I wonder how good the receiver is having only six bandpass filters?
Yes you might expect more but I’m not sure that the number of filters defines Rx performance. I find 6 filters enough. FM, AM, SSB, SSBn, CW, CWn.
As it’s software defined it should be possible to select what suits you in that 6. For example: My normal CW bandwidth is 1.2 kHz and narrow is 500 Hz. Netting errors have caused me to miss calls witha 200 Hz BW so it is unused. Older rigs do not have much of a choice. Eg in the FT817 you get a choice of up to 1 alternative bandwidth according to what you plug in.
As you guys have a large number of operators close by, the strong signal performance and skirt rejection could be more important than the number of filters.
I’m sure the IC-705 will not satisfy the dreams of everyone. No rig on the market will.
So you select one that best suits your needs and budget and get on with enjoying it.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
AUS$1849 according to Andrews Communications in Sydney, first shipment due 14th August.
A little cheaper than I thought it might be!
David, VK2NU
Yeah, that’s a much better price than we’re having it offered (so far) this side of the world, where it’s a 5 pence short of 1300 quid (or a bit over 2300 AUD)!
Sales tax in Australia is 10% cf UK VAT 20% so that accounts for some of the difference.
About 110 quid, give or take, so a bit under half the difference, yes. The Aussies are definitely being offered it at a better price than we are. That can’t all come down to a difference in shipping costs. 
My back-of-an-envelope (plus hand-wavium) guestimate is that an equivalent sales price (accounting for tax differences) here would be around 1150 quid.
There is no such thing as a fair price, only what the market will tolerate.
If you can sell something for £2000 at a rate that you are happy with and a large profit margin why would you sell it at £1000 if you weren’t going to sell a lot more than twice what you sell at £2000?
Sure. Conversely, from the consumer’s point of view, “Is this worth the price they’re asking?” 
For me (and this is entirely my personal opinion), neither the IC-705 nor the IC-9700 are worth the price being asked for them in the UK at present. The IC-7300 I ended up buying a few years back was right at the top end of what I was prepared to pay for what it is.
Obviously not true… I would like to introduce exhibit #1 iPhone 11, exhibit #2 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
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I bought an FT-817 about when it was released in 2001. Back then 400MA or whatever it actually draws was considered allot and was a real problem—esp when considering the stock NiMH internal pack (9.6v and less than 1400Mah with limited maximum current draw) which couldn’t even supply a solid full TX power. Not only was the battery a problem while operating, but also the radio would drain the battery pretty heavily even when off—so any pack left in the rig would be dead a few days later…and this could even damage the early rigs.
But the thing about radio current drain is that the rig drain stays the same, but battery technology is forever moving forward.
Its 2020 now, I still use my FT-817 and now have an internal lithium pack from Windcamp with a disconnect switch on the battery door—no need to remove the battery and at 3AH and 11.1v there is plenty of voltage and current draw available for full TX power, I have hours of talk time at full output no problem. And if you need more than that an additional 3AH Windcamp pack weighs next to nothing.
So whatever the 705 draws today on receive—I am not sure that will be relevant say 2 years into the future. Also as an activator, why would you really have extended periods of RX? Isn’t a summit activation slanted much more to TX then the cycle typical in ragchewing? On TX the differences between radio current drain isn’t that much at all.
Now what I wish the 705 had was a solid “clam-shell” design (like an old cell phone), but without the KX3’s temperamental internal ribbon cable. There ought to be a SOTA rig like the KX3 or 705 whose own body serves as its protective case—no padding or anything else needed—just throw in regular pack with the rest of your stuff and go. And the clamshell ought to open all the way back over the rig to serve as a nice stand…
73,
Tom, N2YTF
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Well said Tom
We hope GEM makes a cover like the one for the KX3 if they can figure out how to clip it on (maybe the 1/4inch hole underneath is the key). The display is fragile,.I knicked my 7300 out in the field and ended up getting a 7200 for high power field ops.
I really dont want to touch screen on SOTA but hey we take bad with good
John VE3IPS
I thought another solution for a future pack ready rig might be a gem like cover with hinges on the sides, one that slides over the top of the rig and behind it and it’s a stand. Done operating flip back and everything covered. And all connectors and controls on front of rig so everything safe when cover forward. I don’t have any radio now where I only have to protect one side—it’s crazy. These radios have breakable, non water tight stuff on 2, 3 and sometimes more sides.
73,
Tom, N2YTF
Another short review video by Bob McCreadie (G0FGX) of TX Films
on ICOM Youtube Channel:
Aye, that’s the sort of thing that just isn’t going to work all that well on an activation in slightly damp conditions.
Heh! Clearly some consumers think they’re worth the money. . . . 
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The 705 appears to have had similar design faux pars to the Kenwod ts480, which is my main rig. In that they were well intentioned but have a few issues for every day use, or at least in the IC705 the touch screen in uk mountain weather is a dodgy decision. The one thing that erks me in the TS480 is the head was designed to be on the car/truck dash and the box of bits stuck out the way, this way they had a fully featured 100W rig for vehicle portable(although i did take it Sota activating when i first tried HF Sota!) but the issue is the microphone connects directly to the box not the head, but the headphones connect to the head of the rig! sometimes I wonder where designers get there ideas, or who said yes that’s a good idea we’ll go with that!
The F817(818) is the best portable rig for pretty cheap. the KX2/3 are the best for over £1000 portable rig. All the rest are chasing IMO.
You know I just want to add I looked up an old advertisement for the FT-817 and the original battery was actually 1000Mah 9.6v, not 1400Mah! So more than a tripling of battery capacity in the time I have owned the rig…
or at least in the IC705 the touch screen in uk mountain weather is a dodgy decision.
I bet a pint that the touch screen is none of the capacitive ones, so humidity probably won’t be a big issue.
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