Icom: IC-2730A: Did ICOM really build this..?

[devicelab]

So I purchased my first ICOM transceiver in a long time. I had previously owned the V8000 and 7600 (before the major firmware change) and I still own the 7000 -- which is probably the best ICOM rig I've ever owned.

I went looking for a dual-band rig for use as a base station. There were not that many choices. I had the V71A not too long ago but sold it to a friend who needed a radio. I had the D710A which is also a fine radio but a rather pricey for just occasional use.

I was debating between the Yaesu 7900R and the ICOM 2730A. I chose the 2730A because it's quite a bit newer than the 7900R and I really liked it's large dual VFO screen. The large, paper-white screen looks great; however, there's a pretty big catch to that. The 2730A can put out the full 50W on both bands. The extra power output and large screen clinched it for me.

This radio seems like it was made by ICOM but it feels quite different than other ICOM radios I've used in the past. I can't quite put my finger on why but some of the design decisions are rather odd.

I've only been using it for about 24 hours but here are my list of issues/gripes/complaints -- in no particular order -- some of which are just mind-boggling to me:

My firmware version is 1.03

1. Unit does NOT come with mobile mounting bracket -- user must BUY option kit
2. Unit does NOT come with body-to-controller mount -- user must BUY option kit
3. LCD display only shows 50% contrast at head-on angle -- otherwise user must view at 15o or better ABOVE controller. Cannot view from lower angle.
4. 70CM auto repeater offset starts at 442 Mhz! Even says this in the manual!
5. Audio quality from built-in top speaker is very below average
6. Volume control is typical 7-5 type but audio is very low until 12pm setting; inconsistent -- sometimes louder with human voice versus NOAA Wx voice
7. Volume controls are slightly stiff (which is OK for mobile use but annoying for base use)
8. SQL knob has two different SQL settings; manual knob and digital; SQL is hit or miss at times
9. Microphone is OK but a bit button-happy
10. Menu-hell menus with questionable logic
11. My TONE setting keeps disappearing at random times (while in VFO mode)
12. The VOL and SQL knobs are tiny compared to the primary knob. Geez ICOM, ever hear of push buttons? They work quite well for other manufacturers.
13. POWER button is VERY tiny but so far it's not troublesome. It's quite close to MAIN button of VFO A though.
14. BEEP level doesn't really match volume level -- seems too loud for even low volume
15. ICOM still does programming thru speaker jack -- quite annoying if this was mounted in radio console

So as you can see I'm not exactly thrilled with the 2730A as yet. Perhaps ICOM may address some of these issues later on but I won't hold my breath. For a $415 investment I'm a little disappointed that I was able to discover these issues so fast.

I guess a few of the problems would be solved by using the software and programming the radio... but not the typical experience I would expect from an ICOM radio.



-DL

 

[N4KVE]

According to the ARRL, the UHF repeater portion is 442-445, & 447-450. That's why the auto offset is the way it is. As for the internal speaker not being loud enough, I use an external speaker on everything. Even Motorola radios. But I agree, they should have supplied the mounting brackets. Should have got another V71A.

 

[devicelab]

Did that change recently? It's always been 440-445..??

 

[kayn1n32008]

So I purchased my first ICOM transceiver in a long time. I had previously owned the V8000

How did you like the V8000?

The 2730A can put out the full 50W on both bands. The extra power output and large screen clinched it for me.

Don't be fooled by an extra 15w, it makes little difference in how far you can talk, and mostly just generates more heat to be dissipated.

1. Unit does NOT come with mobile mounting bracket -- user must BUY option kit

2. Unit does NOT come with body-to-controller mount -- user must BUY option kit

Welcome to the new Icom, they charge BIG bucks for the brackets. It's a joke and one of a bunch of reasons I won't buy their mobiles.

3. LCD display only shows 50% contrast at head-on angle -- otherwise user must view at 15o or better ABOVE controller. Cannot view from lower angle.

Never had that issue with my hammy mobiles. Good to know

4. 70CM auto repeater offset starts at 442 Mhz! Even says this in the manual!

Never used auto offset. It's a PITA at the best of times, and there are always those repeaters that run against the grain

5. Audio quality from built-in top speaker is very below average

Normal for hammy gear. They almost always need external speakers

6. Volume control is typical 7-5 type but audio is very low until 12pm setting; inconsistent -- sometimes louder with human voice versus NOAA Wx voice

My Kenwood V71 volume is pretty much the same, audio output is consistently crappy with out an external speaker.

9. Microphone is OK but a bit button-happy

Icom Mics suck. Period.

