pre-purchase: Reviews and comparison, 6600 vs. Icom 7610 ?

mikeatthebeach .

Great comment Howard !!!
73 Mike

P.S. : Also, the 4K TV next to the TreadMill motivates me to exercise !

W8QB

Why exercise, when Mike is at a far better place, the beach?

Mike-VA3MW

True, but I can send you a radio that you can try for 30 days and return if you don't like it for a refund, not a credit.  Also we do offer a 2 year warranty, and is designed and built in the US.    More hams are not a 30 minute drive to an HRO, etc than are.  It is fortunate that can make a quick drive to a local store.  Personally, I have always been able to do the same, and even get on the air, but most stores are in an RF noisy area and it makes listening to HF almost impossible.  This is why we let you try it for 30 days. 

Mike-VA3MW

As much as we would like to think it, nothing is trivial.    That is what I always think when I start a project.  This will only take 5 minutes, then 6 hours later and I am still not done .... 

W8QB

Radios from the three Japanese manufacturers come with a standard one year warranty, vs. a newly manufactured Flex radio which includes a  standard 2 year warranty at no additional charge.  There is also the option to purchase coverage from Flex that extends the warranty to a full four years.  And for a modest fee, Flex warranties can be transferred to new owners...something two of the Japanese competitors do not offer.  Michael, am I correct on all of the above?

W8QB

If you think six hours is a long time, trying being in my daughter's predicament: waiting for a pokey professor to post final grades!

Burt Fisher

There's an Icom forum?

W8QB

Priceless Burt!

Burt Fisher

I thought about the 7610 but than I thought why do I need two 7300s with too many knobs.

W8QB

For anyone who's yet to experience the Youtube offering, see the one by Burt titled "**** driven crazy by ham radio"...priceless today as when it debuted in 2008.

Wayne VK4ACN

Icoms in VK come with a 5 year warranty

W8QB

Alas, for the 7610, apparently still only one year in the U.S.

Tim - W4TME

I have been watching this post carefully since it started because I know that whenever someone asks to compare a Flexradio product directly with a competitor, there is ample opportunity for anarchy to break out.  Fortunately, this wasn't the case an I applaud everyone for being mostly civil and providing constructive comments and correcting unfactual information when it was posted.  In the end, I think Neal received a plethora of information to digest while making his buying decision.  But I think it is time to bring this to an end because most of the pertinent and applicable information has been provided and it seems that the post may take off on other tangents having nothing to do with the question posted (exercising and 10-year-old YouTube vids).  So I think it's time to close this post.  Thanks to everyone who participated.  Have a great evening.  Hope to hear you on the air.  73.

KL4QG

Well well looks like flex won by 10th round knockout

joe

Thomas NE7X

I own both the IC-7610 and 6400M.

In my world the major differences between the two radios are:

IC-7610 - Use in stand alone mode without it being connected to a PC. It does not play well connected to a PC for remote.

6400M - Use it connected to a PC for remote operation, it does not play well not connected to a PC. Limited functionally.

NE7X...

Neil D Friedman N3DF

I use my 6600M as a stand alone, except for FT8. What am I missing out on by not using SmartSDR on a pc? Sincerely interested.

KD0RC

Hi Neil, the thing I like most about SmartSDR is the large screen for the panadapter. I also like tuning with the mouse and mouse wheel even though I built a box with buttons and knobs (TeensyMaestro). I don't have an M model or Maestro, so it is hard for me to make any direct comparisons.

As with all radio ergonomics, what one person loves, another can't stand. I would fire up SmartSDR and give it a try. It won't cost anything to find out that you love it, hate it, or are ambivalent.

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Thanks for the reply. I have meant to try SmartSDR for three years and I think now is the time. I would also like to try the Mac version on my MacBook Air. I do get a large pan adapter on my monitor connected to the HDMI output. I used to live in Boulder.

Ken Hansen

Back in the day, when Tim said a topic was closed, the topic was CLOSED.

Now this thread from May, 2018 is still going strong...

Ken Hansen

...I guess it was an unfortunate result of the transfer to a new community platform.

KD0RC

Yep, I remember you from club meetings, hamfests and that kind of thing. In those days, I was Chairman of BCARES. Nice to run into you again!

Mike-VA3MW

Do I need to close this? :)

Mike-VA3MW

Do I need to close this? :)

Ken Hansen

If the conversation is useful/productive, I'd say "no," but I suspect the original poster is no longer undecided about which radio to choose, so maybe "yes."

Has anything significantly changed in either radio to warrant further discussion? I suspect not, but not my call.

There you go - no matter what you decide, know you have my full-throated support, as indicated above.

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

I purchased my Flex 6600 a couple of months after posting this in 2018.

I have been very happy with it ever since.

Feel free to close the thread, but it seems to be doing no harm leaving open also.

Cheers,

Neal, N6YFM