Mahalo from Hawaii, You are the BEST. As a Merchant Marine Captain , often living out of a duffle bag, and an exKX3 owner/operator and have a 7300 at home …. I was pleased to see your video and order up a IC705 with tuner!

The best review so far. Outstanding.

Excellent Review, the description, radios feaures application aligned with real intended use and the future possibilities, so well thought out and educational. Thankyou :)

Another Great video from OH8STN.

I got my 705 and yes there is a learning curve. I look forward to the Bluetooth headset that will work with 705. Being new, this was the best choice for me with limited space and a radio I can put in the car to use with ARES, this way I do not have to have a 7300 and 7900 radios. Now to learn and setup the various software programs. First is FLDIGI. Be safe and thank you for another great video Julian.

Thanks for a great video. I got my 705 24 hours ago. There is so much to learn. I was comforted by your statement that you spent a month on this video. Not that it is hard to learn. Actually for basic operations it only takes a few minutes. But, there are so many features. It takes a few minutes for each one. You mentioned the power options. Brilliant!!!!!! Being able to map your route in google earth. WOW. Thanks again

Julian you continue to raise the bar. Outstanding!!

Superb review and real world field ops usage scenarios as always. As a die hard Yaesu operator myself you build an excellent case for the 705. It seems as though Icom has done everything above and beyond and worthy of the high price tag. Thanks for taking the time to learn this radio and conduct a thorough in depth review. 73 DE KK4MND

Well, I'm sold. This seems to be ideal for everything I want in a HF rig. Now time to find the cash.....

Well hello. Thank you for all the info you have provided in regards to the 705. And you go slow enough that I can keep up and understand what your actually talking about. Thank you very much you have been a big help. Ron z. The north American shortwave radio and toy robot museum.

Great great overview!!! The best I have seen for this radio! KI5HFN. Oklahoma City, OK USA. 73!

The sort of review I am looking for. Well thought out and filled with info. Great Job! Thanks.

LOVE my IC705. I bought the super antenna based on your videos. I made 3 long haul QRP contacts today (my first time) using this radio and that specific antenna.

Everyone was waiting for this one!

Thanks Julian! Really nice coverage. You are the first one that I have heard highlight the GPS capabilities. A very tight looking rig!

Hi Julian, I just really want to thank you for not only a really indepth review, but also for the time spent in building your skillset with Icom products in order to give us this video... You really do lift everyones spirits at this testing time... Your skills and knowledge and presentation put you more than head and shoulders above others on KZfaq and you are constantly pushing the envelope, So, the 705 is a "keeper" then..... Thank you Julian... Kind regards.. Yoki

Going down the 705 rabbit hole, arriving soon. Thanks for the entertaining and informative video. 73 de K7CO Jon

Excellent review, Thanks! Now we need it to go on sale ... a little bit above budget :)

I understand your love of this rig! It is what you have been pushing manufactures to develop for the last several years. If fact you are the Elmer Keith of the radio world! (For those who don't know, Elmer is the man that pushed Remington and Smith and Wesson into producing the 44 Mag revolver, The finest field revolver for decades!) Great Job!

Wow what a great clear speaker .thank you for a wonderful video.

Some of the best HAM videos on KZfaq, intelligent and relevant. As you have a G90, ft-817 and 705 a video comparing and then working through when each one is best to use in context to portable operation, would be very interesting.

As others have said already...excellent review of this rig, a big thank you 👍

Julian: A professional level video without the usual terrible camera work, wind in the audio & umms & aahhs in the audio. Your enunciation is excellent. I have not enjoyed listening to an informative video like this ...EVER ! Well done & THANK YOU !

You had me hooked on the Discovery TX-500 with its 100mA current draw but now I am thinking that the built in sound card and battery options of the IC-505 might make it my preferred portable: decisions, decisions !! Looking forward to your coming reviews on how the IC-505 and TX-500 perform in the field on battery grid down ops, the combined power consumption of everything (Pi, tablet etc) will be an interesting comparison. Having got my FT-817 wet several times (and having to send it off for repair) I was hoping the IC-505 was more waterproof so that the touchscreen can be used in the rain great review, much appreciated

Great rundown. Thanks!! 73, K4TPC

Just found your channel recently and I have so much respect for you already. I feel like such a hopeless noob listening to you. I think I'm going to order a book and go for my license though. I'm looking forward to learning so much more. Thank you for all that you are doing OH8STN, I appreciate you greatly.

