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#1
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DAMMIT ICOM WHY SO CHEAP?!!
See the picture on alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean I took with a
tiny little Logitech camera today while installing a whole suite of Icom radios into my buddy Geoffrey's Amel Sharpi ketch we brought to Charleston from Satellite Beach, FL a few weeks back. Gotta have all the toys....(c; The Icom M802 HF SSB/GMDSS/DSC radio sells, without the antenna tuner from Ham Radio Outlet in Atlanta for $2,399 + tax and recappable tires. The AT-140 antenna tuner adds another $480 and tax to that total, almost THREE GRAND in HF radio...... Then WHY SO CHEAP, ICOM?....DAMMIT!! 1) The tiny little Japanese 6-pin plug that's the control output for the tuner is a little fragile plastic plug that's NOT sealed in any way. It plugs into a tiny, little Japanese male outlet on the main SSB radio. This plug, if you are to install the proper cable (not included), instead of an overpriced Icom cable with the plugs already on them, making them impossible to thread through cable runs inside the boat loaded up with other wires, MUST BE ASSEMBLED! Notice how the plug is a SIX PIN PLUG.... Icom only uses FOUR of the 6 pins in this tiny little cheap connector AND ONLY PROVIDES FOUR TEE-TINY LITTLE PINS LEAVING ZERO ROOM FOR ASSEMBLY ERROR ABOARD A ROCKING BOAT! You don't even get the OTHER TWO PINS it doesn't use as goof-up spares! These loose female contact are VERY fragile, very small and easy to bend or break. The contacts probably cost $1/thousand at the OEM order level.....SO WHY DID ICOM ONLY PUT FOUR OF THEM IN THE PLUG KIT?!!.....&#)(*&@_#)(#@)$(*&#@%$ (EXPLETIVES DELETED) I got them installed without incident but what if someone makes a tiny mistake and breaks one? Why, oh why, oh why should he have to WAIT WEEKS FOR REPLACEMENTS OF SUCH CHEAP PARTS??!!! 2)....This same cheap, unsealed plastic inline connector is hanging out of the AT-140 antenna tuner on a little piece of cable, OUT IN THE WEATHER or on some boats IN THE HUMID, DAMP, CORRODING BILGE under some settee someplace. WHY CAN'T A $500 ANTENNA TUNER HAVE SEALING, WATERPROOF CABLE CONNECTORS MOUNTED RIGHT INTO THE ANTENNA TUNER'S WATERPROOF HOUSING??!! Hello? Icom? Does anyone at Icom own a boat? Ever worked on a boat? Ever seen an unprotected connector eaten by electrolysis because it was exposed to SEAWATER with 13.8VDC on it?!! Arrgh!.....(puke). Ok, so we'll get rid of this cheap little connector, right? The ANTENNA TUNER INSTRUCTION MANUAL shows that inside the tuner this useless pigtail wire is screwed into a TERMINAL BLOCK on the main PC board, on a European-style terminal block made for bare wires....right? WRONG AGAIN, FISH BREATH!! The damned pigtail is SOLDERED to fine little wires that are soldered to the PC board WHERE THE TERMINAL BLOCK IS SUPPOSED TO GO!! DAMMIT ICOM, WHY IS THIS $500 TUNER MISSING THE LITTLE TERMINAL BLOCK THAT COSTS AN OEM $1.39?!!! DAMNED CHEAPSKATES!! My plan was to open the tuner, unscrew the wires from the terminal block on the PC board and install the custom cable I pulled into the wireways in the boat, through the waterproof cable squeezer straight into the MISSING TERMINAL BLOCK!!!!!! IDIOTS!!!!! I cannot pull the main PC board out of the tuner because of all the HOT GLUED PARTS making disassembly impossible. I'm afraid if I unsolder the pigtail cable from the little wires soldered to the board, I may also unsolder the little wires from the unremovable bottom of the main PC board. I feel just like the Aflac Duck walking out of the barber shop with Yogi Berra in the commercial.......AHHHHHHH!!!!GGGGhhh!!!! Stupid Icom for a unit that retails for $3000 to be constructed so cheaply!! This ISN'T a consumer ham radio for someone's hamshack...THIS IS A BOAT RADIO!!! ALL connectors should be WATERPROOF, EVEN ON THE MAIN CHASSIS!! It's HUMID in a boat!!! 3) The remote unit, that may be mounted outside on some boats, IS waterproof. it has rubber keys, nice sealed box.....But, ARRGH!....THE CABLE CONNECTOR ON THE BACK OF IT IS A LITTLE MINIATURE DIN CONNECTOR OFF SOME HAM RADIO MADE FOR SOMEONE'S CAR!! Water is gonna get into that tiny connector with DC power on it and just EAT THE PINS RIGHT OFF IT!! Well, Duhhhh!!!....... Well, I'm gonna have another Newcastle English Ale and stop trying to figure out how I'm going to put the control cable to the tuner, tonight. I'll think more about it in the morning..... I just wanted every one of you to know how this nice radio (otherwise) is made. Its technology is certainly a wonder....but its construction is NOT A MARINE RADIO!!! PS - the matching M602 IS sealed like a marine radio should be. It has an EXTERNAL heat sink outside the sealed case. THE M802 HAS A FAN THAT DRAWS SALT AIR INTO THE CABINET TO COOL IT! Think about how wonderful that's gonna be in 3 years.....(c; Arrgh.......Any Icom reps or dealers wanna explain this to me?.....Planned Obsolescense? Payback for losing WW2? Why....WHY?!! Larry W4CSC 3rd Mate Engineering S/V "Claire's Navie" CAREFULLY soldering the FOUR LITTLE PINS you provided........ Larry Extremely intelligent life must exist in the universe. You can tell because they never tried to contact us. |
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#2
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DAMMIT ICOM WHY SO CHEAP?!!
