IC-7000_review_QST_2006.pdf
Product Review and Short Takes from QST Magazine Copyright 2006 by the American Radio Relay League Inc. All rights reserved. May 2006 Product Reviews: ICOM IC-7000 HF/VHF/UHF Transceiver Heil Sound Traveler Dual Side Headset Short Takes: MFJ Model 4116 Bias Tee Power Injector From May 2006 QST ARRL PRODUCT REVIEW Mark J. Wilson, K1RO Product Review Editor k1roarrl.org ICOM IC-7000 HF/VHF/UHF Transceiver 1The original IC-706 review appeared in March 1996 QST. The IC-706MkII was reviewed in March 1998, the 706MkIIG in July 1999 and the 756PROIII in March 2005. Reviews are available for download from the Members Only section of the ARRL Web site, www.arrl.org/ members-only/prodrev/. Reviewed by Mark Wilson, K1RO QST Product Review Editor Its hard to believe that 10 years has passed since QST first reviewed the IC-706, calling it “one of the most ex- citing new products to come along in years.”1 The package proved a huge hit, and ICOM kept the radio fresh by following on with the IC-706MkII and IC-706MkIIG. By the time the G version rolled out in 1999, ICOM had added 70 cm, bumped up the power on 2 meters, made DSP noise reduc- tion and notch filter standard, and made quite a few improvements. Meanwhile, ICOM has been busy doing extreme makeovers on the rest of the product line, moving to DSP- based receivers and sophisticated display screens. Which brings us to the IC-7000. Although the 7000 is similar to the 706 in many ways, it also shares features with the IC-756PROIII. ICOM touts the IC-7000 as a mobile trans- ceiver, but, like the 706, it will find its way into many a suitcase for DXpeditions and Field Day outings. For a lot of hams, it has everything they want and need in a home station radio. Feature Overview The IC-7000 covers 160 meters through 70 cm except for 1.25 meters. Power output is 100 W on 160 through 6 meters, 50 W on 2 meters and 35 W on 70 cm. The radio works on the five 60 meter channels available to US operators, and it transmits only when one of those channels is precisely dialed in. The receiver covers 30 kHz to 200 MHz and 400 to 470 MHz. Modes include SSB, CW, AM, FM and RTTY. The receiver has WFM for listening to FM broadcast stations and TV audio. DSP features include selectable IF filters, adjustable AGC, noise blanker and noise reduction, passband tuning, an automatic notch filter and a two point manual notch filter. In addition, the 7000 offers a CW memory keyer, RTTY demodulator and digi- tal voice keyer. FM features include scanning, automatic repeater offset, subaudible tones, DTMF memories and other familiar features. Gadget junkies will love this radio. Hooking it Up The package is compact and feels quite solid. Its the same height and width as the IC-706 but not quite as deep. Theres a folding bale on the bottom for desktop use, and the speaker and small fan are both on top. The front panel detaches and ICOM offers several different brackets and separation cables for mobile use. The radio needs about 22 A at 13.8 V dc. The supplied HM-151 mic plugs into one of two modular jacks one on the bottom edge of the front panel, the other on the back of the main unit. (You cant use two microphones simultaneously, though.) A PHONES jack on the right edge of the front panel works with stereo or mono headphones or an external speaker thanks to a SPEAKER/PHONES switch behind the front panel. The rear panel will be familiar to IC-706 users. There are two antenna jacks, one for 160 to 6 meters and the other for 2 meters and 70 cm. Theres a 14 inch stereo phone jack for connecting a CW paddle or external keyer. Several 18 inch phone jacks handle ICOMs CI-V computer interface (sorry, no USB jack), external speaker and RTTY (FSK keying and