IC-7700 – a new high performance transceiver from Icom?
Seen recently: IC-7700 from Icom as reported by AB4OJ. He also has a PDF brochure online which you can download.
JI1ANI has also some stuff online… but you should be able to read japanese 
Please note that the device has not yet been approved by the FCC or other appropriate regulatory authority.
Update: In the FT-2000 reflector on Yahoo! Groups Mike, WA8EBM has posted the following information.
Hi,
I’m here in my hotel room in Dayton. Saw the 7700 on display in it’s plexiglass case today. The Icom rep told me it was going to sell in the $6K range. He said it does everything the 7800 does but does not have a second receiver. His comments were that lots of hams have very adequate second transceivers that can fill that bill and this was going to be a way to save a lot of money. It will be available around the end of the year.
Mike WA8EBM
No second receiver? That is bad news for the DXers… Hope it has at least a sub-receiver to facilitate pile up navigation.
Update: A IC-7700 video has been uploaded on YouTube – taken at Dayton Hamvention.
[tags]ham radio, amateur radio, contest, dx, icom[/tags]
May 20th, 2007 22:10
Hi DL6KAC
This new rig looks good but I totally agree with you for what concerns the inexistant second receiver. There is none and from the information we got now there is a unique synthesizer, which means no sub-receiver like in the Yaesu FT-1000/FT-2000 series…
That is indeed VERY BAD NEWS for DX’ers
Another point is the accessibility of all the controls: the rig seems to be “menu defined”, I mean that only a few controls can be accessed from the front panel on the fly. Great difference with the Tentec Orion II or FT-2k/FT-9k ergonomics…
73 David HB9TMW
May 21st, 2007 16:35
I really don’t understand why they removed the sub/second receiver from the radio. Especially if we are talking about 6000$ (these are the figures I have seen). I can’t follow the argumentation that DXers have a second high end transceiver/receiver in their shack. Probably they do, but if you think usuability? IMHO forget it …
Can’t comment on the accessiblity… From the picture it looks like it has quite a few controls on the front plate
73
Christian
May 21st, 2007 16:58
I could identify that the new rig provides sub-receiver as the 756 series…it’s not a real second receiver but you can listen two different frequencies on the same band. You can also listen a different freq in a difference band but with lower audio volume. This level of receiver category is very expensive that’s why they built without a real second receiver. This rig is exactly what I want, a high performance receiver: only two IF conversions with automatic preselector which provides the best we can have in terms of rx performance (with two conversions the signal path is short avoiding distortions, noise, etc made by semiconductors). Also, almost 5,000 dollars cheaper than the IC-7800 with the same performance for me is a good deal.
May 21st, 2007 17:03
ahh… ok… Thanks for the clarification! … So it is more or less a sub-receiver which is fine for pile up navigation. Personally I would not need more. But from the first posting one could guess that it just has ONE receiver and no sub-receiver (which I frankly could not believe in this price range)
So it does not sound too bad… Anyway… Still lots of $$$
… Let’s see how it performs in comparison with the new K3 from Elecraft. The K3 seems to be very popular as the first production run is already sold old 
May 21st, 2007 18:31
“I could identify that the new rig provides sub-receiver as the 756 series.”
Well Eddie, you are the only one who has identified this ability to hear two frequencies with the 7700. Where did you get this information that no one else is aware of? If the 7700 can do Dual-Watch, I am interested… otherwise, I think not. In any case it won’t be available until the end of 2007.
May 21st, 2007 19:17
Even most OP’s have a second transceiver, it is not logical to argue like “If you have a second RX, so use it for pile-up navigation” because once you have found the QRG where you want to call, you have to program this QRG on the IC-7700 which is complicated and costs a lot of time.
I have still found no official information where it is stated that this rig is capable of dual RX or dual watch. I have seen that there is a “XFC” button on the front panelof the IC-7700, which I know from a IC-738 I have operated quite a few times. This button allows to listen to the VFO-B QRG while the VFO-A is muted (single receiver).
So Eddie, I hope you are right because in this case, I would be interested like Chris an Mel.
May 21st, 2007 19:28
Calm down guys. Take a good hard look at the pictures? See the SPLIT button? In order to work split you would need a sub receiver right? It is the same as the rest of the rigs like the pro 3 , 1000mp and so on. It don’t have a completely 2nd receiver like the ic-7800 or the ft 9000. Still it looks very nice and can’t wait to hear the reviews on it.
May 21st, 2007 19:41
To use split you need a second VFO… not necessarily a second receiver…
Anyway… A rig in this price class should have a sub-receiver… at least one with less capabilities.
I personally don’t need a full featured second receiver. Just a sub (in-band) receiver which enables me to navigate in pile ups.
but… coming back to the sub-receiver: where is the second VFO knob?
May 21st, 2007 19:55
Of course you can work split without being able to listen to the two frequencies AT THE SAME TIME. But once you get used to this method it is most inconfortable to go back!
For the second VFO, there is a “A/B” and a “A=B”. If the rig had dual RX capability, one would excpect a second AF, RF gain, Squelch, VFO knob… good question Chris: where are they?
