I am thinking about getting another radio. I could lie and say that the primary reason that I want it is because it will be a backup radio, but I think the truth is that I just want another new toy. In any event, it will serve as a backup also.
My requirements: It has to be sub-$1000. I cannot justify anything more to either myself or my wife. It has to be new. I like new things. This is non-negotiable. Finally, I want to get an Icom because my main radio is a Yaesu. I have nothing against Yaesu; I like my Yaesu. I just want to try something different, and a lot of people seem to like Icom. The radios that I am considering are:
Icom IC-7100
Icom IC-7200
Icom IC-718
I threw the 718 in there because I like the looks of it, but the truth is that I'm deciding between the 7100 and the 7200 primarily.
Now where I'm hung up is that I love the looks of the 7200. It looks like a radio I've always wanted. I hate the looks of the 7100, but I love the functionality of the 7100. I'm a little concerned about the reports of low average output power on SSB with the 7100. Even though I don't like the looks of the 7100, I could see its usefulness for me in being able to remotely place the head (for example, near a nice big easy chair). Still, I come back to the looks of the 7200 because the 7200 looks more like the radios I wanted as a child. The 7200 also appears to be simple to use (I've downloaded the manual).
So I'm stuck and invite opinions to help me decide. I don't have to decide this immediately because I won't be able to get it until summer so there's time.
My requirements: It has to be sub-$1000. I cannot justify anything more to either myself or my wife. It has to be new. I like new things. This is non-negotiable. Finally, I want to get an Icom because my main radio is a Yaesu. I have nothing against Yaesu; I like my Yaesu. I just want to try something different, and a lot of people seem to like Icom. The radios that I am considering are:
Icom IC-7100
Icom IC-7200
Icom IC-718
I threw the 718 in there because I like the looks of it, but the truth is that I'm deciding between the 7100 and the 7200 primarily.
Now where I'm hung up is that I love the looks of the 7200. It looks like a radio I've always wanted. I hate the looks of the 7100, but I love the functionality of the 7100. I'm a little concerned about the reports of low average output power on SSB with the 7100. Even though I don't like the looks of the 7100, I could see its usefulness for me in being able to remotely place the head (for example, near a nice big easy chair). Still, I come back to the looks of the 7200 because the 7200 looks more like the radios I wanted as a child. The 7200 also appears to be simple to use (I've downloaded the manual).
So I'm stuck and invite opinions to help me decide. I don't have to decide this immediately because I won't be able to get it until summer so there's time.