FT818ND Vs IC705, The QRP Titans clash!

It was almost 23 years ago that the FT817 took the QRP portable transceiver spot in ham-radio and has been there ever since! however there is a now another premium brand contender to the coveted QRP tile the truly amazing Icom IC-705 with its big colour screen and comprehensively advanced connectivity. USB data, WiFi, Bluetooth, and an awesome 10 watts on external DC Power compared to 6 watts from the latest FT-818ND.

But what one is best? The answer is not as clear cut in my opinion, the 705 offers great features but comes at a price! the IC-705 is almost double the price of the FT-818ND and twice the weight so it truly depends on your intended use, are you going to be lugging these radios around in a back pack or bag? because if you are the FT-818ND is such a light weight joy of a radio with only the tiny screen letting it down. the 6 watts works very well with CW or Data however that does mean a little extra kit needed to work your favorite Digi mode (Tigertronics USB perhaps) whereas the IC-705 has all this built in you just supply the computer!

Using 5-6 Watts USB Voice does have some challenges the muscle has to be in the antenna and your chosen location, the extra 4 watts from the IC-705 certainly help but it could be argued it makes or breaks the decision of which should I buy.

in conclusion I think the FT-818 is still holds the portable high ground because its sleek shape and light weight but the IC-705 definitely takes the picnic table operation title just by having such amazing features; you just dont want to carry it far.

Its up to you which one you choose, you wont be disappointed with either but ask yourself will you kick yourself not getting the IC-705's extra features or curse as the straps of your ruck sack dig a little deeper into your shoulders..

Gaz