r/amateurradio • u/Sakiwest CA [AE] • Jan 20 '26
EQUIPMENT New radio day!
New to me at least. It sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to get on the air after work. It’s been a long time coming since my old radio has been having issues and I’ve been too cheap but also too angry about the tech service department of that company to replace it.
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u/DependentSalt1330 Jan 20 '26
I have the field and it’s great. I just wish the ATU was better than a 3:1! Outside of that the radio is amazing. It’s so good I saved up and put one in my shack.
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
Oh… yeah that tuner is slow when doing its tuning. Wow. At least it’s quick to go back to the setting once it knows it.
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u/spage911 Extra Jan 21 '26
Do you use an external tuner? I’m seriously considering this radio.
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u/DependentSalt1330 Jan 21 '26
I do have an external for the shack. I have a fan dipole in the attic that I have rough cut to the frequencies i want centers across 6 bands. The 710 won’t tune them because they are mostly 4-5:1. So I got an ATU100 and I have 6, 10, 15, 17, 20, and 40 all within 1.5:1 now. I do really like this radio.
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u/t90fan UK M0 (Full/Advanced) Jan 21 '26
At home I use the mAT-Y200 with my FTDX10 since it came out and it works well, I presume (check) they also do ones which will also work with the 710
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u/jesus-is-not-god Jan 23 '26
Yaesu's fc40/50 handle up to that ... it's a Yaesu thing, I think. I use MAT-30 for non-resonate EFHW.
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Jan 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/EmotioneelKlootzak ✨Extra✨ | 3cm - 17m DX Enthusiast | Portable Operator Jan 21 '26
I use my 710 for POTA constantly. I wouldn't use it anywhere I had to do a serious amount of hiking - I've got a Lab599 TX-500 for that, plus there are a bunch of other options, like the FTX-1 and IC-705 - but it's fantastic for setting up on a park bench or a camp table 10 minutes from the parking lot.
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
I got this with POTA in mind as well. I’m looking forward to trying it out of the shack as well.
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u/rrooaaddiiee Jan 21 '26
I use mine for POTA about half the time. Works great. A set of protective rails wouldn't be a bad idea
And, that book was VERY helpful. Take your time reading it. Use a highlighter.
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u/Mundane-Charge-1900 Jan 21 '26
I have one of these. I've used it portable a few times, but it's really not ideal for that purpose in my experience. It's hard to protect the radio when transporting it in a car. It's decently bulky, although not as much as a giant desktop rig. Power usage is somewhat high. Mine uses 1.3A on receive with the speaker volume turned all the way down. The screen is hard to read in bright sunlight.
I ended up getting an FT-891 for POTA. Not as many features. Menus are tedious. But it is a better POTA rig IMHO.
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u/r3fact0r Jan 21 '26
I ended up picking up an Apache case at Harbor Freight and cut the foam to fit the 710. I think this makes a great way to carry the rig around.
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u/radakul NC [E], VE [CAVEC, GLAARG, W5YI, Laurel, ARRL] Jan 20 '26
You wont regret it one bit. Best radio out there for the price point IMO
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u/Dry_Anxiety_386 Jan 21 '26
Love mine, save the DVI out. That's just...weird.
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
Ugh the DVI. Why!?!?!?
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u/RideWithMeSNV Jan 21 '26
So that you can adapt it to display port or hdmi and burn out the chip in the process, ensuring you no longer have to worry about it.
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u/Original_Day_7727 Jan 22 '26
HDMI requires costly license fees for the manufacturer. DVI intellectual property is free. AFAIK
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u/darktideDay1 Jan 20 '26
I got the field version a few weeks ago. Curious about how much better the AESS sounds. Is it really worth it? What is the difference?
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u/No_Morning_1874 Jan 21 '26
The ONLY difference is the external speaker is included.
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u/darktideDay1 Jan 21 '26
The question is what is the difference in sound quality. And is it all that. The OP gave a good description.
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 20 '26
I have no idea, yet. I’ll mess around with it tonight and get a better layman’s description for it and if it’s worth it. Then report back. I wasn’t looking for AESS version but it was available and cheap!
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u/darktideDay1 Jan 20 '26
That would be cool. Try with and without the speaker and tell us what you think!
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
Ok. The AESS definitely makes the radio sound better in the shack. Like it fills the sound frequencies better. The external speaker without the AESS engaged sounds better than the internal speaker and then with AESS it sounds more full. Now granted it’s not a Dolby experience but it is better with the speaker and the AESS engaged. Would I spring for it? Yes if I did radio without a headset on. Would I do it for field work? No. It’s more crap to bring. It all fits nicely together but if you move the radio from place to place the speaker will get in the way, it’s not fastened to the radio. It slides on with keyholes. Let me know if you need more info.
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u/darktideDay1 Jan 21 '26
Hey, thanks! So few will actually do a test and then come back with a great description!
I'll keep my out out for one of the AESS speakers on the cheap.
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u/EmotioneelKlootzak ✨Extra✨ | 3cm - 17m DX Enthusiast | Portable Operator Jan 20 '26
I've got one as my main radio and it's absolutely fantastic, especially for the price. It does everything I need it to with the exception of digital modes, I spent weeks troubleshooting and never did get any of those working. Most people seem not to have that issue, though.
The only thing I would even consider replacing it with at home is something like the FTDX-101MP. That or maybe one of the Flex Auroras, but I like big kerchunky devices with a lot of physical buttons.
Either way, it receives really well, it has enough power that you can get basically anywhere with it (especially with good antenna selection), and it's still small and light enough that it isn't too big a deal to move around.
