Hi Jason, as I commented on one of your previous videos, stage one of my plan complete. I sold my TH-D74 to ML&S. Just bought a Boafeng UV-S9. Icom IC-705 is planned for February once Christmas is out of the way ;-) I'm absorbing every bit of information about the IC-705 that I can! ;-)
Many thanks for the review! I'm no longer interested in hiking to a remote location to set up a station for the afternoon. Early onset of arthritis in both knees took care of that and forced me into early retirement from my geological consulting practice. At this time, I am most interested in pulling up to a roadside park or into an area of a state or national park where I can set up an EFHW or the My Goto2 antenna (from TN07)m without having to walk far from my truck. My preferred rigs for that are the G90 and the X6100. I recently acquired an FX-4CR, and I am looking forward to becoming well-acquainted with that little 20W HF radio. I think I'll be very happy with it. I would like to pick up an IC-705, but I can't convince myself that I want to splurge another $1400 or more for that or acquire something like the Elecraft KH1 (Edgewood Package). 73 KI5KET
Thank you, very useful video. I wish you could perhaps focus on the experiential aspect of each feature i.e. filters, receiving sensitivity, selection comparison. In addition, it think adding written text on your videos would improve its reach and make it more memorable. Especially if you could summarize all the differences in the written text on the video at the end would really help.
Thank you for the comparison of these qrp radios, Jason. Obviously the 705 is the most versatile of all of the units, but the price is hard to justify. '73 Glenn Thompson ke4hzc
Looks as if we have to wait for the MKII Version with Tuner and bigger battery (one that is capable of delivering full power)! Why the hell did Icom not include a tuner in this take-away-radio?? Even as an addon board. They are so incredibly small these days. Elecraft showed that it is no problem. A portable HF-radio of this price should need no further external devices.
The X5105 is a great little QRP radio, battery will last many hrs, good tuner but I usually used multiband EFHW 49:1 because if my SWR is 10:1 then I'm loosing 66% of my 5 watts, if it's 4:1 I'd be loosing 44% of the 5 watts so for qrp a resonant antenna is much more important than a tuner. A EFHW 49:1 will ensure as much power is going to the antenna as possible as SWR is usually under 1.7:1 and can be 1.5:1 or lower on some bands, you do need a tuner for the non resonant bands so I'm not too bothered about having a tuner. The G90 is a decent radio but it's not the nicest radio to use, the buttons are horrible and the tuning knob is not nice to use. It's filtering isn't the best, the 891 filters are way better. The screen is useless, I'd rather the ability to plug into the laptop and control it like a proper sdr transceiver for larger waterfall. For digi modes the G90 is great though. The FT-891 is the same size, a bit heavier but can run 5, 20, 50 or 100 watts and it's got a fantastic receiver and audio via headphones. It's one radio I'll never sell. I don't have a 705 and at 1500 Euro's I won't, it's just not worth that money for 10 watts and only 5 on battery is a real joke, they couldn't even put a proper 12 v battery in there in this day and age......it's a cool radio and great features but they price makes it more expensive than a 7300....... An 891 + EFHW + XGGCOMMS interface for Digital and you still got a tonne of cash left over. In fact my 891 + Chameleon MPAS 2.0 was cheaper than the 705........
o00scorpion00o, Very appreciative your comments. When I read them I catch my mind that we are almost always on the same page. Does Xiegu x5105 had hiss noise like in G90 or x5105 superhet much better (less noisy)?
@@rst5nn yes the 5105 has a hiss making headphones almost impossible to use. xiegu are working on a new portable radio the x6100. check out the link below, looks a like a great radio with really good features but too many radio manufacturers don't think of the actual sound quality today which i think is much more important than anything this is why i love my ft-891 so much it sounds amazing with my snnheiser pair of headphones. I think Yaesu have the edge when it comes to sound quality.
@@o00scorpion00o Totally agree, we recently discussed that sound quality of FT-891 is better than ic7300. Due to hiss noise I sold my G90. That is why I very like QCX due high quality very low noise amplifies. I also looking for some portable (QRP but not necessary) rig without hiss noise. But it seems like it is more important for marketing to have 100+ features which you never use instead of quiet receiver, good audio quality, sharp filters and properly working AGC.
@@rst5nn yes agree 100%, I think sdr introduces a harshness to the audio not just hiss although my Airspy HF+ sounds pretty fantastic i have to say. my Friends Kenwood TS-590SG sounds a lot better too than my 7300. i wonder what the Ic-705 sounds like ? Have you looked into getting a Elecraft Kx2 or Kx3 ? they are supposed to have excellent receivers and sound quality but pity no proper lithium battery for the Kx3. The Kx2 and 3 need an update.