Brilliant video, thanks for taking the time. I now know what my next rig will be, I'd better start saving. Stay Safe and 73, M6THQ

Kudos for this video Julian 👌 I figured it would only be a matter of time before you did a well-thought-out, concise video on the 705, and I wasn't disappointed. I also appreciate that while it took time to figure everything out you didn't rush the process just to be one of the "FIRST" IC-705 videos on KZfaq. I've followed your video series for some time, and as you ticked off each feature within the rig, with the "one USB cable" solution, combined with your quest for simplicity throughout the years, I could only imagine the smile on your face after using it for the first time. While ICOM seems to have hit on all cylinders with this transceiver it was curious on their choice for their brand mag loop... I'm looking forward to the next video - Thanks again! 👍

Hoorah for frequency stability assessment!

Hello Operators. The Icom IC-705 is finally here. Join me as I go through some of the reasons I think this will become an iconic off grid qrp radio. 73 Julian oh8stn Share URL: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fKukjKady7zeaX0.html 00:00 Intro 01:23 Learning curve 02:40 Versus the Yaesu FT-818 04:38 Features and capabilities 05:15 IF Filters and DSP 07:54 Reducing the data mode cable mess 10:12 Frequency stability 10:58 Audio interface 14:24 GPS, NavigationTime sync, 19:48 Wireless Audio 22:00 Power, Charging, Efficiency 27:17 Final thoughts Share URL: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fKukjKady7zeaX0.html Interested in the WSPR test results? Find them here: oh8stn.org/blog/2020/10/29/icom-ic-705-frequency-drift/ Icom IC-705 Playlist ICOM IC-705 Portable QRP Ham Radio: kzfaq.info/sun/PLKMrdrsNkFA7WY3ol7ToswVg_allhpDBb

Thanks so much for this review!

All of my radios are Icoms except for one Yaesu. I still have my first Icom radio I bought in 1988/ 1989 timeframe, it still works!

This is the single best review I’ve seen for the 705 hands down. Thank you not whining about the lack of a tuner and I REALLY liked the way you smashed the “way too expensive argument” with the cost analysts of how much you would end up spending on an 817 to upgrade. I just received my 705 about a week ago and can’t say enough good things about it. If you do a lot of portable work, get one of these radios and you won’t regret it. Keep up the good work man. 73 KI7NNS

Thanks for doing a review on this radio. Your positive response to this radio has convinced me to buy it. This radio with all its built in features makes total sense compared to carrying a bunch of cables and other accessories to get the experience to the level of operating with this radio alone. Wow!

Thanks Julian for a great run down on the IC 705. I just switched my backordered LAB 599 to an in stock IC 705. Just got tired waiting for the LAB 599 (3 months and counting). Since I have an IC 7300, I am sure the IC 705 will be an easy transition. I certainly will enjoy the single cable solution and the bluetooth, talk about QRP luxury! If I need more watts, I can always crank up the FT 891. Looking forward to the new QRP solution, thanks for the review!

I Don't go sota, pota or portable, but i do have the 7300 & 9700, so i have coverage from 160M to 23cms, including 4 and 5M and rx on 8M...all modes... love my Icoms

Thank you for another great video! What an interesting radio! I so want one or two. :D You are right about the potential for a lot of cable and box clutter with current and older radios, which is the main reason I put my own digi-comms/GPS interface together for my Xiegu G90, but that also illustrates how beautifully straight forward the IC-705 is to do digital modes with by comparison. Really nice radio. Enjoy! 73 de N2NLQ

The IC-705 sounds really good! Vy 73's

Outstanding review! Your audio and video production chops are top notch as well.

Great review! A perfect match for an EFHW antenna.

Thanks for another great video. You’re my Elmer!

WOW! New subscriber here. I am getting back in to the hobby after an 8 year break. I have set-up a new home shack, but looking at options for portable operations. Your channel is absolutely amazing, I appreciate the details that you go into! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and the effort you put into making these videos, they are amazing. Also just bookmarked your website as well. 73 de n1one (Bill)

Fantastic! Very thorough review and very helpful, thanks! 73

Fantastically thorough and enjoyable review, probably the best of all time! You’ve covered all the bases. I have the 817 as well as the 7300/9700 twins so am seriously thinking about completing the trifecta thanks to your salesmanship.

