Specifications

June 2009 55
The NB will act on any strong signal and
will distort a loud, nearby station so it should
only be used when needed. The ’7200’s NB
has two adjustments, level and width. These
can be accessed directly from the
NB key.
NB level sets the level above which the DSP
blanks out the noise spike; NB width sets the
time the attenuation is applied.
Lab Testing
The bar for receiver performance in
transceivers at all price points has been
raised in the nine years since we reviewed
the IC-718. Although test procedures and
reporting have changed as well, checking
comparable numbers in Table 1 against
the IC-718 lab tests shows significant im-
provement in the IC-7200’s dynamic range
performance. The transmitter’s third-order
IMD is improved as well.
ARRL Test Engineer Bob Allison,
WB1GCM, took this opportunity to visit
Synergy Microwave and check the accuracy
of the Lab’s HP-3048 Phase Noise Test
System against newer instrumentation. Dr
Ulrich Rohde, N1UL (Synergy Microwave
founder and chairman), and Michael Tracy,
KC1SX (former ARRL test engineer and
now on the Synergy staff) found good cor-
relation between their equipment and the
ARRL Lab test results shown in Figure 3.
Regular readers of this column will
remember that Dr Rohde donated the HP-
3048 to ARRL to replace the Lab’s original
setup, which was nearly 20 years old. (See
May 2006 QST, page 70, for details.) ARRL
greatly appreciates the technical assistance,
consultation and equipment that Dr Rohde
has provided over many years.
Operating Experience
My HF station uses a wire antenna and
manual antenna tuner for multiband opera-
tion. I set the IC-7200 output to 20 W during
adjustment, and the radio didn’t seem to be
disturbed by the momentary high SWR my
antenna presents on some bands.
I began operating using the supplied hand
microphone. I set the internal meter to ALC
and found the audio was very low at the
default setting of 50%. Ultimately I found
that I needed to raise the microphone gain
to 100% in order to get reasonable audio
reports. At this point I decided to try using
the internal speech compressor. I adjusted
the compressor per the manual instructions
operating into a dummy load and found that
audio reports were much improved.
This issue also affects the voice operated
transmitting (VOX) feature. Even with the
VOX GAIN at 100% I still had to hold the
hand microphone within a few inches of
my mouth for reliable operation. I also
noted a tendency to hit the
UP/DN buttons
on the microphone accidentally changing
the frequency; this is further complicated
by the fact that the dial lock doesn’t lock
the
UP/DN buttons, although if set to act as
a keyer, they will not do anything except in
CW mode.
When trying CW I was flummoxed since
keying the transmitter produced a sidetone
but no output. I checked my cabling to be
sure no problem had developed and found
none. A few minutes digging in the manual
revealed the solution. The default mode for
CW is break-in
OFF. With break-in OFF,
an outboard TR switch (such as a foot
switch) is required. The switch connection
is prominently displayed in the manual’s
“Connections for CW” section. Having
used the rig on SSB, I just plugged in a key
expecting to configure the CW later. Lesson
learned — read your manual.
The ’7200 will accept straight key, bug or
paddles. It has an internal keyer adjustable
from 6 to 60 WPM, or you can use your fa-
vorite external keyer or computer software.
While operating in either break-in mode, the
clatter of the TR relay is quite noticeable.
If you enjoy operating CW at speeds over
20 WPM in full break-in (QSK), I would
suggest using headphones and closing the
shack door.
For DXing, split frequency operation is
accomplished using two buttons. Just tune
in the DX station on VFO A and hold the
SPLIT button to copy VFO A to VFO B.
Then press the
A/B button to display VFO B
and tune it to the transmit frequency. That’s
it — you’re split.
The 1 × 2.5 inch amber LCD is similar to
the IC-718’s display. It’s definitely not the
dazzling full color screen found on the IC-
7000, but it’s readable without difficulty and
contrast is very good using the
LO backlight
setting. I found the
HI setting too bright for
indoor use, but for outdoor, bright sun venues
it would probably be fine. The front-firing
speaker produces unusually clear sound for
a small, internal speaker. As an added aid,
pressing the
SPCH button generates a female
voice that recites the radio’s frequency, re-
ceived signal strength and mode.
The IC-7200’s utility as a portable rig will
make it a good fit for emergency operations.
I found its controls easy to understand and
had the rig operating fairly quickly. A “cheat
sheet” of basic procedures in the hands of an
operator experienced with modern transceiv-
ers should allow them to get to their mission
quickly. I must stress, however, that the
’7200 should have its settings configured be-
fore the emergency as these settings greatly
impact the rig’s operation.
Thermal issues need to be kept in mind
when operating the ’7200. When operating
high duty cycle modes, the heat sink on the
rear panel will get quite hot. The fan is audi-
ble but quiet and produces a brisk air flow.
ICOM says it is normal for the radio to get hot
during high duty cycle modes and the radio
does not require a reduction in power output.
The transceiver includes thermal protection
so that if the radio senses it is getting too hot,
the drive is reduced automatically.
The Hard Stuff
The IC-7200 includes a hardcopy manu-
al, which gives you a firm grounding in the
transceiver’s operation. The manual is of the
cookbook variety that explains how to wire
up the ’7200 for various types of operation
and options, basic operating procedures for
getting on the air, advanced procedures to
guide you with its finer points and general
information about programmable features
and troubleshooting. The manual includes
little snippets of theory but primarily con-
sists of the step-by-step operating proce-
dures. The procedures are straightforward
and include illustrations of the controls used,
the displays that should appear and, in some
cases, additional diagrams to help explain a
particular function.
It does lack directions for the initial setup.
I would suggest that once wired up, you start
by reviewing the “Basic Operations” chapter
to get a quick feel for the rig. When you are
comfortable, hook up a dummy load and go
to the “Receive and Transmit” chapter, then
follow the referenced procedures to set up
such basics as microphone gain, compressor
level, CW pitch and other necessary adjust-
ments for the modes you operate. This will
make your initial excursions onto the bands
much more enjoyable.
Last Thoughts
The IC-7200 is a rugged, compact rig that
is packed with more digital flexibility than
can be discussed here. It is well suited for
portable operations and will make a good HF
solution for your EmComm group. It should
also be considered for recreational vehicle or
apartment locations where its solid perfor-
mance and small footprint will be an asset.
Manufacturer: ICOM America, 2380
116th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004;
tel [phone], fax [phone],
www.icomamerica.com.
Figure 5 — The IC-7200’s amber display is
small but very readable. It includes indi-
cators for often-used features and settings.