@@o00scorpion00o I have DIY rig for fields (you can see it on my qrz.com page EW1AEI ), which totally analogue superheterodyne. But it is very basic and I'd like to have different set of filters, better design and ergonomics. I am investigating market right now. There are a few rigs like: mcHF, x5105, TX500, KX2. But only KX2 is time proven rig with nice features, receiver and ergonomics. Also there is Lab599 TX-500, but some experienced HAMs says that firmware is a little bit under baked (some says that G90 receiver is less noisy). Thus, KX2 seems to me the right choice but I'd like to check or wait something new but not expensive as ic705.
Apple packs very well, Orange packs similar to apple and can be rationed but off gasses. Tomato doesn't pack well at all unless green. Peach packs ok unless punctured causing leakage.
Another good comparison videos is what they sound like on the air, the frequency range of each radio and operations on different modes. If you have a Discovery QRP radio (can't remember who makes it), that would make a great wild card to throw in as well. I do plan on getting a IC 705 in the near future. By doing some comparison videos with other QRP rigs, I'd like to see what other options are on the market. 73, W4ISB
Good to know about 1.77 - I was aware of the bugs in 1.75 so I hadn't bothered to update to that one yet. If 1.77 is good, I will make plans to load it.
Unless you are backpacking in, weight is not so critical. The G90 has the best tuner of most radios and will match just about anything. The G90 along with the IC-705 both have band scopes which are very handy. The IC-705, like the popular IC-7300 is touch screen menu driven and easy to use but there is no ATU so you will need resonant antennas or a tuner. I have a G-90 and battery packs and the options for antennas is great.
But, weight is only one aspect. We are not speaking about feathers, its Radios. Your milage may very? I not sure I would want a 705, on battery at 5w and no Tuner. Still need battery at full tx.
To me the 705 is not the best bang for the dollar or the best for backpacking due to its size but I will trade that for ease of operation as I have had a 7100 and a 51A since their inception and are thus familiar with the Icom format. Jut waiting for hopeful Hamvention discount.
Hello Jason, I would like to see a receive comparison between the G90 and the 705 as well as the other radios. I own a G90 and have been looking at acquiring a 705. I think the best way to do it would be to have all of the radios feeding off the same antenna and just using a switch to switch between the different radios. Thank you for your consideration and keep up the excellent content. 73 de W6CPL
Jason, could you talk about the modes and other functions which make those radios unique? Also would you talk about cost on those four radios? Thanks. 73
Receive audio quality on the 5105 is disappointing. I hope firmware fixes that but not holding my breath on any further updates beyond ver 3. It’s been out awhile
If the zombies were coming and you had to get the hell out of Dodge, with the condition,. You could only take one radio for two years period of near isolation. Which radio would you take?
I know a Ham who has the 818 and I knew from talking to him on air something was wrong with his audio it just had no punch then I found out the 818 has no processor, I couldn't believe it, you really need processor with 5 watts. The X5105 is a great little qrp radio and sounds good on air.
If you are looking for longest range, QPR probably isn't what you want. The different between 5 watts and 20 watts is negligible. QRP rigs are mostly for folks who want to go out into the field and operate while carrying light-weight packs or small equipment
I don't see a need for WiFi, Bluetooth or D-Star. G90 all day long. The G90 has been very good for me. I would like to try the KX3. But I can get a nice Alpha Antenna and a G90 and still have money left over... So sorry Icom and Elecraft.
Bluetooth is great. There is no reason to not built that into newly developed radios. A wireless mic is so much better than a cable! No defectice pins, broken cable, freedom of movement. And Bluetooth could be used for so much more, think only about connection to a smartphone, remote control, recording etc.. Cables and connections are a source of malfunction, sooner or later.
No, it's required performan, required peripherals and weight. Not so simple. Like the channel. However, if you watch a channel and can't read a cutsheet, that's in you.
Your weight comparison is flawed. In order to compare the 705 to the KX3 you actually need to compare it to the KX3 and PX3 as the 705 has the build in pan adapter.
Waste of 17min of my life. It's not a comparison, it's weighting of radios, like in boxing before tournaments. I think you tubers should respect viewers time
@Ham Radio 2.0 All this info is in specs. If some people like it, it doesn't mean this is a useful video. At least, it should be named differently. It's deceiving, and it's not comparison as many expects. It's a weight comparison.