I couldn't even SEE those pins to solder them... I had to hire somebody with
better eyesight to do it! -- Keith __ Dogs have owners; Cats have staff. "Larry" wrote in message ... See the picture on alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean I took with a tiny little Logitech camera today while installing a whole suite of Icom radios into my buddy Geoffrey's Amel Sharpi ketch we brought to Charleston from Satellite Beach, FL a few weeks back. Gotta have all the toys....(c; The Icom M802 HF SSB/GMDSS/DSC radio sells, without the antenna tuner from Ham Radio Outlet in Atlanta for $2,399 + tax and recappable tires. The AT-140 antenna tuner adds another $480 and tax to that total, almost THREE GRAND in HF radio...... Then WHY SO CHEAP, ICOM?....DAMMIT!! 1) The tiny little Japanese 6-pin plug that's the control output for the tuner is a little fragile plastic plug that's NOT sealed in any way. It plugs into a tiny, little Japanese male outlet on the main SSB radio. This plug, if you are to install the proper cable (not included), instead of an overpriced Icom cable with the plugs already on them, making them impossible to thread through cable runs inside the boat loaded up with other wires, MUST BE ASSEMBLED! Notice how the plug is a SIX PIN PLUG.... Icom only uses FOUR of the 6 pins in this tiny little cheap connector AND ONLY PROVIDES FOUR TEE-TINY LITTLE PINS LEAVING ZERO ROOM FOR ASSEMBLY ERROR ABOARD A ROCKING BOAT! You don't even get the OTHER TWO PINS it doesn't use as goof-up spares! These loose female contact are VERY fragile, very small and easy to bend or break. The contacts probably cost $1/thousand at the OEM order level.....SO WHY DID ICOM ONLY PUT FOUR OF THEM IN THE PLUG KIT?!!.....&#)(*&@_#)(#@)$(*&#@%$ (EXPLETIVES DELETED) I got them installed without incident but what if someone makes a tiny mistake and breaks one? Why, oh why, oh why should he have to WAIT WEEKS FOR REPLACEMENTS OF SUCH CHEAP PARTS??!!! 2)....This same cheap, unsealed plastic inline connector is hanging out of the AT-140 antenna tuner on a little piece of cable, OUT IN THE WEATHER or on some boats IN THE HUMID, DAMP, CORRODING BILGE under some settee someplace. WHY CAN'T A $500 ANTENNA TUNER HAVE SEALING, WATERPROOF CABLE CONNECTORS MOUNTED RIGHT INTO THE ANTENNA TUNER'S WATERPROOF HOUSING??!! Hello? Icom? Does anyone at Icom own a boat? Ever worked on a boat? Ever seen an unprotected connector eaten by electrolysis because it was exposed to SEAWATER with 13.8VDC on it?!! Arrgh!.....(puke). Ok, so we'll get rid of this cheap little connector, right? The ANTENNA TUNER INSTRUCTION MANUAL shows that inside the tuner this useless pigtail wire is screwed into a TERMINAL BLOCK on the main PC board, on a European-style terminal block made for bare wires....right? WRONG AGAIN, FISH BREATH!! The damned pigtail is SOLDERED to fine little wires that are soldered to the PC board WHERE THE TERMINAL BLOCK IS SUPPOSED TO GO!! DAMMIT ICOM, WHY IS THIS $500 TUNER MISSING THE LITTLE TERMINAL BLOCK THAT COSTS AN OEM $1.39?!!! DAMNED CHEAPSKATES!! My plan was to open the tuner, unscrew the wires from the terminal block on the PC board and install the custom cable I pulled into the wireways in the boat, through the waterproof cable squeezer straight into the MISSING TERMINAL BLOCK!!!!!! IDIOTS!!!!! I cannot pull the main PC board out of the tuner because of all the HOT GLUED PARTS making disassembly impossible. I'm afraid if I unsolder the pigtail cable from the little wires soldered to the board, I may also unsolder the little wires from the unremovable bottom of the main PC board. I feel just like the Aflac Duck walking out of the barber shop with Yogi Berra in the commercial.......AHHHHHHH!!!!GGGGhhh!!!! Stupid Icom for a unit that retails for $3000 to be constructed so cheaply!! This ISN'T