Last year, at the Tokyo Ham Fair, Yaesu unveiled the long-awaited FTX-1F portable HF transceiver. After years of speculation, we finally have a successor to Yaesu’s venerable FT-817/818 product line on the horizon—a radio series with an impressive run of over two decades.

I’ve enjoyed reading the flurry of comments that continue today from readers following the FTX-1F announcement many months ago. The reactions are all over the map, but overall, it seems the FTX-1F checks a lot of boxes for amateur radio field operators.

This got me thinking…

From Sparse to Abundant

When I was first licensed in 1997, options for compact, portable QRP transceivers were few and far between. Sure, there were some kit radios and a handful of basic analog options, but almost no general-coverage QRP field radios. The only one that came close (besides the Argonaut II, which wasn’t exactly backpack-friendly) was the Index Labs QRP Plus.

Don’t get me wrong—there were some classic QRP radios out there, but they weren’t exactly compact. Tossing one into a daypack for an afternoon hike? Not likely.

Fast forward to today, and it’s a completely different story. The market is overflowing with QRP radios, offering something for every type of operator.

A radio for every preference and budget

Sub-$400 radios? You’ve got options like the QRP Labs QMX, CFT1, (tr)uSDX, Xiegu G-106, and Venus SW-3B/6B.
Affordable kits? Check out the QRP Labs QCX/QMX series, the CFT1, and (until recently) the Penntek transceivers.
Ultra-compact CW transceivers? Look no further than the Elecraft KH1, Mountain Topper MTR series, and QRP Labs radios.
Shack-in-a-box radios with built-in ATUs, mics, and batteries? Consider the Elecraft KX2, Xiegu X5105, X6100, and X6200.
High-performance QRP rigs? There’s the Elecraft KX3 and Icom IC-705.
Spectrum displays and built-in sound cards? The Icom IC-705, Xiegu X6100/X6200, and likely the upcoming Yaesu FTX-1F (fingers crossed) have you covered.

And that’s just scratching the surface. The past decade has brought an explosion of innovation in the field-portable space, making it hard to keep up.

I couldn’t have imagined a radio like the KX2 back in 1997! Nineteen years later, it was a reality.

Even better, prices have become more competitive. Adjusted for inflation, we’re getting more radio for our money than ever before. Sure, some options are pricey, but compared to 1997, we’re living in a golden age of QRP.

A personal perspective on radio prices

Case in point: my first HF transceiver was a used Icom IC-735, which I bought for around $700.

At the time, that felt like a solid deal for a full-featured HF radio that originally retailed for $1,150. Adjusted for inflation, that $700 would be about $1,371.83 today.

For perspective, one of the priciest QRP radios on the market right now is the Icom IC-705, which retails for $1,349.95 at time of posting. That’s $21.88 less than I paid for my used IC-735 inflation-adjusted.

On the flip side, if you adjust the cost of a brand-new, assembled QRP Labs QMX (roughly $200) to 1997 dollars, it would have been about $102.

Better still, if you’re willing to build the QMX from a kit, you can snag it today for roughly $102 in 2025 money.

Had the QMX existed in 1997? The kit price would have been $52.19 inflation-adjusted!

Sure, inflation-adjusting isn’t a perfect science—it doesn’t account for many other economic factors like manufacturing advances, material costs, or exchange rates—but it’s still a fascinating metric to use for perspective.

Talk about a bargain!

It’s a brilliant time to be a QRPer!

Working DX with a handheld radio and a 4-foot whip antenna? We live in amazing times, indeed!

So, while it might sometimes feel like “the perfect radio” doesn’t exist or that prices are sky-high, I believe we’re actually living in the best time to be QRP operators. The options are plentiful, the innovations are remarkable, and the value for money has never been better.

What do you think?

Many thanks to Gavin (GM0WDD) who notes that ML&S have posted a product page for the new Yaesu FTX-1F.

I was curious what new product announcements might come out of the Tokyo Ham Fair 2024–this is exciting news, indeed.

The following specs and details all come from Martin Lynch and Sons:

The new FTX-1F will be available early 2025.

The new FTX-1F is a portable transceiver utilizing SDR technology and provides 6W of power output with the 5670mAh Lithium-ion battery pack (Which enables 9-hours stand-alone operating time on the HF bands, SSB mode, and 8-hours operating time on the V/UHF bands, FM mode based on a 6-6-48 duty cycle). Up to 10W of power output is available when using an external DC power supply.

- FTX-1F – True All-Rounder
- HF/50/144/430MHz All Mode Field Transceiver
- Providing stand-alone 9-hours of operation

This information and the sample shown at HAM FAIR 2024 are only the preliminary introduction.

Detailed information will be announced at a later date.

A number of the fundamental and remarkable features of the new FTX-1F are:

- Operation in SSB, CW, AM, FM and C4FM digital modes
- SDR Technology and 3DSS (3-Dimensional Spectrum Stream) on a 4.3-inch high-resolution full-color touch display
  panel
- Two independent receiver circuits provide true simultaneous dual-band operation, whether in the same band or in
  different bands. For example: SSB communication on HF bands simultaneously with C4FM digital communication
  on V/UHF bands (*HF+V, HF+U, V+V, U+U, V+U, U+V)
- Two Loud speakers ensure clear and powerful audio output
- An optional Automatic Antenna Tuner can be attached to the rear of the transceiver with the 5670mAh high-capacity
  Li-ion battery pack. The optional Cooling-fan, which is necessary for comfortable FT8 operation, can also be
  combined with the antenna tuner. (All-in-one rear panel design)
- RF front-end and Low Noise Reference Oscillator, enable Phenomenal Multi-signal Receiving characteristics
- Effective QRM rejection afforded via High-speed 32-bit IF DSP (YAESU’s renowned interference reduction
  systems: SHIFT / WIDTH / NOTCH / CONTROUR / APF / DNR / NB)
- Compatible with WiRES-X operation
- PMG (Primary Memory Group) function can register and monitor up to 5 frequently used frequencies
- MAG (Memory Auto Grouping) function enables Memory Channels to be categorized in each band that can be
  quickly recalled by band groups (HF/VHF/UHF/AIR/OTHERS)
- USB ports support CAT operation, audio input/output and TX control

The new FTX-1F will be available early 2025. Please be ready for this forthcoming exciting new radio!

When I asked, in the past, what readers would like to see in an FT-818 replacement, many wanted a spectrum display and SDR technology–it seems like Yaesu was listening.

There’s no built-in ATU, but it appears they will have an “[a]n optional Automatic Antenna Tuner can be attached to the rear of the transceiver with the 5670mAh high-capacity
Li-ion battery pack.”

What’s most surprising is that the FTX-1F has two independent receiver circuits. This is quite an innovation in the world of field-portable HF radios.

I will post more details when they become available. Very curious about the output power, size/weight, and and receiver specs. It would be brilliant if they managed to get FTDX10 receiver performance in this portable form-factor.

Stay tuned!