Icom IC-7700 Base Station Amateur Transceiver Radio (discontinued)

Further details of Icom IC-7700 Base Station Amateur Transceiver Radio

Double conversion super-heterodyne system
While multiple IF stages often become a cause of signal distortion and spurious emissions, the IC-7700 utilizes a simple double conversion super-heterodyne system using an image rejection mixer. A high performance D-MOS FET array for the 1st mixer stage is infused with a signal from the high-level C/N, high-drive Local Oscillator from the PLL unit. This mixer reduces signal distortion through IF processing and provides a high-fidelity signal to the DSP unit.

110dB dynamic range and +40dBm 3rd order Intercept Point (IP3)
The IC-7700 uses mechanical relay BPF switching, digital preselector, three roofing filters and a simple double super-heterodyne system The IC-7700 provides superior performance in sensitivity, and a superb dynamic range of 110dB, +40dBm IP3 (even in strict USB mode (2.4kHz filter width)).

More than +110dBm 2nd order intercept point (IP2)
More than +110dBm IP2 means the 2nd order distortion from strong broadcast stations will be completely rejected.
* Measurement was made with custom made measuring equipment, due to normal signal generator (SG) and duplexers are limited to about +85dBm. The figure of IP2 is typical value

High specification inband IMD
Inband IMD (intermodulation distortion) is undesired modulation (2nd, 3rd or higher order) caused by the non-linear processing of received multiple signals. The IC-7700 has superior IMD figures. These differences in the IMD figures will be evident especially in CW mode. The sound of the received audio will change and you will be able to copy a weak signal buried in internal distortion or noise.

Band pass filter and mechanical relays
To eliminate as much distortion as possible, the use of semi-conductors has been reduced to a minimum in the high amplitude switching circuit. The IC-7700 also uses large coil condensers in the filter structure. Mechanical relays and large toroidal coils and condensers which are resistant to magnetic saturation are also used to prevent distortion before the input of the band pass filter, and provide superior linearity.

DIGI-SEL (Digital pre-selector) function
The DIGI-SEL function rejects unwanted suppression by out-of-pass band interference at the primary stage of signal processing. It is useful to reject unwanted out of band interference from multi-multi operation or strong broadcast stations. Within the HF bands, the DIGI-SEL automatically tracks the intended signal at a minimum of 2 kHz steps keeping the pre-selector�fs bandwidth cantered on the operating frequency.

The DIGI-SEL has a sharp-pointed very narrow peak characteristic in the pass band. Together with the band pass filter it greatly attenuates out of the pass band. This combination reduces 2nd, 3rd and even higher order IMD components immensely. The centre frequency of the pre-selector is manually adjustable from the DIGI-SEL tuning knob on the front panel.

Pre-amplifiers
The IC-7700 has a total of 4 pre-amplifiers, two for HF bands and two for 50MHz. The purpose of pre-amplifiers is to improve receiver sensitivity; for the pursuit of higher gain and a better noise figure. The IC-7700 employs a noiseless feedback design with push-pull amplifiers. Using feedback transformers, the pre-amplifiers provide a high IP3 while keeping a low noise figure.

1st mixer
The mixer element SD5400, used in the IC-7700 applies a 16V peak to peak voltage LO signal. Icom�fs wideband power-amplifier technical knowledge is used in this mixer to generate such a high-level LO signal.

Two AGC Loops
The IC-7700 has two Automatic Gain Control loops. The first AGC loop prevents the saturation of the 1st IF amplifier from strong signals out of the Band Pass Filter bandwidth, and improves the dynamic range against adjacent signals. The second AGC loop detects the AGC voltage at the digital IF filter output which only passes the intended signal without causing AGC blocking. In addition to the preset AGC time constants (slow, medium and fast), the manual AGC volume provides flexible detailed AGC tuning.

