I also have an IC-718 - and to me the cw filter is a must have!!! IMO the rig has a difficult time in noisy environments.... Good to see you on 80M CW in the daytime - especially this time of year with the QRN on the low bands.
CW Guy, Thanks for the comment. Yes, I agree for CW especially the IC-718 deserves a nice IF Filter like the INRAD. It is simple to install, I put one in my ICOM IC-703 and the procedure is the same. Here is a short video showing the filter installation in the IC-703 for anyone interested ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rPn9vjTCEMc.html 73, Lynn NG9D
Nice contact! Although the IC-718 is not known for having a hot receiver, I am sill attracted to this little workhorse of a rig. I can appreciate the simplicity and affordability making it a great first rig, backup rig or simply a great little rig for someone who doesn't need or want a $3000 radio. Thanks for letting us have a look.
Thanks KX4UL - I got it last fall on sale $580 -- it is my "deck radio". The receiver is a fine double-conversion superheterodyne. It has a lot of nice receiving features I practiced using for months (DSP NR, ATT, IF shift, RIT, reversible sideband, RF gain) then put a 400 Hz INRAD crystal filter in it which makes it superb for CW . This radio has been continually improved by ICOM for over 20 years. The one I got is version 62 (you can tell version by first digits of S/N.) One reason I got it was the quality of construction and testing: Since I use it outdoors, it is pertinent that it is tested per Military Standard 810 F for Temperature Shock, Rain Drip (front panel), Vibration, Mechanical Shock and also meets equivalent MIL-STD-810-C, -D and -E. I will report back, but based on my experience with ICOM radios I expect this little guy to be my deck buddy for a long time to come. 73 Lynn NG9D
Thanks KN4YEM. No, I am not using an external amplifier. The IC-718 is 100 Watts output when used at full power, and can be reduced to about 2W output minimum. In this video, I am operating on the 80m band (3.5MHz). 73 Lynn / NG9D ps - here is a link to a handy chart of the amateur radio frequency bands www.arrl.org/images/view//Charts/Band_Chart_Image_for_ARRL_Web.jpg
