A New Transceiver

A new addition to the station is an Icom IC703. I have had my eye on one of these radios since they were first released in this country. I have now managed to get one in pristine condition for a reasonable price. This is a HF plus 6M (depending on the model) QRP transceiver with 10 watts maximum output. It can be run off a battery with a maximum 5 watts available.
First impressions are very good indeed, the receiver is excellent and very sensitive, I would like to add a narrow SSB or CW filter in the future, depending on which mode I use most. Very easy to use and very uncomplicated, unlike the IC7000 which was a real pain to get to grips with. Audio reports on SSB have been excellent and with a YL voice it can be difficult to get the audio right. Display is large, uncluttered and easy on the eye. The ATU is very good and tunes topband on the trap dipole ( my FT1000 ATU cannot do this). I have yet to plug a key in and try all the keyer features but will have a go over the next few days. I seem to be leaning more and more to QRP and it will be interesting to try this radio mobile! Let you know how I get on....