Lots of people are interested in the weights of these radios because they take them hiking and on SOTA. If that isn't you, then move on and find something else you like. Complaining is childish
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Hi Jason, as I commented on one of your previous videos, stage one of my plan complete. I sold my TH-D74 to ML&S. Just bought a Boafeng UV-S9. Icom IC-705 is planned for February once Christmas is out of the way ;-) I'm absorbing every bit of information about the IC-705 that I can! ;-)
Great to hear!
Many thanks for the review! I'm no longer interested in hiking to a remote location to set up a station for the afternoon. Early onset of arthritis in both knees took care of that and forced me into early retirement from my geological consulting practice. At this time, I am most interested in pulling up to a roadside park or into an area of a state or national park where I can set up an EFHW or the My Goto2 antenna (from TN07)m without having to walk far from my truck. My preferred rigs for that are the G90 and the X6100. I recently acquired an FX-4CR, and I am looking forward to becoming well-acquainted with that little 20W HF radio. I think I'll be very happy with it. I would like to pick up an IC-705, but I can't convince myself that I want to splurge another $1400 or more for that or acquire something like the Elecraft KH1 (Edgewood Package).
73
KI5KET
Thank you Jason! I was also wanting to see in the mix a Lab599 Discovery TX-500.
Me too. I've been trying to get ahold of one but haven't been able to.
Jason can you make an in-depth video for the KX-3!
Thank you, very useful video. I wish you could perhaps focus on the experiential aspect of each feature i.e. filters, receiving sensitivity, selection comparison. In addition, it think adding written text on your videos would improve its reach and make it more memorable. Especially if you could summarize all the differences in the written text on the video at the end would really help.
Thank you for the comparison of these qrp radios, Jason. Obviously the 705 is the most versatile of all of the units, but the price is hard to justify. '73 Glenn Thompson ke4hzc
Looks as if we have to wait for the MKII Version with Tuner and bigger battery (one that is capable of delivering full power)!
Why the hell did Icom not include a tuner in this take-away-radio?? Even as an addon board. They are so incredibly small these days. Elecraft showed that it is no problem.
A portable HF-radio of this price should need no further external devices.
For the price you would be very hard pressed to beat the Xiegu G90
Kinda...depends on what you are wanting. The KX3 is a better radio, overall. The 705 has more options/features.
Good stuff really enjoyed the comparison - quite a collection! G90 and the 705 are both on my short list.
Glad you enjoyed!
The next one to compare is the Lab 599.
Would love to
The X5105 is a great little QRP radio, battery will last many hrs, good tuner but I usually used multiband EFHW 49:1 because if my SWR is 10:1 then I'm loosing 66% of my 5 watts, if it's 4:1 I'd be loosing 44% of the 5 watts so for qrp a resonant antenna is much more important than a tuner. A EFHW 49:1 will ensure as much power is going to the antenna as possible as SWR is usually under 1.7:1 and can be 1.5:1 or lower on some bands, you do need a tuner for the non resonant bands so I'm not too bothered about having a tuner.
The G90 is a decent radio but it's not the nicest radio to use, the buttons are horrible and the tuning knob is not nice to use. It's filtering isn't the best, the 891 filters are way better. The screen is useless, I'd rather the ability to plug into the laptop and control it like a proper sdr transceiver for larger waterfall.
For digi modes the G90 is great though.
The FT-891 is the same size, a bit heavier but can run 5, 20, 50 or 100 watts and it's got a fantastic receiver and audio via headphones. It's one radio I'll never sell.
I don't have a 705 and at 1500 Euro's I won't, it's just not worth that money for 10 watts and only 5 on battery is a real joke, they couldn't even put a proper 12 v battery in there in this day and age......it's a cool radio and great features but they price makes it more expensive than a 7300.......
An 891 + EFHW + XGGCOMMS interface for Digital and you still got a tonne of cash left over. In fact my 891 + Chameleon MPAS 2.0 was cheaper than the 705........
o00scorpion00o,
Very appreciative your comments. When I read them I catch my mind that we are almost always on the same page.
Does Xiegu x5105 had hiss noise like in G90 or x5105 superhet much better (less noisy)?
@@rst5nn yes the 5105 has a hiss making headphones almost impossible to use. xiegu are working on a new portable radio the x6100. check out the link below, looks a like a great radio with really good features but too many radio manufacturers don't think of the actual sound quality today which i think is much more important than anything this is why i love my ft-891 so much it sounds amazing with my snnheiser pair of headphones.
I think Yaesu have the edge when it comes to sound quality.
@@o00scorpion00o
Totally agree, we recently discussed that sound quality of FT-891 is better than ic7300. Due to hiss noise I sold my G90.