May 21st, 2007 20:03
Yes, I think I am wrong probably..because I can’t see the BAL knob on the 7700 front panel…there’s the A/B button which means switch to VFOA to VFOB…but as the 775/756 rigs there’s no BAL (balance) that “mixes” both Main and Sub audio with the same RF gain etc.
September 16th, 2007 21:28
Get a Flex-5000 and really enjoy Ham Radio!
September 17th, 2007 05:30
From their website:
I disagree with that!
While SDR IMHO is a nice application, I still need knobs on a radio to have access right away to all important functions. Especially during contests and other “hectic” environments. Using a mouse is no alternative as this is too slow.
A SDR might be a substitute for a “real” radio if the touchscreen technology for 21″ (or even bigger) displays gets affordable.
September 17th, 2007 12:03
I agree with Chris. There is no doubt that an SDR transceiver can achive a performance that stucks with the best ham transceivers, but the transition from a physical to a virtual control panel is rather difficult for many OP’s. For ragchewing it may be fun to have an SDR and don’t forget that such a TRX is much more “user defined” than a standard DSP TRX.
I mean that you have to spend many hours reading the manual and trying to find the best settings, and with the plenty of those it’s not that easy. It would be possible to desing an SDR TRX WITH a front panel including the most important controls but Flexnet hasn’t done such yet, althoug I know certain ham’s have hombrewed such panels.
Another interesting SDR based TRX is the ADAT-200A, see http://www.adat.ch/index_e.html wich directly samples parts of the RF spectrum and has indeed a front panel with knobs.
September 24th, 2007 17:41
I admire you guys trying to rationalize various motivations for and against SDR’s. But it’s waaaay simpler than that.
Most hams like knobs. They like tactile functions. They like rotating, depressing, and flipping switches. And on that (flip/press or turn) they instantly hear or see the result of their manipulation. It is part of the “toy” factor of radio gear, part of the fun, part of the myth and mystique.
SDR radios will eventually prevail. “Resistance is futile” —– But for at least another couple of decades, many will fight the “Borg” like assimilation of SDRs and stick with real knobs and even analog meters. If only for the “fun”!
Mike Whatley
WA4D
November 9th, 2007 23:56
I bought an SDR1000 last Christmas…love it. I too thought that I would HAVE to have knobs….turns out that in about two weeks that idea went away. I did buy the Griffin power knob…to use for the VFO…hardly use it now…just the mouse wheel.
I don’t know how many of you noticed…the 7700 is using the same I/Q system as SDR only further down the line…along with the extra noise of the conversions getting to 36kHz. I’ve got an old IC756 that I also like…but it’s no competition for my SDR1K
November 10th, 2007 17:57
I would like to correct my mistake. The new IC-7700 cannot receive two different frequencies/bands. It’s not possible because of the automatica preselector. To have this feature the rig should have duplicated preselectors.
November 11th, 2007 11:27
Brian: Thanks for sharing your experience! Have you used it in a “hectic” environment like during a contest? How does that work out? I imagine logging and controlling the radio with only one monitor is a little difficult.
Eddie: Thanks for the clarification. Seems that the trend goes into that direction. The new Yaesu FT-950 doesn’t have a second receiver either. IMHO this is not too good.
November 11th, 2007 18:39
Hi Chris:
In a word…no. I’m not a contester…altho I do work a few stations during some contests. I do use just one monitor but don’t seem to have any trouble logging things. I think another monitor would be helpful in a ‘hectic’ environment…but at 62 I’m trying to slow things down…not speed them up. LOL I enjoy just talking with ppl and working a little DX.
BTW..I was lucky and got one of the last 1w SDR1Ks. I use it to drive the PA out of an old Icom 751 (along with it’s bandpass coils controlled by PowerSDR software) and that drives an old SB221 (when needed)…so we’re partly modern technology with a lot of ‘old junk’…but it works.
November 12th, 2007 17:57
Hi Brian!
Thanks for the quick reply. Seems that it is suitable for “normal” operating, but when it gets hectic, probably an ordinary radio has advantages.
Do they offer a “hardware” front-end?
November 12th, 2007 22:36
Hi Chris
I’m no expert …some have built a front end altho I don’t know that there’s an advantage…and of course mine is the ‘old’ SDR1K. They now offer several new SDR5000s and I’ve not had a chance to play with one.
You can download the PowerSDR software for free from the web and play with it a bit. They have files you can download so you can actually ‘hear’ the thing play. www.flex-radio.com is the web site…and I’m not getting any commission on this.
December 2nd, 2007 11:26
Hi Brian,
thanks for the note. Will take a look at their website. Right now I don’t have any plans purchasing more radios. Nevertheless it doesn’t hurt to know what is available on the market.
March 17th, 2008 02:29
Does the 7700 have a VGA Output for another monitor??? Have not seen this in the specs but the 7800 does…
Bob
March 22nd, 2008 19:23
If it is not in the specs, it probably doesn’t have one. Remember that the 7700 is a “down-graded” 7800.