Excited to have purchased my first base station. ICOM 718, I think its going to be perfect for a inverted V end fed wire antenna I have erected in my backyard. I live in the city so not the best antenna but it does pretty well. Excited to DX via CW! How many of you out there use or have used this rig? Complaints? Love it?
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Might not apply to you, Rob, but here in VK, I got plunked down in front of one for JOTA. Could not figure out why the S meter was dancing about up to S9 with no signal in the passband. During a lull, I went chasing the signal, which turned out to be up in the 15 MHz shortwave band! We get some real rock-crushing shortwave broadcasters out of Asia here, so it’s possible that the offending signal could have lit a lightbulb, but still…At home, I currently use Icom’s entry-level transceiver from about 30 years ago (IC-726). It, too, is a lacklustre receiver, but I make it work. Seems like they design down to price, not up to a spec 
73
John VK4TJ
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Thanks for the reply! I am going with it due to the noise and challenges living in the city presents to HF bands. I just cant justify overbuying on that one I would rather spend the money on portable goodies. I spend most of the time CW as well so I am super pumped on it. Icom is not my favorite I would much rather have American made. I wanted an Elecraft KX3 but those things are impossible to get right now. Although the Icom 7200 in multicam is pretty awesome too!
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R R Yes, anything manufactured in this century would run rings around my first rig: National NC-300 
Catch me on the SKCC Sked Page when you’ve got it hosed up to an aerial, and we’ll initiate it with a hop over the puddle. 20 has been pretty good around the time most ops turn into pumpkins.
John
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I will do for sure, I am a member. I use a straight key as well =] I will be back home in Montana to my radio in about a week. Ill look forward to the QSO!
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I used one for while. Good rig for money. Used SSB only with so say anything about the CW side. Mind had the DSP board installed and it help with noise. You will enjoy it. de W4WLC
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I recommend looking at the rig reviews on eham.net, a lot of people have reviewed the rig and it earned 4.6 stars (out of a possible 5). You will find a lot of tips on getting the best out of the rig.
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I have never noticed overload or intermodulation in my IC-718. But I do not use broadband (non-resonant) antennas. Despite its simplicity, this radio can be a good choice for the telegraph operator. Of course an optional CW filter is needed. If you find FL -53, then it will be the best choice.
It is advisable to slightly reduce the gain of the receiver; this procedure can be performed with a simple screwdriver.
If experience allows, it will be very good if you adjust the AGC parameters. Here you will have to solder the SMD components. The improvements are indeed described, for example, on MODS.DK. I want to say, the result of all these alterations amazed me. The DSP module has been removed, in CW it is useless. For over 15 years this transceiver has been in constant use in my shack. I also have more expensive and modern transceivers, but I like listening to CW the most on the IC -718!
73
Vlad
RX9WT
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Hi Rob,
I have had the IC-718 for over 15 years. I use it portable out in the yard in my screen house
run a coax back into the shack so I can go in and hook up any of my antennas. I only work CW
when I bought the rig I got a 300hz filter for it works great! I looked up the paper work and I got the filter from W4RT electronics, but he is no longer in business ! I guess they still sell cw filters for it. Its has great sound one of the few rigs I can operate CW with out a headPhone!
Good luck with new rig, 73 Gary
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Thanks so much for the input. I am going to find FL-53, I leave to go back home tomorrow cant wait to get there and play with my new radio.
Thank you so much for the input, do you have to have the filter?