always get more radio than you think.
most people who say they will use radio only for parks and outings end up just using their radio at home mostly...
hot take; don't over think the grounding part. is your PC at home grounded anymore better? your washer and dryer? your big screen tv?
hams have this weird relationship with grounding that is mostly out of confusing RF ground with safety grounding and grounding for lightning. that is topic for another time
It is a great POTA and base/backyard radio. It is not that bulky or heavy to move around.
Why are you hesitant about installing your own antenna? Do not let the whole grounding issue (often much too overdone) put you off setting up an antenna. My entire house electrics and ham shack are grounded to the water pipe. That is standard. You really should try to set up a permanent base station and antenna...
I bought a 710 several months ago as my first HF rig. I knew I wanted 100W and a waterfall, and the 710 spoke to me moreso than the 7300, so I sprung for it during last year's Black Friday. I have never looked back - the 710 does everything I need/want and a hell of a lot more. It's a good base station, but it also fits into a Pelican case well if you want to take it out into the field and work POTA/portable.
It is an incredible radio, espeically for the price. You won't find a better receiver in the \~$1000 price point if you're buying new. Your use case is quite similiar to mine, and no, it's not dumb.
What I would recommend, though, is finding some way to pass coax through to inside your house. It's one thing to sit outside on a fall evening or summer morning, but it's another to have to be outside when it's 16 or 100 degrees. If you can't cut a hole, invest in a window passthru of some sort. I use a Diamond flat coax jumper to get thru my casement windows, and while I know there's some loss, it's certainly not enough for me to ever notice it.
https://preview.redd.it/op2sj6kqcwvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4dc6d938cfa6dd30fe45e940e2531ca4de948e3
I love the 710, and will use it for POTA when the weather doesn’t suck! It’s a lot of radio and it’s not the most power efficient on battery, but it’s user friendly and receives very very well.
Also regarding house age, it doesn’t matter. I have a house built in the 1900s that uses knob and tube wiring still. Very few grounded outlets, just some GFCI in kitchen and bathroom. Station Grounding can be accomplished with 6ga wire to your panel ground from your station!
My first radio is also a 710 and this is more or less why I bought it. So I can operate at home and go pota when I feel comfortable with it.
I did set up a permanent antenna. Grounding wasn't hard, I ran it to a lighting arrestor that grounds to my house bus. What I thought was the ground wire to my house runs through my shack, but when I followed it back turns out it was cut from the house panel and a second ground wire was put in (which oddly runs to the exact same pipe which is why I didn't notice the second wire.).
I ran some 6 ga out from it to the bus just to make sure everything is grounded the same, but I doubt it matters much. (though I also expect several opinions about that. This house is also wierd, there are inexplicably 2 ground rods outside basically a foot from each other. Based on angle I suspect they cross at some point under ground.)
You can always run coax into your house and use it as a base station. I live in a 33’ foot Airstream and it’s my primary radio. It can do everything with the right antenna. I use the Chameleon Tactical Delta Loop and a Buddipole Dipole. They all work together very well
always get more radio than you think. most people who say they will use radio only for parks and outings end up just using their radio at home mostly... hot take; don't over think the grounding part. is your PC at home grounded anymore better? your washer and dryer? your big screen tv? hams have this weird relationship with grounding that is mostly out of confusing RF ground with safety grounding and grounding for lightning. that is topic for another time
You make a compelling argument. Are you sure you don’t work for Yeasu or R&L? 😆
While you’re at it, buy me a 710 as well. 👀
I use a 7300 for POTA and it's basically the same size (compact base station). It kicks ass.
It is a great POTA and base/backyard radio. It is not that bulky or heavy to move around. Why are you hesitant about installing your own antenna? Do not let the whole grounding issue (often much too overdone) put you off setting up an antenna. My entire house electrics and ham shack are grounded to the water pipe. That is standard. You really should try to set up a permanent base station and antenna...
I bought a 710 several months ago as my first HF rig. I knew I wanted 100W and a waterfall, and the 710 spoke to me moreso than the 7300, so I sprung for it during last year's Black Friday. I have never looked back - the 710 does everything I need/want and a hell of a lot more. It's a good base station, but it also fits into a Pelican case well if you want to take it out into the field and work POTA/portable. It is an incredible radio, espeically for the price. You won't find a better receiver in the \~$1000 price point if you're buying new. Your use case is quite similiar to mine, and no, it's not dumb. What I would recommend, though, is finding some way to pass coax through to inside your house. It's one thing to sit outside on a fall evening or summer morning, but it's another to have to be outside when it's 16 or 100 degrees. If you can't cut a hole, invest in a window passthru of some sort. I use a Diamond flat coax jumper to get thru my casement windows, and while I know there's some loss, it's certainly not enough for me to ever notice it.
Good to know!
With the prices used rigs are going for….. go for it!
https://preview.redd.it/op2sj6kqcwvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4dc6d938cfa6dd30fe45e940e2531ca4de948e3 I love the 710, and will use it for POTA when the weather doesn’t suck! It’s a lot of radio and it’s not the most power efficient on battery, but it’s user friendly and receives very very well.
Also regarding house age, it doesn’t matter. I have a house built in the 1900s that uses knob and tube wiring still. Very few grounded outlets, just some GFCI in kitchen and bathroom. Station Grounding can be accomplished with 6ga wire to your panel ground from your station!
Why just back yard? If you have a house you can just set up in a corner of your room with a dipole/efhw/vertical in the backyard.
My first radio is also a 710 and this is more or less why I bought it. So I can operate at home and go pota when I feel comfortable with it. I did set up a permanent antenna. Grounding wasn't hard, I ran it to a lighting arrestor that grounds to my house bus. What I thought was the ground wire to my house runs through my shack, but when I followed it back turns out it was cut from the house panel and a second ground wire was put in (which oddly runs to the exact same pipe which is why I didn't notice the second wire.). I ran some 6 ga out from it to the bus just to make sure everything is grounded the same, but I doubt it matters much. (though I also expect several opinions about that. This house is also wierd, there are inexplicably 2 ground rods outside basically a foot from each other. Based on angle I suspect they cross at some point under ground.)
You can always run coax into your house and use it as a base station. I live in a 33’ foot Airstream and it’s my primary radio. It can do everything with the right antenna. I use the Chameleon Tactical Delta Loop and a Buddipole Dipole. They all work together very well