IC-7200 gone again?

Posted: 9/11/2018 4:35:12 PM EDT

I was looking on the Universal Radio site under HF radios and they are not showing the IC-7200.
Except under Discontinued.

Posted: 9/11/2018 5:15:32 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
I was looking on the Universal Radio site under HF radios and they are not showing the IC-7200.
Except under Discontinued.

View Quote

Finally...I imagine that the IC-7300 is crushing sales of the IC-7200.

Posted: 9/11/2018 6:16:33 PM EDT

[#2]

Every HRO branch has them is stock.

Posted: 9/11/2018 9:24:16 PM EDT

[#3]

Still showing as an active product on the Icom America website.

Perhaps the store discontinued it. I know Icom went to some trouble to bring it back,
and that wasn't that long ago.

Agreed, though, the IC-7300 has to be blowing sales of just about everything else
out of the water that's near that price point unless you really need the taticool
aspects of the 7200.

Posted: 9/12/2018 6:35:46 AM EDT

[#4]

I heard a rumor about it, if a radio is discontinued, the major players usually make a mad rush to pick up the remainder of stock, and the one who waits the longest gets none. HRO is a pretty big player.

Posted: 9/12/2018 8:29:04 AM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Still showing as an active product on the Icom America website.

Perhaps the store discontinued it. I know Icom went to some trouble to bring it back,
and that wasn't that long ago.

Agreed, though, the IC-7300 has to be blowing sales of just about everything else
out of the water that's near that price point unless you really need the taticool
aspects of the 7200.

View Quote

Had someone bring a IC-7300 to our 2018FD location. We swapped it in for a hour or so.
Here is my perspective as a RACES lead: If you don't know how to use it then the ic-7300 under performs or only matches non-SDR radios.
For the prices I would rather have two IC-7200s than one IC-7300.
I would say 450s or 718s as well but I'd like to not have an external sound card interface next time around.
I don't doubt that a person who learns the radio can get much better performance out of it.
That is true for any radio.
But that's not what happens in an ad hoc EOC environment where people work with a radio only a couple times of the year.
I've watched a V-71 get fiddled with to the point of unusability during a training exercise.
Because the operator was unfamiliar with it. So it was good training. For me to get the radio back in service.

Posted: 9/12/2018 12:49:23 PM EDT

[#6]

How so?

I mean... it's not like there are just a ton of options. How does one fiddle with a 7300 enough to make it not work well and then not be able to get back to where you started?

Posted: 9/12/2018 1:40:08 PM EDT

[#7]

There's a bit of a learning curve on the 7300. I used the 7200 for years and
because of the touch screen, the 7300 isn't intuitive.

Example, when I wanted to change the filter bandwidth I spent 15 minutes
looking through the menus and couldn't find it. Turns out you touch the
label for the currently selected filter on screen to select others.

It's little stuff, but if you don't or haven't used it, it's very frustrating.

It's a good reason so have a written step-by-step configuration guide
for specific operations like this.

Posted: 9/12/2018 1:52:08 PM EDT

[#8]

Well - tip on the 7300.

Set it up with settings appropriate to the situation.

Save those settings to the SD card.

To keep it simple, the written guide should include instructions for navigating to the SD card, and 'restoring' the most recent config file. I'm not sitting in front of my radio, but it's maybe 5 button presses to do it. (as opposed to trying to walk someone through checking each individual setting)

Posted: 9/12/2018 4:35:00 PM EDT

[#9]

From my earliest Field Days back in the '50s, "when reliability is foremost, KISS is best".

A simple, single-conversion National or Hallicrafters receiver would usually outperform top-of-the-line gear Collins gear in inexperience hands.

Posted: 9/12/2018 5:13:58 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
There's a bit of a learning curve on the 7300. I used the 7200 for years and
because of the touch screen, the 7300 isn't intuitive.

Example, when I wanted to change the filter bandwidth I spent 15 minutes
looking through the menus and couldn't find it. Turns out you touch the
label for the currently selected filter on screen to select others.