a consumer ham radio for someone's hamshack...THIS IS A BOAT RADIO!!! ALL connectors should be WATERPROOF, EVEN ON THE MAIN CHASSIS!! It's HUMID in a boat!!! 3) The remote unit, that may be mounted outside on some boats, IS waterproof. it has rubber keys, nice sealed box.....But, ARRGH!....THE CABLE CONNECTOR ON THE BACK OF IT IS A LITTLE MINIATURE DIN CONNECTOR OFF SOME HAM RADIO MADE FOR SOMEONE'S CAR!! Water is gonna get into that tiny connector with DC power on it and just EAT THE PINS RIGHT OFF IT!! Well, Duhhhh!!!....... Well, I'm gonna have another Newcastle English Ale and stop trying to figure out how I'm going to put the control cable to the tuner, tonight. I'll think more about it in the morning..... I just wanted every one of you to know how this nice radio (otherwise) is made. Its technology is certainly a wonder....but its construction is NOT A MARINE RADIO!!! PS - the matching M602 IS sealed like a marine radio should be. It has an EXTERNAL heat sink outside the sealed case. THE M802 HAS A FAN THAT DRAWS SALT AIR INTO THE CABINET TO COOL IT! Think about how wonderful that's gonna be in 3 years.....(c; Arrgh.......Any Icom reps or dealers wanna explain this to me?.....Planned Obsolescense? Payback for losing WW2? Why....WHY?!! Larry W4CSC 3rd Mate Engineering S/V "Claire's Navie" CAREFULLY soldering the FOUR LITTLE PINS you provided........ Larry Extremely intelligent life must exist in the universe. You can tell because they never tried to contact us. |
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#3
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DAMMIT ICOM WHY SO CHEAP?!!
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#4
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DAMMIT ICOM WHY SO CHEAP?!!
Larry,
I know that as a HAM, you want to enjoy the installation process yourself, but WHY spend so much money. I have no affiliations, but check out the following links: www.hfradio.com http://www.waypoints.com/PDF/03catalog18-25.pdf You can get the M802, the AT-140, 10 meters of coax/control cables to the AT-140, and a DSC watch antenna for $2,656. This is a complete system, bench tested before shipment. I don't disagree with your observations about the construction and/or quality issues. Pete Albright s/v Nancy Ross Tampa, FL "Larry" wrote in message ... See the picture on alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean I took with a tiny little Logitech camera today while installing a whole suite of Icom radios into my buddy Geoffrey's Amel Sharpi ketch we brought to Charleston from Satellite Beach, FL a few weeks back. Gotta have all the toys....(c; The Icom M802 HF SSB/GMDSS/DSC radio sells, without the antenna tuner from Ham Radio Outlet in Atlanta for $2,399 + tax and recappable tires. The AT-140 antenna tuner adds another $480 and tax to that total, almost THREE GRAND in HF radio...... Then WHY SO CHEAP, ICOM?....DAMMIT!! 1) The tiny little Japanese 6-pin plug that's the control output for the tuner is a little fragile plastic plug that's NOT sealed in any way. It plugs into a tiny, little Japanese male outlet on the main SSB radio. This plug, if you are to install the proper cable (not included), instead of an overpriced Icom cable with the plugs already on them, making them impossible to thread through cable runs inside the boat loaded up with other wires, MUST BE ASSEMBLED! Notice how the plug is a SIX PIN PLUG.... Icom only uses FOUR of the 6 pins in this tiny little cheap connector AND ONLY PROVIDES FOUR TEE-TINY LITTLE PINS LEAVING ZERO ROOM FOR ASSEMBLY ERROR ABOARD A ROCKING BOAT! You don't even get the OTHER TWO PINS it doesn't use as goof-up spares! These loose female contact are VERY fragile, very small and easy to bend or break. The contacts probably cost $1/thousand at the OEM order level.....SO WHY DID ICOM ONLY PUT FOUR OF THEM IN THE PLUG KIT?!!.....