Just upgraded to General and looking to build my first HF base station. Budget is around $1500 for the transceiver. I'm seeing lots of recommendations for the IC-7300, but also considering the FT-991A for the all-band capability. Will mainly be doing SSB phone and some digital modes - no contesting or DXpedition work planned.

• How important is built-in antenna tuner vs external?
• Worth paying extra for VHF/UHF in the same rig?

Thanks for the guidance!

The ICOM IC-7300. This is the radio we picked for our HF Masterclass, and with continued use, we have enjoyed this rig. For right about $1,000 you get 100 watts of HF output power in a direct sampling HF radio. Excellent choice for beginners with great learning features like waterfall display.

The Yaesu FT-991A... does 100 watts on HF and 50 watts on 2 Meters and 70 Centimeters. That's a great option to build a shack around. If you want one radio to do everything, the 991A gives you more flexibility than the HF-only IC-7300.

I recommend an external antenna tuner/match. Most built-in tuners will match the impedance of an antenna up to 3:1, and external antenna tuner such as an LDG Z-11 Pro II or LDG Z-100A which will match up to 10:1. External tuners give you much more flexibility with different antenna types.