In our third installment of OnAllBands’ guide to amplifiers available at DX Engineering, we’re taking a look at the Icom IC-PW2 HF/50 MHz All-Band 1kW Linear Amplifier.

This high-performance, multi-function amplifier makes an excellent choice to take your DXing and contesting to the next level. The IC-PW2 is designed to seamlessly work with these Icom transceivers: IC-718, IC-7100, IC-7300 and IC-7300MK2, IC-7610, IC-7760, and IC-7851.

Before we get into the weeds on this powerful station upgrade, here’s what a few DX Engineering customers had to say after employing the IC-PW2 at their stations:

“I really like the way this amplifier interfaces well with my IC-7610 transceiver. I especially like the fact it allows usage of the antenna tuner in the amp without having to power up the amp. When the 7610 is powered up, the antenna tuner gets powered up (amp function still off).”

David, DX Engineering Customer

“I found this amp to be very well designed. Reasonably quiet, easy to set up and operate. I got 1,100 watts out of mine. But 1kW is way plenty. SO2R works great.”

Peter, DX Engineering Customer

“Fantastic quality and works out-of-the-box as advertised.”

Jeffrey, DX Engineering Customer

Reviewed in “QST” Magazine

The May 2026 issue of “QST” magazine featured a very positive review of the IC-PW2 by Mark, K1RO. He noted that after several months of activity– including major digital, SSB, and CW events–the “amplifier never broke a sweat.” The bottom line: The amplifier “shines when paired with Icom’s current-generation radios.” Read the full review here.

About the IC-PW2

Featuring high power and full duty cycle operation, the IC-PW2 uses new 65V LDMOS power transistors (MRFX1K80HR5) and a high-efficiency power supply to achieve a full 1kW output with a 200VAC input. The IC-PW2 instantly operates at full power once turned on. Experience linearity and clean transmission with Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) Technology with the Icom IC-7610. This technology corrects the signal distortion from the IC-PW2 by applying inverse distortion to the output signal from the IC-7610 exciter in advance.

2×6 Automatic Antenna Selection: Two radio inputs and six SO-239 female antenna jacks (below) provide fully automatic antenna-switching capabilities. Each antenna can be independently selected when changing a band on either transceiver. You can operate it as if you had two linear amplifiers. When using dual independent receivers, which the IC-7610 and IC-7851 have, you can watch two bands at once by using two antennas.

Powerful SO2R (Single Operator, Two Radio) operation is possible with one IC-PW2. While you are making a call on one radio, you can watch another band on the second radio. The transmitter lockout function prevents simultaneous transmission of two radios during SO2R operation. Conventional linear amplifiers require two multiband bandpass filters (BPF) to prevent suppression of receive sensitivity by their own transmit signal when operating SO2R. However, the IC-PW2 automatically connects the multiband BPF to the receiving transceiver when you select either transceiver to transmit. This makes SO2R operation possible with just one multiband bandpass filter.

User-supplied bandpass filters, preamps, and attenuators can be connected to the [RX-ANT] connectors. When using two radios with the IC-PW2, one multiband bandpass filter can be shared with these radios by switching the receiving radio. Additionally, the band switching of multiband bandpass filters can be controlled from the band signal output connector.

Optional PC remote-control software provides remote-control operation through a local area network connection (LAN). Remote power ON/OFF from the PC and various operation of the radio is possible.

The antenna tuner uses mechanical relays to retune the operating band in two to three seconds. The IC-PW2 also reduces unnecessary emissions during tuning. The antenna tuner works even when the power amplifier function is not used.

The included 9.8-foot remote-control cable enables the amplifier to be mounted away from the transceivers for large station installations. The 4.3- inch color touchscreen display features a graphical user interface. Connected antennas are graphically shown on the display.

Other features include:

• High-efficiency and low-noise cooling system
• Various error detection circuits protect internal components
• An SDHC card slot on the front panel for firmware updates and saving settings (Uses up to a 32GB SDHC card)
• Remote AUX jack for controlling an automatic-tuning telescopic antenna
• Antenna quick select function connects to priority antenna with simple action
• Tuning Accuracy: SWR 1:1.5 or less
• Tuning Time: Average two to three seconds, maximum 15 seconds
• Dimensions: 16.73″ W × 5.87″ H × 17.52″ D
• Weight: 48.5 lbs.

Note: No AC plug installed: Requires user-supplied NEMA 6-15P plug installed.

