IØGEJ's notes on the newest HF rigs

Notes on the newest HF rigs: Yaesu FTDX-9000 and Icom IC-756Pro III

by Lidio Gentili, IØGEJ

Fig.1: The Yaesu FTDX-9000.

The Yaesu FTDX-9000. Click for Yaesu USA site. Image courtesy Vertex-Standard Inc.

Fig.2: The Icom IC-756Pro III.

The Icom IC-756Pro III. Click for IC-756Pro III page. Image courtesy Icom Inc.

Icom has emphasized the utilization of the new Texas Instruments chip (TMX320C6713GDP) for the the DSP of the new IC-7800 (Flagship) with excellent quality results, as reported by IC-7800 owners. In the development prototype of the new FTDX-9000, Yaesu has changed the DSP from the old NEC µPD77016 (used in the Mark V with final IF at 10.24 kHz) to the new TI TMX320C6711GDP for IF width and IF shift, contour, noise reduction, and IF notch. They have also raised the final IF from 10.24 kHz to 30 kHz.

Yaesu are retaining their usual MP-style "Contour" control in order to select , peaked low-pass, peaked high- pass and double-peak filter contours.

Both DSP chips are part of the TMS320C67XX DSP family. The two chips are very similar, with the same package and nearly equal performance.

Important: The FTDX-9000 has been built in a modular fashion. This allows Yaesu to present it in three different versions (MP, D, Contest) with prices of 1,150,000, 1,060,000 and 520,000 yen in connection with the internal and external configuration (dual or single receiver, TFT LCD fitted or not, output power 400 or 200W, compact flash adaptor fitted or not, etc.)

The advantage is that the quality of the receiver and of , the transmitter always remain the same, and the same HRDDS (high-resolution DDS), generates the 400 MHz high-purity local oscillator signal. The same 32- bit floating-point DSP is used for IF width, IF shift, contour, noise reduction, and IF notch. All models feature the same Preselector (VRF), using a big inductor with high Q.

It appears that the selectivity of the VRF is higher than that of the IC-7800's DigiSel + BPF. The FTDX-9000 has 3 selectable 1st IF roofing filters: 3, 6 and 15 kHz.

It is possible that the Icom announcement of the IC-756Pro III, with a price of 417,000 yen, is an attempt to market an improved rig with IP3 > +30 dBm, spectrum scope similar to the 7800 and dual receive (actually Dual Watch), available from September 2004 in direct competition with the stripped-down Yaesu FTDX-9000 Contest (520,000 yen). These are two rigs that could interest very many amateur radio operators!!

The challenge will be decided by field tests to determine the real performance of the two transceivers. It must be considered that the Icom IC-756Pro III is not an innovative project, but is rather the third "evolutionary upgrade" of the original IC-756Pro.

One could speculate that in 2007 Icom will introduce a totally new rig to address the "medium" segment of the market - perhaps a scaled-down IC-7800.

Original text edited and page created by A. Farson VA7OJ/AB4OJ