Icom IC-705 – If I Were Icom

When the Icom IC-705 launched in 2020, it did not just enter the market.

It changed the conversation around portable amateur radio.

Not slightly. Not incrementally.

It redefined what a field radio could be. A magnificent toolbox. A Leatherman. A Swiss army knife for off-grid operators, packed with the tools we actually need when we are out there.

Back in 2020, in my original IC-705 video, I focused on design intent. The greatness was not just the feature list. It was the philosophy. It felt like engineers had asked:

What does a modern off-grid operator actually need in the field?

This post is a direct message to Icom about the future of the IC-705. If I were Icom, here is how I would finish what you started and complete the circle.

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What Made the IC-705 Revolutionary

Coming from the Yaesu FT-817 and 818 world, field deployment meant compromise.

If you wanted data, you bolted on an external audio interface.
If you wanted CAT control, more cables.
If you wanted filters, you paid extra.
If you wanted a clean deployment, you still carried a wire mess.

The IC-705 eliminated most of that.

It gave us:

• HF through 6 m, plus 2 m and 70 cm in one compact chassis
• A large, bright 4.3-inch touchscreen
• Real-time spectrum scope and waterfall
• Variable bandwidth filters adjustable during a QSO
• Noise reduction, blanker, manual and auto notch
• Two levels of preamp and full receiver control
• Integrated audio interface and CAT over a single USB cable
• Built-in GPS with NMEA output for logging, position reports, and time sync
• Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• The ability to charge while operating

One USB cable to Windows.
One USB cable to Linux.
One USB cable to Raspberry Pi.
One USB cable to Android.

No Signalink bolted to the side.
No spaghetti mess.

For data operators, it was a breath of fresh air.

But the real foundation is efficiency.

In my own field testing, I measured:

• Screen on, GPS off, Bluetooth off: approximately 240 mA
• Screen standby: approximately 220 mA
• GPS acquiring satellites: approximately 390 mA, then approximately 260 mA once locked
• GPS on, screen standby: approximately 230 mA
• Bluetooth on with headset connected: approximately 250 mA
• Bluetooth on, screen standby: approximately 220 mA
• GPS plus Bluetooth after lock: approximately 270 mA, approximately 240 mA standby
• Noise reduction plus preamp on: approximately 280 mA, approximately 250 mA standby

GPS on.
Bluetooth on.
Wireless audio.
Still extremely efficient.

That low current draw is not a spec sheet detail. It is the reason this radio works off-grid.

Then Icom did something else right.

They got charging mostly correct:

• Charge from USB
• Charge from 13.8 V DC
• Charge while operating
• Top up in hours, not overnight

That was brilliant.

You built the toolbox.

Now let’s finish it.

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If I Were Icom – The IC-705 Mk2 Pro

The mission is simple:

• Preserve legendary efficiency
• Reduce cables
• Reduce external boxes
• Modernize power architecture
• Make field charging effortless

You already proved you understand field deployment.

Now complete the circle.

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1. Replace the Proprietary HT Battery Architecture

The current HT-style pack limits internal output to 5 watts.

Field operators standardize around 18650 Li-Ion cells.

Flashlights.
Headlamps.
Thermal gear.
Power banks.

Redesign the Mk2 Pro around properly engineered 18650 cells, ideally in a 3S2P configuration.

Why?

• Energy density
• Current output
• Worldwide availability
• Easy field swaps
• Kit standardization
• No proprietary lock-in
• Real preparedness compatibility

If you prefer to retain HT pack compatibility, offer a dual vertical side by side configuration.

But do not let the battery format limit the radio’s autonomy.

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2. Full Power from Internal Battery

Despite what some say, 5 watts is not always enough. This forces external batteries for full 10 watt output.

• More wires
• More connectors
• More failure points
• Longer setup time

With a higher capacity internal power supply, Icom can deliver at least 10 watts from onboard batteries. More, if heat dissipation allows.

Preserve low RX current.
Increase autonomy.
Reduce friction.

Less wire mess.
Less gear.

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3. Replace Micro USB with USB-C Power Delivery

Micro USB did not make sense in 2020.

It still does not make sense in 2026.

USB-C PD is now the field standard for power banks, vehicles, portable chargers, and even modern solar solutions.

• Faster charging
• Higher wattage charging
• Direct compatibility with modern portable power ecosystems like the PowerFilm Lightsaver Max.

Keep charging while operating.

Just modernize the port.

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4. Wide Voltage DC Input – Direct Solar Capability

Upgrade the IC-705 Mk2 Pro to accept 28 to 32 volts on its DC input so a 12/24 volt class panel can connect directly.

• No charge controller
• No extra box
• Less weight
• Less complexity

Solar charges the battery.
Battery runs the radio.
Always.

You specify maximum input current and wattage.
The radio regulates internally.

Portable ham radio is not just a hobby for many of us. We are not going to the field for an hour of CW or FT8. For preparedness, EMCOMM, or expedition work, we may be off-grid for days or weeks at a time. That is why I am calling this variant “Mk2 Pro”.

Anyway, that single change removes one of the most common external boxes in a field kit.

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5. Expose GPS NMEA Wirelessly

This is a firmware level ecosystem improvement, not a hardware redesign.

The IC-705 provides GPS NMEA over USB. That is excellent in wired setups.

But in fully wireless Wi-Fi deployments, once you remove the USB cable, GPS data is no longer exposed to the computer.

For FT8, JS8Call, Winlink, and other narrow bandwidth data modes, accurate time synchronization is foundational. There are times when we need to send our exact location over HF. I should not have to stop and plug in the radio’s USB cable just to get my GPS data out.

In a fully wireless setup, losing USB means losing GPS time.

• A separate GPS dongle
• Reconnecting a USB cable
• Or compromising the clean deployment

For the Mk2 Pro, expose the internal GPS NMEA stream over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

• A virtual TCP NMEA server over Wi-Fi
• A virtual serial port over Bluetooth
• GPS data integrated into wireless CAT?

The radio already generates NMEA.
It already outputs it over USB.
Make it available wirelessly.

That eliminates the last cable dependency in a truly wireless data deployment.

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6. Integrate an Internal ATU

A toolbox should not require one final external box.

Resonant antennas are ideal.

But field reality includes:

• Snow
• Rain
• Wind
• Compromised antenna deployment
• Time pressure

An internal ATU removes:

• One more device
• One more cable
• One more failure point

It completes the system.

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A Note on Engineering Reality

Every change involves cost, thermals, certification, and liability considerations.

I understand that.

But direction matters.

Field operators are moving toward integrated, solar-ready, cable-minimized systems.

The Mk2 Pro is your opportunity to lead that shift again.

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Final Thoughts

The Icom IC-705 remains one of the most capable all-in-one data radios available.

For primary data operators, it is still one of my first recommendations.

But we are not just doing voice.

We are handling:

• Asynchronous messaging
• File transfer
• Tactical text traffic
• Email over HF
• Low bandwidth resilient links

We deploy in:

• Arctic cold
• Desert heat
• High humidity
• Storm conditions
• Grid-down scenarios

We demand:

• Ultra-low receive current
• Field-replaceable, high-capacity batteries
• Seamless charging from USB-C and solar
• Wide voltage DC input to eliminate controllers
• Wireless GPS time sync for clean deployments
• Fewer cables
• Fewer boxes
• Fewer failure points

You proved you can build a field radio.

Now finish it.

Complete the circle.

This is my list.

I dare you to push the community forward again, Icom.

73,
Julian OH8STN
Off-Grid Ham Radio Operator

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