I publish this article now even though I wrote it in december 2018.
Here we are, again.. murphy’s law strikes back!
Some time ago I got, together with some fellow ham radio friends, this Icom rig.
This is the first time I buy something “non Yaesu” because I was attracted by a multitude of positive reviews (most of all coming from our uncle Sam colleagues); furthermore for the appetite for hybrid SDR technology and because of the hardware maturity of the model.
We went home with our new toys and I personally started to play with it briefly to take confidence with Icom menus and just the time to update the firmware to latest version.
Unfortunately I had to stop taking care of the seventythreehundred because at that time I had other priorities.
After some times, Christmas approaching and I took back the radio and finally start to transmit.
OMG I noticed ZERO power output.
After usual ritual curses, also because all Icom repair centers were closed, in order to claim the warranty repair, I decided to take this adventure and take it apart.
I believe the warranty is not voided just opening it because the owner’s manual permit at page 14-2, to replace the internal fuse explaining how to open the chassy….
I then followed the electrical schematics in order to follow the TX signal path to perform a visual inspection of the circuit.
I let some image to speak by themselves:
This capacitor that is in series to the path before RF amplification, is completely desoldered from its origonal pads and sticked to the below IC!
That’s clearly a factory defect and I asked myself how quality control (was it ever performed ?) couldn’t have noticed this.
At the same time I was happy because this repair was trivial!
Obviously the radio started to work perfectly after I put the cap in its original place!!
I hope my 7300 was the only one with this defect ….
I have worked on computer PWBs as engineer. This looks like the part was bumped or hit after soldering. Perhaps it was during a final assembly. Testing and adjustment of the transmitter sections may happen prior to final assembly.
Definitely a warranty issue and should not have happened. I am glad you had the troubleshooting and soldering skills to solve it yourself.
I’m quite happy with my year old 7300.
thanks! Yes, I like to do stuff (soldering iron based in this case).
Thanks for putting this video. My 2-3 YO 7300 lost it’s power recently, I used to repair electronic equipment professionally. Your video have me the courage to dust off the old brain and give it ago. I have to get a new ground strap for ESD prevention and order new power transistors. Been retired about eight years now. Hey if it does not work I still have the option to send it back to Icom. it’s out of warranty now.