I recently had the fortune of convincing my wife that the Icom R-75 available
at AES in Cleveland (et al.) was too good a deal to pass on, and that an early
Christmas present might be in order. Fortunately she bought it, (the story and
the radio). $450 with a free DSP unit.

Not being the worlds most intelligent person, nor the most adroit, I must say
that I had a few moments of consternation installing the DSP unit. If you get
the R-75 with the UT-106 DSP, open the DSP box and place the enclosed
instructions and leatherette case far from view. They contain no information
and are not used to install the UT-106 in the R-75. Next, open the manual for
the R-75, and follow the instructions for the installation of the UT-106 DSP
unit. P.S., the view showing the installation of the "Velcro Pad" is virtually
indecipherable.

Oddly enough, while reading the Radio Netherlands report on the R-75, I came
across the following:
http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/icr75.html

"Spot the Difference with the Sync
What is the singular failing of this receiver? In our opinion, there is
virtually no difference between synchronous AM and AM reception. The
synchronous mode includes both sidebands; there is no option to choose the
lower or upper sideband. The Lowe HF-150 synchronous modes and performance are
far superior. We urge that ICOM correct the synchronous performance in future
models and make available a retrofit ROM available to current customers.
Fortunately all is not lost here. As the receiver's SSB reception is quite
good, in difficult or crowded band conditions, we simply tune in the
appropriate sideband of the desired signal and, if necessary, adjust the PBT
controls."

Notice the last paragraph, using the receiver's SSB abilities to substitute
for the lack of an adequate synchronous detector. I've been saying this for
some time, though some people insist that you need Synchronous Detection, else
life isn't worth living. Since my Yaesu FRG-100 and FT-840 don't have
synchronous detection, this is what I have done for certain difficult
reception situations.

Anyway, I am a Yaesu addict, but I must say I am impressed with the R-75.
Preamps, DSP, Dual Pass Band Tuning, etc. Very nice, and certainly worth the
money.

Apparently the DSP offer isn't a once in a lifetime deal, so that anyone
wishing to get the combination of radio with the DSP for the price of the
radio alone, if it is not affordable now, and if the offer "expires", it will
no doubt be offered again. The following was on the Radio Netherlands R-75
review page:

"We should note that in North America there is an ongoing sales promotion that
offers the UT-106 DSP module free to purchasers of the receiver before March
30, 2000. After sending in the registration card and coupon, we received the
module from ICOM America in two weeks time. It took us about 10 minutes to
install the small circuit board and plug in three cables. We cannot determine
if there is a similar promotion elsewhere in the world. Check with your
dealer."

Regards