I recently purchased an Icom R75 and was very pleased with it's performance,even though I only had a fifty foot piece of wire strung out in the house. My problem is after five days the radio quit working properly. One morning I was listening to hams on 80 meters and everything was working fine. That evening I walked back over to the radio and started tuning the vfo,it would turn but the frequency on the display wasn't changing. I checked to make sure the lock wasn't on,and reset the cpu twice to no avail. A couple of local hams suspect that static took the radio out. They even went as far as suggesting that the R75 shared a trait with the Icom 718 transceiver of having problems with this. I always touch the metal on my chair to dissipate static. The ground outside is frozen so I haven't been able to properly ground the receiver with a ground rod and wire. Here is my problem, I can return the radio for another or get a different model. I'm kind of now scared off of the R75 and am now considering a AOR AR8600 Mark IIB and would like some opinions on this. I'm not really a radio novice as years ago I had Radio Shack Dx160,Yaesu FRG 7,some kind of Kenwood Reciever and a Icom R71 A and a Icom R7000. The last two my wife tried to get me to put in the closet and keep which I should have. I have always been a radio nut,and always had scanners and since I'm semi retired I'm ready to get back into HF. The local hams have some really expensive models of AOR receivers and say they are excellent radios,they should be for $4000.00 dollars! Anyway that is why I'm very strongly considering the AOR AR8600 Mark IIB on their recommendations. Any help on this subject would be appreciated. I hope that this forum is okay. I figured if I posted only in the Icom receiver forum I wouldn't get any opinions on the AOR AR8600 Mark IIB.
Problem with a new Icom R75
- Thread starter tholt
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Icom r75
Really don't know what to say to you. I have had two Icom r75 radio's and have had no problem with them, from time to time you are going to have some problems when it comes to electronics but I think if you do some searching and look at the reviews on the Icom r75 you will see that it's a great radio, not perfect but a radio you can put some trust into and it's a very good built radio.
Steve
Really don't know what to say to you. I have had two Icom r75 radio's and have had no problem with them, from time to time you are going to have some problems when it comes to electronics but I think if you do some searching and look at the reviews on the Icom r75 you will see that it's a great radio, not perfect but a radio you can put some trust into and it's a very good built radio.
Steve
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
If you touched the knob when the zap happened, chances are something blew along the encoder shaft to the VFO, or somewhere along that line. This is, unfortunately, a job for an Icom tech.
I'll leave it to others to comment on the AOR8600. I'm not a real fan of these radios - at least the early versions overloaded like crazy, noisy synthesizers and other issues. Now with the newer version (and you can even put Collins filters in there, from what I understand) it's probably much better - hopefully they've shaken out the bugs. The reviews on eHam are very positive.
best regards..Mike
I'll leave it to others to comment on the AOR8600. I'm not a real fan of these radios - at least the early versions overloaded like crazy, noisy synthesizers and other issues. Now with the newer version (and you can even put Collins filters in there, from what I understand) it's probably much better - hopefully they've shaken out the bugs. The reviews on eHam are very positive.
best regards..Mike
K9WG
Member
Have you tried unplugging it for awhile?
(When I did technical support I always had our customers unplug the equipment for an hour. Most times that worked quite well
)
(When I did technical support I always had our customers unplug the equipment for an hour. Most times that worked quite well
)
ridgescan
Member
Give another R75 a chance-IMO it's one fantastic reliable rig. I wonder what happened to yours-these things are built to military standard specs. I use the R71A at the desk but I sure enjoy using that R75. Like playing VOA out of Africa on the R75 running through a fidelic Boston center channel speaker while dusting furniture it's nice! The R75 has a nice audio too given the right speaker.
it's nice! The R75 has a nice audio too given the right speaker.Yes, I did indeed try it after unplugging it. First I tried it for just a hour or two and then 24 hours,and it still doesn't work. The radio was delivered to me on January 3, it worked until the 10th. It was such a surprise when I discovered it had quit working. I had it just long enough to get bitten by the hf bug again big time. Now I have to send it back and wait until I decide what radio to get and then wait for it to be delivered. Last winter my wife went to the local Radio Shack store and bought me a Grundig 750 for Christmas. It is a horrible radio,totally deaf except for MW where it seems to work okay. The Icom was so much better,no comparison. The manager of the Radio Shack wouldn't let me return it so we don't go in that store anymore.
W2NJS
Member
I suggest that you look up Icom America's service site on Google and take it from there. All the instructions for returns under warranty etc. are there. Send the thing back and let them fix it. They have an excellent reputation for service and quick turnaround. I speak from experience with them over many years. If I had a receiver that was decent I would not dump it based on one failure.
k9rzz
Member
Stuff happens. With regards to changing radios, the R-75 is a high performance HF receiver designed to hear signals in the HF *VERY WELL*. , The AOR you're looking at is a general purpose wide band receiver designed for those who want to hear everything, but don't mind if it's *OKAY* reception. Apples and oranges IMO.
majoco
Stirrer
Send it back - they'll fix it.
The problem with electronical stuff is that if it's going to fail, it'll fail in the first 72 hours, or else it'll go on for years.
They used to do 'burn in' checks - the equipment was put in a test chamber with high ambient temperature and run for a week or so. Now they use the customer to carry out the quality control. You got a dud.
The problem with electronical stuff is that if it's going to fail, it'll fail in the first 72 hours, or else it'll go on for years.
They used to do 'burn in' checks - the equipment was put in a test chamber with high ambient temperature and run for a week or so. Now they use the customer to carry out the quality control. You got a dud.