PTT). The VIDEO jack is new (more on this later). The 13-pin ACC jack provides control, band data and audio signals and is used for digital modes, amplifier connections, external tuners or antenna switches. A matching plug is wired with short pigtails no soldering to minuscule pins! The 6-pin DATA jack can also be used for connecting a TNC or sound card for digital modes. Note that the IC-7000 can handle amplifier key lines up to 16 V dc at 200 mA. Some amplifiers will require a separate keying interface with higher ratings to avoid relay damage. That Colorful Display Everyone who used the review radio raved about the 7000s color TFT display screen. It measures 2.5 inches diagonally, and is about 2 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall. Before the radio hit the streets there was some trepida- tion about the readability of such a small, busy display. Lets face it many hams (including me) are at the age where things look a little fuzzy and we need to break out the reading glasses when QST arrives. From May 2006 QST ARRL 14 Audio Output (W) Snd 2.1 60120 Image Rejection (dB) Img 60135 IF Rejection (dB) IF Receive 3rd-order dynamic range (dB) 4070 I3 Rx Receive 3rd-order dynamic range (dB) 6090 I3 Rx Adjacent Channel Rejection (dB) ChRej50 90 75 0.25 0.16 7520 kHz* 8410 MHz 29 62 0.1 Receiver Sensitivity (12 dB SINAD, V) SINAD 0.16 70 cm 2 M * Noise limited at value shown. Receiver measurements with pre-amp on Key: pr010 Off Scale 9510 MHz 7020 kHz* 70 95 110 Bottom Line Key Measurements Summary The IC-7000 puts compact radio performance and features in a new package. It builds on the IC-706 line, while adding IF DSP features from ICOMs PRO series. It has what you need to enjoy operating on 13 amateur bands with many of the conveniences found in the full-size boxes. 2070 Transmit 9th-order IMD (dB) I9 TX 2035 Transmit 3rd-order IMD (dB) TX I3 33 58 40+35 2 kHz 3rd-order intercept (dBm) I3 2 40+35 20 kHz 3rd-order intercept (dBm) I3 20 2 kHz 3rd-order dynamic range (dB) 50110 I3 2 50110 20 kHz 3rd-order dynamic range (dB) I3 20 2 kHz Blocking dynamic range (dB) DR 2 70140 70 112 111 86 86 89 89 63 60 6 6.5 27 31 140 20 kHz Blocking Dynamic Range (dB) DR 20 5010 Tx-Rx Turnaround Time (ms) T-R 12 + + 80 M 20 M * Noise limited at value shown. Key: pr009 Dynamic range and intercept values with pre-amp off. 2070 Transmit 9th-order IMD (dB) I9 TX 2035 Transmit 3rd-order IMD (dB) TX I3 33 58 40+35 2 kHz 3rd-order intercept (dBm) I3 2 40+35 20 kHz 3rd-order intercept (dBm) I3 20 2 kHz 3rd-order dynamic range (dB) 50110 I3 2 50110 20 kHz 3rd-order dynamic range (dB) I3 20 2 kHz Blocking dynamic range (dB) DR 2 70140 70 112 111 86 86 89 89 63 60 6 6.5 27 31 140 20 kHz Blocking Dynamic Range (dB) DR 20 5010 Tx-Rx Turnaround Time (ms) T-R 12 + + 80 M 20 M * Noise limited at value shown. Key: pr009 Dynamic range and intercept values with pre-amp off. Those fears were completely unfounded. The incredible resolution, bright colors and excellent contrast make the display easy to read under a variety of lighting conditions and viewing angles. The characters are crisp and clear, and everyone who used the radio could easily see and use the screen labels and graphics. Sure, in a mobile environment or outdoors on a bright day its occasionally dif- ficult to see the display, but I found it perfectly readable under most conditions. One of the menus allows you to change display characteristics such as brightness and contrast. Most photos show the default black background with white lettering, but you can change it to a bright blue background with white letters or a white background with blue letters. The rear panel VIDEO jack mentioned earlier is an analog video output. For grins I plugged it