&#)(*&@_#)(#@)$(*&#@%$ (EXPLETIVES DELETED) I got them installed without incident but what if someone makes a tiny mistake and breaks one? Why, oh why, oh why should he have to WAIT WEEKS FOR REPLACEMENTS OF SUCH CHEAP PARTS??!!! 2)....This same cheap, unsealed plastic inline connector is hanging out of the AT-140 antenna tuner on a little piece of cable, OUT IN THE WEATHER or on some boats IN THE HUMID, DAMP, CORRODING BILGE under some settee someplace. WHY CAN'T A $500 ANTENNA TUNER HAVE SEALING, WATERPROOF CABLE CONNECTORS MOUNTED RIGHT INTO THE ANTENNA TUNER'S WATERPROOF HOUSING??!! Hello? Icom? Does anyone at Icom own a boat? Ever worked on a boat? Ever seen an unprotected connector eaten by electrolysis because it was exposed to SEAWATER with 13.8VDC on it?!! Arrgh!.....(puke). Ok, so we'll get rid of this cheap little connector, right? The ANTENNA TUNER INSTRUCTION MANUAL shows that inside the tuner this useless pigtail wire is screwed into a TERMINAL BLOCK on the main PC board, on a European-style terminal block made for bare wires....right? WRONG AGAIN, FISH BREATH!! The damned pigtail is SOLDERED to fine little wires that are soldered to the PC board WHERE THE TERMINAL BLOCK IS SUPPOSED TO GO!! DAMMIT ICOM, WHY IS THIS $500 TUNER MISSING THE LITTLE TERMINAL BLOCK THAT COSTS AN OEM $1.39?!!! DAMNED CHEAPSKATES!! My plan was to open the tuner, unscrew the wires from the terminal block on the PC board and install the custom cable I pulled into the wireways in the boat, through the waterproof cable squeezer straight into the MISSING TERMINAL BLOCK!!!!!! IDIOTS!!!!! I cannot pull the main PC board out of the tuner because of all the HOT GLUED PARTS making disassembly impossible. I'm afraid if I unsolder the pigtail cable from the little wires soldered to the board, I may also unsolder the little wires from the unremovable bottom of the main PC board. I feel just like the Aflac Duck walking out of the barber shop with Yogi Berra in the commercial.......AHHHHHHH!!!!GGGGhhh!!!! Stupid Icom for a unit that retails for $3000 to be constructed so cheaply!! This ISN'T a consumer ham radio for someone's hamshack...THIS IS A BOAT RADIO!!! ALL connectors should be WATERPROOF, EVEN ON THE MAIN CHASSIS!! It's HUMID in a boat!!! 3) The remote unit, that may be mounted outside on some boats, IS waterproof. it has rubber keys, nice sealed box.....But, ARRGH!....THE CABLE CONNECTOR ON THE BACK OF IT IS A LITTLE MINIATURE DIN CONNECTOR OFF SOME HAM RADIO MADE FOR SOMEONE'S CAR!! Water is gonna get into that tiny connector with DC power on it and just EAT THE PINS RIGHT OFF IT!! Well, Duhhhh!!!....... Well, I'm gonna have another Newcastle English Ale and stop trying to figure out how I'm going to put the control cable to the tuner, tonight. I'll think more about it in the morning..... I just wanted every one of you to know how this nice radio (otherwise) is made. Its technology is certainly a wonder....but its construction is NOT A MARINE RADIO!!! PS - the matching M602 IS sealed like a marine radio should be. It has an EXTERNAL heat sink outside the sealed case. THE M802 HAS A FAN THAT DRAWS SALT AIR INTO THE CABINET TO COOL IT! Think about how wonderful that's gonna be in 3 years.....(c; Arrgh.......Any Icom reps or dealers wanna explain this to me?.....Planned Obsolescense? Payback for losing WW2? Why....WHY?!! Larry W4CSC 3rd Mate Engineering S/V "Claire's Navie" CAREFULLY soldering the FOUR LITTLE PINS you provided........ Larry Extremely intelligent life must exist in the universe. You can tell because they never tried to contact us. |
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#5
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DAMMIT ICOM WHY SO CHEAP?!!
I know about all the discounts. Check Sailnet's prices.....
