 7300. It was otherwise perfect for me. Thanx for the response, Bob.
QSL on all Bob. The flex radios exhibit the same sensitivity to noise...each design has vulnerabilities. My 990s gets hash from a laptop power supply...7610 doesn't hear it. The 7610 is set up a little too sensitive in general. And then there is the second RX tone anomaly. They HAVE to address this quickly.
Nope... It's what I use on all my radios - A three-way computer speaker set. The ones with the sub-woofer. Logitech makes good ones. Get a mid-size one. Killer audio huh?
Brad- Well, there are a lot of real-world factors that go into enjoying a radio. Ultimate selectivity is just one factor. TX audio quality, the DISPLAY, ergonomics, receiver audio quality, user interface, Noise filters, radio's "looks"....so many factors. Not to mention, price. I think the #1 enjoyment factor is now the Display. Without averaging on the Yaesu, the frame rate is WAY too fast and it is a kill-shot for me. The 3D display just doesn't seem to deliver any additional real-world information. The 7610 looks like a spectrum analyzer should. Yaesu is at better at DSP filtering..TX EQ...etc. After the new factor wears off, you'll still talk to the same bunch of guys...almost no difference. You won't make one more contact on the 101D than you would on the 7610 in any operating circumstance. And why guys buy radios is another factor. Most of us are older and trying to squeeze any enjoyment out of life we can. "Value" is a secondary consideration. So the 101D isn't a 7610 killer. Not at $1000 more anyhow.
Hey Bob, I’m curious what you think of the ICOM 7600. I know it precedes the 7610 and it’s not STR but I’m curious to hear your comments about it… I’m looking at possibly picking one up. My passion is in DX… And to be quite honest, I’m looking at an Elecraft K3 that was updated by the company and then literally stored in a box for the last six years versus getting a for working 7600. Thekey three does not have the sound card so I would need to do something there for digital… Something I would like to do. But overall, DX is my passion.
Well, if you are looking at bang for the buck, the 7600 is still a strong contender. The current 7600's use an improved screen with nice blacks and colors. Basic performance is better than most radios out there. Interfacing for digital modes will still require a box or custom analog cables. There is no internal USB sound card. No biggie. Refresh rate on the display is slow, but still useful. If you are looking used, try to find one made within the last 4 years or so. I owned a 7600 longer than any radio I've owned in 45 years. It is a classic.
Hi, Please help me ... I will buy a new radio and I am in doubt which one to choose ??? Kenwood ts 890 or Icom 7610 ??? can you help me with the opinion on which one is best ??? thanks 73
Curious if the RF Gin control is a conventional type where the needle comes up as the RF Gain control is lowered or is it the 7300-style where everything drops as it is lowered?
It is like the 7300. "Lowering everything" has been the way RF gain controls have worked for 40 years. Before that, the radios meters actually did go up when you lowered the RF gain. So indeed the "traditional type" would be where the meter goes up. In SDR's, that control actually isn't an RF gain but an AGC time constant - which gives the same effect as an RF gain control.
Great video! But that sticker on the display screen that hasn't been pulled off yet bugs me. Pulling that tab is the first thing I do with every new display.
Icoms old QRP rig the IC-703+ that I have has an amazing tuner, it will load a wet noodle! That was a decade ago! Surely we now have the tech for a $3,800 Radio to have a better tuner. LDG will sell me a much better tuner than that all for about $170 . That’s a fine solution on my IC-7200 but for $3,800 it surely could have a better tuner.
How loud is the T/R relay on the Icom 7610 radio? I used to use a Kenwood TS-940 using AMTOR ARQ and full break-in CW decades ago. The T/R relay is very quiet in the Kenwood TS-940. I have also used a Kenwood TS-430, and the T/R relay is very loud, so using AMTOR ARQ and full break in CW would not be acceptable with the loud T/R relay. How loud is the T/R relay in the Icom 7610 radio?
That missing passband overlay to show you the filter width is such a big deal that I don't think I'd go with this radio. The quick eyeball and grab of low and high edges of the passband in most SDR interfaces is one of the best functions. I wonder what they were thinking with all the other features it has?
@@Yavor54 the funny part is, it's such a minimal change. I'm no FFT expert but I've peeled apart and themed SDR software (QS1R) at the code level and this would literally be a handful of lines of code, it's just a graphic overlay of the filter settings on the display. Almost as if the creator had never used an SDR before.
Bob, I'd really love to see a side by side comparison between a TS-590 or equivalent non-sdr radio and the 7610. For those of us considering upgrading. Larry, W1AST
Larry- A TS-590 or TS-990 against the 7610 would be a good test. I actually upgraded from a TS-990. Since that radio went away last Dayton, I'll give you my observations. Apples and Oranges. TS-990 - Low fatigue receiver...smooth sound to the RX. Not in your face. Selectivity was very good, but not brick-wall. Spectrum scope was terrible. Buttons are good, but that many makes it impossible to find anything. Great TX audio quality. Rig cost and weighs way too much. IC-7610 - is about half that list price. It's TX audio is max 3khz, but audio is super clean. Receiver is more sensitive by a few DB and filtering is very good ...almost brick wall. RX audio is much more articulated. It is just a couple of orders of magnitude "closer" to the other station's TX'ed signal. It's like digital Windex. A thick layer of noise and distortion is no longer present. Literally, there is just less circuitry between you and the original signal. Spectral display is 85% as good as a Flex. 257% better than the TS-990s. It needs more buttons..too many menus. (three screen presses to go from Memory to VFO) It has external monitor output, but one never uses it. Screen is great. At just over $3K, it's a good deal. The 7300 is 80% as good as the 7610. 7300 is still the best value out there.
Bob, I just started watching the first feww min, of this to do with the IC, 7610. But after watching you with the Flex radio. I don't think I need the IC 7610. As I have seen all the items on the flex, As I like that. But you and others don't show how to get it to a trans/rec. As I know there is a cable that go to the anatenner, (Cant spell)
James- Everyone else was doing "how to operate the radio". I just wanted to show some cool features and a quick look. It's the same as any other current Icom radio..you hook up your PC to the USB connector...so easy to do. the radio is very simple to use.
I just upgraded from the icom 7300 to the yaesu ftdx 10, the latter has better noise reduction however I still think I want the 7610 instead even chancing the display issue. I think the icom has better ergonomics ... Im not a huge yaesu fan however they have nailed down the DNR
What you said is spot-on. The 7610 is just a really smooth operator. Nice to listen for 6 meter openings on RX #2 squelched up. I hope they fixed the issues with the 101D in the 10D. One biggie was distortion on TX when you lower power under 25W. Another is that the ALC meter is non-linear. It is REALLY hard to set up the TX levels as per the manual. DNR is amazing if good, and Yaesu did it good. The best Ham radio made now is the Anan 7000DLE II. It's DNR makes everyone sound like they are on an Iphone 12. It's TX is 1000X cleaner than a Class A TX. Their TX audio processing is a full broadcast station rack. Then again, it is a black box SDR. Check out my review.
2020 I just got my technician and studying on general .. so 7300 + 9700 = 7610 i guess and some plus.. 3k to much . take my 2k for 7610 and i will study faster .)) currently own id-51a plus that only I have . i guess i like Icom products ... great review mister !! thank you.
So Bob after reviewing both the IC-7610 and the Flex 6400M (Maestro) which radio would you pick now that they are in the same price neighborhood? K9RUF
Good question. The 6400M actually performs better. I feel that the ultimate selectivity is superior. Display on the 6400M is twice the resolution of the 7610. 7610 does not have a bandwidth overlay on the signal when you adjust the received signal- so you can match RX bandwidth to it. Having responsive firmware updates from Flex is a very good thing. The 76100 has slightly cleaner receive audio....hard to quantify. It really feels like a 7600 that is a SDR. 7610 is easier to use overall...digital interface is easier...but less versatile. The 7610 looks better. The front panel is just really pretty. The 6400M is clunky looking. It's just not as polished. The 7610 could have been so much more of a radio...but it inherits 85% of everything you see in all their other HF rigs. So, I'm not clear who is the winner!
