That is a magnificent-looking radio. I might have missed it somewhere but can it operate like an FT-1X as a QRP head unit? I assume not but just wondered if icom were going after Yaesu with the 7110?
Owning a 705 and an 891/ATAS already I dunno if I’d go for the 7110 just yet but it does look absolutely stupendous. If it can operate as a Field/Optima then that is a totally different proposition.
Edit: Seems like it doesn’t work like an FT-1X with a separate body. Still a lovely looking well-specced radio.
Plus kudos to icom who appear to actually understand that people want all mode. That new Kenwood tri band might be full duplex, but to charge 1200 quid for an HT with an amp and not have it to be all mode is scandalous imho.
No, it’s just a control unit. It would be interesting if the communication with the RF unit was over IP, like the 7760, but very unlikely due to market segmentation.
It’s more useful for POTA/WWFF-ops etc, who are allowed to operate from the car or easy walk-on summits. But nevertheless a nice radio which covers all bands.
What I found fun is that the CW-decoder can decode Wabun. Now I have to brush up my very limited Japanese again, hi.
To be frank, I don’t think the rig is useful for portable SOTA. Two units, no tuner. All the extra weight. For mobile or home use Icom has a few automatic tuned antenna’s, as have other brands like Tarheel. The IC705 remains the better option in my opinion.
It’s not, I agree, but I also remember when the IC-705 was launched and everyone here was 100% sure it wasn’t a suitable portable field rig and Icom had missed the mark.
Around 80% maybe more of my activations were done with a FT-857 which weighs 2.1 kg. Nowadays I use an Icom IC‑705, which is a bit lighter.
And even today there are still many operators who carry their FT‑857, so why not an IC‑026 that weighs about 700 grams more than the FT‑857?
Exactly. Not every summit requires a full on mountaineering expedition and it may be suitable for those that like the options of higher power all in one box.
Personally I think the FTX-1 is more versatile with its light(er) weight portable option, but doesnt mean this isnt an option for those that do a little sota, a little pota or just mobile ops as well as used at home.
I’ve always liked the Icom design… Kenwood, unfortunately, isn’t doing anything anymore… and Yaesu always struck me as too “baroque.”
I view this unit as the successor to the IC-706, IC-7000, and IC-7100 generations.
As far as I can see, there is — unfortunately — still no way to clip the two sections together. I find that a real shame; it makes the unit awkward to handle for me and for many others.
You can easily do without an antenna tuner. … Most tuners (with the notable exception of Elecraft) have a fairly limited matching range.
Besides, the ATU belongs at the antenna, not at the coax cable. There are plenty of small models available that could be used via remote power feed over the coax, for instance.
I’m curious to see what the initial tests reveal. I want to know if the transceiver handles RF well… if it has a good, selective receiver suitable for CW that doesn’t get overwhelmed by strong signals… what the phase noise is like… or if it’s just another FT8 box with a tiny, gimmicky display.
We’ll probably have to wait two years and five firmware updates before it’s actually usable.
According to the article in the (released today) latest version of the SWR magazine ( SWR English edition September 26 ) The European version of the IC-7110 is to have 4 metres coverage. However, don’t forget that when the IC-705 was first announced, it was supposed to have 70MHz as well - it didn’t.