Even if the damned radio/tuner were $995, they could STILL afford to do better on CONNECTORS. On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 23:11:40 GMT, "PeteAlbright" wrote: Larry, I know that as a HAM, you want to enjoy the installation process yourself, but WHY spend so much money. I have no affiliations, but check out the following links: www.hfradio.com http://www.waypoints.com/PDF/03catalog18-25.pdf You can get the M802, the AT-140, 10 meters of coax/control cables to the AT-140, and a DSC watch antenna for $2,656. This is a complete system, bench tested before shipment. I don't disagree with your observations about the construction and/or quality issues. Pete Albright s/v Nancy Ross Tampa, FL "Larry" wrote in message ... See the picture on alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean I took with a tiny little Logitech camera today while installing a whole suite of Icom radios into my buddy Geoffrey's Amel Sharpi ketch we brought to Charleston from Satellite Beach, FL a few weeks back. Gotta have all the toys....(c; The Icom M802 HF SSB/GMDSS/DSC radio sells, without the antenna tuner from Ham Radio Outlet in Atlanta for $2,399 + tax and recappable tires. The AT-140 antenna tuner adds another $480 and tax to that total, almost THREE GRAND in HF radio...... Then WHY SO CHEAP, ICOM?....DAMMIT!! 1) The tiny little Japanese 6-pin plug that's the control output for the tuner is a little fragile plastic plug that's NOT sealed in any way. It plugs into a tiny, little Japanese male outlet on the main SSB radio. This plug, if you are to install the proper cable (not included), instead of an overpriced Icom cable with the plugs already on them, making them impossible to thread through cable runs inside the boat loaded up with other wires, MUST BE ASSEMBLED! Notice how the plug is a SIX PIN PLUG.... Icom only uses FOUR of the 6 pins in this tiny little cheap connector AND ONLY PROVIDES FOUR TEE-TINY LITTLE PINS LEAVING ZERO ROOM FOR ASSEMBLY ERROR ABOARD A ROCKING BOAT! You don't even get the OTHER TWO PINS it doesn't use as goof-up spares! These loose female contact are VERY fragile, very small and easy to bend or break. The contacts probably cost $1/thousand at the OEM order level.....SO WHY DID ICOM ONLY PUT FOUR OF THEM IN THE PLUG KIT?!!.....&#)(*&@_#)(#@)$(*&#@%$ (EXPLETIVES DELETED) I got them installed without incident but what if someone makes a tiny mistake and breaks one? Why, oh why, oh why should he have to WAIT WEEKS FOR REPLACEMENTS OF SUCH CHEAP PARTS??!!! 2)....This same cheap, unsealed plastic inline connector is hanging out of the AT-140 antenna tuner on a little piece of cable, OUT IN THE WEATHER or on some boats IN THE HUMID, DAMP, CORRODING BILGE under some settee someplace. WHY CAN'T A $500 ANTENNA TUNER HAVE SEALING, WATERPROOF CABLE CONNECTORS MOUNTED RIGHT INTO THE ANTENNA TUNER'S WATERPROOF HOUSING??!! Hello? Icom? Does anyone at Icom own a boat? Ever worked on a boat? Ever seen an unprotected connector eaten by electrolysis because it was exposed to SEAWATER with 13.8VDC on it?!! Arrgh!.....(puke). Ok, so we'll get rid of this cheap little connector, right? The ANTENNA TUNER INSTRUCTION MANUAL shows that inside the tuner this useless pigtail wire is screwed into a TERMINAL BLOCK on the main PC board, on a European-style terminal block made for bare wires....right? WRONG AGAIN, FISH BREATH!! The damned pigtail is SOLDERED to fine little wires that are soldered to the PC board WHERE THE TERMINAL BLOCK IS SUPPOSED TO GO!! DAMMIT ICOM, WHY IS THIS $500 TUNER MISSING THE LITTLE TERMINAL BLOCK THAT COSTS AN OEM $1.39?!!! DAMNED CHEAPSKATES!! My plan was to open the tuner, unscrew the wires from the terminal block on the PC board and install the custom cable I pulled into the wireways in the boat, through the waterproof cable squeezer straight into the MISSING TERMINAL BLOCK!!!!!! IDIOTS!!!!! I cannot pull the main PC board out of the tuner because of all the HOT GLUED PARTS making disassembly impossible. I'm afraid if I unsolder the pigtail cable from the little wires soldered to the board, I may also unsolder the little wires from the unremovable bottom of the main PC board. I feel just like the Aflac Duck walking out of the barber shop with Yogi Berra in the commercial.......AHHHHHHH!!!!GGGGhhh!!!! Stupid Icom for a unit that retails for $3000 to be constructed so cheaply!! This ISN'T a consumer ham radio for someone's hamshack...THIS IS A BOAT RADIO!!! ALL connectors should be WATERPROOF, EVEN ON THE MAIN CHASSIS!! It's HUMID in a boat!!! 3) The remote unit, that may be mounted outside on some boats, IS waterproof. it has rubber keys, nice sealed box.....But, ARRGH!....THE CABLE CONNECTOR ON THE BACK OF IT IS A LITTLE MINIATURE DIN CONNECTOR OFF SOME HAM RADIO MADE FOR SOMEONE'S CAR!! Water is gonna get into that tiny connector with DC power on it and just EAT THE PINS RIGHT OFF IT!! Well, Duhhhh!!!....... Well, I'm gonna have another Newcastle English Ale and stop trying to figure out how I'm going to put the control cable to the tuner, tonight. I'll think more about it in the morning..... I just wanted every one of you to know how this nice radio (otherwise) is made. Its technology is certainly a wonder....but its construction is NOT A MARINE RADIO!!! PS - the matching M602 IS sealed like a marine radio should be. It has an EXTERNAL heat sink outside the sealed case. THE M802 HAS A FAN THAT DRAWS SALT AIR INTO THE CABINET TO COOL IT! Think about how wonderful that's gonna be in 3 years.....