| N9SD |
Rating:  |
2024-09-29 | |
| I picked up a 718 for $275 |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
A fellow ham had this radio for about 20 years, and he reported intermittent power output. I acquired the radio and found two issues. 1) The jack carrying signal from the main board to the PA board was defective, and very likely from day one. 2) The middle pin of one of the two drive transistors had not a drop of solder on it. On a good day, it was touching the solder blob on the PCB below. Shoddy QC.
That's really all I found wrong with it. Everything else works fine. It had the DSP module added to it, and the automatic notch filter is very nice. The NR is helpful on CW, not so much on SSB.
I've read many comments about this radio drifting, and some have acquired the expensive crystal unit. I performed a very simple mod on the 718, as I also did on my 7100, that virtually eliminated drift to 1Hz or less. The crystal on the PLL board is simply wrapped into a decent thermal insulating material, as well as the opposite side of the PCB just beneath the crystal.
Because ICOM thought it was a good idea to put the cooling fan for the unit right next to the PLL board, when it kicks in, the crystal changes temperature and, voila, drift. The 718 and the 7100 with the simple essentially cost-free mod is now rock stable.
Good basic radio, rugged construction. I like it.
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| AF5CC |
Rating: |
2024-07-04 | |
| Very Disappointing |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I was never really that interested in the 718 as I was getting HF radios with some VHF bands on it as well, but a few years ago an Icom 718 with the FL53A 250hz CW filter came up at a very good price, so I figured I would see what all of the fuss is about.
I hooked up the radio, turned it on, and was greeted with a S9 noise level. Turned off the preamp, put the 250hz filter in line, and that reduced the noise to S7 or so. Switched over to my Yaesu FT450 and the noise level with the preamp on was S1 or so. The 718 has to have one of the noisiest receivers I have ever heard. Think I did make 1 QSO on it despite the noise. The noise blanker didn't seem to do anything.
It seems people love the front firing speaker and keypad entry for frequency, and limited menus. If you really need those things, get an Alinco DX-SR8 instead (have had one of those). It has those features and is a much quieter receiver. I actually enjoyed using the Alinco, and it has FM and 60 meters out of the box as well!
For what the 718 goes for used you can get a FT450 used, and it is 10x time radio of the 718. Things found on the FT450 not included on the 718: FM, 6 meters, autotuner, CW memory keyer, voice keyer, TCXO included as standard, narrow filters included as standard. Why someone would spend the same or more money to get less features is beyond me.
If you get one of these, be prepared to be hit with a high noise level. |
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| G4AZC |
Rating: |
2024-07-02 | |
| Excellent basic good fun radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is the third IC-718 that I have owned, I sold the last one in order to fund the purchase of an IC-7300 which is a truly stunning radio but I never actually enjoyed operating it. So I sold the IC-7300 to go back to the IC-718. Very glad that I did. I love the 718, It is as simple as it gets, it can be mastered in minutes and there is no constantly referring to the user guide. Fitted with the UT106 DSP module which has the best auto notch filter (ANF) I have ever used (try getting one now though), - even the standard non DSP "Noise Blanker" is remarkably effective compared to other radios. Excellent with data RTTY Navtex etc. It is a pleasure to use. I am so glad that I have gone back to one. It has literally re-ignited my enjoyment of amateur radio. Built like a brick out-house and still stands the test of time even 20 years on. I will never part with this one now, it is a keeper. Please just judge it for what it actually is and not against the top of the range models. It does exactly what it says on the tin and I thoroughly recommend it. It is rapidly becoming a classic ! !
UPDATE - Was I ever right ! !
Icom have just re-issued the IC-718 with an updated improved version ! !
Why on earth did they not take the time to add FM though ? What a missed opportunity........ |
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| VE6JWG |
Rating: |
2023-10-10 | |
| Great For A New Ham But Not Too Many Bells And Whistles: |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I liked it in the beginning when I got it a couple years ago. It was everything to me back then. However, I have been spoiled by seeing other rigs with better features that make them more resilient to QRM. The internal speaker is a joke for HF operations, it makes it harder to understand what in the world the other stations is saying. Especially when listening to distant stations from South America or even Europe. I've obtained a simple external speaker from a hamfest and all I can say is that it has superb audio quality.
That being said, this Radio hasn't let me down in that it is a tank. It is reliable in delivering power and can still pick up unexpected distant stations. Unfortunately but also fortunately this Radio is coming to an end in the market of new rigs. It's a shame but Icom really needs to release something similar yet much better as an alternative. One could argue that's the role of the ICOM 7300, perhaps it is the alternative.
To conclude, if you find one in the used market or on some clearance sale or something at a store. Take it for yourself (being a new Ham) or give to somebody you know who needs a starter rig.
