IC7300 : Pannes rencontrées

Yesterday bought an Icom IC-7300 new and after 2 hours working, screen becomes white and stays white.
This was happening during a QSO when i was transmitting on SSB , 100 watt in a good SWR on the antenna on 40 meters.
TX en RX are still good. A reset is performed but no succes (Clear & V/M button + power-on) .
Hans, PA3HGT (Avril 2016)

My 7300 tuner didn't work at all and finally reduced power to 25 watts continually on a resent antenna .. so I sent it back ...
jhurl55@yahoo.com (Avril 2016)

Just to clarify, my IC7300 worked perfectly out of the box using unchanged factory defaults, but after a few days of perfect operation, the issue of no audio on SSB TX suddenly occurred. I had not adjusted or changed any of the parameters suggested in various emails. I will watch for changes in the areas suggested should it occur again. I have saved my current config to an SD card so maybe a reload will fix it if it occurs again. Teething problems are to be expected, my own operator input notwithstanding.
Dave VE7AHT (mai 2016)

I have had my IC-7300 for just over a week and two nights ago I had the same exact issue.
Power out on CW and RTTY but not SSB. Did the partial re-set and still no SSB power out. Did the full re-set and the SSB power out was now back.
I had not yet updated my Firmware so last night I did the update.
So far... no more issues. Fingers are crossed.
Paul WQ4A (mai 2016)

KE0AYJI wonder if this can be fixed by firmware.
If the TUNE button is us ed, could it not cut off the compression when the tuning is in progress?
I dont use compression, just ALC adjusted for proper deflection or by monitoring.
My ACOM work great in this scenario.

The problem is, if you are EVER running in SSB, and you HAPPEN to decide to turn on your compression, (say to nab that rare DX station)..... and you get the dreaded spike, it CAN take out the tube in your very nice Acom amplifier........ QUICKLY. Go price a new tube..... if you can find one. My last comment on this subject (for the next few days at least) on this until it is determined if it is, or is not, an isolated incident. Awaiting test results from those with proper equipment, and different individual rigs. ..... one more thought..... didn't the last Firmware update mention something about SSB TX????...... Individual reporting spike- what is your Firmware revision?? (For the record, if you don't mind).
Greg, KC8HXO (Avril 2016)

I just sent my Ameritron ALS600S to the factory. I ran it for over 3 yrs. connected to a Ten-Tec Eagle without any issues and full power out. I had the amp connected to the 7300 for a month and problems appeared last week as explained in a previous post.

I am afraid to connect the radio to either of my amplifiers at this point. For all the plus features of the radio, this may be a reason to get rid of it.

Leo NK8L

I’ve had a 7300 for 2-3 months and am very happy with it. I’ve shifted over from my trusty TenTec Omni VII for a while to put it through its paces, and am pleased. Work mostly CW or RTTY with some SSB DX-chasing. My plans are to use it as a travel radio (where I have 110VAC).

Here’s my question: I have an Alpha 87A amp, which trips to a “Fault 17” sometimes – and in talking to the Alpha 87A community I see that this fault is most frequently caused by an initial over-voltage spike on key down in CW, for example. Some radios are notorious for this. But the 7300 doesn’t have a history yet in this situation that they know of. It seems that I remember that this might be typical of the 7300….can anyone confirm this, yes/no?

Thanks in advance, 73, Ray N6HE

I don’t know about a key down issue, but there is an issue with the 7300 on key up. RF continues for 2 to 3ms after key up. While the Alpha 89 and the Acom 1000 will NOT unkey until all RF is gone, the Alpha 87A can fault under this condition since it has PIN diode T/R switching that is very fast. It may well be hot switching on key up.

The modest overshoot I have seen on the 7300 is not on CW, but randomly occurs on SSB if I set a digital storage scope on infinite persistence. It is on the order of 1 to 2 dB. I have never had a fault with the 7300 driving my Acom 1000. As of now I have not used the 7300 with either my Alpha 89 or Alpha 99.

Rob, NC0B

I've been using the 7300 on CW, with an ACOM 1500 amp, for about a month now. During that time there have been numerous "hot switching" faults with the amp. Seemingly random, but I had a sense it was related to the drive level. If the drive level was set for about 800 watts instead of the rated 1200, it would never fault. I have also noticed a very light static transient (pop) sometimes (in the headphones) on key down. But that's not unusual.

I have tried all settings of TX delay, and BK-IN delay. Using antennas with SWR below 1.2:1.

