DQRM of E44OM

 

 I have been checking DXHeat DX cluster for E44OM and this morning I saw them spotted on 10 meters at 28.005 to be exact. I double clicked on NA5B Web SDR to see if I could hear the action, if so then hit the shack to see if I could break the pileup and get E44OM in the log. When tuned to the frequency I was very disappoint to hear a solid carrier being transmitted on the exact frequency for E44OM. Some folks have way to much time on their hands.

Morning fog.....or so I thought?

We are just outside Moncton NB in the smoke path

 

When I got up this morning and had a look outside it seemed to be a foggy morning. This is nothing new in the Maritimes, living so close to the ocean. This was a very dense fog and as I looked closer out the window it kinda looked like smoke. A fast trip out to the deck confirmed it, it was smoke and not fog. The local weather indicated were were more or less in the center of smoke coming up from the wild fire in Nova Scotia. It was time to keep all windows closed and find something to do inside for the day as I was not going to venture out in the smog.

Icom does it again!

 

IC-7300MK2

For those Icom fans out there, the company has announced that (hopefully) by the end of 2025, a new IC- 7300 now called the IC-7300MK2. Those who already have the IC-7300, and there are many of those you may be interested in the upgrades done. There is a CW decoder, an HDMI port for an external monitor, RX antenna in/out, improved RMDR (reciprocle mixing dynamic range click HERE for more info), LAN Ethernet port for remote operation, and the USB port is now a USB-C port. I am not sure about the price point on this radio, but for sure more than the IC-7300. I wonder in the new year if we will see lots of IC-7300 coming on the market? Also, if you have been holding off on a new Ic-7300, you may find some nice discounts to move the radios off the shelf and make room for the MK2. 

Looking at the back

 Let me know your thoughts on the rig and if you have heard any other news. Are you going to pick one up and maybe sell your IC-7300 to gather some needed ham bucks?

Icom 7610 ver 32?

 

 Hey all you Icom fans out there, as we all know, the IC-7610 is a great radio, as I have one and am super pleased with it. BUT there seems to be something fishy going on south of the border in the U.S of A. A large Amateur radio supplier in the U.S. called GigaParts is now advertising an IC-7610 ver 22 and an IC 7610 ver 32, but the catch is that the version 32 is $600.00 U.S. more. On GigaParts site, once you click on the ver 32 7610, you are informed it has "enhanced performance". 

Things just don't add up.......
- Icom's website says nothing about a version 32 or lists any enhanced improvements? 
- Icom just introduced the IC-7760, so why add internal competition? 
- To increase the rig by $600.00, which is worth at least a QST page introducing this?
- Dayton or whatever it is called now just pasted without mention of this, and believe me, these things are known well in advance at Icom or whoever. 

What does add up is the U.S. tariffs on electronics from Japan of 25%.  I am not saying the price jump is a tariff, but it is one explanation. You may ask why Icom just does not just say it is a threat; my answer to that is the big baby bear south of the border does not take kindly to that. Icom may just add a few improvements (that in the past were free updates) and call it "enhancements".  In time, let's see if Kenwood and Yaesu add "enhancements".

What are your thoughts on it......