I have had numerous conversations about both of these radios, and the Yaesu FTX-1 is available for purchase (as of this writing in early March 2026). Icom IC-705 has been around for a few years, and it is an amazing and popular radio. They are completely different radios, and very hard to compare. However, here is a comparison broken down for those who may be interested.
| Features/Functionality/Options | Icom IC-705 | Yaesu FTX-1 |
| Price | $1350 for IC-705 $2100 for IC-705, XPA125B, special cable | $1499 for the FTX-1 Field $1899 for the FTX-1 Optima |
| Bluetooth | Built-In | Option at $55 |
| GPS | Built-In | Option at $70 |
| WiFi | Built-In | Not available |
| Bands/Modes | HF/6m, VHF/UHF, D-Star CW, SSB, RTTY, FM, AM | HF/6m, VHF/UHF, System Fusion CW, SSB, RTTY, FM, AM |
| Antenna Ports | (1) BNC | (1) VHF/UHF, (2) HF/6m All ports SO-239 |
| Antenna Tuner | No (external only), Icom AH-705 option at $400 | Yes (also supports external antenna tuner, and ATAS-120A) |
| Battery | 3450mAh battery included | 6400mAh battery included |
The Price of these are specified as above for a reason. Many people use the Icom IC-705 as a QRP and QRO radio. The Yaesu FTX-1 Field is a QRP radio (you an add the Yaesu SPA-1 (100W Power Amplifier at any time), and the FTX-1 Optima (FTX-1 Field and SPA-1 bundle) is a combination QRP/QRO radio.
I have been using both for quite some time now. And the Icom is no longer with me as I have sold it. There are things I cannot do with the Yaesu FTX-1 (satellite work as an example), but I can do that with other handheld radios. Why I transitioned to the Yaesu FTX-1 is more personal than functional. I don’t have many D-Star repeaters near my area (moved recently in 2025), and I have both an Icom ID-52A and a Kenwood TH-D75A to use D-Star using a hotspot.
What I like about the Yaesu FTX-1 is the ease of going QRO to QRP and back. I can also mount this in my car now with the extension cables. It integrates well with the automatic active tuning antenna ATAS-120A, so I can actually use HF fairly easily while traveling, overlanding or camping. With the current version 03/2026 of the firmware, Wires-X/System Fusion works as it should similar to other mobiles like the FTM-510 or FTM-300.
I am still very interested in the Icom ID-5200 for D-Star in my vehicle in the future.
I used the FTX-1 for FT-8, CW, SSB as well as FM repeaters and Fusion repeaters. Works as expected.
The price upfront seems steep, but for what you get, it isn’t that bad that I can use it as a QRO/QRP radio for $1900, whereas I have spent a lot more than that for the Icom IC-705. Pricing aside, for me, the Yaesu FTX-1 works best. But look at what repeaters are around your area and if is D-Star, I would choose the IC-705 path.
I wanted to keep this short and sweet so you can make the optimal decision without spending too much time doing research.
