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IC-706 vs IC-706MKII

Icom IC-706 Full guide Icom IC-706MKII Full guide

Key differences

The body, size, HF and 6 m power and number of memories are the same. The MKII is essentially the IC-706 with a few improvements:

  • 2 m power: MKII 20 W, IC-706 10 W.
  • Receiver: the MKII is more sensitive on 6 m and 2 m, and its receive range starts at 30 kHz (IC-706: 300 kHz).
  • Filters: the MKII has two optional filter slots, the IC-706 one.
  • RIT: ±9.99 kHz on the MKII, only ±1 kHz on the IC-706.
  • Tone squelch: the MKII decodes tones with the UT-86 unit; the IC-706 cannot.

Which one to buy? For HF the practical difference is small, and a healthy IC-706 at a lower price is a sensible choice. If 2 m matters to you, or you want narrow CW and SSB filters together, get the MKII.

Specifications side by side

Bands IC-706 HF · 6m · 2m IC-706MKII HF · 6m · 2m
Introduced IC-706 1995 IC-706MKII 1997
Transmit bands IC-706 160–10 m (all HF bands), 6 m and 2 m IC-706MKII 160–10 m (all HF bands), 6 m and 2 m
Receive range IC-706 300 kHz – 200 MHz IC-706MKII 30 kHz – 200 MHz
Output power, HF and 6 m IC-706 5–100 W (AM: 2–40 W) IC-706MKII 5–100 W (AM: 2–40 W)
Output power, 2 m IC-706 1–10 W (AM: 1–4 W) IC-706MKII 2–20 W (AM: 2–8 W)
Output power, 70 cm IC-706 No 70 cm band IC-706MKII No 70 cm band
Modes IC-706 SSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY and WFM (receive only) IC-706MKII SSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY and WFM (receive only)
DSP (noise reduction, auto notch) IC-706 Not available IC-706MKII Not available
Tone squelch (CTCSS) IC-706 Encoder only (50 tones) and 1750 Hz tone; no decoder IC-706MKII Built-in encoder; decoder with the optional UT-86
Memory channels IC-706 102 (99 regular + 2 scan edges + 1 call channel) IC-706MKII 102 (99 regular + 2 scan edges + 1 call channel)
Receiver IC-706 Double-conversion superheterodyne (triple conversion on FM) IC-706MKII Double-conversion superheterodyne (triple conversion on FM)
IF frequencies IC-706 69.0115 MHz and 9.0115 MHz (plus 455 kHz on FM) IC-706MKII 69.0115 MHz and 9.0115 MHz (plus 455 kHz on FM)
SSB sensitivity (preamp on) IC-706 HF, 6 m and 2 m: 0.16 µV IC-706MKII HF: 0.15 — 6 m: 0.12 — 2 m: 0.11 µV
FM sensitivity on 2 m IC-706 0.3 µV (12 dB SINAD) IC-706MKII 0.18 µV (12 dB SINAD)
Frequency stability IC-706 ±7 ppm; ±0.5 ppm with the optional CR-502 IC-706MKII ±7 ppm; ±0.5 ppm with the optional CR-502
Power supply IC-706 13.8 V DC (±15%), negative ground IC-706MKII 13.8 V DC (±15%), negative ground
Current drain IC-706 Transmit: 20 A max — receive: 1.5–1.7 A IC-706MKII Transmit: 20 A max — receive: 1.8–2 A
Antenna connectors IC-706 Two SO-239: HF/6 m and 2 m IC-706MKII Two SO-239: HF/6 m and 2 m
Dimensions (without projections) IC-706 167 × 58 × 200 mm IC-706MKII 167 × 58 × 200 mm
Weight IC-706 2.5 kg IC-706MKII 2.45 kg
Operating temperature IC-706 −10 °C to +60 °C IC-706MKII −10 °C to +60 °C
Automatic antenna tuner IC-706 AT-180 or AH-3 IC-706MKII AT-180 or AH-3
Optional filters IC-706 FL-100, FL-101, FL-103 and FL-223 (one at a time) IC-706MKII FL-100, FL-101, FL-103, FL-223 and FL-232 (two at a time)
Separation cable IC-706 OPC-581 (3.5 m) IC-706MKII OPC-581 (3.5 m) and OPC-587 (5 m)
RIT range IC-706 ±1 kHz IC-706MKII —

Highlighted rows differ.

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