Thanks much for all you do. Another great video. I have used the 817 for years and found that this rig is so much easier to handle.

I can't wait to get my 705! Sold my TH-D74 to put the money towards it. I wouldn't waste your time and money with the MAT-705 tuner. You have to dismantle the whole thing to replace the 9v battery. I've been recommended the MAT-125E which is rechargeable via cable and nearly £100 cheaper than the MAT-705. It has an 18650 battery. 73s. M7GTX.

Great demonstration. Thanks for sharing 👍

Thanks for the awesome and thorough video, Julian. Always appreciate your point of view on things in addition to any other content others have covered. I liked the thought about practically using Bluetooth in order to keep the hands warm; a lot of people no doubt would dismiss Bluetooth as a bell or whistle feature. 👍

Everyone hates on all band radios until the ic-705 comes out lol

Julian! Thank you for this new video. In addition to the Iсom 705, I also enjoyed looking at Finnish nature. For 9 months I can't get there :-(

I’ve read and watched a lot of adverse comments about this rig in terms of what it should and shouldn’t have. Well now it’s here and without a few contentious elements it’s about a complete QRP a rig as we are going to get. I own an Electraft a KX3 and love it, but a fully loaded one now costs an awful lot of money. I only need HF and I must confess I like having the antenna tuner built in despite having a good range of resonant EFHW and dipole antenna at my disposal. ICOM a have set the bar high and I would have no qualms about buying one. Great review 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Julian, Thank you for another excellent video. Yes I have been looking forward to your videos covering the Ic-705. I find your videos very fair and objective. This video is really helping me make my final decision on buying this radio. $ 1299.99 USD is a lot of money for me and I want to make sure I am getting the right radio. I am not really worried about not getting an auto antenna tuner included in the radio, there will be plenty of after market ones offered soon I imagine. I agree with you, a tune able portable antenna or a single band antenna tuned for frequency would be ok for me. I am looking forward to your future in depth videos covering different aspects on this radio. I really like the fact that Icom actually designed the radio to use the same battery packs that my Icom ID 51 HT uses. Thank you, Eric

Great feedback. Thanks. Just added the IC-705 to my list of equipment to buy during 2021.

Thank you for the review, Julian. While I use an Icom IC-7610, my other radios are Yaesus. FT-897D, FT-857D, FT-817ND. So this was most helpful. While I haven't any plans on purchasing an IC-705 it's great information.

Thank you for this!!♡♡♡ 🤜🏻👍🤛🏻

I have been waiting for your review of this radio. You did not disappoint. Spectacular radio and an awesome review. thank you

Great Operator Great Video for Great RIG... many thanks Julian

I couldn't help but think, "This is the IC-Julians_tailor_fit_rig from ICOM' Nice review! I look forward to more on this radio. Hopefully you will get a chance to see how it performs above HF. Thanks again for an, as usual, great video! You constantly raise the youtube bar.

You did a hell of a job on this video. I havn't dove into the digital side of portable ops yet. You make me want to start.

if you get board one day, I would love to see you help a person like me get this thing hooked up to make some digital contacts, I keep messing with it, I spent the whole weekend messing with it, and the best I did was mess up my radio and learn how to reset it to factory settings hehehe. Thanks my freind and keep making these awesome videos. Dale KI5ARH hope to hear you on the air one day. that will be a fun day for me, when I make a digital contact with you sir. Dale

A fantastic and informative review - excellent production too with floorless audio & video. I also love portable operation too with my IC705, your surroundings there look great!

Excellent info, great presentation. Thanks for taking the time to focus on features for field operations. I’m looking forward to the antenna videos, too. N4DPH

Holy shit bro, you really opened my eyes with this video!

Great review. It's actually pretty easy to adapt the AH-4 to work with the IC-705. I've been using the AH-4 (I owned it for years) with my new IC-705 and it works great. You can do End fed configuration with counter poise or even use balanced ladder line with the AH4 on a balanced multi-band antenna. Not nearly as small and portable as the AH-705 but if you already own an AH4 like me, it's worth building the simple break out harness to adapt the AH4 to the IC-705.

Incredible radio.. I’m following your channel since long time.. Keep on this way 👍🏻 73s de HB3XUT

Excellent series of videos, Julian. I'm very interested in portable and emergency comms. I'm primarily a cw and ssb guy, but hope one day I'll get around to learning more about the digital comms. I appreciate your well produced and informative videos.

