Posted: 1/3/2016 4:21:47 PM EDT
| After I pass my general I will be looking to buy my first hf transceiver. Only use a 2m/70cm ht right now but I'm very interested now in the 40m bands. I've been looking and the most features and economical unit I've found is the icom ic-718. Has anyone had any experience with these? |
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New discount prices come, go, and come back again - assuming they actually go away to start with. Don't let a time limited discount on a vendor site push you into a purchase. Right now Gigaparts has a new 718 for $575. Used pricing is much like used car pricing. It all depends on the condition, your budget and your level of patience. My guess is that you could find one for about $500. Maybe $450 if its a bit scratched up or the seller is motivated. Added accessories like filters or tuners modify the price, of course. OK - a little searching found one that sold with a Signal Link for $500 + shipping. (asking - do not know what deal was actually struck) Places to look for new: HRO Gigaparts Universal Radio MTC Places to look for used: Here (electronics, Misc) QRZ.com EHAM.net swap.qth.com |
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$350-$450 for a good / used IC-718.
If you go new, be aware that for just a little more you can buy the IC-7200. If you buy an 718 and plan to add any filters to it, spend your money on the IC-7200 instead, as it has all the filters you could possibly need, and more, built in. If you plan to use your radio outdoors, portable, you want the 7200, not the 718. The IC-7200 also has a far better noise reduction (DSP, that is, Digital Signal Processing). Good / used IC-7200s generally sell for $650 or so, depending on any accessories offered with it. I've had several 718, and know of one large club that has seven or eight 718's for Field Day. It's a good, no nonsense, simple radio. |
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Quoted:
I had one a few years ago. Solid entry level rig, you won't be sorry. While it IS a solid level entry rig it is a PITA as for digi you need a box and for CW you need filters etc. You would be a LOT better off saving a few bucks more for an IC 7200. My 714 was a big mistake. The 7200 makes it so much easier as it has the CW filters and for digi all you need in a USB cord. Trust me on this one. |
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Quoted:
While it IS a solid level entry rig it is a PITA as for digi you need a box and for CW you need filters etc. You would be a LOT better off saving a few bucks more for an IC 7200. My 714 was a big mistake. The 7200 makes it so much easier as it has the CW filters and for digi all you need in a USB cord. Trust me on this one. Quoted:
Quoted:
I had one a few years ago. Solid entry level rig, you won't be sorry. While it IS a solid level entry rig it is a PITA as for digi you need a box and for CW you need filters etc. You would be a LOT better off saving a few bucks more for an IC 7200. My 714 was a big mistake. The 7200 makes it so much easier as it has the CW filters and for digi all you need in a USB cord. Trust me on this one. I'll second it. You can take the 718 and spend a few hundred and still not have as good a radio as the 7200. |
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I work a lot of stations using them. They are a solid radio. It's a good entry level radio for SSB.
Some things to consider for the future: It's a 20 year old design, serviceable, but dated. You'll need a narrow IF filter if you're intending to work CW, and an interface for digital. If you add the filter and computer interface, it'll cost about the same as an IC-7200. |