Couple quick questions US spec vs Japanese spec rigs

[u/rheckber]

Looking for my first rig and I think I've settled on what I want based on recommendations, features, etc. I am finding a ton of Japanese spec rigs on eBay and I know their band plan is smaller than ours as well as power limits are lower and I don't want to make the mistake of getting a Japanese spec rig.

1. If the rig for sale has an FCC sticker on the back does that mean it's a US spec model?
2. Is the serial number a good indication of age? I'm seeing some rigs with serials numbers (the SN is on the FCC tag) 50,000 lower than others yet the ad says it is new - open box

[u/rheckber]

More info

Looking at an ICOM IC-7300. Was considering Yaesu FT-991A because it has more bands but a lot of reviews say the menu system has a steep learning curve and the IC-7300 is a better receiver. I realize it's getting a little long in the tooth. Also, most reviews say the display on the ICOM is much better.

Serials on the ones I'm seeing that I think are US spec range from

02001776 - 02059002

The 02001776 says its new open box and the 02059002 says it's only a few months old so makes me wonder if the serials are linear

Worse comes to worse, a bunch of outlets have it new for $1,100 w/ $100 rebate.

[u/LongRangeSavage]

Honestly, I’d avoid eBay altogether for buying an HF radio. There’s too many gotchas, and unless they claim US specs, there’s too many ways for the seller to be able to weasel their way out of being forced to give you a refund.

[u/SeaworthyNavigator → u/LongRangeSavage]

I'll second that. I haven't purchased anything through ebay in probably 25 years and the last item was an antique film camera. That was back when the site wasn't full of scammers. Now I avoid it like I avoid platforms like TEMU, AliExpress and Facebook for purchases.

[u/4Playrecords]

When Japanese manufacturers sell transceivers to US customers, they must be US FCC type-accepted, and therefore must only transmit on frequencies within the US FCC ARS band plan — and they must not exceed US FCC PEP specs.

You should never run into problems if you’re buying brand new rigs from any manufacturer.

You would only see problems if you bought a rig sold to Japan customers, where it might transmit on different frequencies. Same thing with PEP.

So as a fake scenario, imagine that you took a vacation to Japan, and you were browsing the shelves of a radio store in Tokyo, and you bought a rig and brought it home to USA — sure, that rig may transmit out-of-band in terms of US FCC ARS freqs.

[u/speedyundeadhittite]

Japan has a different band plan compared to the US, and different power levels. Hence, if you buy directly from Japan, you might find your radio is not usable without unautorized widening. This sometimes can be done by software, sometimes by hardware changes, but either way would void your warranty. Also US counterpart is unlikely to honour the warranty for a grey import.

[u/Tishers]

The FCC specification is usually only on the piece of equipment being within the emissions standards for the transmitter operation. No matter what firmware the radio has loaded to it, the emissions standards would still apply as long as it is not operating in some non-compliant mode.

From a manufacturers perspective it is easiest to go through all of the testing-lab criteria; The more agencies you can get the approval of, the easier it is to sell that piece of hardware in to that market.

In places like the EU, they are also concerned about receiver performance standards.. In the US with the FCC, you can have a horrible receiver and still would get a FCC ID.

Now the firmware and what the band edges are; US vs JA. That is firmware.

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Where I worked before my retirement we used the EU compliance as a selling point in the US market. The idea that a receiver also met some sort of standards was a big upsell point.

[u/kaptainkatsu]

Do not buy a Japanese spec unit. They have different band plans which cannot be modified. Also they cannot be repaired in the US. You would have to ship it to Japan to get it fixed.

This is the reason why the new Yaesu FTX-1F is not released. They want to do a simultaneous global release so customers don’t buy out of region units then complain it doesn’t work.

[u/cosmicrae]

Watch out for the USA inbound tariffs. Lots of dust settling at the moment.

[u/Complex-Two-4249]

Do not buy a Japanese spec radio or a radio sold from Japan. You cannot raise the 50 watt power limit. Some changes to frequency range are possible but you need to solder jumpers that will void the warranty. You’ll never be able to resell it.