5 Sep

Imagine

"Dear John,It's been a while... I know you are busy so I will keep it short. For a while I have been receiving daily emails from a guy who sells radios. A migrant of some kind, definitely not the sharpest tool in shed, and definitely...
27 Aug

One and done

If you are in the market for a high performance yet remarkably affordable transceiver that covers ‘all bands in one box’ then the IC-7100 is the one to go for. It covers all HF bands plus 6m, as well 2m and 70cm bands. It is...
26 Aug

IC-7760 Revealed

This weekend, the “newest and coolest” IC-7760 has been revealed at Tokyo Ham Fair. I am sure you’ve seen the photos, watched videos and probably, based on reviews already made up your mind up whether this radio is for you or not.This is just crazy...
26 Aug

How to ‘wire’ IC-7300 with PowerGenius 4O3A amplifier and tuner

There are a number of ways to accomplish integration. The example below is the simplest, requiring no extra hardware.There are three signal paths:1.  RFStraight forward: rig->amp->antenna tunerCoax, UHF connectors2.  Keying pathrig->tuner->amplifierThe idea here is to key your last unit first.IMPORTANT: set TX delay on IC-7300...
26 Aug

IC-7300 The best selling HF radio: 100K units sold!

Hate to say I told you so. It is now official, ICOM Japan has released a statement marking the rather impressive milestone:“Since its debut in January 2016, ICOM’s IC-7300 HF Transceiver has sold over 100,000 units globally. More than half of these sales are the...
26 Aug

IC-R8600

If you are a full licensed amateur, surely, at some point in time you've troubled yourself with a strange dilemma: why would anyone pay $4,000 for a receiver, when for less than half, he could have had a receiver AND transmitter, in the same box?...
23 Aug

Right and wrong way

Like with everything, there is a right and wrong way in 'doing the FT8'. The wrong way is shown above: a slowly cooked under-rated radio at full power in key-down mode.The right way: to use your baby radio as a driver to an over-rated amplifier,...
23 Aug

The best receiver is... your antenna!

This an old saying which goes back to the earliest days of radio communications. Nowadays we say: the best receiver is a quiet location, far away from man made noise, transmission lines, solar inverters, high voltage cow fences, transmitting towers, routers, garage remotes, neon lights,...
22 Aug

Which one is better: the Kenwood TS-890 or ICOM IC-7610?

This is a tough one. And to find the answer, I am not Googling, or reading reviews, or searching for anecdotal Facebook reports. I am talking to two European top contesters, seeking their first hand, honest, factual opinion. No names (or calls) but you can...
22 Aug

Could this be the ultimate ‘poor man’s’ DX antenna?

And by ‘poor man’ I mean someone with extremely limited antenna space. Think of a strata unit with nothing more than a tiny balcony. Or an ‘over 55’ home with ‘absolutely no antenna’ caveat. Or, even worse: a city office.Of course, with AH-740, ICOM had...
22 Aug

Revolutionary: the real HF fun starts here!

Yes, the IC-7300. There is no better radio for a novice amateur than a brand spanking new IC-7300.And not just a novice – but actually anyone looking for a small footprint radio packed with features.I don’t have ICOM production and sales data, but the 7300...
22 Aug

IC-M804: “Beyond the horizon”

Of course, for a seasoned amateur radio operator, communication beyond the horizon is hardly news worth sharing. You can make it to California from Sydney with a five watts handheld, with a whip, pedestrian mobile.But this is not how professional maritime communication works. Having a...
22 Aug

GreenCube users having fun!

There is no doubt that the IO-117 70cm digipeater satellite is gaining worldwide popularity. To the point that nowadays, every decent DXpedition is almost expected to operate on GreenCube as well.Of course, full credit to activators, but we have to recognize the obvious: it is...
22 Aug

Explore the world of microwaves

A couple of subscribers asked: with IC-905, what comes out of the box, what are the accessories and what are the options?First thing to keep in mind: IC-905 is a system, rather than a one box transceiver. Practically, you have to make a decision -...
22 Aug

Smoking gun(n)

This goes back at least 45 years, to the late 1970s. Our radio club was divided in two sections: operators and constructors. While we shared the same club rooms, we had absolutely nothing in common. Constructors were much older, heavy smokers and politically reactive. Operators...
21 Aug

