I’ve had the Yaesu FT710 for a while now and used it mainly in the field. That was and is my intent for this radio. In general, I feel if I am doing an activity like Field Day or a multi-day POTA activation, and I am not carrying my gear more than a few feet, why not bring a full sized but compact radio. These radios have more operating options and the controls are generally easier to use. In addition, running a 100 watt radio at low power (20 watts or less), the radio doesn’t even get warm. The radio works well with digital modes. It wasn’t that long ago that Yaesu’s were a real pain to run digital. Icom’s have had an easy interface since the IC-7100. Today, the FTDX10 and the FT710 both are on par with the Icom’s when it comes to digital modes. With CW, both brands are about equal. In general, I feel both radios are interchangeable and it would be the matter of personal preference which would determine which is best for you. In the next couple of paragraphs I will describe the pluses and minus’ of the FT710 and the IC-7300. John WD8LQT provided input from his use of my radio during the WGARS Spring Fling.
Attenuation. The IC-7300 only gives you 18dB of attenuation while the FT710 give you 3: 6dB, 12dB, and 18db. Your more expensive radios typically have 3 like the FT710. In an SDR radio, attenuation is your friend. Preamp should almost never be used. The nod goes to the FT710.
CW Tune. Both radios have autotune but the FT710 has a CW tuning indicator right below the S-meter. I find myself using it quit a bit. Some CW ops crank their filters way down and if you are a little off frequency, they won’t hear you. My buddy John WD8LQT, also liked this feature. Nod goes to the FT710.
Sound quality. The FT710 sounds a little better, but the IC-7300 has a lower noise floor. I do not find either one objectionable. YMMV. Draw
Waterfall. The IC-7300 has an averaging waterfall and the FT710 does not. That means that the FT710’s waterfall has to be manually adjusted every time band conditions change. John noticed that when sending CW the waterfall would flash rather brightly, enough to be a little distracting. This may have been due to the waterfall level not being adjusted properly, but it is not an issue with the Icom. Nod to the Icom.
Ergonomics. Here the IC-7300 is the clear winner. It has more of the right buttons on the control panel and it is easier to get to the most needed controls. The 7300 gives you 3 adjustable filters and the Yaesu gives you 2. To adjust the Icom, grab a knob and give it a twist. On the Yaesu, push a knob, twist the knob, push the knob, twist the knob.
Power consumption. The FT710 uses about 1.2 to 1.3 amps at idle with normal volume. The IC-7300 uses about 0.85 amps. This doesn’t matter if mains power or generator power is available but when working off of batteries this can become an issue.
Sensitivity and Selectivity. The Icom has a lower noise floor, -133 vs -127 dBm for the Yaesu. Before I get into selectivity let me explain a little about Rob Sherwoods numbers. Most people quote the 2 KHz blocking number, that comes with a couple of caveats. First, for the most part Rob measures 2 KHz blocking with a 500 Hz filter. That’s a CW filter. Sideband filters usually run 2.4 KHz plus. Unless you’re a CW op, this number is irrelevant. Here is what Rod Sherwood says, “I decided to sort the table on my website by close-in dynamic range at 2-kHz spacing. This was the “acid test” for CW contest / DX pile up operation.” He further quantifies his research with the following numbers. “What do you need in the way of close-in dynamic range? You want a number of at least 70 dB for SSB, and at least 80 dB for CW. A 10 dB safety factor would be nice, so that means you would prefer 80 dB for SSB and 90 dB for CW.” In the past I have compared the IC-7300 with the FTDX10 and the FT710 during a CW contest. What ever I could hear with one, I could hear with the other. The Yaesu’s had a little less ringing but I had no problem copying the signal from any of the radios.
What this means is either radio will serve the vast majority of operators well. Whatever your personal preference is, go for it. There are things I love about the FT710 and there are things I love about the IC-7300. I never feel at a disadvantage with either radio. I plan on keeping both.
Where do I go from here? That’s a good question. I don’t have anything in line to review. I have decided to take a step back from EmComm for a while. I’ve been doing a lot of digital lately and need to get back to the joys of CW. I also have a couple of QRP radios that need to be taken out and used. I still enjoy the smaller radios. I’ll take a big radio on a camping trips/Field Days and may take a little radio for a quick activation. Sometimes it’s nice to grab a small box or bag and go. I have some antennas I haven’t used in a while, I need to get them out.
Thanks for hanging with me. I appreciate your company. 73 de Scott
KK4Z 