Has it always been this hard for everyone else to decide on which HF radio to purchase. I have been lookout the Yaesu FT-710 AESS for it portability and it's antenna tuner system. I have also been looking at the FT-891 as a first radio to that maybe better for a first radio purchase. Of coarse it lacks the auto turner as well as some other things that the FT-710 provides. As a first radio set up and portability in mind are either of these radios a no go for my first radio. The FT-891 may have a simpler learning curve but does that really matter? I am still leaning toward the FT-710 AESS. I would like to get others input.
I just can't decide on a HF radio...
- Thread starter billdean
- Start date
Have you looked at the Icom IC-7300? I have had Yaesu all my radio life and love them. I always use external tuner with mine even though both my main radios have internal tuners. I keep mine in the house and not portable.
I have Yaesu FT-736R x 2, FT-847,FT-100D,FT-990,FT-1000D. Then the IC-7000.
If I do a replacement in the house it will be either the FT-991A or IC-7300
I have Yaesu FT-736R x 2, FT-847,FT-100D,FT-990,FT-1000D. Then the IC-7000.
If I do a replacement in the house it will be either the FT-991A or IC-7300
kg4ehv
Member
Also the new IC-7300 MKII looks good.
A lot of hams get the cart before the horse. They buy equipment and then try to figure out what they want to do with it. It's not just ham radio. Same can be said for musicians, photographers, motorcyclists, golfers, gardeners, you name it. It's called GAS--Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
What do you want to do with an HF radio? If you are primarily going to use it at home, I'd go for a larger radio such as the FT-710 or IC-7300. Radios in this class usually have an internal antenna matching unit, aka "tuner". But, you may want to figure out your antenna first since the internal tuners in most modern radios have a limited SWR range over which they will tune. If you are stuck with a non-resonant antenna, you'll need an external tuner. If you want to do POTA activations, a smaller, lighter radio might be more appropriate. I know POTA ops who rave about the FT-891, but I've watched them operate and I think it'd be difficult to navigate the menus...which I'm sure you'd learn over time.
Have you tried to get involved with an amateur radio club in your area? There might be someone in the club who has a radio you can borrow to help you understand your needs. The club members may also help with your antenna.
What do you want to do with an HF radio? If you are primarily going to use it at home, I'd go for a larger radio such as the FT-710 or IC-7300. Radios in this class usually have an internal antenna matching unit, aka "tuner". But, you may want to figure out your antenna first since the internal tuners in most modern radios have a limited SWR range over which they will tune. If you are stuck with a non-resonant antenna, you'll need an external tuner. If you want to do POTA activations, a smaller, lighter radio might be more appropriate. I know POTA ops who rave about the FT-891, but I've watched them operate and I think it'd be difficult to navigate the menus...which I'm sure you'd learn over time.
Have you tried to get involved with an amateur radio club in your area? There might be someone in the club who has a radio you can borrow to help you understand your needs. The club members may also help with your antenna.
I want to talk around the world to different places, and talk locally within the US. I would not probably do POTA as I am not into hiking unless I can drive to the site. The radio will be use as a home base but as well as a base station in my 5th wheel toy hauler. I believe the IC-7300 would work well in both those situation. I have not really looked at the IC-7300 as for some reason I was stuck on getting Yeasu radio. Don't really know why. I see they are have a good sale on the IC-7300 now as well a a manufacture rebate which may swing me toward one. Yes I am getting involve with a club 30 miles from here but they only meet the first Thursday of the month. I am also leaving for Arizona for the winter here the first part of November. I haven't looked into the clubs in Arizona, but will soon.
GadgetGeek
Member
The would be looking at the new IC-7300MK2. I own a 7300 and FT-DX10.
@billdean, I prefer the Yaesu and FlexRadio Systems brands over Icom and Kenwood. Yaesu has Fusion and WIRES-X which I like better than the D-STAR that Icom and Kenwood share. Of course, that may not apply to this purchase unless you want stick to a particular brand for your station build-out. Yaesu and FlexRadio rigs are always on my radar for my next HF purchase. But in any case, Yaesu, like FlexRadio, Icom, and Kenwood, are all rock-solid brands. I love my FlexRadio FLEX-6500 and also like their current models. I shy away from the Icom and Kenwood brands only because they have D-STAR which I am not a fan of due to the way it functions. For you, you may not have been exposed to Fusion/WIRES-X and D-STAR yet. But you should check with your local hams to see if one or the other is popular in your area. That may steer you in your HF choice if brand loyalty is a factor.
Finally, take your time on this purchase. It is a big step. Like @AK9R said, consider the antenna(s) that you will erect. The antenna system, if done poorly, will make your HF radio perform poorly. In radio, the antenna system is what makes or breaks the station.
