I realize this is a loaded question, but I think every ham out there is familiar with the sudden TX death associated with the Icom 746 Pro.  This is the second time in less than 3 months to experience this with my rig.  Would like to hear from other 746Pro current/former owners if I am wasting my time and money?Should I sell when I get it back from repair and move on?  MAN I love the 2 meter coverage.  Don't care about 6 meters. Any experience with this rig I want to keep; good, bad or indifferent is appreciated. What is your favorite modern HF rig?  Really interested in the TS-2000, opinions?  Many TNX folks K5LXY

A Kenwood TS2000 would be a very slight step down in HF receive performance in my opinion, BUT is a much better all around radio, True dual receive, Capable of cross band repeat, UHF to HF etc.(Operates Hf and VHF/UHF at the SAME time, Unlike other radios that can only do one at a time.  Actually two radios in one box.)It would be a good thing if you could find someone in your area who has the TS2000 and would let you run it's receiver through the bands to see how you like it.  Or maybe a local ham dealer? 

I also have an Icom IC756PRO besides the TS2000 that I prefer for HF, BUT if I could ever have but only one radio, It would be the Kenwood TS2000, Without question.  There is no other radio on the market in it's price range that can do all that the TS2000 can do. 

I've been running a 746Pro for about 10 years, and have had zero problems with it.  I even take it to our group's Field Day where it gets used by anyone/everyone.  I use it with the factory switching power supply, never been mobile.  I always use the internal tuner, as all my antennnas are compromises.  Factory mike, use the internal keyer with the paddles in a Heath HD-1410 keyer.  How have you been using yours ?  What power supply ?  anything else on the same 13V power ?  Any RF in the shack ?  Moisture in the environment (in a damp basement?)  do you have lightning in your area ?  Ground your antennas when storms are nearby ? 

I realize this is a loaded question, but I think every ham out there is familiar with the sudden TX death associated with the Icom 746 Pro.  This is the second time in less than 3 months to experience this with my rig.  Would like to hear from other 746Pro current/former owners if I am wasting my time and money?Should I sell when I get it back from repair and move on?  MAN I love the 2 meter coverage.  Don't care about 6 meters. Any experience with this rig I want to keep; good, bad or indifferent is appreciated. What is your favorite modern HF rig?  Really interested in the TS-2000, opinions?  Many TNX folks K5LXY

As a very happy former user of the regular 746, I was disappointed to hear so many had issues with the 'PRO. 

I've been running a 746Pro for about 10 years, and have had zero problems with it.  I even take it to our group's Field Day where it gets used by anyone/everyone.  I use it with the factory switching power supply, never been mobile.  I always use the internal tuner, as all my antennnas are compromises.  Factory mike, use the internal keyer with the paddles in a Heath HD-1410 keyer.  How have you been using yours ?  What power supply ?  anything else on the same 13V power ?  Any RF in the shack ?  Moisture in the environment (in a damp basement?)  do you have lightning in your area ?  Ground your antennas when storms are nearby ? 

The issues with the 746 rigs are well documented but there is still controversy regarding just where the problem actually is with IC151 sudden death syndrome.  What isn't documented is just how many people have had these problems and of course you hear the people with the problems complaining about them which gets a lot of attention.  Just the way that is. I have had a regular 746 I bought used and now a 746 Pro I bought new.  Never had a problem with either.  A friend of mine has had 2 of them with no problems as well.  Maybe we got lucky, don't know. 

Bottom line is that if you are unhappy with a rig, try a different one if you can afford to. I have heard that there is a lot of crying in the Yaesu user groups too. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances! 

The only problem that I have had with mine really old one S/N under 2800 was when I did not have the fan pushing air thru the back grill.  Then the IC 151 went out.  Repaired it and put the fan back and no problems. 

