ICOM 905 price

A friend shared this link on ordering the 905 along with its ancillary items (antennas, 10Ghz…).

I was stunned that all in, its around $7,000 USD.

Yikes.

Paul

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For the ham who has everything! :wink:

I’m guessing the majority of sales will go to clubs - if there are any more VHF/UHF clubs left?
And a very few to the hard core Ops…

Todd, KH2TJ

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That 7K is probably with all the various antennas as well? It seems the base controller and the 23/13cm module together is $3500

Add 10 GHz - and $1000 - after that it depends on which antennas and cables you want to add and which you build yourself:

But until the dealers actually have stock - it’s all “open to change” of course.

It’s certainly a set-up that few people will take to a summit though, or am I wrong … QO100 anyone?

73 Ed.

As I said before, my 70cms to 3cms 250mW transverter on its own cost £600+ in 2019. Go and look at how much a set of Kuhne 23/13/6cms transverters and small PAs cost. The “joke” UK price of £3500 (US Dollar price in Pounds not converted at 1.2 : 1) is still not that outrageous.

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Icom’s pricing is often unbelievable. I still think the 705 is overpriced. Recovering the development cost, maybe?

So much of it would borrow from the 7300 and perhaps the 9700. They didn’t have to develop new software for the screen display or the touch driven controls. (Edit: But still didn’t include periodic automatic locking to an external reference. Understanding the need for accuracy but not long term accuracy, what gives there? Same comment for 9700 actually.)

The idea of powering it with an HT battery is mystifying. Then again, they had a NiMH battery option for the 703 which gave it a limited life, with only 5w available. They are clearly targeting a market I don’t understand.
Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA

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The UK price includes 20% VAT, the US price does not include sales tax.

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@G4TGJ

That’s correct Richard and the amount varies from county to county within US States. In Cal it ranges from around 7 to 10% but some counties can be as low as 5%. Beats 20% VAT any day of the week!

But then I’d rather have the NHS.

@G4TGJ
That’s a discussion to be had while having a beer!!

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Looks like I’ll be keeping my IC-910 for a Lot longer. 73 Karen

Penicillin!

I’d mentioned a while back I was going to buy a KX2 and an IC705 then decided that it would KX2 and IC-905. Even the eye-watering price of a basic IC-905 wasn’t a big deterrent to purchasing one especially as my employer doesn’t want me to retire and gave me some golden handcuffs (lots and lots of shares tax paid) that will vest over the next few years to entice me to stay working part-time.

KX2 is now sitting on my shack desk, I’ve been making up the necessary cables etc. to fit in to my existing FT-817 based setup and learning how it works. So that leaves the 905. I’d seen the pictures of it looking like an IC-705 but it’s only when I watched a video of some UK dudes using one that I learnt that the 705 sized box is just a head unit and you need a large and heavy looking box that has the RF gubbins in it. Suddenly it doesn’t look like the one box 144/432/1296/2320/5760 solution I hoped. And come on Icom, making the 144/432/1296 share a single antenna connector means you need either a triplexor and set of relays to switch between antennas. Or spend time faffing with connecting and disconnecting cables.

It’s just a somewhat disappointing package and wont make multi uwave SOTA any easier. I think staying with an 817 and some Kuhne/SG Lab transverters remains a better solution.

Which leaves me with a problem…what toys should I buy instead.

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I noticed you joining in the thread about combining motorbikes and SOTA, how about one of these ?
image

Andy
MM7MOX

A spectrum analyser, signal generator and a bench power supply. I’ll give you my address and you can send them to me when you get them.

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You know what my ham friend, who happened to be a surgeon, calls people who ride motorbikes?
Not motorcyclist nor biker but organ donor!

As far as motorbikes go, I’ll get my kicks watching IOM and Ulster road racing.

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Surely it’s got to have a V12 whilst petrol is still available? :wink:

Many years ago I had a motorcycle and sidecar (sorry - “chair”) which was great for carting about a sax, or a load of camping gear - sometimes plus a rig, an ali mast and a beam. It had a vicious trick or two if you didn’t drive conservatively and even now I can’t watch sidecar racing! :skull:

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Yes. But the funds (plus handcuff shares) don’t run as far as a rotten 330 or 250GTE. So maybe an 850CSi but they are a big money pit and lots of the bits are unobtanium now. 600SEC is another money pit. Or a rot-box XJS. I drove an XJS regularly in my youth… it was a company pool car! It sure liked a drink, seemed to average about 13mpg :slight_smile: But expenses were paying for that.

EDIT: for a laugh about 250GTE prices here’s a comment from a recent add

" including engine rebuild by GTO Engineering with invoices totalling over £85,000"

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If it has to be a V-12, check out the one on my QRZ page. Problem is the fuel burn. At take-off power, it burns a gallon every 10 seconds. Fuel is over 7 US dollars a gallon.

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P-51 with a Packard built Merlin. What’s not to like. It showed that North American Aviation could design a plane as equally beautiful as anything R. J. Mitchell could do.

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