Icom IC 705 Still Worth Buying in 2025?

Comments · 94

• VE

  @VE9ASN · 1 year ago

  Watched every video of the new Yaesu I can find. Nothing has convinced me that its superior to my 705 in any way.

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• CH

  @chr15b · 1 year ago

  The new Yaesu looks good, but I won't be parting ways with the IC-705 anytime soon. I've used it as a mobile rig with repeaters programmed in, activated many SOTA peaks and POTA parks with it. It's an amazing radio.

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• FR

  @Freddy1234-l9r · 3 months ago

  Bought one last week! In loooove 🥰

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• JO

  @johnk8091 · 1 year ago (edited)

  It is absolutely worth it - it is still cutting edge technology in ham equipment. When it was released, it was years ahead of its time. GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, all bands, air band, FM broadcast band, all modes, built in sound card for digital modes, direct sampling. I doubt I will ever sell my IC-705, and certainly feel it is better than the Yaesu FT FX1 offering. Finally, I like to support our Japanese friends, who have supported our hobby for 60 years....rather than going to a cheaper Chinese radio.

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• BA

  @barryzoll9772 · 1 year ago

  You omitted one of the most important points which is aftersale support.  In the US, Xiegu has weak support once the warranty has expired.  Yet, ICOM is factory supported service.  I’m not sure about the situation in the UK but I highly value factory supported service and repairs. Thank you for taking time to make this and all of your videos.

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• LS

  @lstavenhagen · 1 year ago

  I like the IC-705 so much I bought 2 of them. FT8 is almost the only mode I use anymore, and even at 10w running on a 12v external battery, it hardly seems to warm up. The temp indictor goes up a few bars, but never gets even close to the red. <br>As for the FTX-1, the major deficiency for me is the lack of WiFi, which is pretty much mandatory for my use case. Others are not being able to attach the fan and the battery at the same time, and the rats nest of wires and cables setup with the accessory amplifier. Those little banana jacks get scratchy and intermittent if you work them a lot, so I would want to use replaceable extensions if I was going to go on and off the amplifier frequently. The wiring harness on the amp doesn&apos;t look easily replaceable.<br><br>The 705 has its problems too, but overall it&apos;s still my main rig these days and I don&apos;t have a compelling reason to change. For portable low power operation, especially if you use wireless for computer control, it&apos;s really the top of the heap of rigs suited for that purpose, IMO.....

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• VI

  @virgil_kane · 6 months ago

  Excellent video .

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• JO

  @johnnypizzaguy · 3 months ago

  Great opinions here. Thanks, I own the Xiegu and the 705. About 4 years on the Xiego and a year on the 705. I prefer the 705. I never used the built in 6100 ATU. I run an ATU at the antenna feed point when running a multi band, powered by a small battery, rather than burn what&apos;s left of 5 or 10 watts in the feedline. I never got used to the sound of the Xiegu, the NR just has a timbre I don&apos;t care to listen to after an 30 minutes or so. Not the case with the 705, the Flex 6400 or the 991A (the 991A is especially clean to my ears). I often lay in bed with the 705 and head copy CW with a wire out the window attached to a 10 meter long horizontal aluminum rain gutter. I wish the 705 had backlit buttons though, and it had an easier way to send a carrier for tuning without the microphone connected. Switching the keyer mode or changing the break mode button function is tiresome. They should have made the autotune button have a MOX selection.<br>Thanks again.

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• G7

  @g7heu869 · 1 year ago

  That new Yaesu thing looks like a disco!

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• DA

  @David-km8in · 1 year ago

  I&apos;m not keen on the new Yaesu FX1 field. I don&apos;t like the idea that you have to buy expensive accessories to get similar functions to the Icom 705. I understand Yaesu have put a lot of thought into this radio. I just wish they had produced a upgraded radio to replace the FT817/818. Instead of trying to compete with the Icom 705.<br>All the best.

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• TO

  @toby000000 · 1 year ago

  Exceptional portable radio. I find it incredible it does so much in such a small package. Still own mine, not considering the new Yaesu when that finally appears on the market

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• NA

  @nateitkin8279 · 1 year ago

  The IC-705 is a beautiful radio. Thanks for the walk through. 73.

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