I would love one to replace my ageing FT-817 - but the current price is far too high for a 10W rig. Hopefully, it will drift down to a more reasonable level after a few years and I'll look again at it.
Martin (G8FXC)
Compared to a Kx3 with a Px3 the price doesn't look so bad. It would be interesting to see how it measures up on the sherwood engineering receiver tests, QST, etc. Everyone posting YouTube videos seems to really like it so far.
Well, doesn't everyone really like a shiny new toy?
Like Martin, I've also got an FT-817 that I really like. I added a 500Hz CW filter, which makes it nice.
And I bought my FT-817 used, so it came with the TCXO in it already, which is extra nice, and the previous owner
had sent it back to Yaesu to have the updated final amplifier board put in (yes this is an old pre-ND model).
And the best part of my FT-817, is that it's already bought and paid for, and I only paid about 1/4 the price
of what the IC-705 is projected to cost. Which is a HUGE plus!
But for as nice as my FT-817 is, the IC-705 should run rings around it in the selectivity department.
Not even a Collins mechanical filter can slice up spectrum like a nice SDR can. You simply can't
implement a brick wall IF filter in the analog world for a price folks like us can afford. But you can do
that pretty effortlessly in the digital world. I got to play with a good SDR for a while on Field Day a
couple of years ago, on a crowded band with lots of CW signals that were tightly packed. My jaw
literally dropped when I got to experience the selectivity of that SDR under those conditions.
But the 705 has other features that feel a bit compelling, especially if you like to operate digital modes.
Once the early adopters work out the firmware glitches, I just may get a 705. But I'm in no hurry.
Besides, with everything shut down due to the Chinese virus, it'll allow me time to bolster the
radio fund while I wait.
73 de N8AUC
Eric