After losing a weak signal QSO's last night, I disconnected the ACOM amp and hooked up a KPA500 - thinking that maybe the amp was the problem.
The KPA500 has a peak hold wattmeter and I noticed right away, thanks to a friendly red LED, that it was peaking on key down, beyond the set power level.
With the drive set for 500 w atts output, each 'dit' has an initial peak of 590-610 watts. About 20%. If you hold the key down, it settles at 500 watts. This is with semi or full break in - no difference. Is this normal?
Not having a scope, this is kind of ghetto science, but if the ACOM was also getting a spike 20% above normal output, that would drive it to 1440 watts when it was set at 1200.
Tom KA1IS (décembre 2016)

The IC7300 DOES HAVE an ALC overshoot issue on SSB! I sure Icom would come up with a fix! And the only true way to fix it before Icom does, would be to build a 7dB attenuator for your setup. You can get fixed power attenuators in various values from Henry Radio on EBay. Just do a search for item number 371730637224.
Some seem to think that 1dB overshoot is not enough to worry about. I disagree! It’s a REAL problem and needs to be addressed.
73 - Jim W7RY (décembre 2017)

I can not prove or disprove this claim other than to say I do not appear to have a problem with the 7300 and running it with a PW1. I have an early PW1 and from day one I had a problem with my IC781- a rig that has documented overshoot problems. I could not key the radio even once without it putting the PW1 into protect mode. I have had zero problems with the 7300 on the same exact amplifier. If it has an overshoot problem, it is not severe enough to have put the PW1 into protect mode, at least as of yet. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Jim jjac19047 @ yahoo point com

The problem is caused by some strong broadcast stations and the very wide band pass filters of the IC-7300. It happens at 20m when the preamp is switched off.
73, Peter - HB9PJT (Avril 2016)

Tonight listening on 40M I discovered something strange in the receiver behavior.
There is a very strong signal from Italy on 7197 with S9+30 db with no preamp at all.
But 60 Khz below that station I heard him again in 7137 with S5 with preamp2 enabled, weak and distorded, an image of his main freq.
I don't know if any of you guys have experimented this not normal behavior but it happend to me.
Its not a big deal anyway because I never use the preamp2, radio has enough gain not to need any preamp.
It look like preamp2 saturate the radio and might tend to create images of the received signals.
AD4C (Avril 2016)

Just recently I had a situation where 20 meter CW signals were weak but R. Habana at 13.740 was killing at s9 + 60! No combination of settings on the 7300 would "fix" the problem, but switching in my external ham band filters was the cure. So it can happen...
73 Kevin K3OX (Avril 2016)

Today I test a end fed antenna. The OVF is flickering often when there is a large wideband antenna connected.
The problem is caused by some strong broadcast stations.It's happens at 20M with preamp on.
It's very unpleasant.
73 Phil F5MVB (Septembre 2016)

While I love to use my 7300, I was a little disappointed with the internal AT.
After a few frustrating days trying to tune some of my wire antennas, I plugged in my LDG IT-100 tuner from my IC-7000 and that solved my problem.
Dave W3FOX (Avril 2016)

The IC-7300 ATU looks like an L-network (shunt C/series L), which is quite unusual for this type f internal tuner. Most of them are T-networks (series C/shunt L/series C). This accounts for the extended matching range beyond 3:1, but a limit is imposed by component V/I ratings. hence the power limitation on Emergency (wider-range) mode.”

Adding to Adam’s description, although the L network’s matching range is limited (unless it can be reversed with relays), it is typically a more efficient design since one combination of L and C result in a match and maximum network efficiency. There are an infinite number of permutations that the classic C-L-C Tuner can match, but maximum efficiency occurs within a narrow range of possible settings. Apart from component loss, this is one reason why some internal tuners dissipate a lot of wasted power due to sloppiness in the final match. Coil Q and the size and quality of the capacitor closest to the output connector have a profound impact on efficiency in the C-L-C T network design.

I’ve found that internal tuners do a much better job in their matching function when the complex impedance presented at the output connector is greater than 50-ohms (e.g., up through 200 ohms). These tuners typically have difficulty matching on the low side of 50 and when they do, loss starts to escalate at an accelerating rate as the impedance deviates down from 50. This is true for external tuners too as evidenced by data shown in QST product reviews. If the impedance at the input end of a transmission line is less than 50-ohms, it’s an antenna I don’t want to use in the first place – except perhaps a mobile antenna where a network placed at the antenna base almost always results in much better radiated efficiency.

I see nothing wrong with the 7300’s ATU design. It’s a reasonable compromise between E/I limits, power loss, cabinet constrains, and cost. If its range seems limited in your circumstance, it’s doing you a favor by letting you know so that you can find an efficient means of matching with an external network or ATU.
Paul, W9AC (Avril 2016)

Our club's (W8DGN) 7300 does that very same thing. If I send one quick "dit" the fan surges to what seems to be full speed for a second or two, then settles down. For a little while after the firmware update, it stopped doing that, so we thought it had been addressed, but now the fan surge is back.
One dit, and the fan runs full speed for a couple seconds. Continuing with more dits and dahs, as in a regular QSO, doesn't result in the fan staying on at all.
This is weird. No problem with earphones, but unnecessarily annoying without.
I'm already starting the process of looking into PIN Diodes to eliminate the T/R relay noise.
In all other respects, we LOVE this little radio!
Ken W8ASA

