Icom IC-9700
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| Frequency | 144.000-148.000 MHz, 430.000-450.000 MHz, 1240.000-1300.000 MHz |
| Bands | 2m, 70cm, 23cm |
| TX power | 100 / 75 / 10 W (100 W on 2 m, 75 W on 70 cm, 10 W on 23 cm (AM carrier is 25% of these). 13.8 V DC, under 18 A on transmit.) |
| Modes | USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY, DV (D-STAR voice), DD (D-STAR data) |
| Weight | 4.7 kg (10.4 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 (2 m); Type-N (70 cm); Type-N (23 cm) |
| Year | 2019 |
| antenna 144 | 144 MHz: SO-239 (UHF female), 50 ohm |
| antenna 430 | 430/440 MHz: Type-N (female), 50 ohm |
| antenna 1200 | 1200 MHz: Type-N (female), 50 ohm |
| ref in | REF IN: SMA (female) external 10 MHz reference (NOT BNC) |
| usb | USB Type-B: USB audio codec + CI-V (CAT) |
| lan | RJ-45 Ethernet (RS-BA1 remote / D-STAR gateway; built-in server) |
| acc | ACC multi-pin socket (external control) |
| data | DATA: 2.5 mm stereo (external device control) |
| remote | REMOTE: 3.5 mm mono (CI-V) |
| key | KEY: 3.5 mm stereo (straight key / paddle / keyer) |
| ext speaker | EXT-SP MAIN + EXT-SP SUB: two 3.5 mm mono (4-8 ohm) |
| mic | 8-pin round (front panel), 600 ohm (HM-219 supplied) |
| phones | 3.5 mm stereo (front panel) |
| sd | full-size SD card slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC) - NOT microSD |
| dc in | 13.8 V DC +/-15% (supplied cable) |
| ground | rear screw post |
| power req | 13.8 V DC +/-15%, under 18 A on transmit (RX ~1.2 A standby) |
A modern all-mode base station for 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm with direct-sampling SDR on the two lower bands, so the receiver is clean and quiet and you get a real spectrum scope and waterfall on VHF/UHF. Full duplex makes it a proper satellite radio - normal/reverse tracking, automatic Doppler, and 99 satellite memories - and 100 W on 2 m is ample for weak-signal and EME. D-STAR voice and data with gateway functions are built in, the 10 MHz reference input gives the stability 23 cm needs, and the interface matches the IC-7300 for an easy learning curve. At ~4.7 kg it is compact.
No built-in antenna tuner and no internal GPS. The 23 cm band sees little activity in many regions, so that capability may go unused. It is D-STAR only - no other digital-voice systems. Full duplex requires two different bands (no 2 m-to-2 m or 70 cm-to-70 cm). On 23 cm the oscillator benefits from an external reference for serious weak-signal work, which is an extra purchase. Early units had frequency-stability quirks later improved by firmware.
A modern all-mode VHF/UHF/1.2 GHz base station that brought HF-style SDR and a waterfall to 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm. For weak-signal, EME, satellite, and digital-voice work it stands largely alone now that the older all-in-one rigs have left production, and it pairs naturally with the IC-7300 as a matched HF companion. The lack of an internal tuner and the thin 23 cm activity in many areas are the main caveats; the 10 MHz reference input is the detail that makes it serious on the highest band.
The IC-9700 took the direct-sampling receiver that made the IC-7300 a hit and pointed it at the VHF and UHF bands - the first transceiver to do so. On 2 meters and 70 centimeters it digitizes the signal right at the front end, with no analog mixer in the way; on 23 centimeters, where direct sampling is impractical, it down-converts first and then digitizes. The payoff is the same 4.3-inch touchscreen with a real-time spectrum scope and waterfall as Icom's HF radios, now showing the quiet weak-signal corners of the VHF bands.
It is an all-mode tri-bander: SSB, CW, RTTY, AM, and FM plus D-STAR digital voice across 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm, with D-STAR's high-speed data mode on 23 cm and built-in gateway, terminal, and access-point functions. Output is 100 watts on 2 meters, 75 on 70 centimeters, and 10 on 23 centimeters. Two receivers run at once on different bands, and because it can transmit on one while listening on another, it handles full-duplex satellite work properly - with normal and reverse tracking, automatic Doppler correction, and 99 satellite memories.
One small connector on the back matters more than its size suggests. The SMA 10 MHz reference input lets you lock the radio to an external standard, and on 23 centimeters - where a tiny oscillator drift becomes a large frequency error - that can be the difference between making and missing a weak-signal or moonbounce contact. A whole cottage industry of GPS-disciplined reference kits exists specifically to feed this jack. The three antennas land on their own connectors: an SO-239 for 2 meters and type-N jacks for 70 centimeters and 23 centimeters.
There is no internal antenna tuner and no built-in GPS, and 23-centimeter activity is thin in many areas, so that band may go unused depending on where you live. But as a single box for weak-signal, satellite, EME, and digital-voice work from 2 meters through 23 centimeters, it stands largely alone since older all-in-one rigs like the Kenwood TS-2000 left production. Icom built it as a deliberate companion to the IC-7300 - identical size, identical controls - so an HF-plus-VHF station can run both without relearning anything, and the portable IC-705 shares the same satellite-capable lineage.