Small, Portable, HF ham radios compared. Budget friendly alternatives to Icom IC-705

[@tron2132]

Hi Tom, this is Louis N8LEK. I'm the one you contacted at time 8:26. I was doing a POTA activation from Traverse City State Park in Northern Michigan. You were a solid 59 signal. Now that I see your setup it's even more cool that I made it onto your video. I used my IC7300 with 100W on battery power, and a Bandhopper 20 40 antenna on a SOTABeam mast on my trailer hitch. 73!

[@TomJacobsFilms]

Hi Louis, that's awesome! Glad we made contact and it was a lot of fun out with Brian (K4BBL) to compare rigs and just have some HF fun. Hope to catch you down the log again soon! 73

[@jasonbrown467]

wow, from georgia to some where near detroit? this radio thing is completely new to me, i got one as a gift recently, and boy is this rabbit hole is deep. in this video i learned about two good and affordable radios, apparently their range is awesome, and looked into this "rst" thing, due to the "59"''s i kept hearing about. thanks again

[@LVK15926951]

Really enjoy how you break down everything to layman's terms.

[@bobbyt9999]

Love the way you actually USE the radios the way you do in most of your videos. As a newb in the hobby I find it more fun to see the radio being used instead of so many other channels who just go on for an hour unpacking new gear. Thanks for posting... looking forward to more of the same!!!

[@gil6893]

Glad you're back Brian! 👍📻

[@HamRadioInAction]

More to come!

[@KentHenry8]

Very cool portable rigs from the power considerations to the versatile antennae

[@CanadianDrifter777]

Cool video! You guys had fun. Right on!

[@collinmac24]

Way to snag that contact from Michigan. Persistence is key. love the videos keep it up

[@StevenAhmodu]

Nice outing as always. I enjoyed the show

[@HamRadioInAction]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@billwoodroffe4291]

You had some fun that day and a good comparision, i suspect you may have done better using the dipole with 5w. Enjoyed the video.

[@HamRadioInAction]

Thank you. I agree.

[@enriquediaz7547]

I’ve seen this video before but as of today: I have Tom’s setup:)

[@davidsradioroom9678]

Great video. I like both radios. Both have features the other doesn't. Thanks for sharing.

[@HamRadioInAction]

Thanks for watching!

[@brianoneill462]

Brian, Great job on the POTA activation. Ortonville State Recreation Area, getting into my neck of the woods, Only live about 47 miles south from that park. I'm getting that POTA itch now, maybe as a hunter at my home QTH with my Yaesu FT-991A. Again great job on the Park to Park activation, looks like fun. Until your next video, 73's from KE8MFK Brian in Warren Michigan.

[@waltbury]

Brian, a very good video, showing Real World Ham FUN

[@HamRadioInAction]

Thanks 👍 It was fun.

[@ajc60803]

Awesome video. Makes me want to get into HF / QRP. Of course, I'll need to upgrade my license first (currently Tech), so maybe by summer.

[@turtlecreek4633]

Great comparison and demonstration of it.

[@CWB-RF]

Nice! As a fellow QRPer I did enjoy this video a lot. Great job experimenting with different antennas and rigs, some of my favorite things to do. One thing to consider with a low power signal (and a pile up on top of that) is dropping the extra letters QRP after your call sign. Sometimes the extra letters make it harder to determine if it's part of a call sign or someone trying to say something else altogether. Just from my experience I never felt I got more contacts so don't call it out anymore unless someone specifically asks for QRP stations.

[@TXLorenzo]

I find if I put QRP in my call sign I get a better response. People tend to treat QRP operators a little more favorably.

[@CWB-RF]

@@TXLorenzo Good to know, it just wasn't my experience in the early going but maybe I need to try it again sometime.

[@jbflyinglow]

I believe if you use Tom’s Antenna you would also have five contacts, or is more power that much more important?

[@GreyGhost-r4z]

The weak point of 5 vs 10 or 20 watts is the antenna feed line. On the dipole switch to either 300 ohm or 450 ohm ladder line and for the 5 watts you won’t lose the decibel loss of that RG58. The 300ohm nice ladder line works great. Almost zero loss, and can tolerate high SWR on all bands and still work. Slightly more bulky to carry but not by much. Great video. If the X5105 had 10 watts I would buy it. SSB on 5 watts is doable with a good antenna but it’s stretching it. CW 5 watts no problem. I will have to look to see what the difference is between the X5105 and the other radio in regards to transmit amp usage. Yaesu shot themselves in the foot with the 817/818. If they had given us 10 to 15 watts they could have cornered the market. What on Earth were they thinking 🤔 Great video !!

[@TXLorenzo]

Yaesu has some great base station and mobile radios, but you are right, they have dropped the ball on the QRP market. They have had it so good for years with the FT 817, and they are getting way behind. ICOM and Xiegu are taking a lot of FT 817/817 sales at the moment.

[@Locksnut]

Nice video. When QRP we need all the help we can get in any way we can. I say QRP 3 times after my CS. It definitely helps! 73 de N4WLC Bill

[@HamRadioInAction]

Thanks for the tip!

[@daal1977]

very nice QRP

[@digitalanaloguehamradio]

great video mate

[@HamRadioInAction]

Thanks 👍

[@mikebohemia1947]

Great video, thanks guys. 73.