into the composite video input on my TV, and the IC-7000s display im- mediately filled the screen. While this might be useful for a presentation, youre more likely to hook up one of those small video screens made for portable DVD players or automobile entertainment systems. Note that the composite video output isnt as crisp as the internal display. Controls and Menus Although the 7000 takes some getting used to, ICOM did a good job with the human interface despite a minimum of buttons and panel space to work with. Most buttons have multiple functions, and some menus and con- trols change according to mode of operation. For the most part I was able to figure out the functions, but I kept the manual close during initial operation. The main tuning knob has a nice feel. The BAND up and down switches are at the right- hand corners. Pressing one or the other will bring you to the last-used frequency on each band. I like to chase DX on various bands and modes and have grown fond of the band stack- ing registers on my desktop radio. Repeatedly pressing a band button on the keypad jumps me from SSB to CW to RTTY subbands with filter selection and other settings ready to go. ICOM has added this convenience to the IC- 7000 through the HM-151 microphone. The mics keypad resembles the keypad found on the front panel of larger radios and works the same way. Theres a button for each band, and repeated pressing steps you through three band stacking registers. The keypad also works for direct frequency entry. Other HM- 151 buttons control common functions. As mentioned before, there are two mic jacks but you shouldnt plug in two micro- phones at the same time. For home station operation with a desk mic or headset it would be nice to plug in a keypad with the HM-151 functions, or else be able to disable the HM- 151 mic element and use it as a keypad. A Note about the Key Measurements Summary The Key Measurements Summary shows a specific products performance rela- tive to other radios weve tested. Its important to remember that the comparison is to all radios, not just those in the same class as the one tested for this months column. Numbers in the “red zone” for a given radio do not mean that performance is “bad” or “unacceptable.” Radios can be expected to fall anywhere in the range, and more ex- pensive radios often score better. See January 2006 QST, page 69, for more details. From May 2006 QST ARRL Table 1 ICOM IC-7000, serial number 0501552 Manufacturers Specifi cations Measured in ARRL Lab Frequency coverage: Receive, 0.03-199, 400- Receive, as specifi ed (sensitivity 470 MHz; transmit, 1.8-2, 3.5-4, 5.3305, degrades below 500 kHz); 5.3465, 5.3665, 5.3715, 5.4035, 7-7.3, 10.1- transmit, as specifi ed. 10.15, 14-14.35, 18.068-18.168, 21-21.45, 24.89-24.99, 28-29.7, 50-54, 144-148, 430- 450 MHz. Power requirement: Receive, 1.6 A (max audio); Receive, 1.5 A; transmit, 19 A. transmit, 22 A (max). Tested at 13.8 V. Modes of operation: SSB, CW, AM, FM, As specifi ed. RTTY (AFSK, FSK), WFM (receive only). Receiver Receiver Dynamic Testing SSB/CW sensitivity, bandwidth not specifi ed, Noise Floor (MDS), 500 Hz fi lter: 10 dB S/N: 1.8-30 MHz, 0.15 V; 50- Preamp off Preamp on 54 MHz, 0.12 V; 144-148, 430-450 MHz, 1.0 MHz 123 dBm 134 dBm 0.11 V. 3.5 MHz 128 dBm 139 dBm 14 MHz 128 dBm 138 dBm 50 MHz 135 dBm 141 dBm 144 MHz 133 dBm 142 dBm 430 MHz 131 dBm 142 dBm AM sensitivity, 10 dB S/N: 0.5-1.8 MHz, 10 dB (S+N)/N, 1-kHz tone, 30% mod: 13 V; 1.8-30 MHz, 2 V; 50-54, 144- Preamp off Preamp on 148, 430-450 MHz, 1 V. 1.0 MHz 4.1 V 1.0 V 3.8 MHz 2.4 V 0.61 V 50 MHz 1.0 V 0.48 V 144 MHz 1.4 V 0.45 V 430 MHz 1.6 V 0.5 V FM sensitivity, 12 dB SINAD: 28-30 MHz, For 12 dB SINAD: 0.5 V; 50-54 MHz, 0.25 V; 144-148, Preamp