USB MICROPHONES???

I KNOW NOTHING!!!

Hey, let's start by me admitting that I'm a newbie and I know nothing! I'm just thinking out aloud here, nothing else.

My new-fangled SDR radio (IC-7610) has 4 USB sockets and you can do allsorts of things with them. So I'm sat here thinking - "why can't modern radios use USB sockets/plugs for their microphones"??

The reason I asked myself that question is that when you connect to your radio remotely using RS-BA1 software, you end up using your laptop's crummy built-in microphone which sounds pretty rubbish (yes, I know you could plug a computer headset in).

But wouldn't it be nice if you could plug that beautiful £200 SM-50 into one of the laptop's USB ports (or even the supplied fist-mic)?

Maybe there's a reason why it's not possible, I don't know. But it sounds like a good idea to me to adopt a common connector on all radios. It might mean adding a little interface-board inside the radios, but boy, it would be amazing to be able to swap microphones from radio to radio to PC, etc.

I'm probably talking rubbish :-D

IC-7300 vs IC-7610

"YOU COULD BUY THREE 7300's!!"

Hmm, I've not had the radio two minutes and I've already been told a few times that I could have bought three 7300's for the price of the 7610. Well yes, I could, but then all I'd have is three 7300's and where's the sense in that??

There is no denying that the 7610 is an expensive radio, but there's no point in comparing it with the fact that it's 3X the price of Icom's entry-level SDR transceiver. The 7300 is a Icom's entry-level SDR transceiver and as fabulous as it is, it's still entry-level. That's fine for many people - it does everything they want and more. I'm happy for them. I just wish they were happy for me too :-)

Some lucky people drive around in £75k Range Rover 4WD. Happy days - I'm pleased for them. I don't go around explaining to the owners that they could have had 3 KIA Sportage 4WD for the same money!

The fact is, the 7610 is a different radio to the 7300. For a start it has 2 INDEPENDENT RECEIVERS. It has 2 HF Antenna Ports, it has 4 BNC ports for RX-Out, RX-In, REF-In and TRANSVERTER. 

The 7610 screen is almost 2x the size, It has a DVI-D socket to feed an external monitor to expand the display. It has 2 ACC sockets, 2 USB sockets on the rear panel, 2 external speaker jacks, a socket for external meter and a socket for external keypad, plus a remote socket.

The 7610 also has 2 USB sockets on the front panel which can be used for a variety of things including memory-sticks, an RC-28 VFO, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. The USB-2 socket on the rear panel is split into 2 Virtual Com ports which is useful for RTTY (FSK) using just one cable.

Additionally, the 7610 has a built-in Timer function, Dual Clocks (Local & UTC) and Solid State T/R Switching.

Finally, the 7610 has a built-in Server and a LAN port which makes it perfect for remote control operation without the need to have an active PC connected to the radio!

The radio has a very "top drawer" feel to it and doesn't give you the impression that it was built to a price. It's a good size, without being overly large. The extra real-estate means that it can accommodate some useful physical buttons that the 7300 cannot - such as the BAND buttons and handy RECORD & PLAY buttons.

The 7300 and 7610 are both fabulous radios and considering that I'm relatively new to the hobby, it may appear that I've gone for the wrong radio, but I invested in the 7610 because I am new and because I'm constantly learning. I don't want to be restricted by a radio a year or two down the line.

Someone else suggested that I should have spent my money 'more wisely' and bought the 7300 and the matching 9700. Well if those two radios were the same price, that suggestion might have had some merit, but the 9700 is a staggering £1,800 and I'd rather put the big bucks into the HF side. I don't want to pay £1,800 to talk to "Johnny in Wigan". Anyway, I have my IC-7100 and DR-735 for VHF/UHF (not to mention an FT3 and D74).

So back to the 7610. I love it. It has absolutely everything I want and need. Hopefully, it will give me many years of service and entertainment. I can experiment with all the HF bands, all the different modes including Digital, run FT-8 on one receiver whilst running SSB on the other, etc, etc. With my limited capacity to erect antennas, I need the best possible receiver performance and the quietest floor level to help me to get the best performance from my dipoles and end-feds.

The remote operation is a really nice feature and I've already got the RC-28 plug-in VFO and the RS-BA1 software (V2). This adds a whole new element to operating - I can get out of the shack and sit in the garden or conservatory, etc. When fully licenced, you can operate the radio from ANYWHERE!

This isn't a dig at 7300 Owners! This, I guess, is a dig at those people who see fit to criticise someone else for investing in a radio which they don't deem to be worth buying. Well hey, you aren't buying it, so don't worry about it, LOL.

I acknowledge that the 7300 is one of the most important radios to have ever been launched! It was (and remains) ground-breaking in terms of what it offers at its particular price point. It's so good that it has seriously impacted the Secondhand Radio Market - why would someone pay over-inflated prices for legacy radios when that price is so close to the cost a a used (or even new) 7300? They won't! As a result, the price of used radios is falling to more realistic levels and will continue to fall as people move to SDR technology.

INTERMEDIATE LICENCE

GOING UP?

