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With either radio you're going to want to have an antenna tuner for POTA/SOTA, and if you have an antenna tuner you're WAY better off using an end fed wire with a counterpoise than you are using the AX1 (which also needs the antenna tuner).? Even if the end fed wire is laying on the ground it will probably work better than the AX1, and it's the counterpoise wire with the AX1 that does most of the radiating anyway!? It take VERY little extra time to deploy the end fed wire antenna and my opinion, the only place the AX1 comes out on top is if you're doing pedestrian or bicycle mobile, or maybe if you're in a motel room (but you still need the counterpoise wire to make it work at all).

I have a KX2 with the internal tuner, and it is an amazing tuner ... but it is very expensive.? A much cheaper, yet perfectly viable, alternative is something like this ATU-10:



It's small, is an autotuner, has it's own internal rechargeable battery, costs about $80, and it works well.? I have the 100 watt version in my shack, and my friend uses that exact model for his QRP work.?

Here is what ChatGPT says about the KX2 versus the IC-705:



The IC-705 gives you pretty much everything for $1,350.

The KX2 is $1,180 without the battery (additional $80 for 2.6 AH) and tuner (additional $300) ... $1,560 if you add the battery and tuner. ?? The KX2 with the ATU-10 ($80) and this 6 AH external battery (less than $30) would run you a bit less than $1,300.



All of that neglects taxes and shipping.

Dave?? AB7E