RadioBanter - Icom 706 MkII G Finals

About two weeks ago I posted an article on e-ham.net
that I snipped from mods.dk about the 706mkIIg finals
being obsolete.

I did some investigating and determined that Icom is
replacing the SRFJ7044 power FET with the RD70HVF, the
same power FET that's used in the Icom IC-2720 dual band.
If you check the product reviews in eHam.net under;

Transceivers: VHF/UHF Base/Mobile (non hand-held)/
ICOM IC-2720H

You will see several complaints about finals burning
out in the IC-2720.

In one of the threads a ham complained that the final transistor
in his two week old IC-2720 caught on fire and damaged the radio
beyond repair. Icom replaced it. The 706 Mk2G uses 3 RD70HVF
power FET's (two for HF and 1 for VHF/UHF. The finals were changed
during production in the MK2G about 2 years ago.

I hope that Icom isn't using the same finals in the
IC706MKIIG that are causing problems in IC-2720!! :-(

Here a repeat of the mods.dk article.
---------Snip--------

The 706MKIIG radio has 2 different versions of the PA
board. The older PA board's finals (1590002690)aka
(srfj7044) are no longer available and would require
replacement of the PA board. The newer style PA board
transistors are part# 1560001190 (rd70HVF) and can be
ordered by The 2 styles of transistors are not
interchangeable.

The complete PA board is part# 98413600 and sells for
apx $442. The catch 22 is that this board is the old
style board, with the old transistors. We do not have
the new style boards available yet so, if the finals
fail again, it's another board replacement.

Kevin McClinton, W7JRL
Technical Support Representative

ICOM America, Inc.
2380 116th Ave. NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Ph. (425) 454-7619
Fax (425) 637-8417
www.icomamerica.com

---------Snip--------