73,
-VE6JWG |
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| WR3V |
Rating: |
2023-10-09 | |
| All gone, end of an era. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Nothing fancy, just an old workhorse. Some Inrad filters still available, but expensive. Wonder how many were made since 2000? One open box left at Gigaparts, otherwise sold out. If you have one, you have what will be considered a piece of history in a few years. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got til its gone. |
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| WB8ICU |
Rating: |
2022-12-31 | |
| great and easy to operate |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I bought this rig about 2 years ago, and am very happy with it. cheap enough and does everything I need. I work almost totally on cw, so I was happy to find the fl52a filter on ebay. The tuning is a little fast for me, but certainly not enough to bother . The dual purpose number pad makes it easy to change things without getting into set or initial settings. It did bother me a little to hear relays when I keyed. For a solid state 100w rig, you don't expect that. but of course, this rig has been in production for a long time...I thought about getting the 1c7300, but the price is more than twice what the 718 is. It's like we say about Motorola when I was a radio technician. You can get better, but you can't pay more (the 1c7300) |
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| ZL1MTO |
Rating: |
2022-10-14 | |
| Very good as a first transceiver or as a spare |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The Icom 718 was my first transceiver when I got my license back in 2017. It was in reasonable shape and I had to replace the DSP unit as the one installed was not working.
I found the Icom 718 to be very good, going beyond my expectations for the features offered.
My transceiver does not have the optional SSB filter but that was OK. I manage to get over 100 DXCC with it in both Voice SSB and FT8/FT4
It's simple to use, the Notch filter is good, NB and NR also work pretty well and it is a very light transceiver what makes it very suitable for DX peditions.
I like the fact that it has a speaker in FRONT on the panel what makes things easier and sounds better.
I definitely would recommend the IC-718 for anyone who is starting in the hobby or would like to have a spare radio to be taken around. I still have mine and even though I don't use it regularly I will not get rid of it.
The only weird thing is that it does not offer a way to control the AGC. It's automatic. The AM reception is poor.
A 4.1 stars out of 5. |
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| AA4WA |
Rating: |
2022-05-16 | |
| My favorite radio! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
UPDATE: *May 2022
I have used this radio for several years and it is perfect for my operation, basic, simple and fun. I really love this radio and use it daily for my ham and SWL'ing. It remains my only "modern" transceiver. They are inexpensive enough that I keep a second one as a backup/portable unit. For CW use, try to find a used 500 hz FL-52a Icom filter. *Inrad used to have an aftermarket 400 hz CW filter, but they have listed it as "not in stock" for quite some time, now. For some CW users, that may make a difference in choosing this radio or another.
After more than 22 years of being in production, I think that speaks for itself.
I've seen reviews that say this radio only has one setting of the AGC. That is incorrect. The radio uses fixed AGC settings, depending on the mode selected. Ref: SERVICE manual.
AGC:
CW and RTTY - fast
SSB - middle
AM - slow
For best operation on CW and SSB, set the volume at a comfortable level (on CW set it for the side tone level you want) and use the RF gain control as your volume control. This has been the standard operating procedure since the beginning. Hams need to be taught this, because it is still just as effective in greatly improving the signal to noise ratio for modern radios, as well as vintage receivers.
This radio is much more than an "entry level" radio. As a ham for 48 years, I greatly appreciate its basic and simple operation. I have no need for bells and whistles, I just want to have a solid and reliable radio to be on the air with, base, portable or mobile, to operate CW, SSB, RTTY and Data. And that's what the IC-718 does.
One problem I have experienced is that static or nearby lightning has blown some of the front end diodes causing the "ATT" issue, where the receiver hears better with the "ATT" on than off. Icom replaced the diodes and repaired the radio in short order.
I now recommend Morgan Systems M-300U coaxial lightning suppressors. They use direct DC shunt to ground on the antenna side, to drain off static charges. Since I installed the M-300U in Aug 2020, I've had no more front end issues.
The IC-718 remains my favorite radio and I hope this information helps others. I will update my review if there are any new developments.
Keepin' it simple with the IC-718
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| WA7KJ |
Rating: |
2022-02-23 | |
| OK radio but accessory support from Icom not provided. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've owned the IC-718 for about 6 years, bought it new. It's a good radio for what its role is as a basic, entry-level hf transceiver. However, about a year ago I noticed it doesn't produced full power on CW or RTTY (SSB shows no power output on the indicator although it is putting out some power). It has been to ICOM Service in WA twice, each time reporting that it was putting out 100 watts. I'm not seeing that with my test equipment. Right now it is with MTS service to see what is going on. Although it is a decent radio, I would not recommend buying it because even though it is still in production most of the accessories for it, such as filters, mounting bracket and so on, are no longer available. Mine came with the DSP filter installed but if you want any other filters, such as CW narrow, good luck. The lack of accessory support by Icom suggests to me that it will soon be discontinued, perhaps replaced by a new model. Lots of used ones on the market if you're looking for a starter radio at a lower than new price.
Update: 2/23/2022
Installed the FL-52A 500 Hz filter for CW which makes it much easier to tune in other stations during high activity. The power issue was resolved: Powering the radio from a RigRunner 4005 was like putting a governor on an engine, reducing power output to 50 watts. Powering directly from the power supply allowed full power output in CW and RTTY modes. Overall rating is increased as a result. |
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| K7CID |
Rating: |
2021-12-07 | |
| Excellent Rx and Tx. Exceeds my expectations. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Was tempted to buy the ICOM IC-7300 but this rig meets or exceeds my expectations. I used the "extra $" to buy a Spiderbeam mast and G5RV. This is the first ICOM rig I have owned. I have been off the air for more than a decade. Had a Yaesu FT-950 which was also a great rig. I really like the speaker in front. Has all the controls that I need and few menu items hidden. Most controls are knobs and placed where you want them. |
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