so ive been running a fairly old TS-570 for probably 8 years now and its been solid but im starting to feel like im missing out on some of the newer stuff. been eyeing the IC-7300 for a while and honestly the price has come down enough that its not completely insane anymore. my main thing is i do a mix of SSB ragchewing and some light digital, FT8 mostly, occasional PSK31 when i can find anyone still doing it.

what i keep reading is the SDR-based architecture on the 7300 makes a real difference for crowded band conditions, which around here on 40m in the evenings is definitely a thing. but i dont know if thats just marketing talk or if its actually noticeable coming from a superhet like the 570. also curious how the built in waterfall holds up for actually finding signals vs just looking pretty. anyone made a similar jump from older gear to the 7300 or something comparable like the 7610 if you had the budget

not in a huge rush just trying to figure out if its worth saving up a bit more or just grab the 7300 now

made almost that exact switch a couple years back, was on an FT-897 for years before i got the 7300. the waterfall is genuinely useful not just a gimmick, you actually start to understand what the band is doing in a way you just cant with a meter. the RF direct sampling does make a difference in terms of close-in interference rejection, i noticed it right away on 40m during the evening pile when everyone and their brother is running 100 watts two khz away from you. the AGC behavior is also way better imo.

the built in sound card for digital modes is what pushed me over honestly, cleaned up my FT8 setup considerably and i got rid of a bunch of cables going to the laptop. if you can stretch to the 7610 the dual watch and better filters are nice but unless you're doing serious contesting or DXing the 7300 is hard to argue with at current prices. just do it, your 570 will sell pretty easy if you keep it clean

i cant speak to the 570 comparison specifically but i picked up a 7300 about 18 months ago as my first real HF rig after starting on a little QRP setup and the learning curve on the touchscreen took maybe a week before it felt natural. one thing nobody mentioned to me beforehand was that the fan can be audible depending on your shack setup, not a dealbreaker but if you do phone and you have a sensitive mic setup in a quiet room its worth knowing. mine sits behind me and its fine.