

The basic design of this radio is more than 20 years old, and that shows. If you want the very best and latest features, look elsewhere. Rock-solid performance meets a simple design. Proper use of the RF gain control and DPS features may help mitigate this issue. Some complaints about noisy receiver – It doesn’t appear that all units are affected, but some users report significant noise when receiving transmissions with the Icom IC-718.The fan can be replaced with a quieter unit, but this will void the warranty. This probably won’t be a problem for mobile use, but could be annoying in a shack. Noisy stock fan – The stock fan is quite loud, and switches on frequently while the unit is transmitting and receiving.But with a little tinkering, it easily offers comparable performance with a price that’s significantly lower than other 100w HF, all-band radios. Great value – Since it lacks a touchscreen and lots of other features often included in high-end HF radios, the IC-718 is much cheaper.Plenty of add-ons and accessories available – You can find lots of CW filters, microphones, and other accessories for this unit, though some are out of production due to the age of the IC-718.100w for plenty of transmit power – Paired with the right antenna and ham setup, the IC-718’s 100w of transmission power will have you making contacts all around the world.If you’re not a fan of more modern, touch-based user interfaces, the IC-718 is sure to please. Excellent physical controls – Touchscreens, begone! With its physical user interface, you’ll be using knobs and buttons to change your settings.It’s a great option as a no-frills primary HF radio, or as a backup or mobile unit. But it does what you need it to do, it does it well, and it’s built to last. Simple, robust, and built to last – The Icom IC-718 is the Toyota Corolla of HF all-band radios.Get more details in this overview of Icom IC-718. It’s short on bells and whistles, but it’s sure to provide you with great performance for years – or decades – to come. It’s a workhorse HF transceiver that’s not overloaded with features, and is truly built to last. The Icom IC-718 has been in production for more than two decades, and it’s not hard to see why.
