This is my first attempt at a review of a radio. Unboxing the radio I realised it looked and felt very modern and very different to my other QRP radio the Yaesu FT-817 which I had owned for many years and which had delivered excellent service and had accompanied me on many trips both in the UK and abroad.
Before buying the radio I had a number of requirements:
- Portability
- Built in battery
- Ability to run data modes with the minimum of cabling
- Wide coverage, I only wanted one radio for HF and VHF/UHF
- Good sensitivity
- Easy to operate
- Could be used QRO if need be with a suitable amplifier
- Preferably a built in ATU
After much deliberation, fuelled in part by the high cost I decided to purchase the IC-705 which met most but not all of the criteria as there is NO built in tuner. I did however purchase a small separate tuner (more on that later)