If you look at the receiver specs for the IC-R75 vs IC-718 they are almost exactly the same in terms of selectivity and sensitivity. I suspect they use the same receiver design expect the R75 goes a little higher in frequency.
Why not return it and get an IC-718? The IC-718 retails for $50 less than the R75 and you get a 100 watt all-band (hf) amateur transmitter. With a small amount of study or by attending a radio club class you could get your ham license and talk to those guys on 80m instead of just listen (lot more fun).
Why not return it and get an IC-718? The IC-718 retails for $50 less than the R75 and you get a 100 watt all-band (hf) amateur transmitter. With a small amount of study or by attending a radio club class you could get your ham license and talk to those guys on 80m instead of just listen (lot more fun).
Did you purchase the R75 new or used?
Early R75's had a problem with the oem wall-wart power supply running hot and overvoltage. If this is an old supply, maybe you are lucky with the rig just locking up and not totally frying.
If new, you may have just gotten unlucky and a warrantee should cover the replacement / or repair. It's a bummer, but it does happen.
There's no guarantee either that an AOR 8600 mkii might not fail also shortly out of the box. Happens - even at $4k.
Use the warantee, Luke.
Early R75's had a problem with the oem wall-wart power supply running hot and overvoltage. If this is an old supply, maybe you are lucky with the rig just locking up and not totally frying.
If new, you may have just gotten unlucky and a warrantee should cover the replacement / or repair. It's a bummer, but it does happen.
There's no guarantee either that an AOR 8600 mkii might not fail also shortly out of the box. Happens - even at $4k.
Use the warantee, Luke.
Thanks for all the responses. I'm going to do the sensible thing and return the radio for another R75 and hope for the best. A maybe not so sensible thing that I'm going to do is also order a AOR AR8600 Mark IIB. Like I said in a earlier post that I'm indeed a radio nut. With four scanners and a CCrane portable and the worthless Grundig I'll have eight radios. What I would like to know was the Icom R75 defective or did I static it? I have a laptop and my wife has a laptop and we have not experienced any problem with them or with the scanners with static electricity. Again thanks for all the responses Radio Reference is one of my favorite websites.
Fast1eddie
Member
Hello! Thought I would offer my opinion. I concur with the previous postings-the R75 is a solid receiver although the outboard power supply is of poor quality. If you have removed the external power from the radio permitting the built up static charge to drain with negative results after several hours, then the problem is internal. Icom has always performed excellent work on my radios, have a R71A I would like to send off but may sell it as money is tight now. I also own a AOR 8600 (First Production) and agree it is not a good HF receiver, but rather one to supplement existing equipment. Mine has gone on several family vacations and if you are willing to accept compromised HF performance, it will do the job. Experimenting with random lengths of wire, I've discovered mine works best with a 10-15 wire run, obviously as reasonably high as practical. On a recent visit to Cape May New Jersey, had excellent performance while monitoring maritime and aviation comms.
Good DX!
Ed
Good DX!
Ed
Hard to say at this point. Although the newer power supplies are supposed to be of higher quality, there is the possibility that it went unregulated, putting out 16 - 18v - even under load. That's one thing you can check if you haven't sent it back already.
My recommendation for any R75 owner is to put the oem power supply wart or brick on the shelf, and run from a 3rd party regulated dc supply just in case. I favor the old-style linear supplies, but you could also try the switching supplies.
Anyway, getting off track. But with the R75 as a desktop, and the AOR as your handheld, you'll be covered no matter what!
R-75
Bought mine used, the only problem I experienced is when the memory battery got weak the radio would not turn on properly and would not function. It should not be able to cause that kind of problem, I pulled the old battery out, plugged the radio in and it worked. Great little radio. Kfred
Bought mine used, the only problem I experienced is when the memory battery got weak the radio would not turn on properly and would not function. It should not be able to cause that kind of problem, I pulled the old battery out, plugged the radio in and it worked. Great little radio. Kfred
I agree with you all my R75 is amazing!
Yesterday I finally received a new Icom R75 by UPS. It came three days late because of the blizzard we had at the first of the week. I have decided that the original radio was probably ruined by static. When I sent the R75 back I ordered a AOR 8600 MK2. When it arrived three days later I hooked up the Miracle Whip Antenna that had been used on the Icom, and heard absolutely nothing on any band. I then strung out seventy five feet of ten gauge wire through the house and the AOR came to life,hearing many things on several different bands and frequencies. My wife isn't real happy about the wire in the house but it is what I'm going to be using until spring. What really surprised me is I was able to hear all the local police and emergency frequencies off that wire. We live twenty miles from one city and fifteen from the other,they both operate off of VHF and UHF. The Miracle Whip doesn't work on the new Icom either. It had to have been static that took them both out. I bought both radios from Universal Radio and they provided excellent service,they probably didn't have to take the Icom back and give me a new one, kudos to them. I have a Alpha Delta Switch box and a Icom Sp-23 speaker so a turn of a switch and a push of a button and the antenna and speaker will work with either radio. For what it is worth the initial impression of both radios is that the AOR has better audio,smaller buttons and more complex to operate. I had to read the manual three times but was really worth the time and effort. The Icom has a bigger display and easier to operate and required only one reading of the manual. Until I discovered the source of my S9 noise level on both radios (a usb hard drive} both radios are now very quiet with the AOR probably the quietest. I like both radios very much but if forced to keep only one it would be the AOR. Thanks again for all the earlier responses to my initial inquiry.
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