After a ton of online research, this morning I pulled the trigger on an Icom IC-7200 from Ham Radio Outlet. HRO had an open box unit that I ordered. The discount for this on top of seasonal discounts brought the price down to about $890, the cheapest I found it anywhere.
One of the things that I find especially appealing about the IC-7200 is that it was designed from the outset for use with a computer. It has an USB port on the back, allowing you to control the radio with your PC, including the use of digital modes like PSK-31, without requiring a sound card connection.
I didn't order any other accessories as I've been able to find them cheaper elsewhere online. E.g., I need to get an external antenna tuner, an antenna, a patch cord to run between the radio and the tuner, and an antenna feed line.
Edit: Got a call from HRO that the open box unit I ordered was defective when they tested it. They're going to send me a different one, still at a discount but not as much. Should have it Monday.
Yes the USB feature is nice. Note that if you connect it to computer you'll want to get a toroid and wrap your USB cable through it, to prevent RF from "leaking" into your USB port and turning your USB device off. (this will happen especially if you dont have a good ground system or a well matched antenna).
ReplyDeleteReally looking forward to reading your experiences with it. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteJoe