Last updated: 2 September 2026. Prices checked at UK dealers on this date. IC-7300 firmware 1.42 and IC-7300MK2 firmware 1.02 are current.
The Icom IC-7300 changed what a £1,000 HF radio looks like. HF means the shortwave bands, the ones that carry your voice across oceans. Icom launched it in 2016, has sold over 100,000, and put a live picture of the band on desks that had never seen one. I own one and run it under Linux with flrig and fldigi over a single USB cable.
In 2026 the question has changed. The IC-7300MK2 arrived in UK shops in December 2025 at £1,359, and Martin Lynch & Sons now lists the original as discontinued. This review covers what the IC-7300 still does well, what the MK2 fixes, and UK new and used prices. It also covers the known faults after ten years and the Linux and FT8 settings which work.
In short. The Icom IC-7300 is a 100 W HF and 6m (plus 4m in the UK) direct sampling transceiver with a 4.3 inch touchscreen, real-time scope and internal tuner. New stock in the UK is drying up at around £999. Used examples sell for roughly £650 to £800. The IC-7300MK2 (£1,359) adds a cleaner receiver, LAN, HDMI and USB-C. For a first HF radio or a Linux digital-modes station, a used IC-7300 is the best value on the market in September 2026.
Jump to: What the Icom IC-7300 is · What year did the Icom IC-7300 come out? · Icom IC-7300 specifications · How good is the IC-7300 receiver? · What the scope and waterfall do · IC-7300 vs IC-7300MK2: is the upgrade worth it? · Is the Icom IC-7300 a good radio for beginners? · Running the IC-7300 on Linux with flrig and fldigi · Known IC-7300 problems after ten years · Firmware · IC-7300 vs FT-710 vs FTDX10 vs IC-7610 · Which is better, Icom or Yaesu? · Why are so many IC-7300s for sale? · What is the best price for an IC-7300 in the UK? · Who should buy the IC-7300 in 2026 · Frequently asked questions
What the Icom IC-7300 is
The Icom IC-7300 is an HF and 50 MHz all-mode transceiver, a radio that both listens and talks on the shortwave bands and on 6m. Over 100,000 have been sold since launch.
The receiver is the part that listens. The transmitter is the part that talks. In the IC-7300 the receiver uses RF direct sampling. Direct sampling means the signal from the antenna is turned into numbers almost at once, by a chip called an analogue-to-digital converter, or ADC. Before that there are only band-pass filters, which let one band through and block the rest.
Everything after the ADC happens inside an FPGA. An FPGA is a chip whose wiring can be rearranged by software. It does the filtering that older radios did with coils and crystals. That is why the IC-7300 is called an SDR, a software defined radio. Wikipedia describes it as the first mass-produced mainstream amateur radio built this way.
The UK and European version adds the 4m band, 70.0 to 70.5 MHz, at 50 W. That single feature keeps the 7300 popular here. 4m on a mainstream radio is rare, and the RSGB 70 MHz UKAC contests are well attended.
Ten years on, the radio’s layout, its 4.3 inch touchscreen and its one-cable USB interface have become the template Icom reused in the IC-9700, IC-705 and now the IC-7110.
What year did the Icom IC-7300 come out?
The Icom IC-7300 came out in 2016. Icom unveiled it at Ham Fair Tokyo in August 2015 and shipped it in January 2016 in Japan and March 2016 in the USA at $1,499.95.
RigPix records the production run as 2016 to 2025. Very few amateur radios stay in production that long without a facelift. The IC-7300MK2 is the facelift, announced at Ham Fair Tokyo in August 2025 and in UK shops on 11 December 2025.
