If you want one current radio that does SSB, CW, FM, digital and D-STAR on 2 m, 70 cm and 23 cm, the shopping list is short. The IC-9700 is essentially the whole list. That position explains a lot: it replaces a stack of older single-band rigs and transverters, and it gets judged harder than any radio with real competition. The radios it usually pushes off the desk are the IC-910H, IC-820H, FT-736R and TS-2000, and I can see why: it is smaller, it has a modern scope, and it talks to a computer over one USB cable. Some stations like it enough to run two, one for satellites and one for terrestrial work.
Mine lives next to an HF rig and handles everything from local repeaters to satellites and weak-signal SSB. It is very good at most of it. It also drifts, especially on 23 cm, and for anything frequency-critical I consider a GPS-disciplined reference part of the radio rather than an accessory.
Street price is around $1,800 to $2,100 new. That is a lot for VHF and up. For a satellite or weak-signal station, there is no cheaper way to get all three bands in one box.
What it is
Icom built the IC-9700 on the same touch-screen pattern as the IC-7300, and anyone who has used a 7300 will be at home in minutes. On 2 m and 70 cm it is an RF direct-sampling SDR. On 23 cm it down-converts to an IF and samples there. Output is 100 W on 2 m, 75 W on 70 cm and 10 W on 23 cm. Each band has its own antenna jack: SO-239 for 2 m and Type-N for the other two.
It has two receivers, so you can watch two bands at once, and a full satellite mode with normal and reverse tracking and 99 satellite memories. D-STAR is built in, including terminal and gateway use. There is a real-time scope and waterfall, and an SD card slot for recording and settings.
Weak-signal receive
On a quiet site with decent antennas, this receiver hears. With the preamp on, beacons you used to strain for come up clearly, and 2 m SSB, CW, FT8, MSK144 and Q65 all feel at home, and with a decent array EME is within reach. The NR is very effective: on a weak SSB signal I can switch it on and go from barely there to perfectly readable.
For the lowest system noise figure, I keep the internal preamp off and use masthead preamps, and switch the internal one on when I don't need the masthead LNA. Riding the RF gain helps in changing noise conditions.
Operators disagree about this receiver, and the case against it deserves a fair hearing. The other camp rates it no better than older superhet VHF rigs like the TS-2000 or IC-910H, especially with the preamp off, and says the direct-sampling front end runs out of headroom in a crowded contest with big local signals nearby. I side with the sensitivity camp for my own quiet-site operating, but I would not argue with someone running a big contest station next to strong neighbors.
Check FM sensitivity on a known repeater the day it arrives, too. If you are coming from a well-sorted older station, compare on your own antennas before you sell the old rig.
Drift, and why I fitted a GPSDO
The IC-9700's best-known flaw is frequency stability. On FM and D-STAR you will never notice it. On 2 m SSB you might. On 23 cm, on QO-100 through an upconverter, on narrow digital modes and EME, the radio wanders enough to matter.
The fix is well established: a GPS-disciplined 10 MHz reference, or the Leo Bodnar GPSDO with its injection board. With it, stability on 23 cm comes in around a hertz, which is better than most stations you will work. It costs extra and it is annoying to have to add it to a radio at this price. But once it is fitted, the drift complaint goes away.
Satellites
For satellites the IC-9700 shines when a computer does the Doppler. With SatPC32 or a hardware controller handling tracking, FM, SSB and DV satellites become easy, and the dual receivers let you hear your own downlink. It works well on QO-100 too, using 23 cm into an upconverter, once the GPSDO is in.
The built-in satellite mode is less friendly on its own. Manual tracking means a lot of knob work, and some screen behavior in satellite mode is not intuitive. The scope, for example, does not follow the receive frequency the way you expect. If you plan to operate portable without a laptop, practice at home first.
Portable in daylight has another catch: the screen is hard to read in bright sun even at full brightness. A sun shade helps.
Menus, memories and D-STAR
Day to day, the interface is easy. If you know an IC-7300, you know this. Programming memories by hand is manageable, and RT Systems makes it painless.
A few things irritate. Memory banks are organized by band, not by purpose, so you cannot make an "ARES" bank across 2 m and 70 cm. Importing repeater lists is clumsy. Toggling the CW keyer takes far too many presses. Receive coverage is ham bands only, and the US version covers 430 to 450 MHz on 70 cm, not 420.
D-STAR works well. Store your home latitude and longitude and the nearby-repeater search works without a GPS receiver attached. With a GPS module connected, position data goes out automatically.
Digital modes and station integration
Digital modes are close to plug and play over USB once the Icom drivers are installed. FT8 on 2 m and 70 cm, MSK144 meteor scatter and Q65 all work with standard software.
Amplifier keying is the weak spot. There is one keying line rather than separate lines per band, so with an amp on each band you need an add-on PTT interface to switch the right one. Put a sequencer or isolator in that line regardless. Mast preamps and expensive amplifiers do not forgive mistakes in sequencing.
Transmit is clean, and 100 W on 2 m is a real asset in contests. At 0% power it still puts out a fraction of a watt, so don't count on zero for transverter drive. Audio reports are good on the stock mic.
Long-term
Past the three-year mark the IC-9700 holds up: daily 2 m SSB, portable contest weekends and repeater duty without faults. Firmware updates over time have added features, including voice and CW memory playback from the mic's up and down keys. With a GPSDO fitted, stability stays near perfect.
How it compares
| Radio | Why you'd pick it |
|---|---|
| Icom IC-9700 | All-mode 2 m, 70 cm and 23 cm with satellite mode, D-STAR and a modern scope |
| Kenwood TS-2000 | Older all-band all-mode rig; some prefer its receiver |
| Icom IC-910H | The predecessor, with a superhet receiver some operators rate higher |
| Yaesu FT-991A | HF through 70 cm in one box; no 23 cm and less power on UHF |
| Icom IC-905 | Newer Icom remote-head rig reaching into SHF |
Setting one up the way I do
- Fit a GPS-disciplined reference (Leo Bodnar board or a 10 MHz GPSDO) before serious SSB, digital or 23 cm work.
- Decide on preamp strategy: masthead LNA with the internal preamp off, or the internal preamp alone.
- Use SatPC32 or a hardware controller for satellite Doppler.
- Put a sequencer or isolator in the amp keying line, and add a per-band PTT interface if you run several amps.
- Store your home latitude and longitude for D-STAR repeater search.
- Install the Icom USB drivers before connecting digital-mode software.
- Carry a sun shade for portable work.
Who should buy it
- Satellite operators who track with software.
- 2 m and 70 cm SSB, CW and FT8 weak-signal and DX operators.
- Microwave operators who need a 2 m or 70 cm IF rig, with a GPSDO.
- Anyone wanting a D-STAR base station alongside all-mode capability.
Skip it if you operate portable in bright sun most of the time, if you will not add a GPSDO but care about frequency stability, or if you need receive outside the ham bands. If you only do FM repeaters, it is far more radio than you need.
Bottom line
The IC-9700 is the one modern box that covers 2 m, 70 cm and 23 cm in every mode, with a sensitive receiver, satellite mode and an interface any IC-7300 owner already knows. Budget for a GPS reference to cure its drift and a proper amp-keying setup, and it becomes the center of a very capable VHF and UHF station.
Reader field notes — share yours
Log in to share your field notes and photos.