I'll chime in on the fan noise. My IC-7300 fan has an initial 2 second surge when I first close the mic PTT switch or first close my paddle. After the initial surge, the fan immediately reduces rpm's and quietly pushes air continually during the remainder of my transmission. I don't find anything particularly annoying about the fan's operation but the initial surge does seem a bit odd.
73 John K7FD (Avril 2016)

Only real bug I have had with my IC-7300: It has been with a 32GB SanDisk brand SD card where it jammed up in the SD card slot (ever so SLIGHTLY micro larger ?).
../..
Dave N9EWO (Avril 2016)

I have had same problem some weeks ago... After a total reset, all was ok...
73's - Phil F5MVB

Same thing with me. When I tried to setup hrd at first I couldn't transmit anymore. I did a factory reset and all was ok again.
I got hrd setup using the single cable for cat and audio. Works great now.
Regards, Brian, W4BFZ

. Concernant le coupleur interne, fonctionnement correct sur mon exemplaire, il ne faut pas lui demander l'impossible non plus.
Ce n'est pas un coupleur externe de type SGC ou CG-3000.... Je note que c'est un coupleur très rapide !
. Concernant le pic ALC: F5MUX possède un 7300 et il a effectivement noté un pic ALC.
Ici pas de PA en fonctionnement dans la ligne donc je n'ai pas encore pu noter quoi que ce soit.
Peut-être que ICOM réglera le problème lors des prochaines mises à jours (?).
. Concernant le bruit de relais ou de ventilateur, ça ne me gêne pas, le IC 756 Pro-III avait aussi une ventilation qui se déclenchait avec le PTT, tout comme le IC-746.
La ventilation est assez discrète, selon moi. Pour le relais, je ne pratique pas encore la CW et donc, encore moins le QSK donc je ne suis aucunement gêné par le bruit du relais.
. Pour la FI: je n'ai pas encore pu voir le logiciel RS-BA1 en fonction pour connaître la largeur de bande couverte par le waterfall avec ce logiciel.
Par contre j'ai fait QSO avec F1FKE qui possède l' IC7300 et le logiciel RS-BA1. Il a noté un léger délai entre le waterfall du PC et celui du TX.
Il a également noté que le waterfall était plus lent avec le logiciel RS-BA1 que sur le waterfall du TX, ce qui n'est pas terrible...
Donc finalement, j'ai peut-être bien fait de ne pas acheter ce logiciel.
. Concernant la sélectivité : Effectivement, il est sûrement moins sélectif vis-à-vis des signaux forts hors bandes que mon ancien TX.
J'ai déjà pu effectuer une série de tests dans ce sens. Par exemple, j'arrive à capter des stations Broadcast en FM dans la bande des 30 Mhz...
. Lorsque j'ai amené le TX au radioclub de RENNES (donc en milieu urbain) le vendredi 29 Avril 2016 au soir, nous avons écouté la bande des 20m avec une antenne Windom (FD4)
et aux environs des 23h, il y avait tellement de signaux forts (provenant de plusieurs bandes HF ? broadcast ?) que l' information OVF est apparue.
Chez moi en milieu rural avec le dipôle en V inversé (40m), je n'ai rien noté de particulier pour l'instant.
A aucun moment, je n'ai besoin du préampli et en cas de signaux forts à proximité de ma fréquence de travail,
je désensibilise le récepteur avec le RF Gain et je termine le filtrage avec le TWIN PBT.
J'ai bien moins de problèmes qu'avec le IC-756 ProIII dans ces conditions.

L'utilisation d'un présélecteur, ou de filtres de bandes commutables, doivent régler grandement les problèmes. D'ailleurs, voici un petit lien d'un propriétaire de IC-7300 (HB9ASB)
qui a confectionné un présélecteur et qui a fait une vidéo:
http://funkperlen.blogspot.fr/2016/04/ein-truckli-fur-den-ic-7300.html
http://funkperlen.blogspot.fr/2016/04/ein-preselector-fur-den-ic-7300.html

I have my IC-7300 since May, 2106 always on board my vessel I work MM when on duty on board.

Every night on 40m I have to lower the RF gain if I don't do so then OVF is constant on.
Yesterday evening and all day today we are having storms with heavy rain, during this circumstances I practically can't use the radio, even taking down the RF gain, OVF is on, on 20m and 40m bands so in this case I use the ATT together with the RF gain.

In my previous vessel I had an IC-7700 which was working much, much better in these conditions, of course RX on the high seas is different than on land.
But I love my IC-7300, soon I will receive a new IC-7610 then I will compare it with the 7300 on the same band conditions at sea, lets see the outcome.

73, Jean-Paul, XE1C / MM