That is why I very like QCX due high quality very low noise amplifies.
I also looking for some portable (QRP but not necessary) rig without hiss noise. But it seems like it is more important for marketing to have 100+ features which you never use instead of quiet receiver, good audio quality, sharp filters and properly working AGC.
@@rst5nn yes agree 100%, I think
sdr introduces a harshness to the audio not just hiss although my Airspy HF+ sounds pretty fantastic i have to say.
my Friends Kenwood TS-590SG sounds a lot better too than my 7300.
i wonder what the Ic-705 sounds like ?
Have you looked into getting a Elecraft Kx2 or Kx3 ? they are supposed to have excellent receivers and sound quality but pity no proper lithium battery for the Kx3.
The Kx2 and 3 need an update.
@@o00scorpion00o
I have DIY rig for fields (you can see it on my qrz.com page EW1AEI ), which totally analogue superheterodyne. But it is very basic and I'd like to have different set of filters, better design and ergonomics.
I am investigating market right now. There are a few rigs like: mcHF, x5105, TX500, KX2.
But only KX2 is time proven rig with nice features, receiver and ergonomics.
Also there is Lab599 TX-500, but some experienced HAMs says that firmware is a little bit under baked (some says that G90 receiver is less noisy). Thus, KX2 seems to me the right choice but I'd like to check or wait something new but not expensive as ic705.
Apple, Orange, Tomato, Peach.... let's compare. :)
QRP = all
Apple packs very well, Orange packs similar to apple and can be rationed but off gasses. Tomato doesn't pack well at all unless green. Peach packs ok unless punctured causing leakage.
Another good comparison videos is what they sound like on the air, the frequency range of each radio and operations on different modes. If you have a Discovery QRP radio (can't remember who makes it), that would make a great wild card to throw in as well.
I do plan on getting a IC 705 in the near future. By doing some comparison videos with other QRP rigs, I'd like to see what other options are on the market.
73, W4ISB
That's coming
Shopping for a radio is so HARD!!
:)
Thank you for helping
🤜🏻👍🤛🏻♡♡♡
Weight comparison, very good. Important if you are climbing a mountain, or putting it on a pointy end of a rocket.
Yep!
Starting with Firmware 1.75, they added FM to the G90, but 1.75 had bugs. All ironed out on 1.77.
Good to know about 1.77 - I was aware of the bugs in 1.75 so I hadn't bothered to update to that one yet. If 1.77 is good, I will make plans to load it.
@@HamRadio2 OK, just don't use the update tool that comes with it. Use the older version of Terraterm. Is not Xiegu's fault, 73!
Unless you are backpacking in, weight is not so critical. The G90 has the best tuner of most radios and will match just about anything. The G90 along with the IC-705 both have band scopes which are very handy. The IC-705, like the popular IC-7300 is touch screen menu driven and easy to use but there is no ATU so you will need resonant antennas or a tuner. I have a G-90 and battery packs and the options for antennas is great.
True but lots of people have asked about the weight, specifically for backpacking and SOTA
But, weight is only one aspect. We are not speaking about feathers, its Radios. Your milage may very? I not sure I would want a 705, on battery at 5w and no Tuner. Still need battery at full tx.
Im totally not freaking out because he has the same kitchen scale, totally chill, toooootttally chillll
LOL
Is the receive on the G90 exactly like hearing the receive on the X5105? Or is it more sensitive and have a lower noise floor? Thanks!
Rob
To me the 705 is not the best bang for the dollar or the best for backpacking due to its size but I will trade that for ease of operation as I have had a 7100 and a 51A since their inception and are thus familiar with the Icom format. Jut waiting for hopeful Hamvention discount.
I don't think the 705 is best for backpacking if you are going for the lightest or smallest pack you can find.
Hello Jason, I would like to see a receive comparison between the G90 and the 705 as well as the other radios. I own a G90 and have been looking at acquiring a 705. I think the best way to do it would be to have all of the radios feeding off the same antenna and just using a switch to switch between the different radios. Thank you for your consideration and keep up the excellent content. 73 de W6CPL
Agreed. I have plans to do exactly that. I am planning to do some POTA with them during this comparison. Thanks for commenting.
Before you get a 705 see if you can try an elecraft radio. You might be suppressed.
Jason, could you talk about the modes and other functions which make those radios unique? Also would you talk about cost on those four radios? Thanks. 73
Sure
Receive audio quality on the 5105 is disappointing. I hope firmware fixes that but not holding my breath on any further updates beyond ver 3. It’s been out awhile
I have the KX3 and love it. the IC-705 looks like a nice rig but for the price they should have had an option for internal antenna tuner.