Thanks Bob for your thoughts. I don't think I've ever been so conflicted with any purchase. Here's the way I look it with an analogy. The 7610 is Ginger and the 6400M is MaryAnn. From a distance the 7610 wins the beauty contest hands down with the 6400 looking like an "O" scope from 1970. When you look deeper at what each radio offers the 6400M wins. Now having said that we do look at the radio a lot so Ginger is the prettier of the two. The display on the 6400M is so nice, crisp and sharp that you could cut your fingers on it when pinching and zooming the screen. Kidding of course. Why ICOM chose to use an 800 x 600 screen baffles me with the current state of display technologies and being spoiled with our smart phones. The big VU meters on the 7610 is nice eye candy that Flex could certainly do too and maybe they will. I do like the decaying waveforms on the 7610 showing briefly where a signal was. Digging deeper with remote comparisons Flex supports the iOS and and that's a plus for me since I don't do the Android OS. I have heard the audio from the 7610 at HRO and it does sound nice so i agree with you on that. I'm heading to Hamvention this year so I will spend a fair amount of time in the Flex booth listening to the Flex audio to see how it compares and learning more about Flex. Last but not least the Flex can go all the way out to 10 KHz wide TX bandwidth to satisfy my inner ESSB craving. So if I were just dating the radio for "one night" like on field day Ginger would win, however for the radio we could spend the rest of our ham life with, MaryAnn is the one we would take home and marry. 73 and I'll look for you at Hamvention if you're going. K9RUF
Hey Bob, just discovered your reviews and now I'm frickin' hooked on them! Great job, thanks. I'm probably missing what you're saying in this reply but in your review, you say the 7610 is more SENSITIVE than any of your other radios. In this reply you're saying the Flex is more selective and the Icon is slightly "clearer". Got that. But were you including other SDR's in your "more sensitive" comment in the review? Do you think the 7610 is specifically more sensitive than the Flex? Thanks!
@@MacsForever1 I'm in the same place with both the 7610 and 6400 but am also considering the TS-890s if the price comes down some more. It would be nice to see how that compares to the 2 SDR rigs even though it's only one receiver. But with my current TS-590s I have never felt I needed or wanted a 2nd receiver, so that's not a point for me. Ergonomics definitely plays a big role for me. Ease of use, placement of controls, ease of adjustment w/o worrying of adjusting your signal mid QSO and not having to go into the menu's to make changes on things you use all the time. The 590 crushes the competition on those issues and I wonder how the upper tier of radios that we're all considering compares. I do a little cw and ssb contesting. I haven't seen anyone address how to access memory keyers in either rig. Plus other issues and features in the way I use my rig. I have to admit the Maestro makes the 6400 very attractive. I'm an Android guy and don't do IOS or anything apple. So those are big turnoffs by Flex only supporting them. Lots of choices, 3 months to decide.... I hope to make my decision by Dayton of this year (2019). Larry, W1AST
Another great video Bob, thank you. I have gone back and forth between choosing the 7610 and Flex 6400M. For now Flex is wining. But there is something about Icom's that get my attention. Have you considered the 6400M for yourself Bob?
Dave- I sold my 6300 to raise cash for this radio. I owned a Maestro for several months too. Although the 7610 is not a "radio lab in a box" like the Flex, I just got tired of two things. One is that it all runs on Windows. Even the Maestro and 6400 screen is just a Windows 10 tablet. The other thing is that the DAX and CAT utilities were constantly changing and I found them problematic. The latest versions are the best so far. Lastly, I just fell for the look of the 7610 over the 6400. I never use a radio remotely, nor even use multiple receivers. I'll probably jump back on the Flex wagon with their next release....ha!
Thanks Bob, I appreciate your input. It's kind of funny (or maybe not) I have put far less thought into purchases many, many times more the cost of either of these radios. Yet, I research until I can't read or listen anymore on which one to buy! Meanwhile, I'm having fun with my IC7000 on my desk....go figure??
Thats the issue with the Flex, I really dont want to deal with Windows. I want a purpose built radio. With the ICOM you have a purpose built operating system running the FPGA. I wonder if the A/D ADC is 16bit or 14bit.
I am using a 6 inch 2 way stereo speaker and a sub-woofer. I always use computer 3-way sub-woofers on my radios for SW, AM and wide SSB reception. Sounds good ehh?
Actually, the Japanese manufacturers rarely issue firmware updates that significantly change anything. For them it is an admission of failure. Failure is not tolerated well in Japan. Only minor changes will occur, and I'm sure all their man-hours are going towards the next SDR Model at this point. That will be a replacement for the IC-7851.,
@@Yavor54 Failure,lol...Is that why even though icom finally has a screen replacement plan it took forever to publicly say anything and they are 99% mum on the heat sinks and wiggly knobs?
Great video as always. I agree with you. Gotta be patient. Patience can save yourself probably around $500 bucks. I haven't seen anyone make the claim that.... in general.... its way above or spectacularly better than the 7300. Naturally, all the "extras" aside... is it a better receiver and transceiver than the 7300? One could buy three 7300's for the price of the 7610. Would I want to do that? probably not but I am just curious from that perspective is it a better radio. I also think your right that it is possibly creeping up close to Icoms high end.... 7700 and 7851. Just my thoughts. I like your videos and info! Keep'm coming!K5CGR
James- It IS a better radio than the 7300. The ADC chip is the same brand, but the 16 bit variety (instead of 14) and there are two of them. I owned a 7700 for a long time and I think this radio surpasses it on most counts. It's the old 80/20 rule....but if you want that last 20% of performance....! I think the display is actually equal to the 7851 too. I'm just not patient...and I'm getting old....ha
My main rig is currently the 7700. I have owned the Yaesu 450D, 1200, 3000, 9000D and the Icom 7600, 7300, and now the 7700. I really enjoy sitting in front of the 7700. But now you really have my curiosity up if you feel the 7610 is a stronger rig and close to the 7851. Do you think Icom's next move will to produce a new big rig?
James- Well, I owned a 7700 for a year here...and this is a better radio. Why? For one reason, the scope. With the new software on the 7700, the scope refresh speed has been slowed to a crawl. I literally took it back to the old firmware to get more refresh speed. Truthfully, there is a lower limit where it's just not useful anymore. That's under 4X a second. The waterfall firmware for the 7700 brought it to about 2.5X a second. The processors just can't handle the task. The Altera FPGA in the 7300/7610 can spit out around 30 FPS. For me anyway, this is worth $$. It looks superb. The 7700 is best at CW. The 7610 uses dual Linear Technologies 16 bit A to D chips. The 7300 uses one 14 bit. This results in a more analog-feeling radio... just smoother than the 7300. Lastly, RX is more sensitive in the 7300/7610. It's about +1.5 S units. (I'm comparing with a TS-990s and FT-991a). It's very similar to the 7700...just hotter, smaller and with a far better display. I think Icom is going to sit pretty for a while. Watch for Kenwood to release a 7610 competitor. Their engineers are all working on it.
Thanks Robert for replying to my message. I appreciate you taking the time. I agree with you 100% in regards to Kenwood. I've been saying the same thing for the last two years. K's 590sg is a fantastic radio but is falling behind the times. Their 990s is in a category that most can't afford. But they need to produce something that can compete with the 7610. Thanks for the data in regards to the 7700. I do like sitting in front of my 7700. I just wish they would upgrade it and make it more capable. Not sure if they can. I like the big rig feel. The scope does chug along like it's got some bad gas in the tank sometimes but I do like having all the knobs and buttons at my fingertips. The 7851 is just a little out of my reach. YTB. Your the best. Keep making those videos my friend. I was curious if Icom would try and replace the 7700 with a 7710? Maybe? K5CGR
James- I just don't see a nitch to fill for Icom for a while. They will focus on their new 8600 and the 2/450/1.2 multi-mode (9700?). The 7700 is off on it's own iceberg. I think Kenwood will produce a decent SDR and price it in the $2500 range. Truthfully, there is a much smaller parts count in a SDR, itit's just re-couping the engineering cost. Sadly, in the end we are still facing years of poor HF conditions.....
Well, if you are not into uhf/vhf DX'ing nd sat operation, yeah, it is a GREAT rig. Not only 2X 7300's but dual 16 bit digital receivers. (14 bit on the 7300) more dynamic range, more analog feel..huge screen. External monitor out too. If you ARE into VHF/UHF, go get the IC-9700 and call it a day.
