Icom: IC-7110
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Brochure available for download from the Icom Europe website: https://www.icomeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IC-7110_pre_EN_A4_ol.pdf
Images downloaded from Icom UK website:
Images downloaded from Icom UK website:
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I'll be honest, I had the opportunity to run an Icom 7100 for about 3-4 months some years ago and that and the AH-4 tuner exceeded my expectations by quite a large margin. While I have no interest in the Icom 5200 (I have a 5100 already) I can safely say this has my curiosity peaked. I did dabble some on D-Star HF when I had it and honestly it was fun and surprising how well it worked.
Obviously waiting to see the actual release, and pricing but this is at least on my radar. Thanks for posting it, I hadn't heard about this yet.
Obviously waiting to see the actual release, and pricing but this is at least on my radar. Thanks for posting it, I hadn't heard about this yet.
drdiesel1
Member
I see link lights for the Controller Port, if this is Ethernet that is awesome for placing the RF unit at a tower base. Heck of a lot less loss for us with towers hundreds of feet away on 2M/70CM like myself.
A built-in tuner takes up space and can add more heat to the box. I think that the product planners and engineers were faced with "do we make the box bigger and include a tuner" vs. "do we keep the box a compact size and sell an external tuner". The Icom AH-4 is a very capable tuner though it's no longer available. It has recently been replaced by the AH-6 which should do the job...granted at extra cost. Or, if you don't want to buy the Icom brand tuner, the LDG AT-x00 Pro II tuners work great with the Icom tuner interface.
Besides, if you have resonant antennas, you don't need a tuner.
While getting rarer, the AH-4 can often be found used, I am thinking of getting one and using it (via some adaptors) on my Yaesu 991A which does have a built in tuner that is almost a waste. I only use it here and there on 6 meters. I've never seen a tuner work like the AH-4 does to be honest. I got spoiled tuning my wire with that thing and had to go back to my Yaesu FT-40 tuner when I gave the owner of the Icom radio the equipment back and then realized how great the AH-4 actually was. The external Yaesu tuner couldn't hold a candle to that AH-4, it wasn't even close.A built-in tuner takes up space and can add more heat to the box. I think that the product planners and engineers were faced with "do we make the box bigger and include a tuner" vs. "do we keep the box a compact size and sell an external tuner". The Icom AH-4 is a very capable tuner though it's no longer available. It has recently been replaced by the AH-6 which should do the job...granted at extra cost. Or, if you don't want to buy the Icom brand tuner, the LDG AaT-x00 Pro II tuners work great with the Icom tuner interface.
Besides, if you have resonant antennas, you don't need a tuner.
Mark (the owner of the 7100 and AH-4) installed it in his pickup with the tuner within 6 inches of the Icom mobile antenna and worked all bands from 80-6 with it mobile and was often accused of not being mobile or, running an amplifier. It was great to go mobile with him and play radio on that setup.
Since I already had the 991A yaesu, I didn't opt to get the 7100 back then but now if 7110 comes out I may just do it. Obviously the Yaesu would have to go (no great loss there) and I'd likely need to sell a couple other things to fund it but honestly this stuff is just sitting around here and while it doesn't eat much, I really should part with some of this stuff.
The other issue with built-in tuners on transceivers is that they usually can only handle a 3-1 or less mismatch. Nearly all the external tuners handle 10-1 or higher. You seldom exceed 3-1 on a proper antenna but it CAN and DOES happen unintentionally. And if you’re stuck with tuner that only does 3-1… you get little or even zero output due to a mismatch the internal tuner can’t handle.
Yep the exception might be some of the older radios, like my FT-1000D but that thing is "OLD" and really has a tuner/matcher in it. I had an FT-890 years ago and that would tune a set of metal cabinets even. LOL. The new ones, not so much.
As a "returning" ham, who is only using a handheld at the moment on 2/70, this has me interested to maybe get on HF. Specs sound good and I love the remote head, will make setting up my home station so much easier.
No, IMHO, it's purely marketing and sales reasons. The AH-6 is $650. The AH-4 (remaining inventory) will likely fetch $400-ish. This is pure gold to ICOM.
I think you're right in that they can also dump the problem on 3rd party designers. Read between the lines: there's just not enough profit margin there.
I saw a video where Ray Novak N9JA from Icom America addressed the internal tuner question: "We cannot defy the laws of physics. You're not going to get a 100 watt antenna tuner inside that body. It's not about the weight. You need space. You get to see some incredible voltages [in a tuner], especially when you've got some hams who want to tune a 10 to 1 SWR."
I'm going to ASS-U-ME that the IC-7110 main unit ("RF deck") will be about the same size as the IC-7100's main unit which measures 167 W x 58 H x 225 D.
The Yaesu FTX-1 Optima has an internal tuner. I imagine it's only good for 3:1 SWR. I couldn't find dimensions for the SPA-1 amplifier that turns a Yaesu FTX-1 Field into an FTX-1 Optima, but if you take the the Field's depth of 55 mm and subtract it from the Optima's depth of 240 mm, you get 185 mm. So, Yaesu may have figured out how to defy the laws of physics.
I'm going to ASS-U-ME that the IC-7110 main unit ("RF deck") will be about the same size as the IC-7100's main unit which measures 167 W x 58 H x 225 D.
The Yaesu FTX-1 Optima has an internal tuner. I imagine it's only good for 3:1 SWR. I couldn't find dimensions for the SPA-1 amplifier that turns a Yaesu FTX-1 Field into an FTX-1 Optima, but if you take the the Field's depth of 55 mm and subtract it from the Optima's depth of 240 mm, you get 185 mm. So, Yaesu may have figured out how to defy the laws of physics.
Ray has found his calling. I was first introduced to him at Dayton Hamvention back in the 90s when he was a new Icom employee. I was friends with Icom technical support guy at the time. He told me to watch Ray " 'cause he's gonna be a star."
