Bringing the Icom IC-735 Back to Life: A Repair Journey

 There’s something incredibly satisfying about taking something broken, something discarded, and giving it another chance. My recent adventure with an Icom IC-735 was exactly that: part repair, part detective work, and entirely rewarding.

When I first got my hands on the IC-735, it was completely lifeless—no power-on, no display, no signs of life. To most people, it looked like a lost cause. But to me, it was an opportunity to learn and, with a little patience, a chance to resurrect a piece of radio history.

The initial investigation didn’t disappoint—it was a mess.
The capacitors, which are often the first to go in older equipment, were in bad shape, and some had leaked corrosive electrolyte onto the PCB. Traces near the power supply input were eaten away, cutting off key connections. Even worse, a diode near the PSU input had blown, blocking power from reaching the regulators entirely. And, as if to add insult to injury, the 5V regulator responsible for powering the CPU was also fried.

It was clear I had my work cut out for me.

I started with the basics: replacing the bad capacitors and repairing the damaged traces. Cleaning the corrosion off the board felt like archaeology—uncovering layers of history to reveal the original design. Once the traces were repaired, I installed a new diode to restore power flow and swapped out the failed 5V regulator.

With everything replaced, I carefully reassembled enough of the radio for a test. These moments are always nerve-wracking. Would it power on? Did I miss something? I connected it to my power supply, double-checked all the connections, and flipped the switch.

The display flickered to life, casting a warm green glow that felt like a reward for hours of meticulous work. It was alive again. The first time I heard it pull in signals, that feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming. This wasn’t just about fixing a radio; it was about preserving something special, something that still had more to give. 

Moments like this remind me why I’m so drawn to this hobby. There’s something magical about bringing old gear back to life. It’s not just the technical challenge—it’s the sense of connection to the past and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve saved something that others might have written off.

And, of course, a project like this isn’t without its detours. While I was tracing one issue, I couldn’t help but think of how much this process mirrors life itself. Sometimes, things seem irreparably broken. You hit dead ends, and it feels like the problem is too big to solve. But with persistence (and maybe some schematics), you slowly piece things back together.

She’d probably laugh if she knew how much time I spent on this thing. Without even trying, she says things which get me started on other trains of thought, even while I’m neck-deep in a project.

In the end, fixing this IC-735 was more than just a repair job. It was a reminder that no matter how daunting a challenge looks, there’s always a way forward and usually it is quite simple with a bit of analysis. Sometimes, you just need to replace a diode, fix a trace, or swap out a regulator to get things running again.