(c; Arrgh.......Any Icom reps or dealers wanna explain this to me?.....Planned Obsolescense? Payback for losing WW2? Why....WHY?!! Larry W4CSC 3rd Mate Engineering S/V "Claire's Navie" CAREFULLY soldering the FOUR LITTLE PINS you provided........ Larry Extremely intelligent life must exist in the universe. You can tell because they never tried to contact us. Larry W4CSC Maybe we could get the power grid fixed if every politician regulating the power companies wasn't on their payrolls. |
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#6
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Nice navstation install, Larry
I like the flush install....looks like everything will remain easily
accessable from the top, too. How do you like the new Icom 802 from an operation standpoint? The VFOs gotta be the biggest improvement (I have a 702.) How about rapid channel access, the usability of the "pre-programmed" ITU channel banks and their content????? I set up another 702 on my friend's ketch in New Zealand that came with the Icom dealers standard "South Pacific" programming....and it was nearly useless as it came. What a PIA trying to squeeze all of "the good stuff" into the user channels from the panel..... How is the SOUND QUALITY from the 802 speaker? (The 702s is phenominal compared to most internal speakers in amateur gear!) I REALLY hope you sent your rant on those connectors to ICOM....they need some feedback on this. Marine electronics guys and RADIO MEN are very often different animals.........they should have gotten this right in the first place. Joe |
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#7
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Nice navstation install, Larry
On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:16:06 -0400, "JAD"
wrote: I like the flush install....looks like everything will remain easily accessable from the top, too. Yes, I agree. How do you like the new Icom 802 from an operation standpoint? The VFOs gotta be the biggest improvement (I have a 702.) How about rapid channel access, the usability of the "pre-programmed" ITU channel banks and their content????? The VFO function is part of the channelized section, which actually works great. You need to "open up" the VFO function by pressing MODE + 2 + TX buttons simultaneously, holding them down, while turning the unit on. Once this is toggled on, you can press Rx button after selecting a channel and the VFO function will start tuning from the channel setting. Of course, this requires the operator to KNOW that his marine ship license must NOT be used on any other frequency except the channelized ITU channels.....unless he's a South American drug kingpin, it seems. They operate all over the bands. The left knob in VFO mode switches the digit you will be "tuning" while the right knob in VFO mode switches the number. It's nearly like having a commercial HF transceiver. Works very nice on all the bands. It's unfortunate the programming wasn't included for the ham band segments to automatically go to the proper sideband or mode as you tune into them....USB on 20, 15, 10 and LSB on 160, 75, 40M, for instance. AS the radio is only an SSB rig, that I can find, it's just a receiver for FSK, CW, AM, etc... I set up another 702 on my friend's ketch in New Zealand that came with the Icom dealers standard "South Pacific" programming....and it was nearly useless as it came. What a PIA trying to squeeze all of "the good stuff" into the user channels from the panel..... How is the SOUND QUALITY from the 802 speaker? (The 702s is phenominal compared to most internal speakers in amateur gear!) The 802 audio is "communications friendly". It's not Hi-Fi, and shouldn't be. I'd say audio bandwidth is from 800 Hz to 3 Khz in SSB positions, maybe 4Khz on AM with more bass for listening to "shortwave" broadcasting. Internal speakers in ham gear is made to sell EXTERNAL speakers that match at Lexus prices.... I REALLY hope you sent your rant on those connectors to ICOM....they need some feedback on this. Marine electronics guys and RADIO MEN are very often different animals.........they should have gotten this right in the first place. Joe Icom suffers from bean counteritis. Squeeze every dime out of every radio, same as in ham rigs. The boater-buyers won't know any better, unless their techs point these things out to them. The techs, however, valuing their jobs, will keep quiet as their BOSS probably sold 'em the radio in the first place. We got ours with the M602 VHF from Sailnet. $1649 on sale, now. At that price, it's a helluva deal. I hope new HF-equipped boaters aren't too discouraged by current band conditions. The HF bands are in TERRIBLE condition due to high K indexes from lack of sunspots to charge up our ionosphere. 20 meters (14.000-14.350) ham band was nearly dead by dark. 75 meters was trashed early by static from huge thunderstorms across the SE USA. It's a nice automated radio in the tradition of commercial FM or CB. Channelization in its native channel-only mode will make it useful for non-radio savvy users, once they know the rules and which channels are guarded by which agency, ships, etc. The 702 wasn't an option without the ham bands and VFO.....(c; Larry W4CSC HM S/V "Lionheart" Charleston SC USA Larry W4CSC Isn't it becoming more practical by the day to make Iraq's desert the new World Nuclear Waste Disposal Site? |
