For Sale: ICOM IC-718 HF Transceiver

[Blues_Harp]

Icom IC-718 Ham Radio with DSP chip installed. Comes with heavy duty fused power leads (both red and black) and original microphone. Comes in original ICOM box and will be double boxed for shipping. $425.00 and will ship to lower 48 states free.

[The Vortex]

Hello, Blues Harp,
Can this radio be configured for SSB?
Thanks, Don

[Neptune's Gear]

yes. thats what i have on my boat. modified for ssb freq by icom dealer in singapore...

[Blues_Harp]

Hello,

This radio will transmit and receive on all SSB channels and frequencies.

Best regards,
Neal

[The Vortex]

Well, then...interested...and trepidacious. This is one of those line items I have overthought. Too many choices; and I can't spend the money for the 802 and Pactor, etc. etc. Thanks for listening.

[renes]

Is this radio already modified for ssb usage, or it needs to be done?

[Blues_Harp]

I am the second owner of this radio and have done no modifications to it myself. I have used it at home and on my boat on all marine bands and did not notice any issues with it. The one thing I like about the 718 as compared to "marine SSBs" is that it has the capability to set up to 99 preset stations like you do on your car radio. Once the presets are loaded, it is a breeze to jump to another station. The expensive "marine SSBs" are a bear to switch channels until you have the sequence down and memorized. The 718 is a workhorse of a radio, does not cost an arm and a leg, and is easy to use.

[renes]

While on the boat, did you add a tuner of any model and an external antenna?

[Blues_Harp]

While on the boat, I used an Icom auto-tuner and an isolated backstay for an antenna.

[roverhi]

Have this radio and sailed with it to Hawaii. It's a relatively cheap, easy to use radio that kept me in contact with the Pacific Maritime Net and Gribs and email to the wife via Pactor 2 modem. If the radio isn't already opened up to transmit on all SSB freq's, not just the ham SSB ones, it's about a 1 minute job by any technician. Took way more time to open the radio up than to do the mod. You could probably do it yourself as, IIRC, it involves disabling a couple of parts soldered to a PC board. There are good instructions with video on line. Just a word of caution here. Use of this radio on the marine HF frequencies except in an emergency is against regulations. Not a problem for me as all the action has been on the Ham freq's and haven't missed using the Marine Freq's. I'm sure others are doing it, however, and the radio is/was sold as a marine radio in other parts of the world under a different label.

You will need an antenna tuner if you expect the radio to work and an antenna. Used the backstay with one insulator at the top of the mast. Icom makes the AH-4 tuner matched to this radio for around $300.

The asking price is really good on this radio. Paid more for mine and this looks to have been used less.