If you’re looking for the best HF transceiver for your new General ticket, your YouTube feed is suddenly full of $450 Xiegu G90s doing 20 watts and Icom IC-705s doing 10 watts on a picnic table. They look like a bargain for your first HF rig. They are not.
Those are fantastic second radios, but as your first HF transceiver after Technician, QRP will frustrate you out of the hobby.
Your first antenna will not be perfect, your first tune will not be perfect, and propagation will not be perfect. A true 100-watt rig like the Icom IC-7300 gives you 7dB of margin over a 20-watt G90 and 10dB over a 10-watt IC-705. That margin is what gets you heard on your first end-fed that’s a little too low, on a 40m net with static, and on your first FT8 CQ when you’re not sure if your audio is set right.
Learn HF with 100 watts and a built-in tuner first. Go QRP portable once you know you love HF.
Why General Changes Everything for Technician Grads
As a Technician you lived on 2m and 70cm FM. As a General you unlock 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m and 10m for SSB, CW and digital. That means daytime coast-to-coast on 20m, regional traffic nets on 40m and 80m at night, and real DX when 10 meters opens.
Your first HF rig – and the best HF transceiver for new General – needs to cover 160m to 6m, do SSB/CW/AM/FM and digital, and run a full 100 watts without an amplifier. That is the sweet spot where you can break a pileup and still run all night without worrying about finals. Learn more about those privileges from the ARRL General Class band plan.
Why Your First HF Rig Should Be 100 Watts and New-Only
For your first HF rig, new means warranty, no mystery mods, no burnt finals, and no “it worked when I parked it.” Used can be a great deal for rig #2. For rig #1, that peace of mind is worth $100. Every price in this guide is new from authorized dealers in 2026.
100 watts is also about confidence. A 100-watt radio on an inexpensive EFHW antenna at 25 feet will outperform a 10-watt radio on a perfect beam when you are still learning to tune, call CQ, and work split.
With sources like eBay, you do run risks and usually for 7300s they aren’t priced that much less than new, which is why buying new is still the safest way to get the best HF transceiver for new General.
Why the Icom IC-7300 Is Still the Best HF Transceiver for New Generals in 2026
The IC-7300 was the first direct RF sampling radio in the entry-level class. In 2026 you can still find a new original IC-7300 around $1099, or the new IC-7300MK2 around $1239 which adds HDMI for an external monitor, LAN for remote operation, USB-C, and a dedicated receive antenna port. Both are 100W on HF/50MHz and both have the feature that matters most for a first station: a built-in automatic antenna tuner. See the official specs on Icom’s IC-7300 page.
Built-In Tuner Saves You $300
The IC-7300 tunes 3:1 SWR on HF with one long press of the TUNER button. Compare that to the Yaesu FT-891, which is cheaper up front but requires the external FC-50 tuner at $320 plus extra cables and power. For a new General stringing up an end-fed that is not perfectly resonant, an internal tuner is why the IC-7300 is the best HF transceiver for new General operators.
Waterfall That Actually Teaches You the Bands
The 4.3-inch touchscreen shows you where FT8 lives at 14.074, where SSB chatter piles up at 14.250, and where CW is down low. You learn band activity by sight, not by spinning the VFO blindly.
One Cable for Digital Modes
One USB-B cable gives you CAT control, audio in/out, and PTT. No SignaLink, no extra sound card. Plug into your laptop, set WSJT-X to IC-7300, and you are on FT8 in 10 minutes.
The Part Everyone Forgets: The 13.8V 30A Switching Supply
The IC-7300 does not include a power supply. It needs 13.8V DC at about 21A for 100W out. You need a supply rated for 30A CONTINUOUS, not 30A MAX.
For ham radio you want a switching supply with RF noise offset or HF filtering, over-current and short protection, and a quiet temperature-controlled fan.
Samlex SEC-1235M vs Astron SS-30M-AP: Best Power Supply for IC-7300
| Feature | Samlex SEC-1235M (Value Pick) | Astron SS-30M-AP (Premium Pick) |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous / Peak | 30A continuous / 35A peak | 25A continuous / 30A ICS peak |
| Voltage | 13.8V fixed, with meters | 13.8V adjustable ±1V, with meters |
| RF Noise / Filtering | Low noise design – Samlex is OEM for Yaesu supplies | Special HF filter, linear-like regulation |
| Weight / Size | Light, small footprint | Heavy, tank build |
| Street Price New (2026) | ~$221 | ~$332 |
Samlex SEC-1235M is my value pick for this first HF station. It will run a full IC-7300 at 100W without voltage droop.
Astron SS-30M-AP is the premium quiet pick. If your shack is in a bedroom, the Astron filter design is worth the extra $100.
Wiring Your First HF Station Right
- Power: 10 AWG minimum from supply to radio, fused at the supply. Use Anderson PowerPoles if you plan to go portable later.
- Ground: Single point ground bus to your ground rod. Do not daisy-chain chassis.
- Coax: LMR-240 or RG-8X for runs under 100 feet to your first wire antenna.
- Digital: One USB cable from IC-7300 to PC. Set radio to USB-D for FT8, 19200 baud.
Antenna First, Radio Second
A $1099 IC-7300 on a $70 homebrew EFHW 40-10 at 30 feet will outperform a $4000 FTDX101D on a bad indoor antenna. For your first antenna as a new General, build a 71ft end-fed half-wave with 49:1 transformer for 40-10m.
Best HF Transceiver for New General: Quick Checklist
If you want the best HF transceiver for new General use, it must have 100W, built-in tuner, 160m-6m coverage, and one-cable digital. That is exactly what the IC-7300 delivers, which is why it remains the top first HF rig recommendation.
- 100W on HF, not 10W or 20W QRP
- Built-in automatic antenna tuner
- Waterfall display to learn the bands
- One USB cable for FT8 and CAT
Final Verdict: Learn at 100W, Go QRP Later
If your goal is to learn HF and stay in the hobby, the best HF transceiver for new General is still the Icom IC-7300. Pair it with a true 30A continuous supply like the Samlex SEC-1235M and a simple wire antenna up as high as you can get it.
FAQ: First HF Rig for New Generals
Is the Xiegu G90 good as a first HF radio?
The G90 is an excellent second or portable radio, but at 20W you are 7dB down from a 100W rig.
Is the Icom IC-7300 the best HF transceiver for new General in 2026?
Yes. The original IC-7300 at ~$1099 new remains the best value first HF rig because of its built-in tuner, RF direct sampling waterfall, and one-cable digital.
Do I need a 30A power supply for 100W?
Yes. The IC-7300 draws ~21A at 100W out. You want 30A continuous overhead so voltage doesn’t sag on SSB peaks. Here’s a good power supply that meets that spec.