Agreed
I hope they will realize that and put out an MKII with Tuner and bigger battery.
Is the IC 705 the only one that is an all mode all band radio out of these four?
Out of these 4, yes. The KX3 has an optional module for 2M only.
There is a video of an ic705 being taken apart. It's a radio shop in japan I believe.
That would be interesting to watch
Easy choice - Only the IC-705 has the DV Mode!
I watch your great channel because you have every radio I want!!! Thank you and regards, 73 , de Karl KE3KWE
It's a shame you don't have a mcHF to compare its probability more Comparable to the other 2 than the G90
I have one of those in a kit that I am working on building.
If the zombies were coming and you had to get the hell out of Dodge, with the condition,. You could only take one radio for two years period of near isolation. Which radio would you take?
None of these. I'd want something with full power.
@@HamRadio2 the world would be very quiet, you wouldn't need much power to be heard. Silver linings 😄
@@3dPrint_and_chill Sunspots still have a vote.
FT-991A
What about the ft 818 and the 817?
I don't own either of those radios.
Ok
My ft-817 is over 2 and 1/2 pounds. 39.6oz with battery.
I know a Ham who has the 818 and I knew from talking to him on air something was wrong with his audio it just had no punch then I found out the 818 has no processor, I couldn't believe it, you really need processor with 5 watts. The X5105 is a great little qrp radio and sounds good on air.
@@o00scorpion00o many people have added a speech processor in the mic or the mic line for the FT817/8
Take a look at that Lab599 as well.
I've been trying to get ahold of one.
@@HamRadio2 They are hard to get at the moment. Mine has been backorder till late Nov. You may have to run over to HRO and borrow one.
@@TXLorenzo The HRO near me doesn't have any, already checked with them.
@@HamRadio2 They are popular at the moment. Lol
Bells and whistles are great but which radio has the longest range, where it can be consistently heard clearly?
If you are looking for longest range, QPR probably isn't what you want. The different between 5 watts and 20 watts is negligible. QRP rigs are mostly for folks who want to go out into the field and operate while carrying light-weight packs or small equipment
scale must think the ic-705 is weightess..... after all, when weighed, the scale returned 40.4 (not.found)....
LOL
So which one has the best front end? Brad KC6NNV
That's julian OH8STN
Yes, that is him
👍👏👏
I don't see a need for WiFi, Bluetooth or D-Star. G90 all day long. The G90 has been very good for me. I would like to try the KX3. But I can get a nice Alpha Antenna and a G90 and still have money left over... So sorry Icom and Elecraft.
Bluetooth is great. There is no reason to not built that into newly developed radios. A wireless mic is so much better than a cable! No defectice pins, broken cable, freedom of movement. And Bluetooth could be used for so much more, think only about connection to a smartphone, remote control, recording etc.. Cables and connections are a source of malfunction, sooner or later.
They could drop the DSTAR and not hurt my feelings at all. I do enjoy the Bluetooth though
Seventeen minutes to watch someone weigh four radios.
LOL. Yep.
You weigh in ounces? 88% of the world use grams.
The USA has the largest population of Hams in the world.
I think it was a joke.
High level as in its all about the weight? - omg wasted 10 minutes of my life there
Who on Earth cares what they weigh???
Everyone who has ever done, or wants to do, SOTA
No, it's required performan, required peripherals and weight. Not so simple. Like the channel. However, if you watch a channel and can't read a cutsheet, that's in you.
Your weight comparison is flawed. In order to compare the 705 to the KX3 you actually need to compare it to the KX3 and PX3 as the 705 has the build in pan adapter.
No he doesn’t. With that logic the G90 shouldn’t be included because it doesn’t have an internal battery.
The KX3 doesn't have the pan adapter built in like the 705 does. This was a comparison of the radios, not their accessories
Waste of 17min of my life. It's not a comparison, it's weighting of radios, like in boxing before tournaments. I think you tubers should respect viewers time
Interesting that everyone else liked it...
@Ham Radio 2.0 All this info is in specs. If some people like it, it doesn't mean this is a useful video. At least, it should be named differently. It's deceiving, and it's not comparison as many expects. It's a weight comparison.
13 minutes out of 17 is blah-blah-blah comparing weight of the rigs, ridiculous :)
Lots of people are interested in the weights of these radios because they take them hiking and on SOTA. If that isn't you, then move on and find something else you like. Complaining is childish
@@HamRadio2 LOL, Childish. Can you read a cutsheet?