I can hear signals on my old Icom ic735 and ic751a from the early 90's that can't be heard on a new 7300 due to the internal generated noise. The 7300 is really noisy.
SDR's are susceptible to noise - that old fashioned superhets are not. Good grounding and a quiet radio location do help. That said, I'd take a 7300 over any 30+ yr. old radio.
I use three-way computer speakers on all my HF radios. The ones with the sub-woofer. Just keep the volume control low on the speakers and use the radio's vol control as normal. The radio does have superb TX/RX audio (an order of magnitude better than superhet radios), but the speakers certainly help too.
OK... Best Dual RX transceiver is likely the Elecraft K4. Close runner-up is the Icom IC-7610. Best single RX is the Kenwood TS-890s. Second single is the IC-7700. Third: IC-7300. Best Ham radio in performance: Anan 7000 DLE II . I left the Icom IC-7851 out of the race because of it's price (I have the 7851 and the Anan) Best value winner: IC-7300. Second best value: FTdx-1200
The 101D was the internal speaker and the 7610 was an external 5' speaker...but it's not just that. The 101D force-trims off high and low frequencies (you have no control). They do this to enhance their Sherwood numbers. The 7610 goes all the way down and up to the bandwidth limit set by you. When you adjust the 101D wider, you can barely tell a difference. And- the variable bandwidth is disabled in AM mode on the 101D.
There is a firmware update v1.40 that adds pre-distortion in the transmitter which improves IM distortion specs, however, i was informed that it introduces a bug that breaks the IQ info going to USB port 2. I have not confirmed this yet.
The Pre-distortion on TX is a HUGE improvement. Only the Anan series of radios has this. Very few people use I/Q output (I'm sure less than one in 500)
It covers the Amateur radio bands from 160 meters to 6 meters. (on Transmit) On receive, it covers from under 500Khz to over 55Mhz. There is a Mars mod to allow transmission outside the Amateur radio bands, but performance will not be as good and you run the risk of problems with the low-pass filters and more.
The upside of the screen issue is: If you are one of the tiny percentage of users that has a problem, then Icom will replace it for free. If you do not leave your radio on 24/7, I don't believe you will ever have a problem. Because of the screen issue, the price is very reduced. SO you can have the best "box with knobs" SDR for the best price!
@@anthonycosta1776 Repair is free but the shipping isnt. Glad Bob has finally accepted the screen issue as valid. Ive been reading the 3 years worth comments and this is the 1st reply admitting its real not just haters making trouble.
I do not have the 7300 here anymore to A/B them. I can tell you that the tight filters are good. The DSP is so fast that the signal still has a nice sharp edge on it for copying.
They promised two things: I/Q output and Windows 10 style external touch screen capability. The I/Q output and HDSDR firmware package was just released... works great. Next will be the touch screen- I hope! PS: After a year of ownership, I just used the radio in a low noise environment for the first time (eliminated a noise generator near me) WOW.. this radio is amazingly quiet. What a delight to operate. The new Yaesu FTdx-101D is going to be a 16 bit direct sampling SDR, but also includes older technology mixer SDR architecture. I doubt it will beat the 7610's performance.
@@Yavor54 ham radio with k0pir said external touch screen wont happen because of hardware reasons if u herd differently let me know so I can research it ..thanks
@@Yavor54 ham radio with k0pir said the 7610 will not have the ability to use a external touch screen because of hardware reasons. If u herd differently let me now.
Seems like all the radios with 200W use higher voltage on the finals. I think the IMD products would be too high (like a CB linear) if you make 200W with 12V finals.
Even the old Kenwood TS-50 had progressive tuning , Or as they called it ' Fuzzy logic ' ... As you turn the vfo the tuning steps get bigger ...... It's not a new thing , And not exclusively Icom ... Regards de Gw0wvl 👍
the only other radio I ever saw that had progressive tuning (other than Icoms) was that TS-50. The strange thing about it's implementation was that if you slowly tuned away from a signal -and then turned the dial back the exact same amount, it would not tune back the same amount...and the original signal was off freq. . It sure was "fuzzy logic"!
Just remember that if you listen to the few folks who post their problems on any rig, you'd probably never buy any radio. These complex radios ALL have strange problems. I don't leave my radio on all day, so I'll probably never see any burn-in issue. In the mean time, I'm loving operating this thing.
I've not seen that. Remember, you are going to hear nearly ALL the people who have anything go wrong with a 7610 posting here on the net. 95% of happy users never post. They have sold tens of thousands of them so far and the defect rate may be as low as any other radio produced. Icom is certainly one of the most reliable radios built.
Well done video review Bob. You hit the major points within a short period of time, with emphasis on a couple of them that mean the most to new buyers: ease of use (i.e., ergonomic user interface), and the Rx and Tx audio quality. Direct conversion rigs (and DDC ones like the 7300, 7610, etc) produce the cleanest-sounding audio for the very reasons you mentioned. Hams want this kind of great audio and often spend hundred of dollars in add-on accessories to try cleaning up their rig's audio output -- outboard dsp filters, better speakers, better headphone, and so on. But if the rig itself doesn't have a clean, high dynamic range to begin with, it won't be easy to 'clean up' afterwards, regardless of the money you throw at the setup.
Another excellent review!!! Your experience is so incredibly insightful. Thank you.
The "digital windex" description is fabulous! It's very "clear" what you're describing. Great job!
Great review, Tks for posting. Hit all the key points. Can’t believe it does not have the bandwidth indicator overlaid.
Hi there Robert. Thanks for a very interesting and informative video. I love the look of the IC 7610. It all reminds me of back to the 60's and first getting to use a Racal RA17 in training as appose to the Eddystone recievers that I had been use to before. Not that Eddystone Rx's were bad, but the Racal was like just so good. The state of art acurate tuning and stability of its day was out of this world due to the "Wadley Loop" circuitry and the precision engineering of Racal. When I took the C&G A.R.E, it asked for a description and drawing of a Rx or Tx. I chose the RA17 as I had to learne this for my trade exam. So it was still in the grey matter. (I got a pass on it). Looking forward to more of your reviews. 73 de John - G0WXU.
4 years later and still a great assessment
I have been a ham since 1976 and I have never had a radio like this one. I really liked this video and I look forward to more.
"Digital Windex" is also how I feel about the receive on my old ICOM 1-740, absolutely beautiful tone quality with excellent dynamic range.
Today I passed through Hot Springs heading to the MTC radio gathering in Paris Texas. At one of the water filling stations I ran into a sailing friend of yours. When I told him where I was going and that I am ham, he mentioned your name. I immediately recognized it from some of the several videos you produced. Perhaps one day I will catch you on the air. 73 de K2LED traveling from near Niagara Falls New York.
Hi Bob, great review, and your predictions certainly held true about the price. One friend saw the 7610 for under $3,000 in Ohio!! I've also proven that the 7610 is quite a bit more than just a beefed up 7300. I tried the 7300, loved it and is about the perfect $1,000 radio...however it's no 7610!! Thanks for the review(s), 73, Jim WX3B
I have a 7300 and I really enjoy it.Just one thing I wish icom did was to put lights on the buttons for night time use.
Yes, I agree especially when many of us use the 7300 in mobile service. You'd think Icom would have put that feature on the IC-7610 at 3x the cost of the 7300.
I want a 7300 with a network port. Being able to directly remote the 9700 is awesome and I wish I didn’t have to use USB to remote the 7300.
It does show the bandwidth, but not on the main screen. You can use other software with the IF/AF output (to name some common outputs) and the sky’s the limit, use sdrsharp etc..
Yes, 200 watts would’ve been nice, but the IMD is so good, you could take advantage of the radio and use it with a high quality amp.