When I passed my Foundation exam, I was encouraged to go straight for the Intermediate and I do see the logic in that, but I wanted to stick with the M7 licence for a while and learn more about the hobby with a 10W restriction. I figured it would encourage me to become a better operator - and I believe it did.

With 10W I've had a lot of fun and managed to work many parts of the world one way or another. After a year though, I am now getting ready to learn more. And when I say learn, I do mean learn - I'm not going to study to 'fluke a pass' - I want to know, not to guess!

So with that in mind, I've got the RSGB Intermediate Licence study book and I'm going to get stuck into it. I'm in no rush and I have no plans to go on any Club Courses - just home-study. When I feel ready, I'll see the relevant people at my local club about sitting the exam.

ICOM IC-7610

ICOM 7610  vs  Yaesu 101

I was thinking of buying a new 101, but decided to pull back on the reigns and invest a bit of time in making a proper evaluation of the radio, comparing it as objectively as possible with the competition. I don't mean comparing all the "tech" stuff and the "laboratory" results - all radios at this level are pretty astonishing anyway - I'm talking about the everyday "living with a radio" stuff! I wanted to look at the features and the ergonomics as much as anything else.

So I spent a good few days looking at videos and written reviews of both machines and even some head-to-heads. I was pulled left and right, swinging from one radio to another - and then back again!

I KNOW, I KNOW I'd be better off spending the money on a super antenna system and keep the radio I have, but I have no chance of doing that where I live, so I'm gonna go for the best (and most fun) receiver that I can afford and carry on experimenting with wire antennas. A local G4 (who's in a worse situation than me) is going to come over and help me make the most of my QTH.

Anyway, it soon became apparent that the 101's main competitor was the Icom IC-7610. I had also been looking at the Kenwood TS-890S, which is a superb bit of kit, but it only has one receiver and I really liked the idea of having two, so that pretty much ruled it out.

So it was 101 vs 7610.The Yaesu was the definite winner in the looks department, with its Superman bulk and bold styling. The VFO dial looks like it belongs on the front of a bank safe! There's also an attraction to the association with the classic old FT-101 boat anchor. But as much as I love the looks of the Yaesu, I had to put that to one side and focus on other things.

At this price level, I had to be sure that I was buying what I wanted and not what others thought was the best radio. Sure, I was eager to listen to people's opinions, but the final decision had to be mine.

The radios are virtually the same price, so that issue can be put to one side. The RX and TX qualities are virtually identical even though one is a full-blown SDR while the other (the 101) is a hybrid - a mix of superhet and SDR. Both have different approaches to noise reduction but both are equally wonderful at getting the job done.

I have an MFJ-993B ATU with interfaces which will work perfectly with either radio, so even that won't have any effect on my decision.

The way I finally decided on a radio was to focus on the things which stood out as Likes and Dislikes...

• I hate the 101's chavvy 3D waterfall!
• I dislike the 101's 2D waterfall.
• I love the 101's overall appearance.
• I love the 7610's progressive tuning.
• I like the 7610's meter options.
• I like the 7610's screen layout options.
• I like the 101's 3 antenna ports.
• I love the 7610's built-in network server.
• I love the 7610's  4 USB ports.
• I love the 7610's Remote Control capability.
• I love the 7610's QSO recorder.
• I like the 7610's compact dimensions.
   

After evaluating it all, I knew I'd find it much easier to live with the Icom. When it came to buying, I chose ML&S where they were selling the radio for £3,000. I also wanted the £200 SM-50 base mic - apparently it gets fantastic audio reports with this radio. 

 

Look how the 7610 deals with adjacent signals. This video shows a CW signal, which is then overlaid with a stronger signal which is then moved to the side to see how far away it has to be from the original signal in order for the CW to be heard again. The comparison is between the 7600 and the 7610...

Wow!

This radio is a stunning piece of technology which is incredibly intuitive and easy to get great results. The CW operator will adore the 7610 and so too will competition operators. Unless you want to fork out £5k or more, this is quite simply one of the best out there!

UPDATE : I did end up buying a Yaesu FT-DX101D but quickly sold it. I remain in love with the 7610 :-)

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Thanks for visiting - please take a minute to leave a comment below 

73, Tom, M7MCQ.

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LEARNING TO PAINT

I DO OTHER STUFF AS WELL AS RADIO

I have a few hobbies and one of them is learning to paint - traditionally and digitally. Here's my BLOG...

TWO BRILLIANT BLOGS!!

K5RV.com

Today I came across a really good BLOG. Unlike most blogs, this one has something for everyone - you just keep going from one subject to another - time flies by as you read and learn. Howard writes in a very relaxed, easy to read manner, but also with technical authority and a great depth of knowledge.

His blog is probably of particular interest to those who don't like to squander money on over-priced 'off-the-shelf' solutions when there's a cheaper solution out there from which you can also learn something new.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


PE4BAS

Another fabulous source of ham-related information can be found on Bas's BLOG and like the other one, there's a very wide range of subjects covered. Give it a visit and subscribe so that you don't miss anything.


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!