Best wishes on your procurement and build-out of your ham shack. I’ve been a ham for 51 years and have only had 3 HF radios, all of which I still have. You may be like me. The radio you purchase now may be your main radio for the next 15+ years. Plan carefully and accordingly.
73, Dave K4EET
Finally, take your time on this purchase. It is a big step. Like @AK9R said, consider the antenna(s) that you will erect. The antenna system, if done poorly, will make your HF radio perform poorly. In radio, the antenna system is what makes or breaks the station.
Best wishes on your procurement and build-out of your ham shack. I’ve been a ham for 51 years and have only had 3 HF radios, all of which I still have. You may be like me. The radio you purchase now may be your main radio for the next 15+ years. Plan carefully and accordingly.
73, Dave K4EET
Since the OP is shopping for an HF radio, whatever digital voice mode a manufacturer includes with their VHF/UHF or HF/VHF/UHF radios is less of a factor.
Agree. Not as much of a factor other than for brand loyalty. I tried to make that clear. My main point was at the end. @billdean should take his time and consider the antenna system which I see he has another thread on for his RV use.
I started with a FT-891. Love it! I've made contacts across the USA (not quite WAS yet), South America, islands, and Europe with it and either an EFHW or BuddiStick Pro antenna. I use the LDG Z1000Plus tuner, it integrates seamlessly with the 891 and is pretty small. My plan was casual contacts around the USA and world for fun and EMCOMM possibilities, that evolved to include POTA and camping use. While the menu system does take some learning, I've found that I know the key items for normal use and keep the Nifty Guide handy for other stuff. At home, I kept it connected to Ham Radio Deluxe for ease of control and logging as well. The 891 has now become my camping/POTA radio, set up in a backpack with everything to go. (A FTDX10 replaced it at home.) As other have said, the decision has a lot to do with your expected use of it and antenna plan, both of which may evolve over time.
On the IC-7300, the computer connection type, does not have a USB port it has a CIV Interface. The FT710 does have a usb port. I use a Mac Pro Laptop computer which uses type "C"ports which I have a adapter for to USB. Will the computer I use have any bearing on which radio I purchase?
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I don't use any apple stuff, so I can't speak to that specific. However, with the variety of devices in use today, I suspect you can get the right cable for any modern connections. As for using the computer, it all depends on how you want to use the computer, more figuring out the software expectations - logging, radio control, digital data, etc. But again, with the modern devices and software, almost anything can work with almost anything if you research it enough.
The IC-7300 has a USB-B port (aka, USB printer port)...same as the FT-710. With both radios, the USB-B port is used for radio control and the internal USB sound card. I don't know how this works with a Mac, but I imagine that there are lots of Mac users out there with IC-7300s and FT-710s. I see USB-B to USB-C cables on Amazon and Monoprice.
The difference is that the FT-710 also has a USB-A port on the back of the radio which is used only for connecting a mouse or keyboard to the radio for selecting items on the display or entering characters.
The difference is that the FT-710 also has a USB-A port on the back of the radio which is used only for connecting a mouse or keyboard to the radio for selecting items on the display or entering characters.
If you want a HF radio, any of the current offerings by the Big 3 should make you happy. They are quality and work well.
If you go down the nostalgia road, then do your research first.
If you go down the nostalgia road, then do your research first.
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There should be some deals coming as dealers look to get "plain old IC-7300s" out of inventory and the "latest & greatest" crowd sell used ones to make room for a Mk II in their shack.
You'll have no trouble getting a USB-C to USB-B cable to go from the Mac to the IC-7300. The greater issue is Macintosh software for ham radio applications. In that regard the Mac is a bit more limited. I have many Macs and Windows computers and it didn't take long to learn that if I really wanted access to many different ham and scanner applications (Ham Radio Deluxe, FreeScan, ProScan, FLDIGI, all of the radio programming CPS apps for handheld and mobile radios, etc) I really needed a Windows laptop. Yes, you can run a couple of different Windows emulation systems on the Mac but there is extra cost / effort involved. And I wanted a laptop I could take anywhere to run virtually any ham / scanner application. HOWEVER there are many of the most popular ham apps that are also available in Mac versions, e.g. WSJT-X (FT8 and other digital modes), RTSystems programming software, others. So either investigate what your planned radios and software requirements will be on the Mac... or get a Windows laptop knowing that nearly any ham / scanner app you want to use will work with it.
W4AXW
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And in that case get a FT-710
You can't go wrong with any of the big tree brands, however if ease of use is important to you then Icom is pretty much the only choice. If you plan on using digital modes without a hotspot than you'll have to buy the brand that supports the mode.
I use Starlink when traveling and at home exclusively...
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