12. The VOL and SQL knobs are tiny compared to the primary knob. Geez ICOM, ever hear of push buttons? They work quite well for other manufacturers.

I find the same. Push buttons like my LMR radios would be a welcome change

15. ICOM still does programming thru speaker jack -- quite annoying if this was mounted in radio console

Yea another reason to avoid Icom

Perhaps ICOM may address some of these issues later on but I won't hold my breath. For a $415 investment I'm a little disappointed that I was able to discover these issues so fast.

Don't hold your breath

but not the typical experience I would expect from an ICOM radio.

I'm not surprised to see these kinds of complaints about hammy radios. Not at all

 

[devicelab]

The V8000 was a good radio for its time. The only real complaint about it was its SQL was overly sensitive and depending on the area the SQL would randomly break for no reason. I started using CTCSS a lot more for this specific reason. I finally got tired of this and moved to the Kenwood TM-281A. (This was many years ago...) I use a TK-5720 in the radio console now and love it. I may end up buying a TK-5820 now...

BTW you're right about the extra power output being not so great. I forgot to mention that the fan on the 2730 is quite loud even on its SLOW setting... no way to turn that off.

 

[kayn1n32008]

The V8000 was a good radio for its time. The only real complaint about it was its SQL was iverly sensitive and depending on the area the SQL would randomly break for no reason. I started using CTCSS a lot more for this specific reason. I finally got tired of this and moved to the Kenwood TM-281A. (This was many years ago...) I use a TK-5720 in the radio console now and love it. I may end up buying a TK-5820 now...

I like LMR unless I need to cross band repeat


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[mmckenna]

I'll echo what Kayn said:

5. Audio quality from built-in top speaker is very below average

Always use an external speaker unless you are in a very quiet environment (that would not include moving vehicles). Not only is the volume better, often the speech intelligibility is, too. I run a few hundred LMR radios at work. In all but small base station type installs, external speakers are something I insist on.

6. Volume control is typical 7-5 type but audio is very low until 12pm setting; inconsistent -- sometimes louder with human voice versus NOAA Wx voice

Kenwood LMR stuff seems to be suffering form this, also. Annoying.

7. Volume controls are slightly stiff (which is OK for mobile use but annoying for base use)

Cheap components, bad design, but I will say it beats the ones that are way too loose.

9. Microphone is OK but a bit button-happy

I used to use quite a few Icom LMR and amateur radios. Across the board I found their microphones to be junk. On the amateur side, they seemed to be more durable than Yaesu. Way too many functions/buttons for a mobile install. Either do a hand held control head or not, but trying to cram every single conceivable feature into the palm mic annoyed me.
On the LMR side, their basic mics would last a few months at best. Usually the PTT switch would fail. I used to keep a bunch of spares, would open up the mic and replace them frequently. I got pretty good on it. The other issue I had was that they'd just plain fall apart. Stepping up to the higher tier LMR mics solved most of that, but I don't trust Icom anymore.

On the amateur side, I switched to Kenwood radios because of the better microphones. Eventually I bailed on the amateur radios all together and now only run Motorola or Kenwood LMR radios.

10. Menu-hell menus with questionable logic

Becoming common with amateur radios. Way too many features and no one every wants to rely on programming software. Has to be adjustable from the front panel. I get it, but it's annoying. I hated dealing with the menus on amateur gear. Way too hard for my wife to figure out, way too easy to screw something up.

12. The VOL and SQL knobs are tiny compared to the primary knob. Geez ICOM, ever hear of push buttons? They work quite well for other manufacturers.

Definitely not mobile friendly. I'm sure it was designed by committee and with input from the amateur crowd. Unfortunately a lot of traditionalists like knobs they can fiddle with. Looking at LMR gear, the buttons or large knobs make them much more user friendly.
Unfortunately I don't think you'll see much of a change in the near future. Amateurs are adamant about having knobs. It'll probably take a while for the LMR designs to catch on.

13. POWER button is VERY tiny but so far it's not troublesome. It's quite close to MAIN button of VFO A though.

Every now and then I run into a product design where it becomes evident that the person who designed it had no idea what he was designing or how it gets used. I'm seeing this more and more often. As always, buyer beware. Don't buy something until you've had a chance to try it out in person.

14. BEEP level doesn't really match volume level -- seems too loud for even low volume

Probably doesn't apply on the newer stuff, but on older models, even some of the lower tier LMR stuff, the beep volume level could be adjusted via a pot behind the mic jack. Disconnect the mic and you could access the pot inside/behind the mic jack. Probably no longer the case.
LMR gear almost always has this adjustable.