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#8
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Nice navstation install, Larry
Larry.....I meant IC-M710......not "702" ...but...you probably realized
that. Mine is the "open" version. Despite it's faults (below) ..is one of the finest out-of the-box HF rigs I've played with. I should add one of the commercial computer controls to it.....navigating the bands without this is a real pain....but can be done. NO CW TX on that 802!??? Rubbish, Icom! Yes, the HF spectrum has been in poor shape.....this too, will pass. The digital stuff remains reliable, as do the various e-mail services, from reports I've heard. Take it easy! Joe "Larry W4CSC" wrote in message ... On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:16:06 -0400, "JAD" wrote: I like the flush install....looks like everything will remain easily accessable from the top, too. Yes, I agree. How do you like the new Icom 802 from an operation standpoint? The VFOs gotta be the biggest improvement (I have a 702.) How about rapid channel access, the usability of the "pre-programmed" ITU channel banks and their content????? The VFO function is part of the channelized section, which actually works great. You need to "open up" the VFO function by pressing MODE + 2 + TX buttons simultaneously, holding them down, while turning the unit on. Once this is toggled on, you can press Rx button after selecting a channel and the VFO function will start tuning from the channel setting. Of course, this requires the operator to KNOW that his marine ship license must NOT be used on any other frequency except the channelized ITU channels.....unless he's a South American drug kingpin, it seems. They operate all over the bands. The left knob in VFO mode switches the digit you will be "tuning" while the right knob in VFO mode switches the number. It's nearly like having a commercial HF transceiver. Works very nice on all the bands. It's unfortunate the programming wasn't included for the ham band segments to automatically go to the proper sideband or mode as you tune into them....USB on 20, 15, 10 and LSB on 160, 75, 40M, for instance. AS the radio is only an SSB rig, that I can find, it's just a receiver for FSK, CW, AM, etc... I set up another 702 on my friend's ketch in New Zealand that came with the Icom dealers standard "South Pacific" programming....and it was nearly useless as it came. What a PIA trying to squeeze all of "the good stuff" into the user channels from the panel..... How is the SOUND QUALITY from the 802 speaker? (The 702s is phenominal compared to most internal speakers in amateur gear!) The 802 audio is "communications friendly". It's not Hi-Fi, and shouldn't be. I'd say audio bandwidth is from 800 Hz to 3 Khz in SSB positions, maybe 4Khz on AM with more bass for listening to "shortwave" broadcasting. Internal speakers in ham gear is made to sell EXTERNAL speakers that match at Lexus prices.... I REALLY hope you sent your rant on those connectors to ICOM....they need some feedback on this. Marine electronics guys and RADIO MEN are very often different animals.........they should have gotten this right in the first place. Joe Icom suffers from bean counteritis. Squeeze every dime out of every radio, same as in ham rigs. The boater-buyers won't know any better, unless their techs point these things out to them. The techs, however, valuing their jobs, will keep quiet as their BOSS probably sold 'em the radio in the first place. We got ours with the M602 VHF from Sailnet. $1649 on sale, now. At that price, it's a helluva deal. I hope new HF-equipped boaters aren't too discouraged by current band conditions. The HF bands are in TERRIBLE condition due to high K indexes from lack of sunspots to charge up our ionosphere. 20 meters (14.000-14.350) ham band was nearly dead by dark. 75 meters was trashed early by static from huge thunderstorms across the SE USA. It's a nice automated radio in the tradition of commercial FM or CB. Channelization in its native channel-only mode will make it useful for non-radio savvy users, once they know the rules and which channels are guarded by which agency, ships, etc. The 702 wasn't an option without the ham bands and VFO.....(c; Larry W4CSC HM S/V "Lionheart" Charleston SC USA Larry W4CSC Isn't it becoming more practical by the day to make Iraq's desert the new World Nuclear Waste Disposal Site? |
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DAMMIT ICOM WHY SO CHEAP?!!
