Yup. That's kind of where I am too. I want a 705, even though I doubt I'd use it much right now, but by the same token I never buy anything complex like a radio when it's first released. By the time 705s are actually available, and then have a year or two for the early adopters to work out the bugs, I may be in a position to actually enjoy one and buy it.
I have never met a connector that I personally considered rugged enough. I seem to be hell on connectors, period. But of all the ones that are not rugged enough (all of them) the RJ-45 is one of the least rugged enough, at least in my use.
Chances are the keyboard you're typing on and perhaps even the computer it's connected to was made in China. I have no problem with Chinese products if they work. Some stuff is really cheap crap, but a lot of the "electronics" products aren't. The Xiegu seems (so far) to be well-made and well thought-out. My only "American made" rigs are the KX2, a Ten Tec Jupiter and a Drake TR-7, plus an old Collins 75A-4. I do have an Ameritron AL-80B amp which is American-made but of course uses a Chinese tube and lots of "parts" (components) that are manufactured in China since nobody in America makes them. My beam antennas are all American-made, as is my tower and rotator. I "buy American" even when it costs more, when I can. I still buy American-made jeans, belts, shoes, suits, shirts and underwear and they do cost more. Have some clothes made in Italy, and they cost more, too.
Show me an S meter that is REALLY calibrated at 6db per S unit. I have never, ever, used one that I thought was remotely so, regardless of what references say on the matter. Wasn't there something posted on here not long ago showing that most modern rigs are closer to 3db? Further, I've run a lot of QRP in the old years. I can tell you that whatever the books say, the change from 5 watts to 20 watts is HUGE, and actually way bigger than the jump from, say, 20 to 80 - or even 100. It doesn't make theoretical sense, but it's true. There is some threshold below which it's just hard to be heard over noise, which obviously varies greatly with band, mode, nearby noise sources, and of course, yes of course antenna, and with most set ups that threshold seems to be somewhere between, where 20W is downright easy to make about as many contacts as you want, and at 5W you often struggle for them. (Well, on CW 5W is rarely a struggle, but you will still really notice a jump from 5 to 20. You will barely, if at all, notice a jump from 20W to even 100W on CW.)
You think I don't know that? I've told other people how it's IMPOSSIBLE to never buy anything made in China. And it basically is unless you go mostly off grid and make stuff yourself etc. Even Japanese companies have Chinese factories. But if it's made in Russia then it's NOT made in China. That's a significant, though not determine, difference to me. And it's not so much "it's not made in the US" as specifically in China but any more would need to move to another section in the paid subscriber area.
Perceived truth and math can be two different things. As long as you think it's a HUGE difference good for you. By the math....no it's not much at all. Here's a great video dispelling all the hugeness.
10W to 20W is 3 dB. Actually, it's 10* [log(10) 20/10] = 3.010299957 dB. That's both the new math and the old math.
SDRs usually are, or at least easily can be. Most display signal level in -dBm (the Xiegu does, so do other SDRs I'm familiar with) and checking that display vs. applied signal from my NIST traceable lab-calibrated HP 8640B signal generator, it reads very, very accurately. So, it's easy to see a 3 dB difference. But, more importantly it's easy to "detect" a 3 dB difference when signals are close to the noise level. On 40m, a -107 dBm signal is very readable; a -110 dBm signal is not (with antenna connected, typical atmospheric noise conditions, SSB bandwidth 2.7 kHz). (CW in narrower BW, the signal level numbers can be 6-10 dB lower but the difference between "readable" and not remains the same.)
Catch up -- it's actually "Russian" stuff (the Lab599). That doesn't bother me; but lack of communications and possibly lack of tech support post-sale might bother me, especially since it's not a cheap trinket but a $750 product.
I’m not sure I’d pay 800.00 dollars for it, no tuner, on first look is nice ..BUT...???? I've been monitoring since the beginning of the first publication, it's always moved to the second season, and 2020...for the sales. 73's
Steve, This comes close to what you want but uses a bigger 12 amp hour LiFePO4 battery. I designed this for my own G90 but I will have them available in the near future. You just screw the 4 rubber feet onto your G90, strap the G90 into the mount and then you can carry the whole rig around with the front handle. My Daughter Natalie (W0NJN) calls this the "PIG" looks a bit a pig with the front feet tilted down. So I made up the acronym Portable Integrated Gokit I can work all afternoon with this battery from Bioenno Power https://www.bioennopower.com/collec...ts/copy-of-12v-12ah-lfp-battery-pvc-blf-1212w. Love my G90! But I will also probably order a TX-500. I have been waiting for it to be available.
Although it is less expensive than an Icom IC-705, there are many reasons that would cause me to choose the 705.
Yep. But I maintain that all the radios we have been discussing hit different niches. For instance, my interests are in backpack-ability, so I’m still happy with my KX2 or KX1 or MTR-3b. That doesn’t keep me from admiring the TX-500 case, however.