Great video

Thank you for sharing! Always very interesting topics, after watching i just give a try with my Sennheiser MM550-X bluetooth headphones and works perfectly you can enable the vox and operate the radio without the mike !

No wonder it took some time to put together this review. It was very thorough, from the perspective of a practical field operator. I particularly appreciated the time you spent measuring and reporting receive current in different configurations. I'll grab an IC-705, probably after the initial feeding frenzy, although I expect this to be a VERY popular radio for the foreseeable future. I've always used Yaesu radios but Icom is earning some market share with the 705. I particularly love all the features they packed into this small and well integrated package, and how easy it is to have full control with a modern user interface. Having complete control via a single USB cable, including the radio functioning as a GPS is wonderful. Being able to charge the little radio's battery via USB is incredible. So in theory, a solar panel could charge a notebook PC and that could charge the IC-705 over the same USB port that's used to control it? That's about as simple as it gets, although there would be some efficiency loss in two DC to DC conversions. On the plus side, it would eliminate the possibility of a discharged computer battery and a half charged radio battery, or vice versa. I wish Icom had managed to have the IC-705 output 20W instead of 10W when running off external batteries. That seems to be the sweet spot for reliable communications and power usage. I know I can add a small external linear antenna, but that's not consistent with the integrated nature of the 705. Then again, we just entered Solar Cycle 25 so the QRP world is looking up.

ICOM should have specified type-C USB over micro-USB. It's been twenty years of required adapters.

This video is excellent

Thank you. I'm really enjoying my 705 and now with the new Solar Cycle beginning to take hold, I believe reach with QRP will improve, has already improved greatly. Can't wait on your review of the tuners. At present I'm using a MFJ QRP Tuner pocket tuner and for the most part, it does the job but an autotuner would be so nice. Thanks again and I can't wait to view your next video. 73🙏🙏🙏👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

Very well put together video. I'm learning new things about the 705 every day. 73 Chris M0RSF

Another great review Julian!

I did Connect my AirPods successful with the 705, when I turn the radio on the bluetooth connects to the airpods and if I turn off the radio the AirPods connect back to my phone!

Thanks for the tremendous work that went into producing this video. It is greatly appreciated. I am patiently waiting to review the upcoming videos on this radio before I make my move and buy one for myself. I am going to sell my FT-857 to fund the project. I'm frustrated by the noise level in the city for HF. Restricting myself to vhf/uhf only. I am setting myself up to have a quick deploy portable HF system that I can use up north in the cabin or in the green spaces around the city. The Discovery TX-500 has put me in a bit of a holding pattern. Not sure if this radio will eclipse the IC-705 for my intended purpose. It looks more rugged then the 705, but not as feature rich. The lack of vhf/uhf may be the deciding point for me. When up north in the cabin for months at a time, I need a stable means of communicating with the family. No cell or wifi coverage up there, only satellites and stars. The use of JS8call for total grid down and winlink for emails when the grid is up is a wonderful solution for my needs. I'm 600 km as the crow flies from cabin to house. I have resorted to using a inreach satellite texting product, but it is very costly especially when the wife is not with me, she texted a lot. Currently, I am using the FT-857 and a G5RV 35' up in the trees to communicate with marginal success with ham friends in the city. The urban noise they experience makes it an unpleasant experience for stable and reliable communications. The cabin is right between to cliffs, so I am going to give NVIS a try. I have 1kw of solar with 2000W pure sine wave inverter for power. I run the radio off a Jackery 500 and shut off the charge controller and inverter to eliminate the noise caused by the solar system. I am already setting up for my portable system with a GooLoo 2000A battery booster/power supply, and a PAR ENDFEDZ EFT-40/120/10 Trail Friendly antenna the kids picked up for me at X-mas. Going to learn JS8Call and WinLink over the winter. So now I just have to make a decision on the radio. Looking forward to seeing how both these radios perform. Thanks ever so much.

Excellent content. The ID-51 battery comes in two mAh capacities if memory serves.

Nicely done. Great radio and look forward to more videos on it from you.

