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21-03-2019, 01:37
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#1
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Salish Sea
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 249
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Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
I admit I am completely new to ham or SSB radio. I have a ham ticket, got a great mark, but have next to no experience with using a radio.
My wife acquired a M710 for almost free through friends. My question is can I use an M710 for ham bands? Would I have to get it opened up or modified in some way? I have no idea if the radio has been modified already.
Also, the radio came with an Icom AT-130 tuner. If I added a ham radio to the mix, could it work with the Icom tuner or would I have to get another tuner?
Thanks
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SalishSeaPilot.com cruising guides
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21-03-2019, 13:09
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Camden, ME
Boat: A Thistle and a Hallberg-Rassy 36
Posts: 848
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbim
I admit I am completely new to ham or SSB radio. I have a ham ticket, got a great mark, but have next to no experience with using a radio.
My wife acquired a M710 for almost free through friends. My question is can I use an M710 for ham bands? Would I have to get it opened up or modified in some way? I have no idea if the radio has been modified already.
Also, the radio came with an Icom AT-130 tuner. If I added a ham radio to the mix, could it work with the Icom tuner or would I have to get another tuner?
Thanks
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There was a pre July 2002 version that was not Ham band transmit capable. Versions built since are. I don’t know what steps one could take to make the non-Ham version function in Ham bands.
The AT-140 tuner worked fine with my Icom IC-7000 ham transceiver. Maybe with other ICOM units as well. As for the AT-130, seems likely but no first hand experience.
Chip
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21-03-2019, 13:15
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Camden, ME
Boat: A Thistle and a Hallberg-Rassy 36
Posts: 848
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
To make the AT140 work with both my IC-7000 and an M802, I put an antenna switch for the coax, and put a 4 pole double throw switch in a small project box to switch the 4 conductor control cable between the two rigs. If your only ham interest is SSB then you IC-710 May be all you need.
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22-03-2019, 00:40
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#4
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Salish Sea
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 249
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Thanks for that. I have no idea how old the M710 is. It came to us via a circuitous route. I do know it glows and the dials work if I put 12v on the power cord.
I wasn't thinking of buying an SSB, was looking for a used Icom IC-718 or something similar. Still am. The M710 just happened to us. Perhaps we will find someone who knows if it can be opened for other frequencies.
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SalishSeaPilot.com cruising guides
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22-03-2019, 04:16
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Camden, ME
Boat: A Thistle and a Hallberg-Rassy 36
Posts: 848
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Borrow or buy a dummy load and see if it transmits on a ham frequency. Easy.
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22-03-2019, 04:31
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The boat - New Bern, NC, USA; Us - Kingsport, TN, USA
Boat: 1988 Pacific Seacraft 34
Posts: 1,454
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
I have a IC-m710 on my boat and use it near daily on both ham and marine frequencies. If your radio is not now opened for non-marine frequencies, it can be with software and advice that is available at the Yahoo Icom ICM710 users group.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ICM710/info
Spend some time with the conversations and files areas.
Bill Murdoch
AK4PO/C6A
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22-03-2019, 04:48
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Moreton Bay
Boat: US$4,550 of lead under a GRP hull with cutter rig
Posts: 2,135
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbim
My wife acquired a M710 for almost free through friends. My question is can I use an M710 for ham bands? Would I have to get it opened up or modified in some way? I have no idea if the radio has been modified already.
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iCom America used to modify iCom M710 and M710RT sets on request if and only if the owner could present a General or better Ham license. The modifications include giving access to the 10 metre band.
Dealers can also program the frequencies you're likely to use for fast access. Dealers used to sell software that allowed owners to reprogram channels for fast access. The software may still be around (used to be sold on floppy discs, if memory serves me right).
Even unmodified, an M710 should be able to receive Ham bands.
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“Fools say that you can only gain experience at your own expense, but I have always contrived to gain my experience at the expense of others.” - Otto von Bismarck
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22-03-2019, 06:33
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean
Boat: Catalina Morgan 45
Posts: 596
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
The Icon M-710 is a workhorse radio and the AT-130 ATU is the tuner that was usually paired with it. Either the AT-130 or the AT-140 will work with the M-710.
I had an M-710 and AT-130 config on my boat and it worked on Ham bands; and also had it config'd for CW. As mentioned, you can check to see if it is "open" or not by getting a dummy load and seeing if you can Xmit on a ham freq.
I recently removed my M-710 and AT-130 in favor of an Elecraft K2/100. Slightly less output pwr, but much easier to use IMHO, and weighs a lot less.
The M-710 or M-802 are fine radios for marine SSB channels, and pre-programming the cruiser nets. They get a little more cumbersome if you are more active in ham radio.
S/V Discovery 15797 ( http://www.QuestsOfDiscovery.com)
WA7WJR & XV9WJR
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22-03-2019, 07:23
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Camden, ME
Boat: A Thistle and a Hallberg-Rassy 36
Posts: 848
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Discovery 15797 - I found the M802 a PITA for typical Ham activity, though it could certainly do a great job once past the ergonomics. For CW, though I could do it, it was not so much fun.
The K2 is a great little radio, particularly for CW. It is my primary radio on land, and makes using the IC-7000 "less fun" in comparison. Which was still easier than the M-802. I'm sure the M-710 is similar in that respect.
Chip
AE5KA
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22-03-2019, 15:14
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#10
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Salish Sea
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 249
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by wsmurdoch
I have a IC-m710 on my boat and use it near daily on both ham and marine frequencies. If your radio is not now opened for non-marine frequencies, it can be with software and advice that is available at the Yahoo Icom ICM710 users group.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ICM710/info
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Hi Bill,
Someone told me about that group after we got the radio. Couldn't figure out what anyone was talking about so decided it wasn't for me. Clearly I should try again
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SalishSeaPilot.com cruising guides
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22-03-2019, 16:17
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Oceanside Ca
Boat: Lancer 27PS
Posts: 617
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
There are many threads over at the M710 Yahoo Group, as mentioned above. The software is available to do the change but that is the least of your problems. Computers that were used years ago, running DOS, are far and few between. So a sudo-DOS package is available, called FreeDOS. But that still doesn't solve the problem. Modern computers do not have the 9-pin serial port. They have USB. So the control lines needed by the radio for programming must be invented.
But not to worry. The solution are on the Yahoo Group. I recommend you join and read all the posts. Go to the files section and get the software and the configuration files. It is not difficult to do. The process has been spelled out. The real issue is getting the computer to talk to the M710 and getting the M710 to accept the new configuration files.
Good luck!
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22-03-2019, 16:53
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#13
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Salish Sea
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 249
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian.D
There are many threads over at the M710 Yahoo Group, as mentioned above. The software is available to do the change but that is the least of your problems. Computers that were used years ago, running DOS, are far and few between. So a sudo-DOS package is available, called FreeDOS. But that still doesn't solve the problem. Modern computers do not have the 9-pin serial port. They have USB. So the control lines needed by the radio for programming must be invented.
But not to worry. The solution are on the Yahoo Group. I recommend you join and read all the posts. Go to the files section and get the software and the configuration files. It is not difficult to do. The process has been spelled out. The real issue is getting the computer to talk to the M710 and getting the M710 to accept the new configuration files.
Good luck!
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Thanks Brian, and Bill before you.
Did go back, and found some great reading, interesting software and offers of help.
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SalishSeaPilot.com cruising guides
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22-03-2019, 16:54
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#14
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Salish Sea
Boat: Tayana 37
Posts: 249
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Re: Icom M710 SSB as a ham radio
Quote:
Originally Posted by belizesailor
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Thanks, missed this one.
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