Icom IC-7300 vs Yaesu FT-891 (2026)

The short answer

The IC-7300 is a base radio with a large touchscreen and a real time spectrum scope, which changes how you find contacts and how quickly you learn a band. The FT-891 is a compact mobile radio with an excellent receiver and no display worth speaking of, at roughly two thirds of the price. If the radio lives on a desk, buy the Icom. If it lives in a car or a rucksack, buy the Yaesu.

Spectrum scope changes everything

Icom IC-7300 HF and 50 MHz Transceiver

~$1,200

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Compact, mobile, two thirds the price

Yaesu FT-891 HF and 6m Transceiver

~$770

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At a glance

	Icom IC-7300 HF and 50 MHz Transceiver	Yaesu FT-891 HF and 6m Transceiver
Real time spectrum scope	Yes, large touchscreen	No
Built-in antenna tuner	Yes	No
Physical size	Desktop	Very compact, detachable head
Output power	100 W	100 W
Suited to mobile installation	Poorly	Designed for it
Typical price	Higher	Lower

Choose the Icom IC-7300 HF and 50 MHz Transceiver if…

The radio lives on a desk and you want to see the band. A waterfall display shows you every signal across the segment at once, so you click on activity instead of tuning past it, and you learn how bands open and close far faster than you would by ear. The built-in tuner handles a resonant antenna that has drifted without another box on the desk. Our full Icom IC-7300 review covers what the internal tuner will and will not match, which is the point buyers most often get wrong.

It is a base radio in every sense, including power draw and size, so plan a supply that comfortably exceeds the current draw at full output rather than one that just meets it. Remember also that maximum permitted power is set by your licence class and your national regulator, not by what the radio can produce.

Check Icom IC-7300 HF and 50 MHz Transceiver on Amazon

Choose the Yaesu FT-891 HF and 6m Transceiver if…

The radio moves. The FT-891 is built around a detachable front panel and a small body specifically so it can go under a seat or in a go-box, and it has a receiver that competes well above its price. For portable operating, field days and mobile installations it is the more practical machine by a wide margin.

Accept two things. There is no spectrum display, so finding activity means tuning, and there is no internal tuner, so you need either a resonant antenna or an external tuner. Both are reasonable trades for the size and the price, and an external tuner near the feed point is better practice than an internal one anyway. The Yaesu FT-891 review goes through the mobile installation costs that the radio price does not include.

Check Yaesu FT-891 HF and 6m Transceiver on Amazon

Comparison based on published manufacturer specifications and the general consensus of owner reports. We have not tested these products side by side. Confirm current specifications and prices before buying. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this

Does a spectrum scope really matter?

More than most specifications. Seeing where activity is means you work signals you would have tuned past, and watching a band fill or empty teaches propagation in a way that reading about it does not. Operators who move from a radio without a scope to one with a scope very rarely go back.

Can either of these run at full power all day?

Both are rated at 100 watts, and both need adequate cooling and a supply that can deliver the current at full output without sagging. Digital modes are the hard case, because they transmit continuously rather than in speech peaks, and most operators reduce power on FT8 for exactly that reason. Check the duty cycle guidance in the manual for your mode.

What power supply do I need?

Size it above the peak current at full output rather than at the average. A supply that just meets the specification will sag under a voice peak, which shows up as distorted transmit audio and sometimes as a radio that resets. Add headroom, and remember a supply is also a source of noise if it is a poorly filtered switching design.

Which one for a first HF radio?

Either is a good first HF radio, and the choice is about where it will live. If you have a desk and mains power, the extra money for a spectrum display buys real learning. If you will operate portable or mobile more often than at home, the compact radio will get used more, and a radio that gets used beats one that fits better on paper.

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Disclaimer Researched guidance for planning purposes, not professional engineering, electrical or legal advice. Antenna work, RF exposure, mast and tower work, grounding and battery handling all carry real risk that depends on your specific site and installation. Verify anything safety-critical against current FCC rules, the National Electrical Code and the manufacturer's own documentation, and hire a professional where the job calls for one. We research equipment from published specifications, regulatory documents and verified owner reviews rather than claiming hands-on testing we have not done.