Finally a TS-520S station similar to the one I first saw when I was a teenager which consisted of:
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- SM-220 Station Monitor,
- AT-200 ATU,
- VFO-520 remote VFO,
- SP-520 Extension Speaker and and
- MC-50 desk microphone.
One day I thought "Gee it would be nice to give 10m FM a try or even 6m." I looked a the station I had built and at how much real-estate it consumed on my bench top and realised that if I sold everything off I could buy a modern radio with 10m FM and 6m and probably DSP.
Within a few weeks the TS-520S station was sold off, and I had raised enough money to buy one of three radios; A Kenwood TS-570, a Yaesu FT-897 or an Icom IC-706MKII-G. I began researching each radio, asking people what they all thought about them, and realised that this was like asking someone if they like GM or Ford. Everyone has an opinion and most are staunch supporters of one manufacturer or the other. All of the radios were of similar capability Except the Kenwood because it did not offer 2m and 70cm, and it really was going to come down to aesthetics and personal choice in the end.
Each radio had its good points and its bad points. I considered the Kenwood to be the stand-out amongst the short list I had created, but, as I had to sell my Yaesu FT-90 and the Kenwood did not offer 2m and 70cm I took this one off the list fairly early in the piece. A shame really as I really liked that radio.
I thought about the Yaesu. eHam reviews were pretty good, it was a nice and compact radio designed to take portable if I wanted to. All looked great until word had emerged that retailer that handled Yaesu equipment in Australia was moving out of amateur radio. This put me right off the Yaesu.
Sure there was another dealer coming on line, but when? What if something went wrong during the warranty period, where would I have to send the radio? How long would I have to wait? In the end I took Yaesu off my list. Maybe I was hasty in doing this, sure, but in the end I think I made the right choice.
The Icom had been around in various versions for a long time, first the IC-706 then the IC-706 MKII and finally the MKII-G. I knew lots of people who had one, and no one had anything bad to say about them. The DSP option was now standard and although it worked, IF DSP would have been much, much better. After a lot more reading and mulling it over I lashed out and bought the Icom.
Impressions
The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was how heavy the radio was, much heavier than I thought it would be. I took the time to read the manual, something I had to force myself to do. Normally I would just jump in, and start using the radio, worrying about setup later when I needed something specific. I won't bore you with how great the manual was or wasn't suffice to say it was thorough.
On first use I wanted to see what all the fuss was about with the DSP thing. I had never used DSP before and after coming form a TS-520S it was a real eye opener. Sure, things have improved since then with IF DSP on many newer radios, but back then, this was, for me, the bees knees. I have installed both the FL-223 SSB Narrow 1.9 kHz Filter and the FL-232 Narrow CW / RTTY Filters since, and these in conjunction with the DSP make a huge difference in marginal conditions.
I have owned the radio since 2004. It performs very well, its not a Icom Pro or TS-2000, but I have not been disappointed. Transmitted audio is excellent with the supplied fist microphone, and I only once had a complaint about over driving, this was my fault, and was rectified in a few minutes. I personally dislike over driven or echo chamber style audio and I find it comforting that other Radio Amateurs will take the time to politely let you know if there is a problem, and help you with on air reports while you try and rectify it.
Computer interface
The radio can easily be interfaced with a computer using a CI-V converter. As stated elsewhere on my site:
"The schematic diagram for the IPC-478(U) programming interface is available from various locations on the internet; Google is your friend. Just a word on this. If you find a CI-V programming interface for an Icom IC-706 MKII G then you can use this as well. You just need to swap the tip and middle ring wires to get it to work, either via a switch, which is what I have done, or using a stereo to mono converter plug. Works a treat."
There are some limitations to programming but for general logging and day to day use the system works fine. I have tried several logging programs but for Windows I have settled on Logger32, and for Linux CQRLog. Both are well suited to the way I play radio and are constantly under development with feature requests usually implemented, especially with CQRLog.
Something to note with the CI-V interface. I notice that if you have the computer switched off but the CI-V still connected, the radio, the radio will switch itself off repeatedly, I am guessing that this is due to some transient voltage some where on the COM port or something.
Disconnecting the CI-V while the computer is not turned on, either by pulling the plug, or via a switch like I have done (above) solves this problem. I am not sure if it just the design of the CI-V that I am using or what, but its an easy solution to a potentially frustrating problem.
Sound card interface
Digital modes are easily handled with a simple sound card interface. I chose to purchase a Tigertronics interface and this allows me to use any digital mode I choose through the dedicated port on the back of the radio. The only limitation, if you can call it that, is that CW is not very successful through the sound card. I mean you can do it, but you have to use SSB and this negates the use of the CW filter I have installed.
Modifications
There are a lot of modifications available for this radio, but probably the two most useful modifications are the Tune Adapter and the external External Fan Mod. Again, Google is your friend, or join the Icom 706 Yahoo group, they details are in the files sections.
Without and Automatic ATU attached the tune button on the front of the radio is inoperative, with the tuner attached it will allow you to emit a 10 watt carrier so the tuner can do its thing. The Tune adapter just a resistor and capacitor in parallel which allows you to emit a 10 watt carrier and use a manual tuner to adjust your antenna. Very cheap and easy to implement.
Owen Duffy VK1OD has details of a "Tune Mate" on his website, which uses a PIC12C508A microcontroller to do perform the same task. This is a much more refined circuit which can be adapted for several other Icom models as well. It is certainly worth a look.
The fan mod is just simply a 40mm external fan mounted to the heat sink on the radio. It is plugged into the same place as the Tune Adaptor and runs continuously when the radio is on. The fan makes a big difference to the temperature of the radio, especially in sub-tropical Brisbane. Without it the radio casing become quite warm to the touch, nothing out of specification mind, but noticeable. The fan is held in place with 2 rawl plugs and because there are no internal modifications it is very easy to implement.
Conclusion
The Icom IC-706 MKII-G is a very capable radio. Although there are limitations to what it can, and can not do when compared to newer radios, it still performs well for day to day use and even contesting. Second hand IC-706 radios do come up for sale from time to time, but those that own one, generally hang on to them because they are such a robust radio.
BCNU
Adam VK4IM
Brisbane, Queensland.
AUSTRALIA