Icom IC-7300 specifications
The table below puts the original and the MK2 side by side. A few terms first. RMDR, reciprocal mixing dynamic range, says how close a strong signal can sit to a weak one before the weak one disappears. Bigger is better. Phase noise is a faint hiss a transmitter spreads either side of its signal. CI-V is Icom’s language for letting a computer control the radio over a cable. An ATU is an antenna tuner, a box of coils and capacitors that helps the radio push power into an antenna of the wrong length.
| Feature | Icom IC-7300 | Icom IC-7300MK2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bands (TX) | 160m to 6m, plus 4m on UK/EU version | 160m to 6m, 60m and 4m on EU version |
| RX coverage | 30 kHz to 74.8 MHz | 30 kHz to 74.8 MHz |
| Power | 2 to 100 W (AM 1 to 25 W), 4m 50 W | 100 W, 4m 50 W |
| Receiver | RF direct sampling, FPGA, 15 band-pass filters, IP+ | Same, improved ADC front end |
| RMDR (2 kHz) | About 97 dB (Icom) | About 105 dB (Icom) |
| TX phase noise | Standard | Improved by about 12 dB, minus 139 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz |
| Display | 4.3 inch colour touchscreen, scope, waterfall | 4.3 inch IPS touchscreen |
| Internal ATU | 1.9 to 50 MHz (to 70 MHz EU), 16.7 to 150 Ω | Same |
| Decoders | RTTY | RTTY and CW, plus APF |
| USB | Type B, one virtual COM port plus audio | Type C, two virtual COM ports plus audio |
| LAN | None | Built in, RS-BA1 remote without a server PC |
| Video out | None | HDMI |
| RX antenna | None | RX-ANT IN/OUT, 2 x SMA |
| CI-V address | 94h | B6h |
| Current, RX standby | 0.9 A | 0.7 A |
| Current, TX | 21 A at 100 W | About 21 A |
| Size and weight | 240 x 94 x 238 mm, 4.2 kg | Same size, 4.1 kg |
| Latest firmware | 1.42, May 2024 | 1.02, November 2025 |
| UK price, Sept 2026 | £999 (ML&S, out of stock, discontinued) | £1,359 |
The MK2 numbers come from Icom, Martin Lynch & Sons and Wimo. Icom describes the receiver improvement as about 12 dB. The published figures of 97 to 105 dB work out at 8 dB, so the baseline differs by source. Either way the MK2 handles strong nearby signals better.
How good is the IC-7300 receiver?
The IC-7300 receiver performs like radios costing twice as much for everyday DX, which is chasing distant stations. It only struggles when a very strong signal sits close to the one you want.
Dynamic range is the measure of that. It tells you how well a radio hears a whisper while someone shouts next to it. Sherwood Engineering measured the IC-7300 at 81 to 84 dB two-tone dynamic range at 2 kHz with IP+ off and 94 to 97 dB with IP+ on. IP+ is a menu setting that trades a little sensitivity for better behaviour with strong signals. Leave it on.
The ADC clips at minus 10 dBm. Clipping means the signal is too big for the chip to count. When it happens the OVF indicator lights on the screen. OVF means overflow, and while it is lit the receiver goes deaf across the whole band. VA7OJ’s notes give the same picture. Run the preamp off on 7 MHz and below, and switch in the 20 dB attenuator when the scope shows the OVF flag. The preamp is an extra stage of gain, and the attenuator is a fixed step of loss. On the low bands you rarely need more gain.
Where the IC-7300 struggles is a contest weekend on 40m at night with a full-size antenna, or a neighbour on FT8 250 kHz away. DH8BQA documented a station 60 m from him on 50.313 MHz which desensitised his receiver by 25 to 30 dB. If that is your operating, the IC-7610 or the MK2 earn their price.
The IC-7300’s internal tuner matches up to about 3:1 SWR. SWR is a measure of how well the antenna accepts power, and 1:1 is perfect. That is enough for a dipole cut for one band and used a little either side of it, not enough for a random wire, which needs an external tuner.
What the scope and waterfall do
The scope and waterfall are the reason many people bought an IC-7300. Once you have used one, a radio without one feels blind.
The scope is a live graph of the band. Each bump is a signal. The waterfall sits under it and scrolls down like a slow river. Every signal leaves a coloured line. You can see who is talking before you hear them, spot a pile-up, and tap the screen to jump there.