The IC-PW2 comes with these accessories:

• OPC-104B ACC cable, 9.8 feet
• Controller cable, 9.8 feet
• OPC-125B coaxial cable, 9.8 feet
• OPC-718 remote-control cable, 9.8 feet
• Detachable controller unit
• Controller bracket stand
• Controller dummy panel (used when Control Unit is installed remotely)
• Ground lug

DX Engineering offers the most extensive lineup of amplifiers in the industry. In addition to the IC-PW2, choose amplifiers from these manufacturers:

• 4O3A Power Genius XL
• ACOM
• Palstar
• OM Power
• RM Italy
• Toptek (VHF, UHF, VHF/UHF)

The post Guide to Amateur Radio Amplifiers 2026: Part III, Icom IC-PW2 appeared first on OnAllBands.

Dayton Hamvention® is officially over for 2026 (cue Debbie Downer sad trombone sound). The good news is that you probably brought back the kind of equipment you’ll need to capture more DXCC entities in pursuit of working the world. The team at DX Engineering and OnAllBands was thrilled to talk with many of you in Xenia, Ohio, and catch up with operators who have recently put some of the rare ones on the air.

Hope you went home with plenty of eyeball QSOs, some pileup-busting station upgrades, and the good feeling that the world’s best hobby is alive and thriving.

Now let’s talk DXpeditions! Here is a duo of activations to mark on your calendar for the remainder of May 2026:

Rodrigues Island

The 3B9G activation of Rodrigues Island by VU3OPT is scheduled to run until May 22 on 20/15/10M in CW.

Named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues in 1528, Rodrigues (IOTA AF-017) is part of the Mascarene Islands, located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Once a district of Mauritius, the island was granted autonomous status in December 2002. The 42-square-mile volcanic island has a population of around 41,000 and an economy based mainly on tourism, fishing, agriculture, animal rearing, and handicrafts.

Rodrigues is surrounded by coral reef and a few small uninhabited islands. This leads us to the OnAllBands Geography Question of the Day: Can you name the world’s largest coral reef system? For bonus points, what is the world’s second largest coral reef system? Answers below.

Here are a couple Rodrigues Island QSL cards earned by the active DXers at DX Engineering:

Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, received this QSL card from the hugely successful March/April 2004 Project Star Reach 3B9C DXpedition, which boasted 32 operators and more than 153,000 CW, SSB, and Digital QSOs logged. 

David, K8DV, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received this card from the 3B9WR March 2010 DXpedition, which he contacted on 80/40M CW.

Bonaire

The PJ4CB DXpedition by WA7RAR from various Bonaire locations, including POTA spots, is scheduled for May 27-June 8. You can try to reach PJ4CB on 20-10M in SSB and CW.

Bonaire (IOTA SA-006), a Dutch island in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, is situated 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela. It is one of three islands in the ABC Islands group—so named because of the first letters of their names. (The other two are Aruba and Curacao.)

Tom, KB8UUZ, provided us with this March 2012 card from PJ4Z. According to hopibonaire.com, Bonaire’s warm climate makes the island exceptionally suited for lizards, like the green iguana on the QSL card below. Per the website, this largest lizard of Bonaire can grow up to six feet long.

Watch the lizards of Bonaire in action in the video below:

Wayne, K8FF, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, worked PJ4D (20M SSB) and PJ4I (30M CW) both on October 10, 2010—the day the Netherland Antilles was dissolved as a nation. Both DXpeditions highlighted the birth of Bonaire as a new DXCC entity. 

“I’ll Take Massive Coral Reef Systems for $1,000, Ken.”

You didn’t have to be a geography bee champion to know that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. It extends 1,429 miles off the coast of Queensland and is the largest living structure on Earth. Coming in a distant second place is the nearly 700-mile Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, or Great Mayan Reef, which runs along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras in the Caribbean Sea.

Want to upgrade your DXing capabilities? Find everything you need at DX Engineering, including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headsets, and more.

Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. We’re excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands we’ve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!

The post It’s All in the Cards—DXCC Entities on the Air in May 2026! appeared first on OnAllBands.

It’s a tradition for Hamvention® … it must rain for at least part of at least one day … and this year didn’t disappoint! Showers and even the occasional downpour popped up on and off Saturday, prompting flea market shoppers to periodically flee inside to dry out. Then a thunderstorm in the early hours of Sunday morning left the flea market a bit muddy. But spirts ran high for the closing day of…

Hamvention® 2026 in Xenia, Ohio, is officially under way, with large crowds filling the five exhibit halls, four forum rooms, and the giant flea market. Here’s a summary of Friday, May 15.

In the ARRL Expo area, attendees interacted with program representatives and volunteer leadership officials, including ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, and President Rick Roderick, K5UR. Emergency Communications…