I started off in HF with an ICOM IC-730, I loved that rig.

I had done weeks of research on a good HF starter rig that was in my budget, and the IC-730 kept coming up. Eventually, I lucked out and stumbled across a craigslist ad for one about 30 minutes drive away. An old ham was using it as his backup rig.

I ended up getting the IC-730, an old non-working IC-HM10 microphone, and a D-104 chicken choker style desk mic from him. It was a great deal and I was pumped to get on the air. I used this rig for about a month before I decided that something had to be done, it simply didn’t have the features I needed (noise reduction being one of them, I live in a very RF noisy QTH). I wanted to do digital stuff!

While I contemplated my next step up I still played with my beloved IC-730, took it apart and found out that it had the WARC mod done to it(I don’t think the seller even knew this was done). I played with trying to repair the broken mic that came with it, I ordered another IC-HM10 mic to try and compare and repair the broken one, they actually ended up having two different boards in them (ICOM microphones are weird and have a pre-amp built in). I even tried operating digital modes by putting the radio in VOX mode an putting the microphone in my earphone cups.

Anyway, the ICOM-730 was awesome, and I would definitely go through the entire experience again. There’s something to be said for starting out simple, I think I learned a lot by starting out with a good old simple rig. Seriously, that thing was bulletproof.

I ended up selling the rig to an old CB guy that was just getting into ham, he seemed like a nice guy, and I know he’ll take good care of it.

73s
-Merrick