IC-7300 vs IC-7300MK2: is the upgrade worth it?
The IC-7300MK2 upgrade is worth £1,359 if you contest, live near a strong local station, or want remote operation without a PC in the shack. For casual SSB, FT8 and the odd contest, keep the original.
The IC-7300MK2 was announced at Ham Fair Tokyo in August 2025 and reached UK dealers on 11 December 2025 at a target price of £1,360, now £1,359 at the main dealers. The first batch was pre-sold. It looks like the original and runs the same menus, so the upgrade question is about what changed inside.
The receiver is the main reason. It offers about 8 to 12 dB better close-in dynamic range and 12 dB less transmit phase noise, which your neighbours on the band will thank you for. Lower receive current means less heat.
The connectivity changes matter to digital-mode operators. USB-C brings two COM ports, one for CI-V and one for PTT or FSK. A COM port is a pretend serial cable inside the USB link. PTT is push to talk, the signal that switches the radio to transmit. Built-in LAN gives remote operation without a computer next to the radio. HDMI puts the scope on a big screen.
If you run a 7300 for casual SSB, FT8 and the odd contest, keep it. The audio, the scope and the ATU are unchanged. Your used 7300 will fetch £650 to £800 while a MK2 costs £1,359. If you are buying your first HF radio today, the choice is between a used 7300 at £700 and a new MK2 at £1,359. The £650 difference buys a lot of antenna.
Is the Icom IC-7300 a good radio for beginners?
The Icom IC-7300 is one of the best first HF radios ever made, and a used one is the cheapest way to get it. The whole station is in the box: receiver, transmitter, tuner, sound card and scope.
Older radios needed an outside sound card, a control cable and often a separate tuner before you could try a digital mode. The IC-7300 needs one USB cable. The touchscreen menus are plain. The scope shows you where the activity is, so you never tune through silence wondering if the antenna is connected.
If you hold a UK Foundation licence, set the RF power to 25 W or below and you are within the limit. The one thing to learn early is the OVF indicator. If it lights, add attenuation. That is all the receiver theory you need on day one.
Running the IC-7300 on Linux with flrig and fldigi
The IC-7300 is one of the easiest radios to run under Linux, and I run mine that way with flrig and fldigi. No driver downloads, no vendor software.
The USB port contains a Silicon Labs CP2102 chip, which turns USB into a simple serial link. The cp210x kernel driver picks it up as /dev/ttyUSB0. The same cable carries a Burr-Brown PCM2901 audio codec, a sound card, which ALSA and PulseAudio show as USB Audio CODEC.
On the radio, set these menu items once: CI-V baud rate Auto, CI-V USB baud 115200, CI-V transceive ON, CI-V USB port Unlink from Remote, USB serial function CI-V, DATA MOD to USB and the USB MOD level around 40 percent. Baud is the speed of the link. Add your user to the dialout group so flrig can open the port.
In flrig choose transceiver IC-7300, the serial port /dev/ttyUSB0, baud 115200, CI-V address 94h, and PTT via CAT. CAT means computer aided transceiver, and here it means the computer keys the radio over the same cable. fldigi then talks to flrig over a local network link and takes audio from the USB codec. For WSJT-X select rig Icom IC-7300, 115200 baud, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits, PTT by CAT, mode Data/Pkt and split Fake It. Hamlib supports the 7300 as model 3073. The MK2 is model 3094, still marked beta, with the new CI-V address B6h.
One trap if you own both a 7300 and a 9700. They share the same USB IDs and codec name, so the port numbers swap on reboot. A small Linux rule (udev) that reads each radio’s serial number gives each one a fixed name. My best ham radio software guide covers the Linux stack in more depth, and the Linux category has the Raspberry Pi side.
Known IC-7300 problems after ten years
The IC-7300 has five well-known faults, and none of them is a reason to avoid it. Four are cheap or free to fix. The fifth is a screen batch you can check for before you buy.