Three filters including 3kHz
The IC-7700 employs three filters of 15kHz, 6kHz and 3kHz before the 1st amplifier. Icom have used special customized high specification devices to improve IMD and achieve better impedance characteristics. As a result, the 3kHz roofing filter provides approximately 134dB of blocking dynamic range and allows you to pull out a weak signal while blocking strong adjacent signals.
* At 14.1MHz receive, with 5kHz separation of interference signal.

2nd image rejection mixer
The image rejection mixer for the 2nd stage rejects image spurious through IF processing. In conjunction with the roofing filters, rejection characteristics of more than 100 dB can be realized. The result of the stable operation of the analogue image rejection mixer makes it possible to design a simplified receiver circuit, and improve the distortion-free performance of the receiver.

High stability OCXO unit
The frequency control of these circuits is done by the high stability Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator unit. This OCXO unit has 0.05ppm high stability on the basis of temperature. That means that within the specified temperature range, the frequency will deviate only 5Hz out of every 100 million Hz! This specification is equivalent to that specialized measuring equipment. Also, a 10MHz reference frequency can be the input/output for external equipment

7-inch wide colour TFT LCD
The large 7-inch (800 x 400 pixels) TFT colour display shows operating frequencies various settings and operating conditions as well as spectrum scope, S-meter and RTTY/PSK31 decoded messages. The S-meter shows near analogue like needle swings that are smooth and accurate. In addition to the 3 styles of digital meter, the IC-7700 has digital multi-function bar graphic meters to show various conditions such as Final PA temperature, PA voltage etc. Further more, the IC-7700 has a VGA connector for an external monitor and an S-meter connector for an external analogue S-meter.

USB ports on the front panel
Two USB ports on the front panel, allowing you to easily connect USB type keyboard or USB memory stick to save transceiver settings, update firmware, or transfer settings to other IC-7700's.

RTTY / PSK31 operation without PC connection
4 antenna connectors
The IC-7700 has 4 antenna connectors (ANT1 to ANT4) with an automatic antenna selector. Once you program the operating band to the antenna memory, the antenna memory automatically selects the antenna as you change the operating band. Each antenna can be set to the antenna usage type such as for Tx/Rx use, Rx only* use and off line. The antenna switch button allows you to change operating antenna temporarily.
* Rx setting is available for ANT4 only.

Additional Features

Antenna line
• High speed automatic antenna tuner covers HF and 50MHz bands
• BNC type RX IN/OUT connectors for receiver antenna or external attenuator
Receiver 
• General coverage receiver covers from 30kHz to 60MHz (* Some frequency bands are not guaranteed, depending on version)
• 4-step attenuator (6/12/18dB and OFF)
• Twin peak audio filter for RTTY operation
Transmitter
• Low distortion RF speech compressor
• Tx monitor
• 50 CTCSS tone encoder and decoder • 
VOX capability (Voice operated transmission)
• All mode power control
CW
• Multi-function electronic keyer with adjustable keying speed, dot-dash ratio and paddle polarity and bug key function
• APF (audio peak filter) function with soft/sharp filter shape
• The normal (default) CW carrier point is selectable from USB and LSB mode.
• CW pitch control from 300 to 900Hz
• DSP controlled CW keying waveform shaping
• Double key jack system
• Full break-in function
• Frequency lock function for split operation
• CW/AM auto tuning function
Operation
• Memory pad stores up to 10 (or 5) operating frequencies
• Built-in voice synthesizer announces operating frequency, mode and receiving signal strength
• Programmed scan, memory scan, select memory scan, VSC scan and deltaF scan
• Set mode function for flexible and speedy setting
• Quick split function
• SSB/CW synchronous tuning
• Single knob control from squelch volume to RF gain
• RIT and deltaTx variable up to +-9.999kHz
• Quick RIT/deltaTX clear function
• UTC/Local Clock and timer function
• 1Hz pitch tuning and 1Hz indication
• 101 memory channels with 10-character comment
• Auto tuning step function
• Dial lock
• Main dial tension control
• Band edge beep
• CI-V interface capability
• RS-232C connector for PC connection
• BNC type Transverter connector
• External speaker connectors
• FFT scope wave averaging function
• Screen saver function