Something interesting I thought of when you mentioned charging via usb, which I didn't know you could do. I wonder if it would be possible to use a high capacity power bank to charge the radio, and output 10 watts at the same time. Or is the 10 watt output only enabled with a external 12 volt supply? Either way, something like Anker's Powercore 26800 seems like it could keep the radio on for days or weeks at a time. The 705 is certainly one of the greatest radios in a long time, and surely will be for a long time to come. Myself, I have neither the budget nor the experience or patience for qrp as of yet, but hopefully I can afford a 705 someday. Using my Yaesu FT-891, a one wire solution for everything even GPS is very appealing. Great video, 73 de W8IJC

OMG. I envy your life so much. Great review!

Getting back into the hobby I am excited to see this rig and was hoping that Yaesu would have had their version out by now. Although an FT-818 is half the price, it has a very hollow feeling considering compared to the feature-rich IC-705. What has stopped me from getting the FT-818 is the lack of being able to install both filters at the same time, probably their biggest mistake when they release the FT-818 to overcome some parts obsolescence. I would feel much better being out in the rain for POTA much better than the IC-705 that seems a little harder to keep dry. Thank you for this review a couple years ago and I hope Yaesu still releases their version worthy of an off-grid mil-spec rated radio. 72 es Cheers, Dave - KU9L

Great video, I’ve been waiting on your review. I’m replacing my 817 and associated gear with a 705. I’m a 7300 user and the 705 will be a great mobile unit. Thanks!

What a great video! I really look forward to more. I had not considered a 705, but this video has at least put it on the radar. I will say I was confused a little about the power consumption comments you made. In round numbers the Icom is running in the mid-to-upper 200s mA range on receive for your tests which is impressive. However, the KX2 is typically comfortably below 200. Granted, it is not driving as many features and things like that sexy screen :D, but I didn't understand the comment that Elecraft (and Yaesu - which I do get) could take a lesson and do better. Can you expound on that. Thanks so much for all you do.

I would like to see you do a review of the KX3 or at least hear your thoughts on it.

Excellent review

Great video, very professional made.

Julian. Great job this is the best 705 review on the net. I hope iCom is giving you some kick-back!! I purchased the 705 recently but have not had a chance to even take it out of the box. Now what to do about feeling like I’m cheating on my FT818!😂

Another great video. As I have yet to get on the air from my qth with Hf, I am wondering about portable off-grid operations. I am interested in the IC-705. It sure has a lot of capabilities but does it sacrifice the audio or a nothing else. You mentioned that there wasn’t much drift so that sounds good. Your reviews are detailed and good explanation of why you are doing things. Great job! Even a noob (new guy) like me can understand. Say hello to my relatives in Finland. Lol. 73 de KI5HXM

very good video. finger has been hovering over the buy button for a while..time to press it!

Thanks Julian. Great review and is a prelude to the arrival of MY IC705 this week. Very exciting. So at 29 min you mention a battery pack a BP something. Could you clarify that please.

Very comprehensive ! Thank-you !!

Excellent review Julian, but unfortunately I can't justify one at the moment as they are over priced in the UK. Best 7 3. Mike G1ZRN.

Great review! Thanks!

Today I realized, that my 25 years old credit card sized Standard C508 is in fact more sensitive at 144MHz than the 705. Tried the small stock antenna of the 508 (about 10cm) against a CH-72S and RH771 on the 705 directly from the desk. The 508 was receiving the same signal significiantly better. At first I thought about interferences coming from the display, but the 508 did not show any when held directly to the 705 display.

Great video Julian. Wonderful rig this Icom, but i am afraid of it not being enough rugged for the field. That's the very reason why I am waiting for the LAB599 since it's weatherproof, hopefully it will be as reliable as an Icom.

Excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to do it. The 705 looks really cool. I previously had an IC-7300 so operating the 705 should be easy for me. I am curious how the receiver specs compare to the 7300. I'm waiting for a lab review. 73 and I hope to work you on 40M someday., de WA3RSL

Very well done video. Great information. I am afraid you lost me with DOS, Win10, Linux and Android. At that point I tuned out.

great test

Hey Julian, Great video as always. I am still on the fence for the 705. While it does a hell of a lot for the money, it might just do more than the way I operate. Not having a auto tuner is no big deal and the now that the IC 705 is here and I can see it a bit more I still think it is a great rig. Who knows I might just have 1 in the very near future. lol. Thanks for all your input and expense , I sure hope the big 3 radio companies are helping you out. Thanks Again from here in Kansas. Robert n0yg

Thanks for an excellent video.