Equipment / Base transceiver · Icom
discontinued

Icom IC-756Pro III

$$$$·

160m – 6m
Bands
100 W
Output
2004
Introduced
FrequencyTX: 160–10 m + 6 m (amateur), RX: 0.3–60 MHz
Bands160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m
TX power100 W (5-100W SSB/CW/FM/RTTY (100% duty cycle!). 5-40W AM.)
ModesUSB, LSB, CW, RTTY, AM, FM
Weight9.6 kg (21.2 lb) - 9.6 kg. Dimensions: 111×340×285 mm.
ConnectorSO-239
Year2004
Connectors
antennaSO-239
mic8-pin round (HM-36 hand mic included)
accaccessory connector
keykey jack
civCI-V
ext spkrexternal speaker
dc inDC 13.8V ±15% 23A max
power reqDC 13.8V ±15%. 23A max. PS-125 recommended.
the final IC-756, IC-7800 technology at 1/5 the price, the pinnacle of superheterodyne HF +30 dBm class IP3 on 14 MHz (IC-7800 class performance!) 32-bit floating-point DSP + 24-bit AD/DA converters 15 kHz fundamental-mode monolithic crystal roofing filter (same component as IC-7800!) dual preamps: Preamp-1 noiseless feedback push-pull (high IP, wideband), Preamp-2 bipolar high-gain (for Beverages/loops) 4-element front-end mixer with diodes for superior wide dynamic range large inductors at RF stage (no magnetic saturation on strong signals) real-time color spectrum scope (no waterfall, that arrived with SDR rigs) digital IF filters (51 widths), no optional filters needed twin PBT + manual notch (70 dB depth!) digital noise reduction + noise blanker built-in automatic antenna tuner (HF: 16.7-150Ω, 6m: 20-125Ω) twin RX: dual watch same band built-in RTTY demodulator + decoder + keyer RF speech compressor (DSP-based, adjustable without distortion) TX audio waveform shaping via DSP (adjustable transmit audio quality) 100% duty cycle (contest-ready) dual clocks (local + UTC) screen saver function CI-V computer control DISCONTINUED. The last great Icom superheterodyne before direct sampling SDR era
Strengths

IC-7800 roofing-filter and preamp technology at a fraction of the flagship price: IP3 >+30 dBm, a 15 kHz fundamental-mode crystal roofing filter (the same component as the IC-7800), and dual preamps. It has a 70 dB manual notch, 100% duty cycle, twin RX, an RTTY decoder, DSP TX-audio shaping, 51 digital filters, and a built-in ATU.

Weaknesses

Discontinued. No touchscreen. No waterfall. No USB audio (CI-V only). Display capacitors age (budget for repair). 9.6 kg. Directly succeeded by the IC-7600 (2009); the later IC-7300 brought direct-sampling SDR at a lower price. No 2m (the IC-746Pro had it).

Verdict

Icom's last great superheterodyne HF rig. The IC-756PROIII was Icom's final word in superheterodyne design before the direct-sampling SDR era (IC-7300). It brought IC-7800 roofing-filter technology, dual preamps, and +30 dBm IP3 to a radio costing a fraction of the flagship. Used at $800-1200 it remains one of the finest superheterodyne HF rigs made; check the display capacitors. (The IC-756 series entry covers the generations.)

The Icom IC-756PRO III is the last and best of Icom's celebrated IC-756 series, a high-performance HF and 6-meter base station that, for years, set the standard for what a sub-flagship transceiver should be. It delivers 100 watts across all HF bands plus 50 MHz in SSB, CW, RTTY, AM, and FM, and receives from 300 kHz to 60 MHz, with a strong-signal-handling receiver rated around +30 dBm third-order intercept on 20 meters.

Its defining features are a large color display with a real-time spectrum scope and a 32-bit floating-point DSP driving a digital IF filter with 51 selectable settings, programmable SSB transmit bandwidth, and sophisticated noise reduction and notch filtering. The combination of a clean receiver, flexible filtering, a built-in antenna tuner, and excellent ergonomics made it a perennial favorite for serious operators, and clean examples remain in steady demand.

It is a discontinued model. See the original IC-756 and the all-band IC-746PRO.