I don’t actually own this radio, I own a very late version IC-7300 with more mature hardware & firmware, but a friend does and I’ve babysat the 7610 for a while when he was away. And yes , exactly like you said, it’s right out of the gate and does require some tweaks and I suspect new features as well. What’s interesting is the quick menu functionality was fully editable on the 7300 and unfortunately dumbed down on the 1.14 firmware update, for what I heard. I understand your video was only a quickie, but this 7610 has so much functionality that’s easily accessible that works flawlessly. It’s ability’s for digital communications are just fantastic, filters are great as you quickly pointed out. I love the UI setup and the radios menus are very intuitive. Like the 7300, updates are a snap, compared to say other non SDR radios I own such as the Yaesu FT-DX5000MP, it’s easy for me, because I’m a computer software engineer, but some people would say it’s a bit cumbersome because of the individual setup exe’s needed and different pre-setup procedures for different parts of the radios update stages. The easy USB connection and the Ethernet capability on the 7610 is just a wonderful addition. Having the ability to easily direct different frequency ranges to specific antenna ports is wonderful and all clear and menu driven. The ability to save unlimited working configurations into an SD card up to 256Gb or more along with the USB ports which does support storage drives as well as other devices is fantastic, with screen shots and unlimited memory’s and prerecorded files as well as audio snapshots, that can be played over the air using external software or custom software. You also have the virtual com port functionality which I won’t go into detail. The price point is well a bit high, I think, or I would have purchased my own, not that I cannot afford it, thank god. But I usual don’t go purchasing new radios right off the assembly line, I learned my lesson with the 5000, and look at it now it’s cheaper than this radio which is unbelievable considering the Yaesu 5000mp’s quality and abilities that I feel are currently in the same ballpark or better than the 7610 in some important areas. It doesn’t have the UI, but it’s a traditional super H design and I would technically prefer it over the 7610 for personal reasons. The receiver is on par or better than most radios. But getting back to the 7610. The modern input/output features are a nice sight considering radios in this price point are still using legacy input/output connections. Which I’ll never understand? Glad to see Icom is using the current technologies when other manufacturers preferred to stick with older methods, but thankfully they are still functional anyway. I waited until the 7300 was priced right before I pulled the trigger and stole it for 1k after rebates and specials. Which to me was a fantastic deal. Hopefully the 7610 will follow the a similar price path.
Overall I believe SDR radios in the same traditional radio form factor are here to stay, it’s going to be interesting watching the other big three companies compete for market share, that will only benefit us in the short term anyway. 73.
Lovely video Bob. We can't wait to get our videos up to your standards :). Your audio is excellent to listen to! It seems your disappointments are pretty much exactly the same as ours. Also, good job the beard; we feel this is essential to reviewing radios too :)
Great review. Thanks Bob.
I'm hearing a familiar voice on the air at 4:20, lol! Beautiful radio, BTW. I have it's little brother, the 7300, also a nice rig!
Vary good review on this radio I however don't plan on updating anything any time soon I'm using my trusty ft-920 with a tap for sdr works great for me.
Great review. Very enjoyable and honest. Yes 200 watts would be a big plus.
I cannot believe how good that audio sounds. That’s absolutely incredible. Jumping to this from my ft-891 it will be quite something.
It's due to the fact that the design of the 7610 (and 7300) allow for a flat response curve on RX (and TX). The bottom and top end are there. Because Yaesu wanted to do all they could to get high on the Sherwood charts, they have high and low-pass filters in the RX audio line that you cannot bypass. Let ME choose what audio I want please! This is also why when you work someone using a 7610 or 7300, you know it immediately. These radios sound magnificent on TX. The FTdx-101D and the FT-10 sound alright.... They are fine, but not at the top level you'd expect.
Thanks for the review. Current owner of a 7300 and you are spot on with the pricing. My plan is to wait till the price goes down to just over 3k as you said, or perhaps find a lightly used "review" unit. That said, I am very happy with my 7300, and will not have a problem using it until the initial price hype wears off. 73!
Golly, I wish I had that strength! I've toyed with cutting mine loose...but then- what do I buy? Yikes!
Bob your review videos on the 7610 and 101d are the best I have seen on YT in the ham radio genre. I have subscribed and thank you.
thank You Tim!
I bought one! Love it! First new rig in 20 years.
Has it been fixed of all the issues 3 years later? Loose knobs, Burn in and heat sinks falling off are a few ive heard.
My buddy just had to send his back. At full power he was only getting 30watts PEP on SSB and other modes and the ICOM engineers reported having similar issues on the 7610. Just thought I'd share! I'm happy with my 718 for now :D
thank you Bob very informative 73 .
Thanks bob. Looks like a nice rig. Does have some good features. But I will stick with the flex. Lol. AA1US
Thanks for the review I haven't been on the ham radio for 1516 years. It is whole thing of those today is a big culture shock. Thanks for the review 7 3 KQ 4CD
Yeah! Today they compete who has the biggest........... Wallet when the frequencies become empty more every year. No BBC no something intressting to hear except the usual exchange of numbers from obesity guys.
Robert, The main tuning knob has a drag adjustnent to set the ease of rotation to your liking. 73 N1EBQ
7610 owner here. Waited till price dropped. It's a beautiful radio and a pleasure to operate. Very customizabe to your liking. Very happy with my purchase. If cost is an issue get a 7300. If you have the budget it's a great choice in the mid tier range. Having the second receiver is amazing and allows for receiving two signals even on different bands. Great for DXing in split or having two pileups and switch back and forth to put out your call sign. All radios are not perfect, but they got it mostly perfect.
I couldn't agree more. In the end - is it a pleasure to operate? It IS. It is such an easy operator. You fly around the bands and the spectrum scope is EXACTLY what I want. the "3D light show" on the FTdx-101D seems cheezy. I want my display to look like a spectrum analyzer and have smooth averaging. the 101D doesn't have a smooth display. TX and Rx audio are great...what more can you want? 73's Bob
@@robertnagy2163 - couldn't agree more. I havent seen the 101D in person yet. Yaesu finally came out with a nice display though compared to prior models. Not really a fan of the font and 3d watefall. Maybe it will grow on me. I am loving my 7610 and recently added a new toy as well (TS-890) to the shack. The 890 is a little more sensitive and has better audio, but no second receiver. Build quality is superior though. It has the CW decoder/encoder which I am using to learn CW which is why I bought it. It's not SDR, but actually like that you can fiddle with the knobs. It's a great time to be a ham with so many wonderful radio choices. 73
@@ftlaud911if the 890 breaks don’t be surprised that it can’t be repaired since Kenwood has very few parts for it or the 990.Just a fair Warning.
The Expert MB1 features progressive tuning rate. Receive audio (7610) is impressive even thru YT... Enjoyed your review.
The MB-1 is certainly an impressive SDR. It may be the best SDR in a box with knobs. As a student of Russian history, culture and language- I can tell you that I would not expect solid or reliable support on the MB-1. Things are just not that stable there.
Well, after watching this video and being able to buy these for less than $2500 new, I went ahead and ordered one. I will use my 7300 for SOTA/Camping/Portable. Nice video; Thanks.
The 7610 feels more Analog because of the 16 bit ADC architecture. It is smoother all-round. I had and sold a IC-7851, FTdx-101D and TS-990s...and kept the 7610. That should tell you something!
Thank You For This Video! I purchased a 7610 and it has arrived from DX engineering. You were correct, the price has dropped a $3,200. Icom is having a promotion with a $200 coupon and that brings it down to a little over $3,000 plus free shipping, so we'll see how it performs compared to my Yaesu 1000d and my Kenwood 950 s DX which are dinosaurs, but still good radio. I'm taking it to work today to put it through its paces.
Thanks again....W6YDE
Golly...I paid $3800. Well, you will find it is an interesting radio. SDR's don't fail the way superhets do. Not that I have heard the 7610 fail in any way. Now that the I/Q output has been activated, there should be plenty of really nice software show up for this radio.
Nice video Robert, I missed the Noise Blanker, my 7600 is a wonderful radio, I have it in use since 2015, but my older FT2000 was superior on NB function. I wonder if they did a better job on the 7610
Excellent video!
Tnxs Bob our of my price range. One nice radio
Bob, you're arguably the best reviewer on the internet
Dam, that's a great way to start my day! Thanks
@@Yavor54 ...but I still agree with my earlier post!
- *It's not YOUR fault* Icom screwed up the RF Gain on their newer SDR rigs.
73
I'm listening to this video on $30 headphones, and the audio from the 7610 was *AMAZING!* It sounded like studio-quality.
