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Icom IC-705 Price Is Icom targeting the KX2 Market?

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by OH8STN, Dec 18, 2019.

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  1. KE0EYJ

    KE0EYJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Well, first of all, your response is in error. Please read again, and note that I was talking about a lack of JS8 signals, here in Korea. I did mention that FT8 was heard.

    As per your 7300 comments...

    The Icom 7300 lacks the quality front-end protection of a roofing filter. It's digital filter simply does not measure up, and it's why the 7610 does have additional filtering. The 7300 and the 705 (as I have so far seen) do not have such filtering. People understand not to run the Amp. That is not an excuse for the problem. The IP+ function simply does nothing, here, and is essentially unrelated to the issue of urban city noise.

    The 7300 being overwhelmed at the front end is the issue. Run the ATT, use IP+, play with the RF gain, make sure your Amp is off on RX -- it makes no difference.

    Basic entry-level radio. No special filtering for the front end. Barn door, in that respect.
     
  2. KA4DPO

    KA4DPO Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    Before I would blindly accept the notion that this radio would provide less adequate filtering than a KX2, I would have to see the specs, and actually operate one. I honestly think it will provide equal or better performance on CW. The IC-7300 front end can be overwhelmed if you don't know what you are doing. The Elecraft is much easier for many to use because it is an old fashioned analog front end.

    Once you learn how to properly use the IC-7300, it is an outstanding little rig, and provides good signal handling provided that you don't operate right next to a KW station. But if you did operate right next to a KW station, the Elecrafts would also suffer from overload. Maybe when the KX4 comes out you will tell us all how great SDR is.
     
    SE3X and K0UO like this.
  3. WD4IGX

    WD4IGX Ham Member QRZ Page

    That's a detailed description of what YOU may need. It's not fair to say it's "what WE really need."

    They sound like a good list for a military field radio but I don't "go radioing" in those kinds of conditions. Most of that would add a lot of expense and not be of any interest to me and, I suspect, many others.
     
    K7LZR and K0UO like this.
  4. WD4IGX

    WD4IGX Ham Member QRZ Page

    I'm struck mostly by the apparent 20% VAT there. I had no idea it was that much. Sheesh.
     
  5. WD4IGX

    WD4IGX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Especially when Gigaparts will take your reservation without money down.

    I'd like to have one of these but not $1200 badly. I'm with the other folks saying I'll let people buy them, work out the version 1.0 bugs, decide they aren't for them, then sell. Or at least wait for the new price to come down. Based on the 7300 prices I've yet to see a used one for a price that didn't make me say, "for the difference I'd buy new" and that may be the case, but the new price has also declined substantially since they came out so either way, I'll wait.
     
    KA4DPO likes this.
  6. WD4IGX

    WD4IGX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Nonsense. I worked all over the world with 2W output from an Argonaut 509 with just a folded dipole back when I started out. Of course band conditions were much butter, but I was also 6db down from 10W output AND this was all on CW. Combine this radio with narrow band digital modes and you can make all kinds of contacts, and plenty on CW as well. If you stick to SSB you're probably closer to correct.
     
    KA4DPO, K0UO and US7IGN like this.
  7. KC3MIO

    KC3MIO XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Five watts gets me to the west coast USA and into Europe from Pennsylvania , not always, but often enough. QRP can be tough at times, but is offset by the 599 reports I get.
     
    WD4IGX likes this.
  8. WW2PT

    WW2PT Ham Member QRZ Page

    I worked some pretty good DX in 2019 just casually operating 5w CW. Many were Caribbean chip-shots, but a number of 6000-9000+ km contacts (VP6, FP, S5, SV, UA, 5N).

    Operating QRP during solar minimum is not impossible. It’s not even difficult. All it takes is patience, some basic knowledge of propagation, and spending a lot of time tuning around to find DX calling CQ before being spotted on the DX Clusterfark.
     
    WD4IGX likes this.
  9. 2E0TWD

    2E0TWD Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    Don’t get me started, hi hi.
     
    WD4IGX likes this.
  10. K7LZR

    K7LZR Ham Member QRZ Page


    True enough, and that's just the beauty of it - we each have our ideas of the perfect rig. For me, its something a bit less flimsy etc. but for most folks this new IC-705 will be just perfect :).
     

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