My wish - Icom R86

[jemmex]

The 8600 is an amazing receiver, but so expensive for a hobby and Im only interested in HF
The 7300 is cheaper but lacks some features I would like in a receiver, and I don't want to pay for TX and ATU I will never use

What I would like Icom to make is an "R86" replacement for r75 based on 8600 :.
But 0-30 only with built in rtty/sitor and basic HF digital modes.
(or a 7300 without tx and atu and with Synch AM and digital mode decode)
For less $$ than 7300

I think given the lack of competition in the market they could have a winner.
Come on Icom

 

[Token]

I am all kinds of on-board with wanting something similar to this. And I seriously hope Icom is working in that direction. However, don't expect it to be much less than the 7300 in price point, at least not initially.

Sure, taking out the TX and ATU will drive the price down. But putting in 8600 grade bandwidth and your desired digital modes will drive the price back up a bit. I would expect that an R86 based on R8600 abilities would come in at just a bit under $1000, maybe in the $800-1000 range, biased towards the lower side of that.

With that said, an $800 or so R8600 based but optimized for HF rig would find a place on my desk in a heart beat, with or without digital modes. I would be on the pre-order list.

T!

 

[iMONITOR]

The 8600 is an amazing receiver, but so expensive for a hobby and Im only interested in HF
The 7300 is cheaper but lacks some features I would like in a receiver, and I don't want to pay for TX and ATU I will never use

I think given the lack of competition in the market they could have a winner.
Come on Icom

In the past, I've found high-end transceivers always a better value than receivers alone. I've owned receivers such as Icom's R71A, R72, and R8500. I found them all to fail in comparison transceivers made be Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood, and sometimes for less money.

There's a reason for a lack of competition in the market. It is because the market demand has diminished considerably, and will continue to do so.