Sailor is a REALLY nice marine SSB but the ones I have seen are almost
impossible to tune on Ham bands. THe Icom 802 is a lot more flexable if not quite as high quality. As Larry's sig almost always has his W4 (indicating his age :-)) call sign on it I suspect that Ham bands are important to him. :-) Marcus AAkesson wrote: Buy some real high-quality radios from Sailor instead. Their SSB is fantastic. www.sailor.dk /Marcus On Sat, 16 Aug 2003 22:58:31 GMT, (Larry) wrote: See the picture on alt.binaries.pictures.sports.ocean I took with a tiny little Logitech camera today while installing a whole suite of Icom radios into my buddy Geoffrey's Amel Sharpi ketch we brought to Charleston from Satellite Beach, FL a few weeks back. Gotta have all the toys....(c; The Icom M802 HF SSB/GMDSS/DSC radio sells, without the antenna tuner from Ham Radio Outlet in Atlanta for $2,399 + tax and recappable tires. The AT-140 antenna tuner adds another $480 and tax to that total, almost THREE GRAND in HF radio...... Then WHY SO CHEAP, ICOM?....DAMMIT!! 1) The tiny little Japanese 6-pin plug that's the control output for the tuner is a little fragile plastic plug that's NOT sealed in any way. It plugs into a tiny, little Japanese male outlet on the main SSB radio. This plug, if you are to install the proper cable (not included), instead of an overpriced Icom cable with the plugs already on them, making them impossible to thread through cable runs inside the boat loaded up with other wires, MUST BE ASSEMBLED! Notice how the plug is a SIX PIN PLUG.... Icom only uses FOUR of the 6 pins in this tiny little cheap connector AND ONLY PROVIDES FOUR TEE-TINY LITTLE PINS LEAVING ZERO ROOM FOR ASSEMBLY ERROR ABOARD A ROCKING BOAT! You don't even get the OTHER TWO PINS it doesn't use as goof-up spares! These loose female contact are VERY fragile, very small and easy to bend or break. The contacts probably cost $1/thousand at the OEM order level.....SO WHY DID ICOM ONLY PUT FOUR OF THEM IN THE PLUG KIT?!!.....&#)(*&@_#)(#@)$(*&#@%$ (EXPLETIVES DELETED) I got them installed without incident but what if someone makes a tiny mistake and breaks one? Why, oh why, oh why should he have to WAIT WEEKS FOR REPLACEMENTS OF SUCH CHEAP PARTS??!!! 2)....This same cheap, unsealed plastic inline connector is hanging out of the AT-140 antenna tuner on a little piece of cable, OUT IN THE WEATHER or on some boats IN THE HUMID, DAMP, CORRODING BILGE under some settee someplace. WHY CAN'T A $500 ANTENNA TUNER HAVE SEALING, WATERPROOF CABLE CONNECTORS MOUNTED RIGHT INTO THE ANTENNA TUNER'S WATERPROOF HOUSING??!! Hello? Icom? Does anyone at Icom own a boat? Ever worked on a boat? Ever seen an unprotected connector eaten by electrolysis because it was exposed to SEAWATER with 13.8VDC on it?!! Arrgh!.....(puke). Ok, so we'll get rid of this cheap little connector, right? The ANTENNA TUNER INSTRUCTION MANUAL shows that inside the tuner this useless pigtail wire is screwed into a TERMINAL BLOCK on the main PC board, on a European-style terminal block made for bare wires....right? WRONG AGAIN, FISH BREATH!! The damned pigtail is SOLDERED to fine little wires that are soldered to the PC board WHERE THE TERMINAL BLOCK IS SUPPOSED TO GO!! DAMMIT ICOM, WHY IS THIS $500 TUNER MISSING THE LITTLE TERMINAL BLOCK THAT COSTS AN OEM $1.39?!!! DAMNED CHEAPSKATES!! My plan was to open the tuner, unscrew the wires from the terminal block on the PC board and install the custom cable I pulled into the wireways in the boat, through the waterproof cable squeezer straight into the MISSING TERMINAL BLOCK!!!!!! IDIOTS!!!!! I cannot pull the main PC board out of the tuner because of all the HOT GLUED PARTS making disassembly impossible. I'm afraid if I unsolder the pigtail cable from the little wires soldered to the board, I may also unsolder the little wires from the unremovable bottom of the main PC board. I feel just like the Aflac Duck walking out of the barber shop with Yogi Berra in the commercial.......AHHHHHHH!!!!GGGGhhh!!!! Stupid Icom for a unit that retails for $3000 to be constructed so cheaply!! This ISN'T a consumer ham radio for someone's hamshack...THIS IS A BOAT RADIO!!! ALL connectors should be WATERPROOF, EVEN ON THE MAIN CHASSIS!! It's HUMID in a boat!!! 3) The remote unit, that may be mounted outside on some boats, IS waterproof. it has rubber keys, nice sealed box.....But, ARRGH!....THE CABLE CONNECTOR ON THE BACK OF IT IS A LITTLE MINIATURE DIN CONNECTOR OFF SOME HAM RADIO MADE FOR SOMEONE'S CAR!! Water is gonna get into that tiny connector with DC power on it and just EAT THE PINS RIGHT OFF IT!! Well, Duhhhh!!!....... Well, I'm gonna have another Newcastle English Ale and stop trying to figure out how I'm going to put the control cable to the tuner, tonight. I'll think more about it in the morning..... I just wanted every one of you to know how this nice radio (otherwise) is made. Its technology is certainly a wonder....but its construction is NOT A MARINE RADIO!!! PS - the matching M602 IS sealed like a marine radio should be. It has an EXTERNAL heat sink outside the sealed case. THE M802 HAS A FAN THAT DRAWS SALT AIR INTO THE CABINET TO COOL IT! Think about how wonderful that's gonna be in 3 years.....(c; Arrgh.......Any Icom reps or dealers wanna explain this to me?.....Planned Obsolescense? Payback for losing WW2? Why....WHY?!! Larry W4CSC 3rd Mate Engineering S/V "Claire's Navie" CAREFULLY soldering the FOUR LITTLE PINS you provided........ Larry Extremely intelligent life must exist in the universe. You can tell because they never tried to contact us. /Marcus -- Glenn Ashmore I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com |
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