[bars] Icom 7100

Fri Jun 6 15:36:06 CDT 2025

Hi Andy,

I have to debate you on these a bit:

Heat and complexity:

Complexity from whose POV: I agree from a manufacturers POV, but I will let the manufacturer deal with that, and support the repairs. But from a users POV, its just a few more bands, you hit the mode switch like on any multi-band/multi-mode radio and you are off to the races.  So I don’t weigh this very heavily The heat is not any more than any other 100 W radio (I have owned several 100 W and QRP all band radios, 817/857,991 etc and operated several more ) Again the complexity of managing  the heat is the manufacturer problem, not mine, until it breaks. My original 817, 857 are still going strong, several members of the club have borrowed them, I have never had any of them complain about complexity beyond operating any other multi-band/multi-mode rigs, nor have any of them broken ever. The 817 / 857 are probably the most ubiquitous radios out there

the big names mostly abandoned the idea:

The two most popular rigs today: the Icom 705 and the new hotness FTX-1 Field and the FTX-1 Optima all all-band/all-mode as are many others.  

I agree with most of your other points.

I don’t get the car analogy, sorry.

My FT 857 is not terrible at anything, but my Elecraft K-Line is a far better HF rig and my 736 is a far better VHF/UHF rig and my Kenwood v-71 is a nice’ish  FM/mobile rig, but that doesn’t stop me ever from enjoying the 857 or the 817 etc.

In my early ham  years we had no choice but to build gear (from surplus US mil parts thanks American taxpayers! For your generosity of all the stuff you abandoned in Vietnam!) but if I were to pick 1 novice rig today to master it would be multi-band/multimode hf/vhf/uhf especially given the popularity of digital/weak signal/cw on the rise etc.

73 de ws1m

Bammi

From: bars <bars-bounces at w1hh.org> On Behalf Of Andy Wallace via bars
Sent: Friday, June 6, 2025 1:59 PM
To: Richard Heckbert <richard.heckbert at gmail.com>
Cc: bars at w1hh.org
Subject: [bars] Icom 7100

Good points Rick. I love my 7300 and am glad that model appealed to you. 

Jason, I echo the other comments. An Amphicar makes both a terrible car and a terrible boat. (Look them up haha)

Putting 100W VHF and UHF in the same rig introduces problems (mostly heat and complexity). I think this is why all three of the big names mostly abandoned the idea - except the IC-7100 of course. 

Having VHF/UHF in the car for FM and HF in the house is a nice arrangement. 

The prices of used IC-7300s have really come down. Daily I am seeing $800 or less and today I see one on QTH for $670. 

You may find a 7100, and maybe under $800. And maybe you want the most compact rig for the room which is why you asked?

These are good places to browse. (Buyer beware of course.)

Used 7300s and used FT-710s seem to be in about the same ballpark lately. 

 <https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?forums/ham-radio-gear-for-sale.7/> Ham Radio Gear For Sale | QRZ Forums

 <https://swap.qth.com/all.php> QTH.COM Ham Radio Classified Ads - Swap amateur radio HF VHF equipment buy sell trade on line

 <https://groups.io/g/NewEnglandDigitalSwapNet/topics> NewEnglandDigitalSwapNet at groups.io | Topics

Andy KA1GTT

On Jun 5, 2025, at 11:16 PM, Richard Heckbert via bars <bars at w1hh.org <mailto:bars at w1hh.org> > wrote:

Sorry,

I apparently replied directly to Jason versus the list.

Rick – W1OLU

From: Richard Heckbert <richard.heckbert at gmail.com <mailto:richard.heckbert at gmail.com> >
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 5:31 PM
To: Jason Sanroma <jason at sanroma.net <mailto:jason at sanroma.net> >
Subject: Re: [bars] Icon 7100

Hi Jason,

I just went through trying to find my first rig.  After a lot of searching I settled on either an ICOM-7300 or a Yaesu FT-991.  I had only heard great things about the both of them but I was leaning towards the Yaesu due to it being a shack-in-the-box but then I read a few other things that made me change my mind.  I was having issues being heard on the Wednesday night BARS net using my Explorer QRZ-1 so I wanted to make sure I had 2m covered.  However, a LOT of people said I was better off with two rigs versus the single rig.  One reason was single point of failure vs. multiple points.  Another reason was I could only monitor/use one band at a time.  I also heard the Yaesu menus took some getting used to but discounted that figuring I didn’t know any menu system so none would be “weird” to me.

I ended up getting an ICOM-7300.  I found it on eBay.  It was being sold by a silent-key’s daughter-in-law.  The radio came with all attachments, was in fantastic shape and also came with a practically new ALINCO power supply and an LDG-100 autotuner.  I verified it was a US Spec (has an FCC ID label) as there are a ton of Japanese spec rigs on eBay.  They have limited power as well as smaller bands (i.e. the BARS PART repeater would be out of band on them).  I got it for a good price and the money saved between a new one I purchased an AnyTone AT-778UV which is a 25-watt very small 2m and 70cm mobile radio.  I was able to purchase the ICOM with PS and Autotuner, the Anytone and a magmount antenna for less than the cost of a new ICOM (currently $999 after rebate).  I’m pretty happy with my choices although explaining to my wife why I needed another radio after the ICOM was interesting.

I also heard great things about the ICOM’s waterfall display being among the best.

What are you trying to do with the radio?  The Yaesu is more of a base rig and the ICOM-7100 is more of a mobile rig.  Figure out if you’re more into base operations or mobile and that might help your decision.

Also, a lot of people are raving about the new Yaesu FTX-1 (Field or Optima configuration).  Both the FT-991 and the ICOM-7300 are a few years old and getting a bit long in the tooth so much ado about a new rig.

Let me know how you make out/which rig you choose.  If you look at the BARS email archives I asked a couple of times (last month) for advice and received quite a lot of good info here.

Rick - W1OLU

From: bars <bars-bounces at w1hh.org <mailto:bars-bounces at w1hh.org> > on behalf of Jason Sanroma via bars <bars at w1hh.org <mailto:bars at w1hh.org> >
Reply-To: Jason Sanroma <jason at sanroma.net <mailto:jason at sanroma.net> >
Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 9:50 PM
To: "bars at w1hh.org <mailto:bars at w1hh.org> " <bars at w1hh.org <mailto:bars at w1hh.org> >
Subject: [bars] Icon 7100

Hello,

If anyone is, or knows of someone who is selling an Icom 7100 or Yaesu 991A, please reach out. I am in the market for a new radio and would like to find something cheaper than brand new.

Alternatively if anyone recommends a different radio, or has positive comments about either please let me know!

73

Jason K1NAD

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