Could the Yaesu FT-710 be the Next Great Field Radio?

There's been a lot of excitement regarding Yaesu's announcement of the new FT-710 compact ham radio / HF transceiver. I've given it some thought; here's what I am thinking with respect to the new 710's suitability as a field rig.

[phils]

OK, I'll hold my hands up straight away and say I'm a committed 897 fan. It's the nearest thing Yaesu have made to a military spec field radio IMO. Yes, it's an old radio now and is out performed by many newer offerings but I love the 897's form factor and the "I could knock tent pegs in with this" feel about it!😂 Yaesu regard the new FT710 as a "desktop" radio. I guess you could regard any radio as a "field" radio if you're prepared to take the necessary precautions with transportation etc. Why Yaesu couldn't just update the 897 with new circuitry and maybe a tad bigger screen and maybe even an IP rating is beyond me. Large colour displays seem to be de rigueur these days but you don't NEED one!

[johnleonardelli_VEIPS]

Thank You for the brochure review with a field ops angle. I know hams bringing 7300s, 991 and FTDx10 radios to the field so there is hope. This radio would work well in the field if your car camping not hiking to your operation point.

[Littrell]

Another great video!! I feel like you are the Joe Friday of ham radio!! Love that you seek out the facts and help us know them.

[Charlie-Bee]

Did a 5 hour pota today with it at full power using a 5ah lifepo4 battery. Works great!

[dougnbfs]

From all appearances I would guess it to be an FT450d replacement since they have similar form factor and specs (both have internal tuners).
If it has integrated sound interface via USB and the SDR abilities then it will be a great entry level HF/6M rig but not the portable unit we are all salivating for ;)

Thanks for bringing the topic up
73
Doug
N7BFS

[DanHPage]

Great analysis, Tracy! I overlooked this new rig as a possible field radio. Thanks!

[thormusique]

Excellent video, Tracy, thanks! I'm also very curious about this rig and have very similar thoughts/reservations. I have my trusty FT-891 for field use but have long been thinking about the FT-DX10 as a base station. (I used to think all I'd need was One Rig to Rule Them All, but I'm getting increasingly tired of setting up and tearing down my base stations setup to accommodate field use and vice-versa.) Perhaps the FT-710 could be the base station I'm looking for? On the other hand, the specs and performance of the DX10 are so marvellous (and the screen's a tad larger), so that might be hard to beat for base station use. As an aside, I must say I can't fail to see the humour in how much we hams love to get caught up in researching gear. I think for me this could be at least 50% of the joy of the hobby. Oh well, at least it's a (fairly) benign obsession. Cheers and 73! 🙂

[KevinWBRY]

Great thoughts Tracy. I am saving up for this radio and will be ready to purchase when it becomes available. Hoping to use it as a base station only radio. Will keep my 818 and 857d for portable use.

[toddbu-WKL]

Have you ever considered a rig with top-mounted controls such as the Elecraft KX-2/3, Lab 599 TX-500, or even the Icom IC-705? The FT-710 looks to be quite large, and you have to prop it up to see the display. I wouldn’t buy a radio just because it has top-mounted controls, but since those other radios that I listed are all top performers then you might want to give them a try.

[steveverhoef]

I hope to see illuminated button for nighttime use and a wider range on the tuner.

[batfalcononyoutube]

Again, the same question emerges: Where is the so much wanted FT 858? A newer rig with ALL the bands and ALL the modulations?

[ajisotadxing]

There’s a reason the 891 is the best current field hf radio. <1A on rx like you mention, the same exact DSP chip as the 991a, voice keyer, eq the list goes on. I don’t want a tuner in a field radio, I strive for a resonant antenna. Tuner and field radio sometimes seem counter intuitive however I do understand sometimes you need a little touch up.

[timgtm]

This may well be the successor to the 450d. Depending on price point. Obviously to undercut the 7300 too.

[barrykery]

Great informative video, as always. I liked my FT 897D for a portable when I would run 40 watts out. I've since upgraded to the FT 991A for my portable radio if I want to run 40 watts out. I pair that with a 20 amp hour LiFePO4 battery.
I was very disappointed when I found out that the FT-710M (50 watt version) was not going to be released in the US. I think that would have been the best multi purpose portable radio since running that radio at 50 watts out, it's maximum power rating, the current drain would probably have been around 9 amps comparted to the 14.5 amps of current drain when running my FT-991A at 50 watts. The current drain again would have been a lot less at 5 watts out comparted to the FT-991A at 5 watts out.
Yaesu also makes a QRP version of the 710. I think it's a tad to large to be a dedicated QRP radio.
Thanks again for the nice video. Keep them
de KU3X/QRP

[tmiw]

I noticed on the FT-991A screenshot you showed that they have C4FM on 146.520. I'm imagining a bunch of angry hams if you transmit Fusion there :)

Anyway, personally I think anything higher than about 0.5A for RX current is a no-go for field use. Then again, this is based on my experience with radios like the IC-705 and KX3, which may not be a realistic standard for radios capable of higher power.

[ianprittie]

I’ve never totally understood why an internal tuner would need to go beyond 3 anyway…eg the X6100 seems to go up to 10. Crazy!

[vitaflo]

Immediately wondered about current draw when I saw it too. I'd be very surprised if it has less draw than your 897. I think they're positioning this to compete directly with the IC-7300, and not as a field radio. Wish there were were more 100w field-ready rigs out there! It's an undeserved market.

[abdulal-hodl]

Radios are like new versions of Windows. Keep the old one until they work the bugs out. Nice video tho.... I didn't even know this was coming out.

[waynemueller]

So now that the FT-710 is out there in stores, how much current does it draw in receive?

[ekbanjosworld]

Tracy ! KUDOS another great video ! I always enjoy your content. I'm not a big fan of the usual YouTube Ham Radio Gang ! You know, the ones that sit there and slurp down those nasty tasting stouts and ales and acting like they all taste good ! Not a big fan of the Mormon either, Casler ! I follow you, Julian OH8STN, and the other guy from Wisconsin with the long silver hair and glasses. Julian is a tough act to follow, but excellent knowledge ! Thanks for the good videos and keep up the good work ! 73 KO4OAJ