Lothar and Hermann playing radios

Rohde and Schwarz was founded in 1933 by Lothar Rohde and Hermann Schwarz  who met while studying physics in Jena. The first venture: developing a process and providing a commercial solution for measuring properties of RF insulators. Today, R&S is a market leader in wireless...
21 Aug

It's important to know who you are dealing with

It would be silly to part with your hard earned cash without doing a due diligence. Have you done your research? I've certainly done mine.ICOM Inc. is a Japanese manufacturer of radio transmitting and receiving equipment founded in 1954 by Tokuzo Inoue. The company's original...
21 Aug

IC-M73EURO is in stock!

I am not really in to floating. (I can get seasick riding on the bus over Spit Bridge!)However, stocking Icom marine radios is an absolute must in a harbour city.What is the difference between IC-M73 and IC-M73EURO?Bandwidth and power output: EURO version is 5W (6W...
21 Aug

Am I part of the cure, or am I part of the disease?

I got my first brand new radio - an FT101ZD - at the age of 17. It was a present from my parents, and came with a condition: to be shared with my 15 year old brother who was also an amateur radio operator. Mom...
21 Aug

Call me a chicken…

Let me use an analogy we are all familiar with: nobody needs a Rolex. A $25 battery operated Casio keeps better time than a $25K mechanical Rolex. But Rolex is not about timekeeping - it's about luxury and prestige. Or, what the watch snobs would...

Imagine

"Dear John,It's been a while... I know you are busy so I will keep it short. For a while I...

One and done

If you are in the market for a high performance yet remarkably affordable transceiver that covers ‘all bands in one...

IC-7760 Revealed

This weekend, the “newest and coolest” IC-7760 has been revealed at Tokyo Ham Fair. I am sure you’ve seen the...

How to ‘wire’ IC-7300 with PowerGenius 4O3A amplifier and tuner

There are a number of ways to accomplish integration. The example below is the simplest, requiring no extra hardware.There are...

IC-7300 The best selling HF radio: 100K units sold!

Hate to say I told you so. It is now official, ICOM Japan has released a statement marking the rather...

IC-R8600

If you are a full licensed amateur, surely, at some point in time you've troubled yourself with a strange dilemma:...

Right and wrong way

Like with everything, there is a right and wrong way in 'doing the FT8'. The wrong way is shown above:...

The best receiver is… your antenna!

This an old saying which goes back to the earliest days of radio communications. Nowadays we say: the best receiver...

Which one is better: the Kenwood TS-890 or ICOM IC-7610?

This is a tough one. And to find the answer, I am not Googling, or reading reviews, or searching for...

Could this be the ultimate ‘poor man’s’ DX antenna?

And by ‘poor man’ I mean someone with extremely limited antenna space. Think of a strata unit with nothing more...

Revolutionary: the real HF fun starts here!

Yes, the IC-7300. There is no better radio for a novice amateur than a brand spanking new IC-7300.And not just...

IC-M804: “Beyond the horizon”

Of course, for a seasoned amateur radio operator, communication beyond the horizon is hardly news worth sharing. You can make...

GreenCube users having fun!

There is no doubt that the IO-117 70cm digipeater satellite is gaining worldwide popularity. To the point that nowadays, every...

Explore the world of microwaves

A couple of subscribers asked: with IC-905, what comes out of the box, what are the accessories and what are...

Smoking gun(n)

This goes back at least 45 years, to the late 1970s. Our radio club was divided in two sections: operators...

Lothar and Hermann playing radios

Rohde and Schwarz was founded in 1933 by Lothar Rohde and Hermann Schwarz  who met while studying physics in Jena....

It’s important to know who you are dealing with

It would be silly to part with your hard earned cash without doing a due diligence. Have you done your...

IC-M73EURO is in stock!

I am not really in to floating. (I can get seasick riding on the bus over Spit Bridge!)However, stocking Icom...

Am I part of the cure, or am I part of the disease?

I got my first brand new radio - an FT101ZD - at the age of 17. It was a present...

Call me a chicken…

Let me use an analogy we are all familiar with: nobody needs a Rolex. A $25 battery operated Casio keeps...