Excellent job of stating your position. I was concerned about the high price, too. But I went ahead and made the purchase. No regret at all. A truly great device. Many people spend that much on a mobile phone. My expectations are exceeded.
Thanks for all your videos Tracy. I have almost seen them all and they inform and entertain me very much indeed! Please keep making them and stay safe! Danny, PE1PDS
Thanks for sharing your thoughts which are similar to mine. I also only run QRP SSB when I'm out portable, but I have a Xiegu G90. Small radio, runs 20w and has a built in tuner.
In a way I agree with you, I do own a 705 and it's a fantastic radio with a great front end, I've had the radio since it's launch and now I've had it a while the initial novelty of the radio has worn off but it'll still make up the majority of my portable activity the rest of the time I'll still be using my trustee ft-817 for all the places I need a reasonably rugged radio, have owned a kx3 and still had it when I bought the 705 so had time to compare both radios side by side and on HF there's no difference on Rx but when it comes to ease of use and onboard facilities for me the 705 has it, thanks for the video Tracy looking forward for the next one, Adam G7CRQ
I appreciate the video and you have some very good points that people should consider. I have both the 7300 and 9700 and have just added the 705 to my Icom/radio gear! I have many uses for the 705 in addition to QRP that I really love it for so in my case it will not just be sitting around when I am not able to operate QRP! While I agree that it is rather expensive and chances are the price will come down and may not make much sense to some it was just the radio I had been waiting several years for in my case! It sure will be interesting to see what Yaesu’s response will be to the 705. It took 4yrs for Yaesu to respond to the Icom 7300 with the FTDX10 and hopefully it will not take that long for them to respond to the 705! The manufacturer competitiveness really helps the HAM radio hobby with more innovative products do to the their competition with one another! I am very excited to see what the future holds for radios and gear that will be coming out! 73
It is an expensive radio and yes the price will come down over time. A few points however. 1: QRP and digital are a perfect match, so your missing out on a lot if you’re only doing SSB. To each his own. 2: It’s the only QRP radio that enables you to do everything through a single cable (or no cable over Wi-Fi) such as accessing the integrated sound card, rig control, and GPS for location and time. 3: Ease of use is unmatched. 4: Fun. I own a lot of radios and have to say that the 705 is my absolute favorite to use at this time. Overall this radio is a game changer for QRP and will drive the industry in the right direction. If you can afford one, I can’t recommend it enough. If you can’t, the good news is that competitors will come and prices will fall overtime. Just my two cents.
Tracy, I enjoy your videos and that includes this one as well. It’s nice to see a video take a contrary position based on well thought points like the ones you made. Like you, I enjoy operating outdoors and oftentimes bring along my wife (KI4HHI) to do SOTA & POTA. We’ve used an FT-817 for years and we still own it, but the 705 is our new go to portable radio. We were lucky enough to get one of the first US shipments in late summer of last year. Having an all-band, all-mode radio with a screen we can actually see (love the 817, but as I get older that little screen is tough to see) is incredible. In fact, I love the 705 so much it’s kind of hard to use the 7300 at home. Yes the 7300 has more TX power, but the 705 has more features and the recent firmware upgrade actually added even more features. Indeed, the price will come down once demand subsides. The 705 is so useful, I find myself putting it on a camera stand near my home computer and use it to work repeaters and listen to the radio (FM, air, SWL, etc.) while I’m working from home. I wondered about the usefulness of a spectrum scope, but now that I have it - it’s hard to use a radio without one. The 705 exceeded my expectations and even though I’ve had it for over five months, I’m still learning how to use all the features. The plug-and-play digital modes are incredibly useful compared to the kludgy sound-card interfaces needed for the 817 and 897. Although I’ll keep those legacy Yaesu models around, the 705 is our new favorite radio. We brought it to Winter Field Day last weekend and it was an instant hit. Using an EFHW 10/20/40 antenna, we made a contact from south of Atlanta (where we’re located) up to Gatineau, Quebec on 5 watts SSB using the 705. It’s a great rig, worth every dollar to us. Thanks for your videos and keep up the great work. 73 de KI4HHI es KI4ASK.
Another great video with fantastic points. I echo your predication and will continue to take along my trusty FT-818 for my SOTA activations until the IC-705 drops below the $1,000.00 price point.
Hello Tracy, I for 95% agree with you, except for the fact that I'm not going to wait as you mention at the end of the video for the price to drop. I have an 818ND, I like things basic nowadays. One thing I can add is that in the past I had a fully stuffed KX3, the price for that was even higher than the IC-705 now.
Tracy, for cheap Luddites you're absolutely spot on, LOL! Your rationale is exactly why I wasn't an early adopter of the 705. I have a 7300 and a 9700 (and still using my 706MKIIG) but eventually succumbed to the lure of the 705's portability. I travel a lot and the 705's all mode, all band capability really fit a niche spot in my kit. Great video! 73
I have an FT 857D and an FT 897, both light enough for portable (from car to park bench) and appropriate antenna systems for portable as well. If I want QRP I have enough sense to turn down the power on either of these radios. I don't need a QRP only radio in my ling up. On the plus side, either of these radios will serve very well as a base station, and with a few quick disconnects they become portable/mobile. You defined the exact reason why, like you, I won't be buying the IC-705. Good review, and don't take so long between videos.
Hi Tracy. Just trying to get caught up on your videos. I’m commenting because I want you to know that I really appreciate your excellent videos and your gentlemenley (if that’s a word) presentations. Keep up the great work.
Very interesting watch, well thought out. I'm thinking about this radio from the point of view of just owning 1 radio... fun for portable and plug into an amp for use at a base. You have convinced me to wait and look around a bit more, so thanks for that!
I totally agree with your thoughts and assessment of the new Icom qrp rig. Having said that I spend part of every day playing with my 705 that I would probably not own if there was no pandemic/lockdown. I was not aware of the Lab599 rig until after I got the 705 or things may well be different with my shack and future portable ops. 73 and thanks for making good quality/interesting videos Tracy. You got me into qrp, something I never used to have much interest in other than having HF when camping.
Hi Tracy, nice and thought out review as always,...I have followed yr channel for acouple of years now, and like yr consistentcy in yr reviews. I have to say Im after a superhet radio, as the sdr is taking over, I think my 897D(s) are supurb, I use my 991a as often as I can portable, the 705 n 7300 are both game changers in the hobby, for sure. But Im not interested, at least at the moment to buy. I may splash out on a new rig for the qth. I have 6 hf rigs and 3 are purchased used, including my base unit, FTdx3000, so sediments are are similiar. Even my diamond mobile antennas are hand me downs, but give excellent performance, In todays uncertain economic times, it is wise to tighten the belt and enjoy what we have,.. cheers as always, and 73
Tracy, you always do such thoughtful videos that are thoroughly enjoyable to watch. I remember commenting on what I believe to have been your first foray into outdoor ops when you sat in a tent on FD amidst a rainstorm with your beloved 817 and made contacts.