15. ICOM still does programming thru speaker jack -- quite annoying if this was mounted in radio console

Icom started disappointing me many years ago. See my comment above about products being designed by committee and by people that probably had no real world experience using it in the intended environment. My opinion, though….

So as you can see I'm not exactly thrilled with the 2730A as yet. Perhaps ICOM may address some of these issues later on but I won't hold my breath. For a $415 investment I'm a little disappointed that I was able to discover these issues so fast.

I got rid of the last of my amateur gear probably 8 years ago. Partially it was because my job required me to have Part 90 LMR radios. Partially because I could often get them cheaper than new amateur gear. Partially because I discovered that my use style didn't need all the bells and whistles of modern radios. Big part was because the designs were getting so far off track with me (again, personal opinion). I really prefer the LMR radios for simplicity. I can program buttons to do what I want them to do, not what someone else decided. I can "dumb" down a radio for some user, open up features for others. And, with the amount of memory space in newer radios, a VFO isn't something that I miss.

If your needs don't lean towards overly complex functions, it might be time to look at some of the basic LMR gear. I know it improved my operating experience quite a bit. Plus, they don't fall apart.

 

[N4KVE]

Did that change recently? It's always been 440-445..??

From what I know, it's always OFFICIALLY been 442-445, & 447-450. It seems in some busy metropolitan areas, they use the whole 440 band due to lack of pairs. Around here, 440-442 is used for linking repeaters, not for repeater outputs, or inputs.

 

[devicelab]

I got rid of the last of my amateur gear probably 8 years ago. If your needs don't lean towards overly complex functions, it might be time to look at some of the basic LMR gear. I know it improved my operating experience quite a bit. Plus, they don't fall apart.

Yeah I don't know if you missed my other post but I've been using LMR gear for a while now too. Sadly though, not many vendors make dual-band radios. And it's tough to fork out $3000 for a Motorola APX. I know Kenwood has their multi-mode radios now but they're not also not cheap.

Even single-band units are often expensive (unless you don't mind beat-up, used gear.) I do prefer Kenwood gear as they seem to strike a good balance for my needs.

I like Motorola XTS gear too but their mobiles are ridiculously huge and require too much TLC at times. The APX 1500 is a nice unit but at $2000 it's hard to justify -- and again,only a single band. I have several XTS portables and they work well.

With regards to speakers, I love the front-speaker designs. I still have my Kenwood TM-281A which is great in this regard. (The V8000 also uses the front speaker.) My TK-5720 uses the front speaker. All of these radios have really solid audio quality. The 5720 is excellent for P25 audio thanks to its AMBE+2 vocoder. I'm thinking about a 5820 here very soon. These radios have digital volume settings but work well for mobile use. The front speaker design is great for my radio console layout.

I think (eventually) we'll see dual band units come down in price and (hopefully) will be more affordable to the average end-user.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Sadly though, not many vendors make dual-band radios. And it's tough to fork out $3000 for a Motorola APX. I know Kenwood has their multi-mode radios now but they're not also not cheap.

SCI makes a dual band mobile with a front firing speaker. I don't own one, but heard pretty decent things about it. It is sub $400.

Even single-band units are often expensive (unless you don't mind beat-up, used gear.) I do prefer Kenwood gear as they seem to strike a good balance for my needs.

If you have some patience, and don't jump on the cheapest pile of crap going, you can find really decent radios, at decent prices.

Through a contact with a local emergency management organization, I got a brand new TK-8180 400-470MHz mobile, that was surplus to their needs. Never been taken out of the box.

I like Motorola XTS gear too but their mobiles are ridiculously huge and require too much TLC at times. The APX 1500 is a nice unit but at $2000 it's hard to justify -- and again,only a single band. I have several XTS portables and they work well.

They are solid radios, but I won't waste time, money or effort on Motorola. I'm a Kenwood guy and for what I use my radios for, they are more than adequate.

With regards to speakers, I love the front-speaker designs. I still have my Kenwood TM-281A which is great in this regard. (The V8000 also uses the front speaker.) My TK-5720 uses the front speaker. All of these radios have really solid audio quality.

The downside of the front firing speaker i have found is that you lose low end frequency response. My NX-700 and TK-8180 do not sound nearly as good as my TK-760HG-1. Never needed external speakers for any of them, maybe one day I will compare with an external speaker.

The 5720 is excellent for P25 audio thanks to its AMBE+2 vocoder.

I have zero need for P25. DMR on the other hand? Yes please. And no Motorola for it either.