The fan runs on every transmission and is audible. The common fix is a Noctua NF-A8 swap. On a desk next to you, you will notice the stock fan during long digital-mode sessions.
Some units shipped with RayStar LCD panels from bad batches which develop white lines. The IC-9700 and IC-R8600 were hit too. N9EWO puts the out-of-warranty repair at about $250 to $300 including shipping, and reports that Icom does not cover the panel once the warranty ends. Check the screen carefully when buying used.
On Windows the Silicon Labs driver conflicts are the number one support question. The COM port and the USB Audio CODEC vanish after an update. K0PIR’s fix was to uninstall the device, remove the Silicon Labs driver, apply the pending Windows update and then reinstall. Reinstalling alone did not work. On Linux this problem does not exist.
Birdies appear between 0.5 and 3.6 MHz. A birdie is a fake signal the radio makes itself. These affect medium wave listening, not amateur bands.
SSB power reads around 60 to 65 W on a meter with the default transmit equaliser, because it rolls off the audio. Set bass and treble to zero and the meter climbs to 80 to 85 W. Leave the transmit bandwidth at MID or WIDE, since NAR cuts it again.
Firmware
The latest IC-7300 firmware is 1.42. The IC-7300MK2 runs its own firmware line, version 1.02 from November 2025. Firmware is the software that lives inside the radio.
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1.40 | February 2021 | Scope scroll mode, FT8 preset, per-band scope settings, key customisation |
| 1.41 | July 2021 | Minor fixes |
| 1.42 | November 2023 (Japan), 15 May 2024 (export versions) | IC-PW2 amplifier linkage, manual all-reset with CLEAR and V/M at power-on |
Update from the SD card and back up your settings first.
IC-7300 vs FT-710 vs FTDX10 vs IC-7610
The closest rivals to the IC-7300 are two Yaesu radios and Icom’s own IC-7610. The table shows how they line up on price, bands and receiver in September 2026.
| IC-7300 (used) | IC-7300MK2 | Yaesu FT-710 AESS | Yaesu FTDX10 | Icom IC-7610 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK price, Sept 2026 | £650 to £800 | £1,359 | £820.83 | £1,299 | £3,199.99 |
| Bands | HF, 6m, 4m | HF, 6m, 4m, 60m | HF, 6m, 4m | HF, 6m, 4m | HF, 6m |
| Receiver | Direct sampling | Direct sampling, improved | Direct sampling | Hybrid SDR, 116 dB RMDR | Dual direct sampling |
| Receivers | One | One | One | One | Two |
| Display | 4.3 inch | 4.3 inch IPS | 4.3 inch | 5 inch | 7 inch |
| LAN | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Launched | 2016 | 2025 | 2022 | 2020 | 2017 |
The FT-710 is the closest rival and undercuts the MK2 by £540 with a similar receiver. The FTDX10 has the best receiver numbers in the group for the money. The IC-7610 is a different class: two receivers and a 7 inch screen for contesters. For a first HF radio under £800, a used IC-7300 with a known-good screen beats all of them on value.
Which is better, Icom or Yaesu?
Neither brand is better across the board, and at this price the two are close. Icom has the simpler computer link and the bigger software ecosystem. Yaesu gives you slightly better receiver numbers for the same money.
The FT-710 and the IC-7300 both use direct sampling, and both have a 4.3 inch screen and 4m. The FTDX10 uses a hybrid SDR, which shifts the signal down before turning it into numbers, and posts 116 dB RMDR, the best figure in the table. If you care about numbers on a bench, Yaesu wins. If you care about one cable and FT8 in ten minutes, the IC-7300 wins.
Why are so many IC-7300s for sale?
So many IC-7300s are for sale because Icom sold over 100,000 of them, and the MK2 launch in December 2025 gave owners a reason to trade up. Ten years of production means ten years of radios reaching the used market.