Indeed it does. That is one of it's strongest attributes. Although the Yaesu FTsx-101D is easily the best selectivity I've ever heard (it's competitor), the 101D rolls off the bass under 300 hz in all modes no matter the settings. The Icom goes right to zero hz. I've got a Logitech sub-woofer (PC speaker) attached to it and it sounds magnificent. The Yaesu is tight and smooth sounding, but if you are into HiFi SSB, it's not going to cut it. The 7610 is one wonderful radio to operate. No surprise. The IC-7300 sells like hotcakes- and this radio is better in almost all ways.
Another great video my friend!
I found this video very helpful Bob....Thank-you.
Mark A - VA3FLC
I'm sure I'll get some guff from my Icom friends about this little video. Just can't help myself. I'm going
to tell it like it is!
Thanks for the interesting review Bob, It would be nice to see it compared with the 7300 because I,m not sure its worth three times the cost at that sort of money you have to seriously consider Flex but i do understand some folk want the traditional looking radio. Also your right 200w would be nice.
Steve...yeah, that would be a good A/B. I can tell you that the TX should be all but identical. It will be slightly cleaner because of the better clock purity in the 7610. The RX is "sharper" in the 7300...not quite as smooth sounding, but excellent none the less. The difference between the 14bit and 16 bit ADC chips makes less than 2 DB improvement overall. Anyone who get a few 7300's instead of this radio- will not be disappointed.
Thanks for the reply, I do watch your YT channel and it provides an interest to me, keep up the good work and seasons greetings. KR Steve G0OGS
We agree with Bob's synopsis. Its a lovely radio but unless the rest of your shack and antenna system is up to scratch the IC-7300 is more than enough radio, especially when used in suburbia. A small percentage of Hams near broadcast stations etc will benefit from the variable pre-selectors, but all in all you can't beat the IC-7300 for your $$$$.
Amazing review thank you Bob 73 from VE3BDE
I can't really see why I would change from my Yaesu FTDX 5000 to the Icom 7610. Great review of the radio..
Yes, the 5000 is great. I’m in the same position. I did grab a 7300, but only because it was a great deal at 950$.
Depends if you prefer the looks of a classy radio with the most incredibly attractive analog-style S-meter or something made by Mattel
That's an useful overview. Thank you. 73 de Morel, 4X1AD
Bob: Thanks for the QSO today 7DEC22 @ 2143Z 18.150 Mhz....and the discussion about the IC7610. I decided to watch this video of yours and its spot on....though I do notice you don't mention using it on CW. I agree with you on the sensitivity issue..yes, this radio is incredibly sensitive. One of the things I enjoy doing is answering the calls of QRP CW operators. I've been working guys overseas with 1 Watt and a vertical antenna! Sure, I have "big ears"...maybe the 55+ years of CW operation has allowed my hearing to "evolve"...The APF filter for CW works as it should..its sort of like an old Q-Multiplier circuit...if you tune it correctly, the weak signal will suddenly "jump-out" from the noise. Thanks again & 73 DE N1MX Walpole, Massachusetts
Q-multiplier indeed! Had not heard that term in decades. I too work the weak ones and the slow ones. Love the QRP Labs QCX Mini... in case you have not seen it. What a sweet CW radio and great value. I usually use the Ic-705 portable..but it is so good, it gets a little boring! Rather use a quirky micro-radio...ha! 73's
The IC-7610 is wonderful on CW. I love the action of the internal keyer with my Bencher. Very smooth even when using full breakin operation. The APF is just plain excellent too.
ic 7300 with West Mountain Radio CLRDSP is beautiful too.
I still have my plastic protective cover on my ft 891 to continue to protect it and if I had a touch screen for sure I would leave it on.
The main dial has a tension adjustment. Item 27 basic manual pg1-2. 73
peanut butter! it's ooog. from the ole riff-raff days on .21 love your videos, short sweet to the point and an honest review. i'm building a house west of austin (on rock) and a tower grounding system is going to be challenge. at almost 1300' it's not if, but when we get hit by lightning, we will definitely need a proper ground. hopefully it will be completed in 5 months then i'll look at this icom, the RX audio sounds great! wonder how it will handle those common HPAV noise generators found in almost every household now. 73!
Hey! A blast from the past! Wow, I totally forgot about those wacky days on the 145.21/R. It makes me smile. Yup, I'm up here in Hot Springs avoiding urban Austin. Built another community FM station like we did with KOOP in Austin. This time it's solar-powered and a benevolent dictatorship. We keep all control. It's KUHSradio.org
Still hamming and living on the UT "dole". Huge 73's and best of luck with your radio mansion out north. I talk to the old gang on 7.273...stop by.
Obsessed
Nice and interesting review (rare).
Thanks Bob, Informative. 73 de W4JF
Nice job on this review Bob. I really enjoyed your perspective and professional approach. I couldn't agree more, the price will come down (and Firmware Updates will be made). Patience will save money on this radio. Nevertheless, thanks for the quick review. Well done!
73,
George
K2WO
Thank you. These days it seems all people want to do is one-upmanship on-line. The peanut gallery is full of mud-ball slingers. Kudos are always appreciated.
I always respect your reviews and your mike upgrades.....had several Icom microphones upgraded by you!
It would be nice if the minor complaints mentioned here could be addressed through firmware updates by the manufacturer. This would be a major advantage of a SDR where in the old days a circuit mod. or a completely new radio would have to be designed to offer improvements.
Well, that is what happens. Some makers are more responsive...some less. But with a SDR you can change 90% of the radio's characteristics. You could make this into an AM broadcast radio with an analog display. The initial issues with the 7610 were address with Firmware updates. Yea!
I have owned Icom, Yaesu and Kenwoods HF radios and all of their internal antenna tuner range are limited to 50 to 150 ohm range or will not tune an antenna with more than a 3:1 SWR. Internal tuners are useful for tuning resonate antennas that are not flat across the band. Internal tuners can not tune a system with an amp in line and the reason why external tuners are made.
I & many others have found the "background" noise to be an issue with the 7300 also. Depending on the QTH, it may not be a problem. I was wondering if they'd fix that in the 7610. I appreciate you noting that in your review. Very helpful. - 73 Bob
Bob- It's a hard call so far. I do notice that the noise floor jumps up at times on the 7610. I have plenty of noise sources here..and I know a few are switching power supplies. I also have a huge solar array with inverters. I can say that it picks up different noise generators than say my Kenwood. In a superhet, there are plenty of places for noise that has frequency components- to get into the RX. On the SDR, the dynamics are different. They very much want to never overload the ADC chip. The Digi-cel preselectors are basically over-kill. The situations where you would benefit from having it inline... are few. On the IP+ function (dithering), they have chosen a level of dithering that never shows increase in the noise floor. Dithering is adding broadband noise to the incoming signal to randomize any birdies in the receiver. They are converted into white noise. So, you trade a better behaving RX for an increase in noise floor. They kept it very light...you don't notice any difference with it on or off in typical use. I'm sure Adam Farson has a 7610 in the lab now. Let's see what the real numbers are...
As you know, Adam is a real Icom Fanboy. And that is OK & I have no problem with that. But if you look at his write up on the 7300, he has one sentence in there about 80% (as I recall) thru the report where even he notes the noise in the 7300. I currently own Icom's, Yaesu's & Kenwood's, so I am not critical of any of the big 3. They all have their strengths & weaknesses. The 7300 didn't respond to RF gain reduction & ATT like my other rigs. The background noise didn't change much when employing RF gain/ATT, to my ears & QTH. That is not to say others haven't experienced something different. We are all different & have different expectations. Except for the "noise", I loved the 7300. It was otherwise perfect for me. Thanx for the response, Bob.
QSL on all Bob. The flex radios exhibit the same sensitivity to noise...each design has vulnerabilities. My 990s gets hash from a laptop power supply...7610 doesn't hear it. The 7610 is set up a little too sensitive in general. And then there is the second RX tone anomaly. They HAVE to address this quickly.
My 7300 has a problem with the background noise but the adjustments of the radio can overcome that easily!
Hi Robert, Can you tell me if that is the inbuilt speaker because the audio quality is amazing.
Nope... It's what I use on all my radios - A three-way computer speaker set. The ones with the sub-woofer. Logitech makes good ones. Get a mid-size one. Killer audio huh?
