Yeah, what Peter said. Modern electronics is made with robots. It probably cost
Icom $5 in parts and assembly to add 1296 to the 9700 so why not? FYI, I own a
9700 and have used it for several contests now. I am pleased with it. Easy to
interface to your PC for logging, WSJT, etc. One USB cable to your PC. Easy to
setup for remote operation with the software already in the radio. Ethernet
cable to your internet router. You just need to purchase the Icom remote
software for your PC. I haven’t tried it on satellites but I know people who
have and they have positive things to say about it. It does DSTAR to but I have
no interest in that so have no comment. The only negatives for the radio are
the frequency stability issue, which is overblown IMHO, and the single
amplifier keying connection. As others have pointed out there are workarounds
available for both of those. If you want to get on 144, 432 and 1296 without
messing around with transverters and a mile of cabling (been there and done
that) it is the way to go.
73
Jim, W4KXY
Sent from my iPad
> On Dec 5, 2021, at 12:24 PM, Peter Laws <plaws0@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Lol. DXEngineering has the 9700 on sale for US$1500. Run that
> through an inflation calculator to 1990 (and I think the FT-736 is
> even older) and back then that would have been less than 800 bucks.
>
> Almost all cars come with AC now because it's cheaper to make them all
> one way than to build some one way, and some another. Complexity
> costs money (DeLorean does the insane math on c.1970 GM car options in
> On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors). Radios are no different.
> Icom ... well, and Yaesu in the 736 ... had to spend engineer-hours
> figuring out how to make the slot for band options (only one in the
> 870/910/911/9100, multiple in the FT-736) then engineer packaging for
> the modules including all the connections. Oh, and those connections
> need to be good for at least 10-20 cycles. Instead, finally, for the
> 9700, Icom said "nah, just have the robots solder the components in
> like everything else" which is why it's only $800 in 1990 money.
>
>
>> On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 11:02 AM <mikflathead@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> So, what cost does the 9700 add to the radio? How many that don't want 1296
>> will not purchase it because of the cost? The 736 was in the age like cars
>> where AC and power equipment was an option plus the 736 is a radio you can
>> actually work on.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Peter Laws <plaws0@gmail.com>
>> To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
>> Sent: Sun, Dec 5, 2021 10:15 am
>> Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] Icom IC-9700 for Contesting
>>
>>> On Sun, Dec 5, 2021 at 8:17 AM Howard Reynolds <wa3eoq@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I held
>>> out hoping that Yaesu would bring out an updated version of the 736. That
>>> radio was much more user friendly (no menu upon menu) and had the PTT
>>> breakout built in. It also had 222MHz capability. I guess that's progress.
>>
>>
>> Sure, if you bought the 220-MHz module.
>>
>> Icom has finally realized that making everything an option just
>> complicates their physical design, increases their costs, all while
>> while annoying customer, so no UX-9700 (or UX of much anything else.
>>
>> The 8-pin ACC1 on the IC-9700 appears to be plug compatible with the
>> IC-910 (which likely means the IC-9100 as well) with the addition of
>> RTTY keying and the radio's ability to send IF out pin 5 in place of
>> AF. Looks like it will send power down the coax for rx pre-amps, too,
>> like its predecessors. Of course, those are on a menu, and we
>> certainly can't have that - guess it's not as good as 1980s
>> technology. :eyeroll:
>>
>> --
>> Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
>
>
> --
> Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!
> _______________________________________________
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> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
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