It's little stuff, but if you don't or haven't used it, it's very frustrating.

It's a good reason so have a written step-by-step configuration guide
for specific operations like this.

View Quote

I disagree.

I never worked a ham radio before and I had no trouble working the radio out of the box without reading the manual.

The touch screen makes it intuitive and easy to find stuff.

Posted: 9/12/2018 5:33:01 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:

I never worked a ham radio before and I had no trouble working the radio out of the box without reading the manual.

View Quote

That was an asset and not a liability in this case.

Most of us have used radios for a while and had physical buttons assigned to single tasks.

Look at a 7200, there's a "filter" button that steps through all the options. Mode steps through
the modes, TS for tuning speed. Etc. That's what we're used to.

So that's all we knew for dozens of years, and the 7300 comes along and we have
to learn something new. Old dogs and all that.

Anyone raised using a smartphone who's never touched an older rig is going to find the 7300 a breeze.

Posted: 9/13/2018 6:19:09 AM EDT

[#12]

Confirmed, got a notice the 7200 is discontinued.

Posted: 9/13/2018 11:07:18 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Confirmed, got a notice the 7200 is discontinued.

View Quote

If you don't mind, how does a person get signed up for a notice like that?

I like the idea of 'If you screw up the config follow these X number of instructions to restore from the SD card" capability of the IC-7300.
I'll look into that and see if the instructions will fit on a label that could be put right on top of the radio. :)

Though I've only fiddled with the ft-991 vs the ic-7300 the 991 currently has my interest as a replacement for the EOC's TS-2000 over the IC-7300.
My years as a computer geek may be showing though. The IC-7300 is still release "1.0". There hasn't been an update to the physical system yet.
The FT-991 is on a third update. (Original, updated finals, 'A' version).
I always try to avoid putting release 1.0 into production in my professional work.

Posted: 9/13/2018 5:15:59 PM EDT

[#14]

From a contact in the industry. The 7200 was not selling. The price point of the 7100 and the feature set of the 7300 made the 7200 a slow selling radio. There are places that have been running sales for the 7100 sub $800 and the whole shack in a box touchscreen is a great selling point. The 7300 just sells itself.

Posted: 9/20/2018 12:17:44 AM EDT

[#15]

I’d have to say it doesn’t shock me. The price it sells for vs what’s out there now, it needs to be in the ~$600 price point at most. Look at what HRO sells the 7300 and 1200 for now. Can get the 7300 or 1200 for less than $1000 after rebates. My 718 with the ssb narrow filter is really close in price of those radios. I scored mine on consignment at HRO for a damn good price. I’m already pondering selling it and putting in some cash for the ftdx3000. At the least the 7300.

Posted: 9/20/2018 6:33:28 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
That was an asset and not a liability in this case.

Most of us have used radios for a while and had physical buttons assigned to single tasks.

Look at a 7200, there's a "filter" button that steps through all the options. Mode steps through
the modes, TS for tuning speed. Etc. That's what we're used to.

So that's all we knew for dozens of years, and the 7300 comes along and we have
to learn something new. Old dogs and all that.

Anyone raised using a smartphone who's never touched an older rig is going to find the 7300 a breeze.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

I never worked a ham radio before and I had no trouble working the radio out of the box without reading the manual.

That was an asset and not a liability in this case.

Most of us have used radios for a while and had physical buttons assigned to single tasks.

Look at a 7200, there's a "filter" button that steps through all the options. Mode steps through
the modes, TS for tuning speed. Etc. That's what we're used to.

So that's all we knew for dozens of years, and the 7300 comes along and we have
to learn something new. Old dogs and all that.

Anyone raised using a smartphone who's never touched an older rig is going to find the 7300 a breeze.

and then I got an FT-891. Menu driven. thought it would be easy. I almost took it in the back and shot it, it was so frustrating to use and that was after I read the manual.

I lied before. I already had a CS108G+ but that has few controls.

Posted: 9/20/2018 8:24:34 AM EDT

[#17]

Hell, I don't know how to use half the features on the 7200.