There is nothing wrong with the design. Many used 7300s are the first HF radio of someone who has moved on to an IC-7610 or a MK2. Dealers resell traded-in radios. That volume is good news for a buyer. You can wait for a clean example with a good screen and firmware 1.42.
What is the best price for an IC-7300 in the UK?
The best price for an original IC-7300 in September 2026 is a used one at £650 to £800, bought with a screen check. New stock at £999 is nearly gone, and the MK2 costs £1,359.
The original IC-7300 is at end of life in the UK. Martin Lynch & Sons lists it at £999, out of stock, with a note that the radio has been discontinued. In the USA Ham Radio Outlet and GigaParts still have stock at $1,039.95, with a $100 rebate at HRO.
The IC-7300MK2 sells for £1,359 at ML&S and Nevada Radio, which bundles a free cap and one accessory. Used original IC-7300s appear on eBay UK from about £660. The used range quoted here is an estimate from a thin market. Waters & Stanton expects used prices to fall further as the MK2 spreads, so a patient buyer should find one around £650 to £750 this winter.
For a used purchase: check for white lines on the LCD, confirm the firmware is 1.42, ask whether the fan has been swapped, and test the USB port with a laptop before handing over the cash.
Still unknown on 2 September 2026. Independent Sherwood test data for the IC-7300MK2. How the MK2’s USB-C dual COM ports enumerate under Linux. Whether Icom will keep selling the original in Europe from remaining stock.
Who should buy the IC-7300 in 2026
Buy a used IC-7300 if you want your first HF station, a Linux digital-modes radio which works out of the box, or a second radio for portable and Field Day. At £700 nothing comes close on receiver quality, scope, tuner and support.
Buy the IC-7300MK2 if you contest, live near a strong local station, or want LAN remote operation without a PC in the shack. Buy the FT-710 if you want a new radio for under £850 and do not mind leaving the Icom ecosystem.
Skip both if you need two receivers or a bigger screen: that is the IC-7610’s job. If you are torn between the 7300 and the new IC-7110, remember the 7110 is a mobile radio with VHF and UHF and no internal tuner, while the 7300 is a base radio with one.
Questions about the IC-7300 on Linux, or a fault I have not covered? Leave a comment below, or find me on QRZ, Facebook (facebook.com/G7RDX) and YouTube (@g7rdx).
73 de G7RDX
Frequently asked questions
Is the Icom IC-7300 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, used. The original IC-7300 is discontinued in the UK and new stock is gone, but used examples at roughly £650 to £800 give you a 100 W direct sampling HF and 6m radio with a scope, tuner and single-cable USB. For contest-grade receiver performance or LAN remote, buy the IC-7300MK2 at £1,359 instead.
What year did the Icom IC-7300 come out?
The Icom IC-7300 came out in 2016. Icom showed it at Ham Fair Tokyo in August 2015, shipped it in Japan in January 2016 and in the USA in March 2016 at $1,499.95. RigPix records production from 2016 to 2025. The IC-7300MK2 followed in December 2025 in the UK.
Is the Icom IC-7300 a good radio for beginners?
Yes. The Icom IC-7300 has the receiver, transmitter, tuner, sound card and scope in one box, so one USB cable gets you onto FT8. The scope shows you where the activity is. A UK Foundation licence holder sets RF power to 25 W or below and is within the limit. A used one at £700 is the value pick.
What is the best price for an Icom IC-7300?
The best price for an Icom IC-7300 on 2 September 2026 is a used one at roughly £650 to £800 in the UK, an estimate from a thin market. Martin Lynch & Sons listed the original at £999 but out of stock and discontinued. The IC-7300MK2 costs £1,359 new at ML&S and Nevada Radio. US dealers still sell the original at $1,039.95.
Why are so many Icom IC-7300s for sale?
Icom IC-7300s are for sale in large numbers because over 100,000 were sold between 2016 and 2025, and the IC-7300MK2 launch in December 2025 gave owners a reason to trade up. Many are first radios of people moving to an IC-7610 or MK2. Dealers resell part exchanges with a warranty, which keeps the used listings busy.
