so ive had the 7300 for about three weeks now, coming from an old FT-450D that i ran for like six years. figured id share some thoughts since i spent way too much time reading threads like this before buying.

the waterfall display is honestly the thing that changes how you operate more than anything else. i know everyone says that but i didnt really believe it until i started actually using it. you just see propagation differently. spotted a nice opening on 17m yesterday that i probably would have completely missed just spinning the dial on the 450.

audio on receive is noticeably better to my ears, though im running it through some old Heil headphones so take that for what its worth. the built in ATU handles my random wire just fine on most bands, 160m is a bit grumpy but that might just be my antenna situation more than the radio.

one thing that took some getting used to is the touchscreen, i keep accidentally changing things when im just trying to rest my hand near the radio. probably a me problem. also the fan kicks on more than i expected at 100w but its not loud, just noticeable in a quiet shack.

anyway, happy with it. if anyones on the fence between this and the 7610 and running a modest station, i think the 7300 is still the right call unless you really need the second receiver.

yeah the touchscreen thing caught me too when i first got mine, i think ive got like two years on it now. you kind of learn to hover rather than rest but it does get annoying during a contest when youre moving fast. someone on here mentioned you can lock certain parts of the screen but i never bothered to dig into that.

the waterfall point is real though. i came from a much older rig with no spectrum display at all and it felt like going from a paper map to GPS honestly. 17m openings especially, that band is so variable and the visual really helps you see whats happening in realtime rather than guessing.

what antenna are you running for 160? im curious what grumpy looks like, mine tunes up ok but i suspect im just not getting out as well as i should be on that band.

the 7300 vs 7610 debate comes up constantly and i think people overcomplicate it. unless youre doing SO2R or serious contesting the second receiver on the 7610 is kind of wasted. the 7300 does everything most people actually need and the price difference is real money that could go toward a better antenna or an amp. glad its working out for you