Icom IC R20 vs AOR 8200 MK3 ?

[Hooterville]

I'm going to order an unblocked version of one of these receivers and would like the opinions of you radio experts here as to which one they think is the better of the two?

Icom IC-R20 or AOR 8200 MK3

I know it's a tough call.

Thanks for the help..

 

[K0ATC]

I've owned both, I sold my AOR for the ICOM and I am a huge AOR fan. Battery life is through the roof with the ICOM, I can get 15+ hours out of it, the AOR is awful, you have to carry several backups with you. The record function of the ICOM is great, and with the advent of a new software tool to convert the recordings to wav. and mp3. its even better. The AOR only has a card that can record 15 or so seconds on it??? You can get free software to program the Icom over a standard USB cable used on a digital camera, with the AOR things can get more difficult and the programming cable is very expensive. The audio quality is much better on the ICOM and the fit and finish is well above the AOR, the AOR is almost toy like in its finish, but is quite rugged as I had dropped it several times with no problems. The ICOM has better coverage, though any handheld lacks up top anyways, I wasn't able to get the ICOM to work well with Inmarsat for example.

 

[Turbo68]

I use bought these receivers to monitor the Airbands and i can say that performance on both Radios is excellent but the AOR clarity through the speaker seems to be a bit better than the ICOM.

Regards Lino.

 

[Hooterville]

Thank for the great opinions.

Can the Icom run on rechargeable AA's ?

 

[SigIntel8600]

Have you looked at the Alinco DJ-X2000?

Lot of features for the money.

 

[zipperone]

love the R20, Would surely recommend it. Never used the AOR

 

[mpreece]

I have both the AOR 8200MkIII and the R20. Honestly, the AOR gets very little usage compared to the R20. The AOR seems to have a good receiver, but the squelch is a bit harsh, and the add-in CTCSS card leaves a lot to be desired. I get a lot of false squelch openings on it. Also, the AOR does not have DCS (digital squelch) so all those channels have to be monitored with just carrier squelch.

The R20 has built-in capability for CTCSS and DCS, and the dual receive is simply wonderful. I have two primary frequencies that I like to monitor and I can set one in each receive on dual watch and I am ready to go! One uses CTCSS, the other DCS -- no matter. While the freq. coverages are somewhat different on the two receivers, both have VHF HI and UHF. I found, quite accidentally, that on my unit the sensitivity seemed to somewhat improved by a few signal strength bars on one of the two receivers, particularly on VHF AIR band. In fact, the sensitivity seemed to be better on that receiver in dual watch mode than the receiver used in single band mode!

The voice recorder (up to 4 hrs) is a nice plus, as well, although I have found it to have quite a bit of static when recording in dual watch mode. This does not happen on single receive mode. As mentioned in another post, lithium battery life is unbelievably long. Regular batteries can be used with a plastic spacer that should come with the unit.

 

[Shortwavewave]

How does the R20 preform on HF, maybe with like a 30ft wire or stock antenna?

 

[kma371]

My AOR 8200MkIII would be for sale if your interested. It has the MW antenna and the voice inversion card as extras

 

[danitodoran]

alinco dj-x2000

Have you looked at the Alinco DJ-X2000?

Lot of features for the money.

How about alinco dj-x2000. Is better than IR20?

 

[tumegpc]

Go with the R20 , it offers so much more.

 

[mancow]

I don't know about a 30 ft wire but with just a 3 foot whip it performs well. With a Performance HF brand antenna it's truly amazing for the size.

How does the R20 preform on HF, maybe with like a 30ft wire or stock antenna?

 

[Turbo68]

I also got the Alinco-DJX2000 but i use it once every few weeks and it doesnt comes close to the receiving performance of the AOR-8200MK3/ICOM-R20 and bot radios are very realiable.

Regards Lno.

 

[rigreference]

Side-by-side comparison of the Icom IC-R20 and AOR AR-8200

 

[KC1UA]

How about alinco dj-x2000. Is better than IR20?

I had a DJ-X2000. I thought the audio was absolutely horrible. I can't vouch for either of the ones you're inquiring about, but these gentlemen seem to have an excellent grasp on it.

 

[danitodoran]

i Also Got The Alinco-djx2000 But I Use It Once Every Few Weeks And It Doesnt Comes Close To The Receiving Performance Of The Aor-8200mk3/icom-r20 And Bot Radios Are Very Realiable.

Regards Lno.

Thx! For All

 

[SigIntel8600]

How about alinco dj-x2000. Is better than IR20?

I was looking at all three (R20, 2000 and 8200). First I purchased the Icom R 20. Nice radio, dual receive, PL/DPL, recording. I am in the States so I purchased a blocked model. Turns out Icom went beyond the cell freqs and chopped 800MHZ all to hell. That killed the radio for me. I sold it and vowing never to buy Icom again.

Then I purchased the Alinco DJX-2000 (unblocked of course). PL but no DPL (not a deal breaker). The frequency counter and flash tune were a bonus . The band scope is the best out of all three radios. The cons for me: Display sucks, Scanning speed is slow, noisy squelch tail, and if you are interested in UHF, the radio is as deaf as a stump.

I was always wary of AOR with their pricey add on slot cards ($80 bucks for a CTCSS card, are you kidding me?). I finally got my hands on a 8200MKIII (unblocked). Great audio, display blows away the Alinco. Many scanning capabilities (level squelch, voice, free, etc).
Far superior sensitivity (not deaf as a stump). This is my primary portable receiver now.
My gripes: eats batteries (to be expected with the great display) and those freaking slot cards.

I still use the Alinco for the bandscope and flash tune frequency counter.

Good Luck,

 

[Fast1eddie]

I realize this is off topic, but I'll be quick. Been using Sanyo Eneloop NiMih AA batteries, 4 for around $11.00 at camera stores. My 8200 will last for close to two days with moderate use-and I can most likely stretch that. Very little long term drainage.

 

[KC1UA]

I was looking at all three (R20, 2000 and 8200). First I purchased the Icom R 20. Nice radio, dual receive, PL/DPL, recording. I am in the States so I purchased a blocked model. Turns out Icom went beyond the cell freqs and chopped 800MHZ all to hell.

Icom is unfortunately notorious for this practice. The manual indicates the block is from 866.995 to 896.000. Is that accurate? If so it's livable, especially given that 866-868.9875 will belong to Nextel after rebanding.

This thread has rekindled my thoughts on adding a quality portable receiver to my arsenal. Confirming what the block on the Icom US model actually is would help further, and may be of interest to the OP as well. Edit: Or not...forgot he was buying an unblocked version!

Thanks.

 

[rigreference]

The manual indicates the block is from 866.995 to 896.000. Is that accurate?

I'd also like to know so I can update my database. Prevents the next guy from nasty surprises...