I bought a brand new IC-7000 last year, but it failed twice in a few months and I traded the darned thing off.  I never even tried the vhf or uhf on the radio, and it never once left my operating desk, but went POP once on receive, and actually BANG another time when I keyed the mike on 20 meters.  The second time, it took out the driver board and one of the finals.  I said to heck with Icom and when I got it back from the warranty repair the second time, I traded it off for a Yaesu FT-950, which has worked perfectly ever since.  I loved the receiver and features on the IC-7000, but with that shoddy record of dependability, I won't be buying another Icom any time soon. 

If it causes you to worry - dump it. Buy something which will not cause you worry. There are lots of options for transceivers, from all the manufacturers, so take your time and get something else, Icom or otherwise. It sounds like you have been burned quite a few times with that rig, so get some peace of mind. 

The fact that others have not been burned with that model rig is irrelevant, you are the person who has to feel happy with the rig, not others. Many people have so much ego invested in their rig that it becomes a tribal war whenever someone exposes problems with some rig. I for example, have all Yaesu equipment, because I have never had a minutes downtime with a Yaesu rig in my long ham career. But - if I started having trouble with Yaesu, I would go shopping in someone elses patch, since I don't own any of these companies, and am not emotionally invested in them. 

Do what you feel is right for yourself - you paid for it, you have the right to decide on your own course of action. 

If it causes you to worry - dump it. Buy something which will not cause you worry. There are lots of options for transceivers, from all the manufacturers, so take your time and get something else, Icom or otherwise. It sounds like you have been burned quite a few times with that rig, so get some peace of mind. 

The fact that others have not been burned with that model rig is irrelevant, you are the person who has to feel happy with the rig, not others. Many people have so much ego invested in their rig that it becomes a tribal war whenever someone exposes problems with some rig. I for example, have all Yaesu equipment, because I have never had a minutes downtime with a Yaesu rig in my long ham career. But - if I started having trouble with Yaesu, I would go shopping in someone elses patch, since I don't own any of these companies, and am not emotionally invested in them. 

Do what you feel is right for yourself - you paid for it, you have the right to decide on your own course of action. 

73s

Good advice! 

I learned many years ago that it is very foolish to become too fond of any particular brand.  And that goes well beyond just radio equipment.  Cars, Motorcycles, Snowmobiles, And most any product you can think of, Each brand has it's "good" models, And it's "Lemon" models. 

Years ago I used to have mostly all Icoms, Until I got burned by several of their lemons.(I still have some Icoms, But got rid of the lemon models)

Just an observation.  I've seen rigs that have been used 'gently' and rigs that have been used hard.  One friend of mine used his rigs hard--he was a member of the "AKR" club--and he was usually having to have his rigs repaired often. 

The "AKR" club?  That's the "All Knobs Right" club--whose members push their rigs as hard as they can!  73! 

Problems with IC-746 Pros are well documented but I never had any problems with mine.  Nor my IC-746 or Pro 3.  I loved all 3 rigs.  Wish I had never sold the 746 Pro.  I now have a TS-2000 and although it does a lot for not a lot of money, I think it has a noisy receiver on HF and has low sensitivity on 2 meters. 

On the other hand, I had many problems with my SteppIR 3 element yagi while others had none.  Sometimes you just have bad luck with rigs and antennas with moving parts.  Fix'em and go one -- particularly if the radio has features you like.  Since Icom took 2 meters off its new IC-7410 and put 2 meters on its more expensive IC-9100, you probably won't get an Icom rig in the future that combines HF and 6 and 2 meters.  Fixing the rig you have now makes a lot of sense, I think. 

Interesting topic for me as I am in a similar situation with a new transceiver that has broken down twice (different issues not related) and is still in the warranty period.  I do like the rig as when it works it really great, but how would you handle this situation?  Look forward to your replies/advice.  Thanks. 

Interesting topic for me as I am in a similar situation with a new transceiver that has broken down twice (different issues not related) and is still in the warranty period.  I do like the rig as when it works it really great, but how would you handle this situation?  Look forward to your replies/advice.  Thanks. 

How much longer on the warranty? 

I guess there's a school of thought that if the failures were due to early firmware/design issues that the mfg.  will resolve, you may be in the clear from here on out.  The other is, fix it and cut your losses for the future. 

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