[Yaesu] Yes the Icom 7200 at Dayton A Big Disappointment!!!

Wed May 21 14:17:31 EDT 2008

Hello Fellow Yaesu Users
 Where's FM on the new IC-7200? Kenwood has only 2 HF rigs now nothing 
new from Kenwood at Dayton. I was shocked by the omission of that mode. 
FM was missing on the IC-718. Prior to the IC-718 every other Icom 
introduced in the past 1/4 Century had FM mode. Even the venerable old 
IC-740 had FM as a option. Available as a option also in the IC-745 and 
low end Rigs IC-725-707. Higher end rigs and the great old IC-735 all 
had FM Mode standard equipment. What good is having coverage on 6 
Meters and completely MISS THE BOAT on the new IC-7200 by leaving off 
the FM Mode? That 7200 will be Icom's First Rig to have 6 Meters and 
leave off FM Mode. Even Icom's old IC-726 & IC-728 early HF/6 Meter 
rigs had FM standard equipment! Even the Venerable Old Yaesu FT-757GX 
included FM as Standard Equipment and that Classic Celebrates it's 25th 
Birthday this Month. I think it was introduced at Dayton '83 and first 
Advertised in June '83 Issue of TCA Mag. Canada's equivalent of QST Mag. 
at that time put out by CARF. The "New" IC-7200 is not gonna create much 
excitement, and is not very New by leaving off the Important *FM mode 
for 6 Meter operators. *I'm afraid Yaesu these days are offering Hams 
more than Icom in the lower end of rigs. I thought that new IC-7200 was 
something exciting when I first saw the Photos at the Tokyo Ham Fair 
event last August. That IC-718 is now very Stale on the market is now 
out gunned with Yaesu's FT-450 and FT-897D offerings doing so well in 
the "Affordable" market. That excitting new FT-950 Yaesu introduced at 
the same time as the IC-7200 was Talked About and is still only "Talked 
About", was on the Dealers Shelves and in shacks 6 weeks weeks later. 
Read its very favorable March 2008 QST Review. Was the IC-7200 shown at 
Dayton even working Yet??? or just a stagnant display Item! Another 
year? Waiting For What ICOM? Missing FM Mode?? before that rig see 
Dealer Shelves. That FT-950 is giving the now getting stale "Trouble 
Prone" TX and Display Backlight failure's Galore IC-746Pro a good run 
for It's Money. So far no major Reliability Problems have cropped up on 
the new FT-950 like the Dead TX issue of the IC-746 Pro. I am afraid 
Yaesu today has become No 1 in the marketplace.
73
Gerry VE7BGP