I think I'm going to hang with it unless I win one in a raffle or something.

I'll admit it I am an appliance operator. The entire reason I got into this hobby was that the PRC 320 was a simple rig to operate.

I stepped into a 718 and finally a 7200 and I plan on staying with the 7200 because learning the 7300 sounds intimidating.

Most of you guys are techno guys. I am not.

Posted: 9/20/2018 8:46:11 AM EDT

[#18]

my 7100 is still pretty confounding most days. (lost count of the hard resets I've done)
My TS50 not so much.
I'm too, an appliance op, and I'm ok with that.

Posted: 9/20/2018 8:23:07 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
Hell, I don't know how to use half the features on the 7200.

I think I'm going to hang with it unless I win one in a raffle or something.

I'll admit it I am an appliance operator. The entire reason I got into this hobby was that the PRC 320 was a simple rig to operate.

I stepped into a 718 and finally a 7200 and I plan on staying with the 7200 because learning the 7300 sounds intimidating.

Most of you guys are techno guys. I am not.

View Quote

I'm a dumb farmer and pretty techno illiterate, the 7300 was my first radio and intuitive is the word for it. I won't worry about being intimidated by it.

Posted: 9/21/2018 4:29:08 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
I’d have to say it doesn’t shock me. The price it sells for vs what’s out there now, it needs to be in the ~$600 price point at most.

View Quote

If they had moved production to somewhere like Viet Nam or Indonesia, they probably could have hit that price target.

Posted: 9/21/2018 5:04:17 AM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
I'm a dumb farmer and pretty techno illiterate, the 7300 was my first radio and intuitive is the word for it. I won't worry about being intimidated by it.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Hell, I don't know how to use half the features on the 7200.

I think I'm going to hang with it unless I win one in a raffle or something.

I'll admit it I am an appliance operator. The entire reason I got into this hobby was that the PRC 320 was a simple rig to operate.

I stepped into a 718 and finally a 7200 and I plan on staying with the 7200 because learning the 7300 sounds intimidating.

Most of you guys are techno guys. I am not.

I'm a dumb farmer and pretty techno illiterate, the 7300 was my first radio and intuitive is the word for it. I won't worry about being intimidated by it.

I still have not read the manual for the 7300. I was using the PBT long before I know what it was doing other than making the QRM go away. If you can use a smart phone you can use the 7300. I set up the digimodes on it by watching youtube videos. I used it for a year before I even knew there was an RF gain thing.

Posted: 9/22/2018 9:15:27 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
How so?

I mean... it's not like there are just a ton of options. How does one fiddle with a 7300 enough to make it not work well and then not be able to get back to where you started?

View Quote

I don't know about the 7300, but you can damned sure do it with the old Yaesu FT-897 and FT-857.

The whole time I had the 897 I had to have the manual open beside me, and would spend as much time looking at the manual as operating.
More than a few times (like every time I operated it) I would get somewhere in the screens and did not know how I got there, or how to get
back to the home screen.

The IC-718 was just the opposite. I got it in, opened the box, spent 20 minutes or so putting Powerpoles on the power cord, a few other minor
things, then operated for 6 hours without ever cracking the manual.

The next day I sold the FT-897. I got enough to buy a very nice lightly used 718, LDG IT-100 tuner, and and a power supply. (The FT-897 had
the built in FP-30 power supply and the LDG 897 tuner on the side.) I never missed not having VHF/UHF on the 718.

Posted: 9/24/2018 11:51:21 AM EDT

[#23]

I have found with the Icom IC 7300, I can save operating setups to the memory card so I have one for SSB/ CW, one for Fldigi-Flrig, one for an old free version of HRD etc. etc. If I mess up a setting or loose where I am experimenting I can just reload the setup. The memory card is 32 Gig, I don't thing I have begun to use 1/100 of the capacity. Any how, the IC7300 comes highly recommended. It replaced a Kenwood TS 480HX and the display aside it still hears better.
73,
Rob

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - IC-7200 gone again?

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