Man I love that audio!! Were you using an external speaker and if so which??
Well, it IS super smooth. I always use three-way computer speakers with the sub-woofer on my HF radios. SW sounds great too. Logitech makes good ones.
The Yaesu 101D Sheerwood specs are out. Would love to hear your thoughts after a review.
Brad- Well, there are a lot of real-world factors that go into enjoying a radio. Ultimate selectivity is just one factor. TX audio quality, the DISPLAY, ergonomics, receiver audio quality, user interface, Noise filters, radio's "looks"....so many factors. Not to mention, price. I think the #1 enjoyment factor is now the Display. Without averaging on the Yaesu, the frame rate is WAY too fast and it is a kill-shot for me. The 3D display just doesn't seem to deliver any additional real-world information. The 7610 looks like a spectrum analyzer should. Yaesu is at better at DSP filtering..TX EQ...etc. After the new factor wears off, you'll still talk to the same bunch of guys...almost no difference. You won't make one more contact on the 101D than you would on the 7610 in any operating circumstance. And why guys buy radios is another factor. Most of us are older and trying to squeeze any enjoyment out of life we can. "Value" is a secondary consideration. So the 101D isn't a 7610 killer. Not at $1000 more anyhow.
@@robertnagy2163 I was really into that great comment until you had to mention - *"OLDER!"* ;-)
Hey Bob,
I’m curious what you think of the ICOM 7600. I know it precedes the 7610 and it’s not STR but I’m curious to hear your comments about it… I’m looking at possibly picking one up. My passion is in DX… And to be quite honest, I’m looking at an Elecraft K3 that was updated by the company and then literally stored in a box for the last six years versus getting a for working 7600. Thekey three does not have the sound card so I would need to do something there for digital… Something I would like to do. But overall, DX is my passion.
Well, if you are looking at bang for the buck, the 7600 is still a strong contender. The current 7600's use an improved screen with nice blacks and colors. Basic performance is better than most radios out there. Interfacing for digital modes will still require a box or custom analog cables. There is no internal USB sound card. No biggie. Refresh rate on the display is slow, but still useful. If you are looking used, try to find one made within the last 4 years or so. I owned a 7600 longer than any radio I've owned in 45 years. It is a classic.
Hi, Please help me ... I will buy a new radio and I am in doubt which one to choose ??? Kenwood ts 890 or Icom 7610 ??? can you help me with the opinion on which one is best ??? thanks 73
Curious if the RF Gin control is a conventional type where the needle comes up as the RF Gain control is lowered or is it the 7300-style where everything drops as it is lowered?
It is like the 7300. "Lowering everything" has been the way RF gain controls have worked for 40 years. Before that, the radios meters actually did go up when you lowered the RF gain. So indeed the "traditional type" would be where the meter goes up. In SDR's, that control actually isn't an RF gain but an AGC time constant - which gives the same effect as an RF gain control.
good video sir;
Great video! But that sticker on the display screen that hasn't been pulled off yet bugs me. Pulling that tab is the first thing I do with every new display.
I finally took it off when I decided my FTdx-101D was going and the 7610 was the keeper.
Icoms old QRP rig the IC-703+ that I have has an amazing tuner, it will load a wet noodle! That was a decade ago! Surely we now have the tech for a $3,800 Radio to have a better tuner. LDG will sell me a much better tuner than that all for about $170 . That’s a fine solution on my IC-7200 but for $3,800 it surely could have a better tuner.
How loud is the T/R relay on the Icom 7610 radio? I used to use a Kenwood TS-940 using AMTOR ARQ and full break-in CW decades ago. The T/R relay is very quiet in the Kenwood TS-940. I have also used a Kenwood TS-430, and the T/R relay is very loud, so using AMTOR ARQ and full break in CW would not be acceptable with the loud T/R relay. How loud is the T/R relay in the Icom 7610 radio?
Very quiet also....I cannot hear it at all....
That missing passband overlay to show you the filter width is such a big deal that I don't think I'd go with this radio. The quick eyeball and grab of low and high edges of the passband in most SDR interfaces is one of the best functions. I wonder what they were thinking with all the other features it has?
I totally concur. You know they could do it. FTdx-101D sort of has it... but not really.
@@Yavor54 the funny part is, it's such a minimal change. I'm no FFT expert but I've peeled apart and themed SDR software (QS1R) at the code level and this would literally be a handful of lines of code, it's just a graphic overlay of the filter settings on the display. Almost as if the creator had never used an SDR before.
Bob, I'd really love to see a side by side comparison between a TS-590 or equivalent non-sdr radio and the 7610. For those of us considering upgrading. Larry, W1AST
Larry- A TS-590 or TS-990 against the 7610 would be a good test. I actually upgraded from a TS-990. Since that radio went away last Dayton, I'll give you my observations. Apples and Oranges. TS-990 - Low fatigue receiver...smooth sound to the RX. Not in your face. Selectivity was very good, but not brick-wall. Spectrum scope was terrible. Buttons are good, but that many makes it impossible to find anything. Great TX audio quality. Rig cost and weighs way too much. IC-7610 - is about half that list price. It's TX audio is max 3khz, but audio is super clean. Receiver is more sensitive by a few DB and filtering is very good ...almost brick wall. RX audio is much more articulated. It is just a couple of orders of magnitude "closer" to the other station's TX'ed signal. It's like digital Windex. A thick layer of noise and distortion is no longer present. Literally, there is just less circuitry between you and the original signal. Spectral display is 85% as good as a Flex. 257% better than the TS-990s. It needs more buttons..too many menus. (three screen presses to go from Memory to VFO) It has external monitor output, but one never uses it. Screen is great. At just over $3K, it's a good deal. The 7300 is 80% as good as the 7610. 7300 is still the best value out there.
@@Yavor54 lo
Debs husband says beautiful radio.
Bob, I just started watching the first feww min, of this to do with the IC, 7610. But after watching you with the Flex radio. I don't think I need the IC 7610. As I have seen all the items on the flex, As I like that. But you and others don't show how to get it to a trans/rec. As I know there is a cable that go to the anatenner, (Cant spell)
James- Everyone else was doing "how to operate the radio". I just wanted to show some cool features and a quick look. It's the same as any other current Icom radio..you hook up your PC to the USB connector...so easy to do. the radio is very simple to use.
I just upgraded from the icom 7300 to the yaesu ftdx 10, the latter has better noise reduction however I still think I want the 7610 instead even chancing the display issue. I think the icom has better ergonomics ... Im not a huge yaesu fan however they have nailed down the DNR
What you said is spot-on. The 7610 is just a really smooth operator. Nice to listen for 6 meter openings on RX #2 squelched up. I hope they fixed the issues with the 101D in the 10D. One biggie was distortion on TX when you lower power under 25W. Another is that the ALC meter is non-linear. It is REALLY hard to set up the TX levels as per the manual. DNR is amazing if good, and Yaesu did it good. The best Ham radio made now is the Anan 7000DLE II. It's DNR makes everyone sound like they are on an Iphone 12. It's TX is 1000X cleaner than a Class A TX. Their TX audio processing is a full broadcast station rack. Then again, it is a black box SDR. Check out my review.
I have just sold my icom7700..
Would this be a good replacement for that radio..
2020 I just got my technician and studying on general .. so 7300 + 9700 = 7610 i guess and some plus.. 3k to much . take my 2k for 7610 and i will study faster .)) currently own id-51a plus that only I have . i guess i like Icom products ... great review mister !! thank you.
Catch the 9700 and 7300 on sale...BEST combination!
@@Yavor54 7610 and 9700 is a better combo.
The filter overlay thing is almost a deal killer for me. Icom should fix this now. (and for my 7300 as well)
Absolutely. You do it so when you adjust the Twin PBT it shows up and dis-appears after 5 seconds. That would be such a desirable upgrade.
So Bob after reviewing both the IC-7610 and the Flex 6400M (Maestro) which radio would you pick now that they are in the same price neighborhood? K9RUF
Good question. The 6400M actually performs better. I feel that the ultimate selectivity is superior. Display on the 6400M is twice the resolution of the 7610. 7610 does not have a bandwidth overlay on the signal when you adjust the received signal- so you can match RX bandwidth to it. Having responsive firmware updates from Flex is a very good thing. The 76100 has slightly cleaner receive audio....hard to quantify. It really feels like a 7600 that is a SDR.
