Just passed General and ready to dive into HF! I've narrowed it down to the IC-7300 or FT-891 as my first rig. The 7300 seems to be the gold standard for beginners at around $1100, but the 891 at $650 is tempting for the budget. My main question is about power supplies - I'm seeing conflicting info on current draw specs. The 7300 shows 22A max but what's the realistic operating current for 100W output? Same question for the 891 at 20.5A max.

Also curious about the built-in tuners - how well do they handle random wire antennas or do I need to invest in an external tuner right away? Any other gotchas between these two rigs I should consider?

Congrats on the General! The IC-7300 is an "entry level" transceiver in the $1,100 range that competes with $2,500 radios, and right now there's a factory coupon bringing it to $1100 plus a $100 rebate. For current draw, figure about 20A for 100W out on SSB - the 22A is peak. Get a 25-30A supply to be safe.

I went with the 891 as my first HF rig and love it. The internal tuner handles my 40m dipole and random wire just fine for most bands. Current draw is usually around 18-19A at full power. The Yaesu 710 Field is also worth considering as an HF-only option under $1000. Don't overthink it - both are solid choices!

For right about $1,000 you get 100 watts of HF output power in a direct sampling HF radio with an internal tuner that matches antennas well. The 7300's waterfall display is a game-changer for finding weak signals and understanding band conditions. Skip the 891 if you can swing the extra $400 - you'll appreciate the difference.