If the AH-705 specs are correct, it’s a little surprising Icom designed a portable ATU that’s this large. Of course, you would still need to follow Icom’s guidance about protecting the antenna, transmitter and control cable connection points. I’m not sure what the maximum length of the control cable could be, but Icom Japan even lists a 16 foot control cable as an accessory. At home, perhaps it could act like an externally-mounted, remotely-controlled antenna tuner. Since the AH-705 is designed to be dust and weather resistant, it could be mounted at the antenna feed point. This would never have an impact on my purchase decision. Still, memories only help shave off a bit of the auto-tuning time. As a point of comparison, the mAT-705Plus has 16,000 tuner memories. But as a reviewer, I try to step in other operators’ shoes so I see where this could be a slight negative for those who plan to use the AH-705 at home and connected to only one antenna. My radio sessions are only an hour or two long and I routinely pair my transceivers with a wide variety of antennas, so a portable ATU never has a chance to develop a complex tuner memory map for any given antenna. In truth, I never really pay attention to this spec because I’m primarily a field operator. I was a little surprised to see that the AH-705 “only” has 45 tuner memories. Like the mAT-705Plus, I’m not sure if the AH-705 can be turned on in order to tune only via RF sensing without essentially modifying a control cable to trick the ATU into powering up. One original pre-production prototype image of the AH-705 shows a power switch the latest images do not. Speculation here, but the AH-705 might only work with the IC-705 or Icom radios with similar ATU commands.Of course, none of those ATUs have an IP54 rating, either. Some have noted pricing around $350 US price–that’s a premium for a portable ATU considering the Elecraft T1 is $180 assembled and many LDG models are less than $200.Based on Icom specs, the AH-705 is larger than other portable ATUs at 7.5 × 4.1 × 1.6 inches.Maximum wattage is only 10W, which I suppose is okay if you never put an amplifier between the IC-705 and the AH-705.It’s an Icom product, so I would expect excellent overall quality.Power from internal batteries and an external DC source.Could (potentially–?) be permanently mounted outdoors at the antenna feed point as a dedicated remote tuner.Still, I can’t turn of the reviewer inside so I feel I can make some superficial comments assuming the specs don’t change. Of course, I don’t have an AH-705 in hand to test yet, so there’s no way I can comment on performance. Latching relays used for saving power consumption.Full automatic tuning, just push the button on the IC-705.* The connectors should be covered with an adhesive tape or a jack cover to prevent water seeping into the connection. IP54 dust-protection and water resistance construction*.2-way power sources using alkaline batteries (2 x AA cells) or external 13.8 V DC* * 13.8 V DC should be taken directly from an external power supply, not through the IC-705.“Terminal connector”, binding post socket adapter supplied for a long wire antenna.SO-239 antenna connector for 50 Ω antenna such as dipole or Yagi.Key specifications and features per Icom:ģ0 m, 98.4 ft or longer antenna: 1.8 – 54 MHz, 7 m, 23 ft or longer antenna: 3.5 – 54 MHz * Depending on operating conditions or environments, the tuner may not be able to tune the antenna. Some of these details may help potential customers make a purchase decision. Many Icom IC-705 owners have been waiting to learn more about the AH-705 before purchasing a dedicated portable ATU for their IC-705. Many thanks to Rob Sherwood (NC0B) who notes that Icom has published details regarding their new AH-705 antenna tuner which is designed to pair directly with the Icom IC-705 QRP transceiver.
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