I think (eventually) we'll see dual band units come down in price and (hopefully) will be more affordable to the average end-user.

Hopefully. But don't hold your breath. At least until they are out of production.



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[mmckenna]

Yeah I don't know if you missed my other post but I've been using LMR gear for a while now too. Sadly though, not many vendors make dual-band radios. And it's tough to fork out $3000 for a Motorola APX. I know Kenwood has their multi-mode radios now but they're not also not cheap.

Yeah, pricey. I just use two separate radios, though. Never had a need for cross band repeat. Had it in several dual band amateur radios, never once used it. Considering use Pyramid mobile extenders are cheap on the internet, I've given though to going that route, but still have not discovered a real "need" for it.

Even single-band units are often expensive (unless you don't mind beat-up, used gear.) I do prefer Kenwood gear as they seem to strike a good balance for my needs.

Benefit of working in the industry. I either get it free, or I find used gear that was in a clean environment. I've bought a few Motorola CDM's that looked like they were brand new. The few I have that were not, it's easy enough to buy replacement parts. Replacing worn keys on the CDM's is easy and makes them look good.
I've got a few hundred Kenwood radios at work, pretty happy with them. Slowly moving over to them as I purchase newer radios.

I like Motorola XTS gear too but their mobiles are ridiculously huge and require too much TLC at times. The APX 1500 is a nice unit but at $2000 it's hard to justify -- and again,only a single band. I have several XTS portables and they work well.

I've got a few XTL's but way too big.

With regards to speakers, I love the front-speaker designs. I still have my Kenwood TM-281A which is great in this regard. (The V8000 also uses the front speaker.) My TK-5720 uses the front speaker. All of these radios have really solid audio quality. The 5720 is excellent for P25 audio thanks to its AMBE+2 vocoder. I'm thinking about a 5820 here very soon. These radios have digital volume settings but work well for mobile use. The front speaker design is great for my radio console layout.

Yeah, that chassis radio, TK-5720, 5820, etc. work pretty well. Same radio as the NX-x00 series mobiles with different firmware. I've got a bunch of the NX-900's at work and they do sound pretty good, but I still prefer the larger speakers. When I switched our PD over to Kenwood radios, that was the majority of the feed back I got form the officers, audio was so much better than the old Motorolas, both portables and mobiles.

I think (eventually) we'll see dual band units come down in price and (hopefully) will be more affordable to the average end-user.

I've been playing with the idea of buying an NX-5000 mobile setup, but the price isn't there yet. As I said above, two radios is easy enough for me at this point.

 

[wrath]

My entire base station is Icom (old icom) I use a switch box with a single Heil mic for everything , my last Icom was the 7000 they haven't made a decent radio since.

For the extra money the 710 ga @ $509 is my mobile of choice , menus make sense and robust audio useing standard / horizon external speakers, i just dont like any of the Icom or Yaesu mobiles , or that they want an extra $300 in optional parts to make the radio work .

My mom taught me to vote with my dollars ,Icom hasn't gotten elected in along time, they need to change course dramaticly for me to buy a rig from them ,between Icom & yaesu its a race to the bottom as to who can use the cheapest low resolution display !
That I won't be a party to,and I am not the only one who feels that way .

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[kayn1n32008]

My 2 biggest beats with ham gear is the usual stupid 6 character limit, and a lack of dot matrix. Although the dot matrix is slowly being adopted. The other is the inability to customize the front buttons.


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[Spec]

I've been running two for about 6 months now. While not everything can be everything to everyone it more than does what I expected. I run one at the base and one in the car. Very satisfied with it. The options you need for mounting really the only issue I have. Not good. Great cross-band repeater.

 

[devicelab]

I've been running two for about 6 months now. While not everything can be everything to everyone it more than does what I expected. I run one at the base and one in the car. Very satisfied with it.

Yeah I'm not trying to be super-critical about this particular radio. Every radio seems to have their quirks. The thing is I just know ICOM could design a much better unit if they really put forth the effort -- that's what most annoying. The classic ICOM days are long gone!

FWIW, I picked up the Yaesu FT-7900R to replace the 2730A for the home base and it's been really good. Is it perfect, heck no? Is it better than the 2730A -- heck yeah!

I thought there would be the advantage of the dual VFO and extra power output of the 2730A but I really don't miss it. The 7900R is much more impressive to me. Its speaker audio is incredible loud... perhaps too loud at times... obviously they were thinking about mobile installations here!

The one nitpick with the 7900R is the lack of free programming software but I can live with that... At $270 it's a heck of a radio.