RadioRanked verdict
Icom
Icom IC-705
The IC-705 is the right choice for an operator who wants a genuinely capable SDR receiver, spectrum waterfall included, in a radio that runs off battery power in a field, park, or summit. Its 10 watt ceiling and lack of a built-in tuner are real limitations for a home base station, but they are the expected cost of the size and battery life that make it work as a field radio in the first place. Operators who want their primary HF rig to run full power from a desk should look at the IC-7300 or FTDX-10; operators building a serious portable kit should start here.
Decision helper
Is this HF radio right for you?
Yes, if you're…
- ✓POTA and SOTA activators who want a real SDR experience in the field
- ✓Operators building a lightweight, battery-powered portable HF kit
- ✓Anyone who wants D-STAR plus HF in one small radio
Skip it, if you're…
- ✕A first or only base station needing full legal power
- ✕Operators who do not want to budget for an external ATU
Tradeoffs
The good and the bad
What we like
- Genuine SDR receiver and waterfall in a battery-powered portable radio
- Very light at 1.1 kg for full HF-through-UHF coverage
- Built-in battery removes the need for external power in the field
- GPS and Bluetooth support modern digital mode workflows
- D-STAR digital voice adds VHF/UHF capability beyond FM
What we don't
- 10 watt maximum output limits DX and pileup performance
- No built-in antenna tuner
- Battery life and output drop together under sustained transmit
Proprietary RR score
How we scored it
Scores combine specs, Amazon buyer sentiment, and our testing framework. How we score →
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Overview
The IC-705 takes the direct-sampling SDR receiver design that made the IC-7300 a benchmark base radio and packs it into a 1.1 kilogram portable unit with a built-in 1880 mAh battery. It covers HF, 6 meters, VHF, and UHF, running SSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY, and D-STAR digital voice, with a color touchscreen driving a real spectrum scope and waterfall in a package small enough to hold in one hand.
Built-in GPS and Bluetooth support digital modes and remote control from a phone or tablet without extra cables, and general coverage receive extends up to 470 MHz. This is the radio most commonly seen at Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air activations among operators who want a genuine SDR receiver experience rather than a stripped-down field radio.
The honest limitation is power. Ten watts maximum is a real constraint for working weak DX or breaking through a crowded pileup, and there is no built-in antenna tuner, so an external ATU is close to mandatory for anything but a resonant antenna. As a first and only base station, that combination will frustrate an operator who wants to run serious power. As a field radio built around genuine SDR capability, it is close to the best option available.
Specifications
| Price | $1609.94 |
| Frequency bands | HF, 6m, VHF, UHF |
| TX Power (High) | 10.00W |
| Receiver Architecture | direct-sampling |
| Built-in Antenna Tuner | No |
| Spectrum Waterfall | Yes |
| Memory Channels | 500 |
| GPS | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| RX Range | 0.0300–470.0000 MHz |
| color | Black |
Key Features
- Direct-sampling SDR receiver architecture shared with the IC-7300, in a 1.1 kg body
- HF, 6 meter, VHF, and UHF coverage with D-STAR digital voice
- Color touchscreen with real-time spectrum scope and waterfall
- Built-in 1880 mAh battery for cordless field operation
- Built-in GPS and Bluetooth for digital modes and phone control
- General coverage receive up to 470 MHz
- 500 memory channels