off Preamp on 430-450 MHz, 0.18 V. 29 MHz 0.94 V 0.26 V 52 MHz 0.39 V 0.17 V 146 MHz 0.52 V 0.16 V 440 MHz 0.57 V 0.16 V WFM sensitivity, 12 dB SINAD: 76-108 MHz, Preamp off Preamp on 10 V. 100 MHz 1.6 V 0.62 V Blocking dynamic range: Not specifi ed. Blocking dynamic range, 500 Hz fi lter: 20 kHz 5 kHz/2 kHz Preamp off/on Preamp off 3.5 MHz 111/109 dB 88/86 dB 14 MHz 112/109 dB 88/86 dB 50 MHz 112/107 dB 88/84 dB 144 MHz 113/109 dB 89/85 dB 430 MHz 112/103 dB 88/84 dB Two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic range: Two-tone, third-order IMD dynamic Not specifi ed. range, 500 Hz fi lter: 20 kHz 5 kHz/2 kHz Preamp off/on Preamp off 3.5 MHz 89/88 dB 78/60 dB 14 MHz 89/88 dB 79/63 dB 50 MHz 90/87 dB 77/62 dB 144 MHz 88/90 dB 78/63 dB 430 MHz 83/80 dB 73/63 dB Third-order intercept: Not specifi ed. 20 kHz 5/2 kHz Preamp off/on Preamp off 3.5 MHz +6.5/8.0 dBm 11/31 dBm 14 MHz +6.0/6.5 dBm 12/27 dBm 50 MHz 0.0/12 dBm 16/36 dBm 144 MHz 2/9 dBm 16/35 dBm 430 MHz 0/13 dBm 12/33 dBm Second-order intercept: Not specifi ed. Preamp off/on, +57/+57 dBm. FM adjacent channel rejection: Not specifi ed. 20 kHz offset, preamp on: 29 MHz, 78 dB; 52 MHz, 79 dB; 146 MHz, 75 dB; 440 MHz, 70 dB. Figure 2 Heres the IC-7000 display with the RTTY decoder screen. Figure 1 The IC-7000 display screen is small, but the incredible resolution and use of color make it easy to see and use. Pressing and holding MODE toggles be- tween USB or LSB, CW or CW-R (reverse sideband), RTTY and RTTY-R, and AM, FM and WFM. Other buttons alongside the display are for preamplifier and fixed 12 dB attenuator, optional autotuner control, menu navigation, noise blanker, noise reduction, manual notch filter and automatic notch filter. The 7000 retains the 706s M (menu), S (submenu) and G (graphic menu) labels to help you find things. The arrangement is a bit simpler than the IC-706, but there are still nine menus. The M1 to M3 menus control functions like filter selection, split opera- tion and memories. Menus S1 to S3 include metering, scanning, memory settings and other secondary items. S1 and M3 functions change with mode. Graphic menus G1-3 are for the band scope, multifunction meter and SWR meter. Theres also an extensive SET MODE menu for adjusting 51 radio parameters. The Figure 3 The display showing the VHF FM repeater screen. QS (quick set) menu is mode-sensitive. It includes things like mic gain on SSB, keyer speed on CW, and shift width on RTTY. PRO-style DSP Features If youve used any of ICOMs “PRO” radios, the IC-7000s DSP-based receiver features will be very familiar. You can pro- gram three IF filter bandwidth settings for each mode with bandwidths ranging from 50 Hz to 3.6 kHz on SSB/CW and up to 2.7 kHz on RTTY. AM is 200 Hz to 10 kHz, and FM bandwidths are fixed at 15, 10 and 7 kHz. On SSB and CW you can select From May 2006 QST ARRL 00.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 QS0605-PR03 140151401714019140211402314025 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 QS0605-PR04 Reference Level: 0 dBc Vertical Scale: dB Figure 5 Worst-case spectral display of the IC-7000 transmitter during keying sideband testing. Equivalent keying speed is 60 WPM using external keying. Spectrum analyzer resolution bandwidth is 10 Hz, and the sweep time is 30 seconds. The transmitter was being operated at 100 W PEP output at 14.2 MHz. Figure 4 CW keying waveform for the IC-7000 showing the fi rst two dits in full- break-in (QSK) mode using external keying. Equivalent keying speed is 60 WPM. The upper trace is the actual key closure; the lower trace is the RF envelope. Horizontal divisions are 10 ms. The transceiver was being operated at 100 W output at 14.2 MHz. Table 1 ICOM IC-7000, serial num
