Seen at the Tokyo Ham Show, this is the new Icom IC-7610.
The IC-7610 is the successor to the IC-7600 and will be a dual-watch capable HF+50MHz 100W base station with built-in antenna tuner. The LCD will be touch screen and you will be able to connect an external display.
Browsing through the RadCom magazine and I noticed this on the Waters And Stanton advert:
Yes! - According to Waters And Stanton they offer the option of 60m or 11m on the new Icom IC-7300. Are they really promoting the use of Amateur Radio equipment on 11 meters????
Of course we all know that many radios can be modified to cover additional frequencies and many operators do indeed use Amateur Radio sets on 11m but if this is not a misprint/error this would be the first time I have seen an advert openly offering to modify a radio for use on non-amateur frequencies......
For those of you who haven't already discovered this excellent show, the TX Factor is a professionally produced High Definition show about the world of Amateur Radio.
Now in it's third year there are TEN full episodes along with a few shorter EXTRA episodes to watch.
Episode 10 is the latest show and is available to watch below:
"In this episode the sky's the limit as Mike
Marsh discovers when he returns to his old school! We visit Goonhilly
Earth Station in Cornwall and return to the site of Marconi's early test
transmissions. Bob McCreadie checks out the FT-991 all-band transceiver
from Yaesu"
The full episode play list is available HERE and the TX Factor website can be found HERE
Meet the presenters . . .
Bob McCreadie G0FGX
Bob began his broadcasting career in the Arabian Gulf as a
presenter on Radio Bahrain and as a news reporter for the TV service.
That's also where he held his first amateur radio licence as A92CX.
Bob returned to the UK in 1986 to become G0FGX and to begin his UK
radio career which has involved presenting and management roles at
several of the west country's leading commercial radio stations.
Bob's amateur radio interests are very broad: he's active on HF, VHF
and UHF and particularly enjoys working through satellites and
operating mobile.
"I would describe myself as a real technophile; I love anything to
do with science and technology, so amateur radio is the perfect hobby
for me," says Bob. "After a hard day at work talking to people on the
radio I can come home and . . . talk to people on the radio!
Working on TX Factor is a fantastic opportunity to combine my broadcasting experience with the hobby I am so passionate about."
Mike Marsh G1IAR Mike has been a music industry professional for over 30 years
having started as a trainee recording engineer in a multi-track studio
in Devon. "As a kid I grew up loving music and pushing buttons so it
seemed like an ideal job!"
In the early 90s Mike fulfilled his ambition to broadcast in
wideband FM mode by becoming a weekend radio presenter on one of the
largest commercial radio stations in the south-west of England. "Radio
was great fun. I presented a variety of shows including The Saturday Night Dance Party, the Saturday sport show and the Sunday morning breakfast show.
Mike is now senior mastering engineer at The Exchange Mike Marsh Mastering Studios in Exmouth, handling releases for record companies and international artists including Elton John, Depeche Mode and Oasis.
"I'm active on most bands and getting to grips with the world of
digi-modes. I'm still eager to get my first QSO logged with the ISS but
that's another box yet to be ticked!
I love all my hobbies but radio is probably the one I've enjoyed
for the longest time. That's why I'm super excited to be part of TX
Factor, helping to make programmes about the fast-changing world of
technology and amateur radio in the 21st century."
Nick Bennett 2E0FGQ Nick began his broadcasting career in the pioneering days of
commercial radio in Plymouth and Exeter during the seventies and
eighties. Although a broadcast engineer and studio technical operator
Nick was equally at home in front of the microphone presenting a rock
show for 12 years.
Nick's own broadcast engineering company Media Concepts designed, installed and maintained broadcast radio stations for the Orchard Media Group overseeing the construction and subsequent refurbishment of its portfolio of radio stations. He later joined the GWR Group
as regional chief engineer and gained responsibility for maintaining
the Group's six south-west studio centres which provided seven
programme services feeding 14 FM and AM transmitters via a proprietary
digital distribution and satellite network.
Nick also worked as a studio sound supervisor on one of the UK's
largest regional ITV stations and today spends his time as a freelance
TV and film sound recordist and documentary producer.
Nick says, "If the TX Factor filming schedule allows, I promise to
attempt the Full licence sometime in 2016! I tend to operate on most
bands and modes, but love the unpredictably of 6 metres and 2 metres
during a lift. I'm also a keen SOTA chaser."
Of course just one video and one comparison so difficult to draw any conclusions but to my ear the Yaesu FT-991 sounded slightly better....See what you think!