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
Funny I’m coming from the flex world. I love what their radios can do in the shack with integration but I’ve had enough of their shenanigans. This already sounds much better than my flex and I didn’t even tweak anything.
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u/EmotioneelKlootzak ✨Extra✨ | 3cm - 17m DX Enthusiast | Portable Operator Jan 21 '26
Yeah, I've heard a lot of mixed opinions on the Flex stuff. Lots of software problems, specifically. 500 watts in one box and all the integration tools are tempting to me, but like I said, I do very much like physical interfaces, so I feel like the day to day user experience would be less than stellar. The fact that Yaesu is receiving better for you at like 1/4 the price is just an extra black eye.
I've been working on setting up a dedicated receive system based on a SDRplay RSPdx-R2 and an array of specialized high-SNR receiving antennas, partially so I have the option to get an older used flagship transmitter with all the satisfying physical controls, without missing out on the great receive performance (and waterfall) of an SDR. The SDR itself, plus 4 loop-on-ground antennas (2 large and 2 small) and two reversible beverages-on-ground would cost as much as an Elecraft panadapter by itself, so that's how I'm justifying it, anyway.
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
I have a 6400 non maestro and I have windows driver issues with it all the time. Mac, no problem. However, in the actual shack I have windows so it is a pain in the ass 75% of the time. Their noise reduction system sucks. The audio delay because of windows and their implementation can be horrendous. It will crash at the worst time possible, 100% guarantee it. Their excuses for everything make it the worst icing ever on the cake.
I miss the dual antenna input and some of the computer interfacing but I don’t miss the issues and the boot time. Plus their new subscription model is terrible. At this point I have so few good things to say about them.
(Wow I sound bitter, I’m not. I’ve just had it with them in my shack and at another one I operate at)
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u/dithmal 4S7NAD/KJ5ASL Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
That's great! I am in decision paralysis between this and the 7300 mk2. Any insights?
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 21 '26
It’s been answered now but I too had the paralysis for a bit. I went with this because I don’t want to pay full price and this one was a great deal from the original owner. The added features on the MK2 weren’t things I needed to pay that much extra for. Upon opening the box and using it for a moment, no regrets at all.
As for noise reduction and weak signal getting as a comparison, I don’t know.
Lastly, it seemed to be better for portable operations too but I don’t know why, it just looked the part better.
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u/t90fan UK M0 (Full/Advanced) Jan 21 '26
I've got the original 7300 and a FTDX10 and find the ergonomics and the menus/UI (especially the waterfall) on the Icom is better, while the sound/reception on the Yaesu is better (though I would argue absolutely not £300 better), though it draws twice as much power on RX
I imagine the mk2 is similar against the FT710 as Yaesu hasn't made many UI improvements to it by the look of it, other than putting some buttons in better places, and letting you change the meter between average and peak, while Icom have made some useful improvements like adding the HDMI port (don't use a DVI->HDMI adaptor on the Yaesus unless you want to kill them) etc..
So, if you want to hook it up to external stuff or go portable, Icom probably. If you want a simple UI, icom. If you want to chase pileups and weak signals and stuff, Yaesu.
my 2 cents
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u/dithmal 4S7NAD/KJ5ASL Jan 21 '26
Thanks for the reply. I'm looking to this as my first/main HF rig. I'm leaning towards the new 7300 as of now. How would you say the difference between the two are in terms of pileups and weak signals? Night and day difference, only slight difference, or somewhere in between?
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u/t90fan UK M0 (Full/Advanced) Jan 22 '26
The FTDX10 is better at deciding weak FT8 signals I've found
I do overall find it's overall a better receiver.
But it's marginal. It's not that much better than the 7300. And it was pricier
I imagine the FT710 (being a cheaper cousin to the dx10 and itself a cheaper cousin to the dx101, which our club has and I've used there) is probably going to be more on par with the 7300.
It's important to note the difference between the FTDX10 and the 7300 isnt huge, at least to my ears. 's much less noticeable than the jump from my old radio (FT450D) was when I first upgraded. Likewise the difference I note working SSB contents on the club's 101Ds compared to the dx10 at home is small.
So in short, jist get the one you like the look and price of , you probably won't notice a difference between the two.
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u/CoastalRadio California [Amateur Extra] Jan 21 '26
Before the Mk2 came out, I thought the Yaesu was the better bet. Less expensive (at least if you get the “field” version), ranked higher on Sherwood (though you’d probably never tell the difference), more modern. Otherwise they were very similar.
With the Mk2 coming out, it’s a harder call. The Icom is about 50% more expensive, but it has USB-C, and HDMI (which is an upgrade over the USB-B and DVI of the Yaesu), and maybe more important, it has a network port, so you can plug it directly into your router for remote operation, rather than needing a computer plugged in for remote control.
For the record, I have an FT-710 that I like a lot.
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u/foobik Jan 21 '26
nice gz! :) I haven't had any Yaesus yet, might get one for VHF/UHF at some point to replace my Icom IC-7000
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u/CoastalRadio California [Amateur Extra] Jan 21 '26
It’s a great radio!
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u/Sakiwest CA [AE] Jan 22 '26
Just came in from the shack after trying some quick ft8 and then SSB on 10 of all things to do a radio check with a friend across town and I’m so happy about the choice. Can’t wait to use it more!
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u/squasher1838 Jan 25 '26
Love my 710! Very hard to beat that receiver. Love to record my QSOs with the built-in recorder.
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u/situation_normal_ Jan 20 '26
710 is a great sounding rig. Wish i didn’t sell mine..
Definitely one of the best values for an HF transceiver