[@usernamemykel]

What software program was Tom using during this session?

[@chrissewell1608]

Thats awesome. I'm south of Atlanta. So hitting Detroit is very impressive. I want to hook up some sort of portable antenna for my HT. For backpacking, or emergency situations. And yours are reaching out there!

[@darrellbeard2799]

I have both radios. While I do really like the X5105, I must admit the G90 has it beat in a few ways. Both are really fun rigs. I use a hamstick on a tripod with 3 radials (wire) cut to 33 feet. It works (mostly) hi hi. I'm looking to try a hamstick dipole on the tripod and was wondering if either of you have any experience with that. Just looking for feedback here. Anyway, thanks so much for the video, I really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work and let us watch what happens.

[@JustFlyAway]

'Tom has extended his mast' Oh my, Tom

[@banihex]

It's not the power, it's the antenna! I have a SOTABeams 20/30/40 linked dipole, and I can tell you first hand the antenna makes a significant difference compared to a few extra watts.

[@vadskytech2751]

Thank you very much!

[@HamRadioInAction]

You're welcome!

[@electrotab]

Hey Brian. I’m new to ham and have just bought my first d star radio (th-d74). Could you please do an in depth tutorial on setting up and using d star. Thank you.

[@brianshanahan3878]

Great video!

[@sanjithnair3266]

great video TNX 73

[@stevemendoza4666]

Would a 20 meter mono stick work out in the woods?

[@flyingvan4949]

Thanks for another great video. 73, KO4DHF

[@MatteoSanelli89]

Doesn't QRP have priority?

[@HamRadioInAction]

If someone is working a pileup, they usually will try to work a QRP, mobile or park to park station first. I edited it out, but Tom and I were commenting every time we heard park to park, because they were getting pulled out of the pileups quick. It was like having a fast pass.

[@collinmac24]

I really don't think anyone has propriety in ham unless it's an emergency. But I always address qrp and mobile stations first

[@tron2132]

When doing an activation I always give a park to park the priority, just as courtesy since we're both out in a park activating. But a close second will be a QRP station (if they announce it), since its a fun challenge making contacts using only a few Watts.

[@Beowulfsurvival]

Kenwood-- I love my 857d for POTA 73 N5PRK

[@tonypointer7026]

Hey great stuff

[@M7BCN]

Nice one chaps. I would have loved to see your 5w on the dipole, and the 20w on the mag. Stay safe, 73 M7BCN

[@twohandsandaradio]

But in Icom's defence... does the X5105 or G90 have VHF/UHF/Dstar? If you really want to compare apples to apples then the Yaesu FT-818 and 705 are close less t he digital. And at $649 I think that would fit into the budget category.

[@tulenik71]

Not only that, but I know X6100 a bit and it is very easy to overload, so living in noisy urban environment, it is almost unusable for me (TV tower nearby...). Don't know how G90/X5105 work in similar conditions, but IC-705 and lab599 TX-500 don't have any problems. However, as a spare and in countryside, X6100 is somewhat usable.

[@docpearson]

Tell me if I am wrong. but after looking into the low powered radios it seems if you are going to do 5 watts you are better off doing cw. and if you are going to do voice the 20m is the ticket. i am now into cw so i am going to get a xiegu 5150 so i can go off to my church camp and do some cw. and i will not have to carry much. I also have a xiegu g90 which i love. but it is a little heaver and takes an extra external battery. and yes i take it to the camp. but i am kinda into cw now so the 5150 is the ticket for me now. Thriw it into a small bag with it already charged up and wow off you go

[@harryacanyonsr7446]

Great video. Thanks. 73's

[@Yoshi489]

N4NFM de JE2PQQ I recently got the IC705. I'm surprised at the price in the U.S. ( $1300 ) It cost me ¥114800 ( about $765 ) here in Japan. 73 Yoshi

[@radioactive8772]

Thanks for taking us along with you. K7WHN

[@scottbelcher9026]

Did Tom use the little antenna any? Any luck with it?

[@luckydubeinrc5165]

ic705m2g best radio i ever owned, i sold it few years ago, now sorry about it, 100 watt hf 50 watt vhf 25 wat uhf ! dang i m iss that small allround rig.

[@shandybrandy5407]

A very nice video. I guess the Xiegu qrp 5 watt would have done better if the inverted V antenna was used. Wish it was 10 watt. The Xigu G90 appears to be better because of its 20 watt. 73

[@TXLorenzo]

All things being equal, same antenna, ect.., that extra 20 watts sometimes makes the difference and gets you out of the noise level, especially during a low sun spot cycle.

[@gmajors2237]

Any suggestions for a hand held ham, that has a scanner, preferably a digital scanner. Any suggestions, anyone.

[@collinmac24]

I don't know of an hf like that. But for 2 meter and 70cm I really enjoy my baofeng uv5r

[@gmajors2237]

collinmac24 You are correct. I am new to the hobby. I was told you can get a p25 digital scanner and a handheld ham separately. The do not come in one unit. Bummer.

[@tractor2899]

Notif squad where you at?😂

[@aramb]

She-eh-goo

[@greyman5590]

Roger Roger...lol

[@lisajames2471]

The equable distributor accordingly ignore because environment muhly watch atop a slim archer. old-fashioned, condemned wedge