Hmmm.... What would be the PERFECT radio for me? 1) The weight of a kx2 2) the ruggedness of the 891 (or purportedly the Lab 599 TX-500) 3) 100 watts (or as close to it as engineeringly possible) 4) all band / all mode like the 857 4) the beauty of the Icom waterfall 5) wideband receive, but without overloading issues. 6) built in tuner 7) two antenna connectors for hf and uhf/vhf like the 857 8) a bunch of built in filters and noise reduction 9) a digital modes preset button like the 705 10) an upward facing display like the xiegu 6100 (easier when sitting on the ground) 11) the menu functionality of the Icoms 12) Effortless and reliable computer interfacing 13) Knobs and connectors that can be easily well protected 14) ...and a cage with my call sign engraved in it (just to keep with the kitschy look of my 705) In other words, I am really torn about this particular radio. It is intriguing, just like the Lab 599 was. But what I really really want just doesn't exist... Mindy
You've just described the FT-867.. hi. We've been waiting for it's arrival for over a dozen years. 73
I want a HF radio that's smaller than the KX2, native vertical display orientation like a FM HT, 10 watts out, removable battery, tuner, waterfall, over 100 memories, mobile charging/antenna dock, and auto release spring-loaded internal keyer paddle that pops out when you toggle the mode to CW. Yes, I want too much.
IC-705 killer? Not likely, but it might create it's own niche. Seems like an interesting rig that could fit between the lower priced QRP rigs (FT-818, X5105 etc.) and the premium rigs (Elecraft KX series, IC-705, etc.) but there's a lot of guessing and speculation at this point. The short operating video is over a month old now so no one really knows what the final product will actually be until someone decides to pony up for one and put it through it's paces when it's available. Icom has been selling the 705 at or near it's introductory price for a year or so now. I'm guessing they may have left room to lower the price, offer rebates, or put it on sale occasionally, so the price difference may not be as much of a factor in the long run.
I never said, that I want to buy such kind of radio. I am not really active in the shortwave range. It was only the price and where to buy, which information missed in the video.
Sure. Some people buy new toys just to play new toys. Lower priced QRP radios begin from ~$120 (~$160 with built-in battery). Look for 'uSDX' at ebay/aliexpress/etc. I didn't evaluate them so I can say nothing about them except retail price that itself sets new lowest limit for ready made HF radios. They're polished. They can be switched on and operated as expected (and even as advertised). One has not to wait for endless bugs will be fixed with future firmware updates, if ever. And they're far more advanced in terms of engineering. I'd vote for them by my dollar. With noticeable higher street price they have far better price/quality ratio. And they're covered with warranty. A buyer is protected within limited still real warranty and after the warranty a buyer may expect for paid service and for spares availability during some (many) years. With these Chinese radios you're left alone. I could risk with really cheap radios like mentioned above but I'm not gonna risk with half of street price of a good radio. It has no real rivals. I'm with you. But why should they drop the price if sales go pretty good? They will probably lower the price a while but I'd not expect for any huge drop.
Yeah, I'm with you. The perfect radio doesn't exist. I have the 705 and the 891 and both are good radios and both are bad radios...
Yeah I've seen those, but I hadn't considered the sub $200 rigs as lower priced, I think of those as bottom of the budget types, almost a throw away item if they fail. Might be fun to play with for a bit, but not serious contenders (in my opinion) with the rigs I mentioned. While the 705 might not seem to have any real rivals currently, something like the 6100 could potentially take some market share away from Icom and other manufacturers of QRP rigs. Some customers in the market for a QRP rig may think it's close enough or good enough for them. Icom might start looking at their pricing at that point, and I'm guessing most people that really wanted the 705 may already have one. A lower price of any sort could entice some new buyers currently on the fence. I prefer something more simple but a lower price on the 705 would make it an attractive option even for myself. Icom did the same with other models like the 7300 that can be had for quite a bit less money than when first introduced. Regardless of what the 6100 turns out to be I think it's interesting that there are new companies entering the market which will likely have the major players paying attention.