7610 is easier to use overall...digital interface is easier...but less versatile. The 7610 looks better. The front panel is just really pretty. The 6400M is clunky looking. It's just not as polished. The 7610 could have been so much more of a radio...but it inherits 85% of everything you see in all their other HF rigs. So, I'm not clear who is the winner!
Thanks Bob for your thoughts. I don't think I've ever been so conflicted with any purchase. Here's the way I look it with an analogy. The 7610 is Ginger and the 6400M is MaryAnn. From a distance the 7610 wins the beauty contest hands down with the 6400 looking like an "O" scope from 1970. When you look deeper at what each radio offers the 6400M wins. Now having said that we do look at the radio a lot so Ginger is the prettier of the two. The display on the 6400M is so nice, crisp and sharp that you could cut your fingers on it when pinching and zooming the screen. Kidding of course. Why ICOM chose to use an 800 x 600 screen baffles me with the current state of display technologies and being spoiled with our smart phones. The big VU meters on the 7610 is nice eye candy that Flex could certainly do too and maybe they will. I do like the decaying waveforms on the 7610 showing briefly where a signal was. Digging deeper with remote comparisons Flex supports the iOS and and that's a plus for me since I don't do the Android OS. I have heard the audio from the 7610 at HRO and it does sound nice so i agree with you on that. I'm heading to Hamvention this year so I will spend a fair amount of time in the Flex booth listening to the Flex audio to see how it compares and learning more about Flex. Last but not least the Flex can go all the way out to 10 KHz wide TX bandwidth to satisfy my inner ESSB craving. So if I were just dating the radio for "one night" like on field day Ginger would win, however for the radio we could spend the rest of our ham life with, MaryAnn is the one we would take home and marry.
73 and I'll look for you at Hamvention if you're going.
K9RUF
Hey Bob, just discovered your reviews and now I'm frickin' hooked on them! Great job, thanks. I'm probably missing what you're saying in this reply but in your review, you say the 7610 is more SENSITIVE than any of your other radios. In this reply you're saying the Flex is more selective and the Icon is slightly "clearer". Got that. But were you including other SDR's in your "more sensitive" comment in the review? Do you think the 7610 is specifically more sensitive than the Flex? Thanks!
@@MacsForever1 I guess you know, it every Ginger vs. MaryAnne contest, Ginger has never won, lol.
@@MacsForever1 I'm in the same place with both the 7610 and 6400 but am also considering the TS-890s if the price comes down some more. It would be nice to see how that compares to the 2 SDR rigs even though it's only one receiver. But with my current TS-590s I have never felt I needed or wanted a 2nd receiver, so that's not a point for me.
Ergonomics definitely plays a big role for me. Ease of use, placement of controls, ease of adjustment w/o worrying of adjusting your signal mid QSO and not having to go into the menu's to make changes on things you use all the time. The 590 crushes the competition on those issues and I wonder how the upper tier of radios that we're all considering compares.
I do a little cw and ssb contesting. I haven't seen anyone address how to access memory keyers in either rig. Plus other issues and features in the way I use my rig.
I have to admit the Maestro makes the 6400 very attractive. I'm an Android guy and don't do IOS or anything apple. So those are big turnoffs by Flex only supporting them. Lots of choices, 3 months to decide....
I hope to make my decision by Dayton of this year (2019).
Larry, W1AST
Where can I get one where to order?
Another great video Bob, thank you. I have gone back and forth between choosing the 7610 and Flex 6400M. For now Flex is wining. But there is something about Icom's that get my attention. Have you considered the 6400M for yourself Bob?
Dave- I sold my 6300 to raise cash for this radio. I owned a Maestro for several months too. Although the 7610 is not a "radio lab in a box" like the Flex, I just got tired of two things. One is that it all runs on Windows. Even the Maestro and 6400 screen is just a Windows 10 tablet. The other thing is that the DAX and CAT utilities were constantly changing and I found them problematic. The latest versions are the best so far. Lastly, I just fell for the look of the 7610 over the 6400. I never use a radio remotely, nor even use multiple receivers. I'll probably jump back on the Flex wagon with their next release....ha!
Thanks Bob, I appreciate your input. It's kind of funny (or maybe not) I have put far less thought into purchases many, many times more the cost of either of these radios. Yet, I research until I can't read or listen anymore on which one to buy! Meanwhile, I'm having fun with my IC7000 on my desk....go figure??
Thats the issue with the Flex, I really dont want to deal with Windows. I want a purpose built radio. With the ICOM you have a purpose built operating system running the FPGA. I wonder if the A/D ADC is 16bit or 14bit.
The 7610 is 16 bit and the 7300 is 14 bit.
What are you using for a speaker in this video?
I am using a 6 inch 2 way stereo speaker and a sub-woofer. I always use computer 3-way sub-woofers on my radios for SW, AM and wide SSB reception. Sounds good ehh?
I am pretty sure that Icom will issue a firmware upgrade to correct some of the limitations. Such as the bandwidth and the tuner limitation of 3:1
Actually, the Japanese manufacturers rarely issue firmware updates that significantly change anything. For them it is an admission of failure. Failure is not tolerated well in Japan. Only minor changes will occur, and I'm sure all their man-hours are going towards the next SDR Model at this point. That will be a replacement for the IC-7851.,
@@Yavor54 Failure,lol...Is that why even though icom finally has a screen replacement plan it took forever to publicly say anything and they are 99% mum on the heat sinks and wiggly knobs?
Does it have filters for SO2R like the Flex 6600/6700?
Adde- It has RX in/out connectors on the read (BNC). You can place bandpass filters there.
Great video as always. I agree with you. Gotta be patient. Patience can save yourself probably around $500 bucks. I haven't seen anyone make the claim that.... in general.... its way above or spectacularly better than the 7300. Naturally, all the "extras" aside... is it a better receiver and transceiver than the 7300? One could buy three 7300's for the price of the 7610. Would I want to do that? probably not but I am just curious from that perspective is it a better radio. I also think your right that it is possibly creeping up close to Icoms high end.... 7700 and 7851. Just my thoughts. I like your videos and info! Keep'm coming!K5CGR
James- It IS a better radio than the 7300. The ADC chip is the same brand, but the 16 bit variety (instead of 14) and there are two of them. I owned a 7700 for a long time and I think this radio surpasses it on most counts. It's the old 80/20 rule....but if you want that last 20% of performance....! I think the display is actually equal to the 7851 too. I'm just not patient...and I'm getting old....ha
My main rig is currently the 7700. I have owned the Yaesu 450D, 1200, 3000, 9000D and the Icom 7600, 7300, and now the 7700. I really enjoy sitting in front of the 7700. But now you really have my curiosity up if you feel the 7610 is a stronger rig and close to the 7851.
Do you think Icom's next move will to produce a new big rig?
James- Well, I owned a 7700 for a year here...and this is a better radio. Why? For one reason, the scope. With the new software on the 7700, the scope refresh speed has been slowed to a crawl. I literally took it back to the old firmware to get more refresh speed. Truthfully, there is a lower limit where it's just not useful anymore. That's under 4X a second. The waterfall firmware for the 7700 brought it to about 2.5X a second. The processors just can't handle the task. The Altera FPGA in the 7300/7610 can spit out around 30 FPS. For me anyway, this is worth $$. It looks superb. The 7700 is best at CW. The 7610 uses dual Linear Technologies 16 bit A to D chips. The 7300 uses one 14 bit. This results in a more analog-feeling radio... just smoother than the 7300. Lastly, RX is more sensitive in the 7300/7610. It's about +1.5 S units. (I'm comparing with a TS-990s and FT-991a). It's very similar to the 7700...just hotter, smaller and with a far better display. I think Icom is going to sit pretty for a while. Watch for Kenwood to release a 7610 competitor. Their engineers are all working on it.
