{"id":47976,"date":"2021-03-01T12:33:52","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T16:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=47976"},"modified":"2021-03-01T12:49:41","modified_gmt":"2021-03-01T16:49:41","slug":"a-review-of-the-icom-ic-705-qrp-portable-sdr-transceiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/a-review-of-the-icom-ic-705-qrp-portable-sdr-transceiver\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of the Icom IC-705 QRP Portable SDR Transceiver"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following review was first published in\u00a0the February 2021 issue of The Spectrum Monitor<\/a>\u00a0magazine:<\/em><\/p>\n

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It sometimes seems that one of the biggest enemies of a radio enthusiast these days is RFI (radio frequency interference), which is to say, human-originated noise that infiltrates\u2013\u2013and plagues\u2013\u2013vast chunks of our radio spectrum.<\/p>\n

Yet I believe RFI has, in a sense, also managed to energize\u2013\u2013and even mobilize\u2013\u2013many radio enthusiasts. How? By drawing them out of their houses and shacks into the field\u2013\u2013to a local park, lake, river, mountain, woodland, or beach\u2013\u2013away from switching power supplies, light dimmers, street lights, and other RFI-spewing devices.<\/p>\n

Shortwave and mediumwave broadcast listeners have it easy, comparatively speaking. They can simply grab a favorite portable receiver, perhaps an external antenna, then hit the field to enjoy the benefits of a low-noise environment. In that a portable receiver is something of a self-contained listening post, it\u2019s incredibly easy to transport it anywhere you like.<\/p>\n

Ham radio operators, on the other hand, need to pack more for field operations. At a minimum, they need a transceiver, an antenna, a power source, not to mention, a mic, key, and\/or computing device for digital modes. Thankfully, technology has begun miniaturizing ham radio transceivers, making them more efficient in the use of battery power, and integrating a number of accessories within one unit.<\/p>\n

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Photo from the 2019 Tokyo Ham Fair<\/p><\/div>\n

Case in point: in 2019 at Tokyo\u2019s Ham Fair, Icom announced their first QRP (low-power) radio in the better part of two decades: the Icom IC-705<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Introducing the Icom IC-705<\/h1>\n

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It was love at first sight among fans of Icom when the 2019 announcement was made. Why? The instant thrill came courtesy of the IC-705\u2019s resemblance\u2013\u2013in miniature\u2013\u2013to the IC-7300, one of Icom\u2019s most popular transceivers of all time<\/a>. Not only that, but the IC-705 sported even more features and a broader frequency range than the IC-7300. What wasn\u2019t to love?<\/p>\n

But of course, unlike the IC-7300, which can output 100 watts, the IC-705\u2019s maximum output is just 10 watts with an external 12V power source, or 5 watts with the supplied Icom BP-272 Li-ion battery pack. Nevertheless, enthusiasts who love field radio\u2013\u2013this article\u2019s writer being among them\u2013\u2013were very pleased to see Icom design a flagship QRP radio that could take some portable operators to the next level. Power was traded for portability, and for field operators, this was a reasonable trade.<\/p>\n

And since, again, the IC-705 has even more<\/i> features, modes, and frequency range than the venerable IC-7300, I felt it important to note them up front. Here are a few of its most notable features, many of which are not available on its bulkier predecessor:<\/p>\n