What is the difference between the IC-7300 and the IC-7300MK2?
The IC-7300MK2 (UK launch December 2025, £1,359) improves close-in dynamic range from about 97 to 105 dB, cuts transmit phase noise by 12 dB, adds USB-C with two COM ports, built-in LAN, HDMI output, an RX antenna in/out, a CW decoder and an IPS display. Power, bands, tuner and size are unchanged.
IC-7300 MK1 vs MK2: is the upgrade worth it?
The IC-7300MK2 upgrade is worth it if you contest, live near a strong local station, or want LAN remote operation without a PC. The receiver gains 8 to 12 dB close in and the transmitter is 12 dB cleaner. For casual SSB and FT8 the audio, scope and tuner are unchanged, and the £650 difference between a used 7300 and a MK2 buys a lot of antenna.
Does the IC-7300 work with Linux?
Yes, without extra drivers. The IC-7300 USB port appears as /dev/ttyUSB0 through the cp210x kernel module and the audio codec shows up as USB Audio CODEC. Set CI-V USB baud to 115200 and CI-V USB port to Unlink from Remote, then use flrig, fldigi or WSJT-X with Hamlib model 3073 and CI-V address 94h. The MK2 uses B6h.
What are the WSJT-X settings for the IC-7300?
For the IC-7300 in WSJT-X: rig Icom IC-7300, serial port the USB CI-V port, baud 115200, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits, handshake none, PTT method CAT, mode Data/Pkt, split operation Fake It. On the radio set DATA MOD to USB, USB MOD level about 40 percent and CI-V transceive on. The radio has no FT8 decoder of its own, so a computer is needed. Keep ALC at zero.
What are the common IC-7300 problems?
The common IC-7300 problems are an audible fan on every transmission, white lines on some early LCD panels, Silicon Labs USB driver conflicts on Windows, receiver overload from strong nearby signals shown by the OVF indicator, and SSB power reading about 65 W until the transmit equaliser is set flat. None of these is a reason to avoid the radio.
How good is the IC-7300 receiver?
The IC-7300 receiver measured 94 to 97 dB two-tone dynamic range at 2 kHz with IP+ on and 81 to 84 dB with it off at Sherwood Engineering, and the ADC clips at minus 10 dBm. For everyday DX it performs like radios costing twice as much. In a contest with strong signals close by it overloads sooner than the IC-7610 or IC-7300MK2.
What is the latest IC-7300 firmware?
The latest IC-7300 firmware is version 1.42, released in Japan in November 2023 and for export versions on 15 May 2024. It adds linkage with the IC-PW2 amplifier and a manual all-reset. Version 1.40 from February 2021 was the last large feature update, followed by 1.41 in July 2021. Update from an SD card after backing up your settings. The IC-7300MK2 runs firmware 1.02 from November 2025.
Which radio is better, Icom or Yaesu?
Between the Icom IC-7300 and the Yaesu FT-710 AESS, neither is better across the board. The FT-710 costs £820.83 new and has a comparable direct sampling receiver, 4m and a 4.3 inch screen. A used IC-7300 costs about £700 and has the larger software ecosystem and simpler Linux support. Between a new IC-7300MK2 at £1,359 and the FT-710, the MK2 adds LAN, HDMI and a cleaner receiver for £540 more.
Is the IC-7300 discontinued?
The IC-7300 is discontinued in the UK. Martin Lynch & Sons lists it as discontinued and out of stock, and RigPix records production as 2016 to 2025, replaced by the IC-7300MK2. In the USA dealers were still selling remaining stock at $1,039.95 in September 2026, with a $100 rebate at Ham Radio Outlet.
Does the IC-7300 have 4m?
The IC-7300 has 4m on the UK and European version, with 50 W output on 70.0 to 70.5 MHz. The US version does not include 4m. The internal antenna tuner on the European version covers 70 MHz as well as the HF bands and 6m, and matches 16.7 to 150 Ω, about 3:1 SWR.