Thanks Robert for replying to my message. I appreciate you taking the time. I agree with you 100% in regards to Kenwood. I've been saying the same thing for the last two years. K's 590sg is a fantastic radio but is falling behind the times. Their 990s is in a category that most can't afford. But they need to produce something that can compete with the 7610. Thanks for the data in regards to the 7700. I do like sitting in front of my 7700. I just wish they would upgrade it and make it more capable. Not sure if they can. I like the big rig feel. The scope does chug along like it's got some bad gas in the tank sometimes but I do like having all the knobs and buttons at my fingertips. The 7851 is just a little out of my reach. YTB. Your the best. Keep making those videos my friend. I was curious if Icom would try and replace the 7700 with a 7710? Maybe?
K5CGR
James- I just don't see a nitch to fill for Icom for a while. They will focus on their new 8600 and the 2/450/1.2 multi-mode (9700?). The 7700 is off on it's own iceberg. I think Kenwood will produce a decent SDR and price it in the $2500 range. Truthfully, there is a much smaller parts count in a SDR, itit's just re-couping the engineering cost. Sadly, in the end we are still facing years of poor HF conditions.....
good evening. which speaker you have mid above to have a good sound..thanks for your reponce cdlt
I am using a three-way Pc speaker by Logitech.
@@Yavor54 what ref and how you have them plugged in with abdator .. thanks cdlt
Can u see the transmit bandwidth of the received signal as you can with IC 7300?
Yes
I have an Icom 7300 and this looks like the logical step up from that rig. But It's almost triple the price, is it worth it??
Well, if you are not into uhf/vhf DX'ing nd sat operation, yeah, it is a GREAT rig. Not only 2X 7300's but dual 16 bit digital receivers. (14 bit on the 7300) more dynamic range, more analog feel..huge screen. External monitor out too. If you ARE into VHF/UHF, go get the IC-9700 and call it a day.
Did you at all do a review of the Sun SDR 2dx?
No, I have to buy these radios..and so I cannot review them all!
I can hear signals on my old Icom ic735 and ic751a from the early 90's that can't be heard on a new 7300 due to the internal generated noise. The 7300 is really noisy.
SDR's are susceptible to noise - that old fashioned superhets are not. Good grounding and a quiet radio location do help. That said, I'd take a 7300 over any 30+ yr. old radio.
Is this sound coming from the built in speaker? Sounds incredible! Better then the Yeasus.
I use three-way computer speakers on all my HF radios. The ones with the sub-woofer. Just keep the volume control low on the speakers and use the radio's vol control as normal. The radio does have superb TX/RX audio (an order of magnitude better than superhet radios), but the speakers certainly help too.
@@Yavor54 Thank you! I love the audio quality!
Ryan Steele is that anything like those YAESU’S ? LOL 😂A Yeasu is a mythical radio.
Hello Bob as of December 2021 what are the top 2 best dual receiver transceiver and what is the best single receiver transceiver?
Regards
OK... Best Dual RX transceiver is likely the Elecraft K4. Close runner-up is the Icom IC-7610. Best single RX is the Kenwood TS-890s. Second single is the IC-7700. Third: IC-7300. Best Ham radio in performance: Anan 7000 DLE II . I left the Icom IC-7851 out of the race because of it's price (I have the 7851 and the Anan) Best value winner: IC-7300. Second best value: FTdx-1200
@@Yavor54 Hello Bob thank you for the response. We appreciate your knowledge and your video topics.... Regards
What speaker did you have the rig hooked up to?
The 101D was the internal speaker and the 7610 was an external 5' speaker...but it's not just that. The 101D force-trims off high and low frequencies (you have no control). They do this to enhance their Sherwood numbers. The 7610 goes all the way down and up to the bandwidth limit set by you. When you adjust the 101D wider, you can barely tell a difference. And- the variable bandwidth is disabled in AM mode on the 101D.
Thanks Bob
I have a 7600 and I'm trying to decide between a 7300 or a 7610 ?
and?
There is a firmware update v1.40 that adds pre-distortion in the transmitter which improves IM distortion specs, however, i was informed that it introduces a bug that breaks the IQ info going to USB port 2. I have not confirmed this yet.
The Pre-distortion on TX is a HUGE improvement. Only the Anan series of radios has this. Very few people use I/Q output (I'm sure less than one in 500)
what is the frequency range of the ic 7610?
It covers the Amateur radio bands from 160 meters to 6 meters. (on Transmit) On receive, it covers from under 500Khz to over 55Mhz. There is a Mars mod to allow transmission outside the Amateur radio bands, but performance will not be as good and you run the risk of problems with the low-pass filters and more.
But I hear the display issue is still not resolved. Its hit or miss if you get a bad one. It is January 5th 2021 .
The upside of the screen issue is: If you are one of the tiny percentage of users that has a problem, then Icom will replace it for free. If you do not leave your radio on 24/7, I don't believe you will ever have a problem. Because of the screen issue, the price is very reduced. SO you can have the best "box with knobs" SDR for the best price!
Thanks Bob. Going to purchase it after I catch my breath from Christmas. 73s
@@anthonycosta1776 Repair is free but the shipping isnt. Glad Bob has finally accepted the screen issue as valid. Ive been reading the 3 years worth comments and this is the 1st reply admitting its real not just haters making trouble.
Please 50Hz and 100 Hz CW sanples ;) CW ringing better than the IC-7300?
I do not have the 7300 here anymore to A/B them. I can tell you that the tight filters are good. The DSP is so fast that the signal still has a nice sharp edge on it for copying.
can it be connected to a external touch screen monitor yet I heard there working on it ?
They promised two things: I/Q output and Windows 10 style external touch screen capability. The I/Q output and HDSDR firmware package was just released... works great. Next will be the touch screen- I hope! PS: After a year of ownership, I just used the radio in a low noise environment for the first time (eliminated a noise generator near me) WOW.. this radio is amazingly quiet. What a delight to operate. The new Yaesu FTdx-101D is going to be a 16 bit direct sampling SDR, but also includes older technology mixer SDR architecture. I doubt it will beat the 7610's performance.
@@Yavor54 ham radio with k0pir said external touch screen wont happen because of hardware reasons if u herd differently let me know so I can research it ..thanks
@@Yavor54 ham radio with k0pir said the 7610 will not have the ability to use a external touch screen because of hardware reasons. If u herd differently let me now.
Rob, how do you bring up the audio scope on the 7610? Thanks
Just hit Menu button- then Audio.
@@Yavor54 ok thanks I'm thinking about purchasing one of these radios.
why are the peeks on the waterfall display so small ?
I have it set for very high resolution and the trace is thin....like I like it! There are two controls for line and display granularity.
Yes, 200 watts would be nice ! ...and they could do that just fine with 12v devices...ic 7610-pro...?
Seems like all the radios with 200W use higher voltage on the finals. I think the IMD products would be too high (like a CB linear) if you make 200W with 12V finals.
Even the old Kenwood TS-50 had progressive tuning , Or as they called it ' Fuzzy logic ' ... As you turn the vfo the tuning steps get bigger ...... It's not a new thing , And not exclusively Icom ... Regards de Gw0wvl 👍
the only other radio I ever saw that had progressive tuning (other than Icoms) was that TS-50. The strange thing about it's implementation was that if you slowly tuned away from a signal -and then turned the dial back the exact same amount, it would not tune back the same amount...and the original signal was off freq. . It sure was "fuzzy logic"!
Lots of issues with the screens on the 7610 already just as I said there would be and they will start with the 7300 pretty soon just wait and see.
Just remember that if you listen to the few folks who post their problems on any rig, you'd probably never buy any radio. These complex radios ALL have strange problems. I don't leave my radio on all day, so I'll probably never see any burn-in issue. In the mean time, I'm loving operating this thing.
@@robertnagy2163 I’ll stick with my ICOM 7700.👍🎙
Just found out the LCD screens are having troubles with the 7610's.
I've not seen that. Remember, you are going to hear nearly ALL the people who have anything go wrong with a 7610 posting here on the net. 95% of happy users never post. They have sold tens of thousands of them so far and the defect rate may be as low as any other radio produced. Icom is certainly one of the most reliable radios built.
No they are Not.
Hook'em.
Band width on transmit should be at least 3.5. oh well
Mines in the shop getting the defective screen replaced.
Great! You'll get the new screen with even better contrast ratio.
You're rich, you can buy everything~
No No No, I just run a Ham business here (tax write-off) and do reviews which generate income.