Needed - Icom R20 scanning tutor for a newbie

blendr · #1 (**permalink**) 05-16-2009, 05:07 PM

I'd like to hire someone to teach me some basics of scanning. Preferrably, this would take place over Skype conferences with any visual aid that you can supply.

About me - I'm a newbie in the scanner world but have been interested for quite a while. I am fairly technically inclined and am a good learner- Im pretty easy going. I own an Icom-R20 and would like to develop a good working knowledge of how to use it to scan for Police, EMS, and Aviation - Northern NJ, Bergen County area.

I have tried reading the manuals, but I feel like they require some experience to really be helpful, so I would like someone to give me a series of step-by-step training to get the most out of the unit.

Preferably, you would have experience in this particular unit. If you think you'd like to do this, please send me a note with your experience and how much you'd like to be paid for this exercise (maybe on an hourly basis?). You can send me email offline at "blendz" and then @ and then "me" dot "com". Thanks

trap5858 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-17-2009, 07:41 AM

The R-20 is a great radio but there is a fairly steep learning curve. I sold mine a year or so ago because my entire region is digital. There was a website that had a simplified user manual on it but the url is no longer functional. I did see this on e-bay and it might help you out.

Item number: 310132867268

The trick I learned was to use the manual to get into the advanced menus and then it all seemed to even out from there.

Good Luck, you will love this radio

MPSCS · #3 (**permalink**) 05-17-2009, 10:14 AM

In addition to not receiving digital, the R20 will not trunk-track either. It's not a good choice for a public service radio scanner. It's intended more as a communications receiver for single frequency analog reception.

blendr · #4 (**permalink**) 05-17-2009, 05:37 PM

Thanks for the info - which digital receiver with trunking did you end up with?

EGUC7 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-30-2009, 05:05 PM

I don't want to highjack this thread, nor can I answer your question to trap5858, but here is a similar experience. I also own a IC-R20 but find it is not useful in the digital, trunk tracking world. When looking to get into this world, RadioRef is a great resource. It seems there is a "Big 3" in the digital scanner world (I know their are more) Radio Shack, Uniden (Bearcat) and GRE. The RadioRef forum has major sections on each of these manufacturers. You will find that the scanners are much more complicated (my opinion) than our R20's but cheap, powerful software to program and manage them is available. To me I cannot distinguish a clear favorite among the three, they all seem to have good features and operate well. You can even buy some of them pre-programmed! Good luck.

Walt