Ic-r20 on sale!

Onetechyguy · #1 (**permalink**) 02-07-2013, 12:22 AM

Hi, If anyone's interested I just seen that giga parts is selling the ic-r20 for $509! That's the best price I've seen yet.

Rick
Kc9pxl

maalox · #2 (**permalink**) 02-07-2013, 5:17 AM

might as well get a homepatrol for that price lol

N1RGR · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2013, 7:11 AM

When are they ever going to build a handheld radio reciever with all the capabilities of the R20 or the MKIII with P-25 technology built in! Thats the radio Im waiting for!

Comint · #4 (**permalink**) 02-09-2013, 3:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N1RGR

When are they ever going to build a handheld radio reciever with all the capabilities of the R20 or the MKIII with P-25 technology built in! Thats the radio Im waiting for!

Seeing Icom don't have any Communications Receivers with ANY kind of Trunked Radio built in, I think you will be waiting a very long time.

--
Comint

bearcat012 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-09-2013, 7:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onetechyguy

Hi, If anyone's interested I just seen that giga parts is selling the ic-r20 for $509! That's the best price I've seen yet.

Rick
Kc9pxl

The US version of the IC-R20 is garbage. Large chunks of public safety bands chopped out of this radio. $509 for a non digital, non trunking, non transmitting radio is crazy.

awattam · #6 (**permalink**) 02-20-2013, 5:20 PM

I was looking to get one of these for my birthday. Are they worth the money? I already have a Uniden BCD396xt scanner so would I be getting something good to complement the scanner or should I look elsewhere?

mancow · #7 (**permalink**) 02-20-2013, 6:14 PM

It depends on what you want to do with it. I traded something worth about $75 to a guy for one new in the box but that kind of deal doesn't come around often. Personally, I probably wouldn't have paid full price for one. They work as advertised and are great units but they haven't kept up with technology. There is no narrow FM and that's at times an issue. There are missing gaps at the high 800 range and the sensitivity in areas of the milair range is lacking. The upside is the full HF spectrum with SSB which does work very well with the right antenna. Plus, it has internal recording that's another nice feature. They scan very fast and are built very well with extremely long battery life.

oregontreehugger · #8 (**permalink**) 02-20-2013, 8:19 PM

Well, I sure wish I had found one for $75 -- deal of the century!

If you just want to listen to SW broadcast and not the utility stuff, you might wanna check out the R6. Quite a bit cheaper and the performance is good, but sadly no keypad (and no NFM, either). I think the R20 is one of those radios you'll either love and never sell, or hate and despise the quirks.

bfperez · #9 (**permalink**) 02-21-2013, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awattam

I was looking to get one of these for my birthday. Are they worth the money? I already have a Uniden BCD396xt scanner so would I be getting something good to complement the scanner or should I look elsewhere?

If you can, get an unblocked one. The US version clips 2mhz off the top of the public safety band.

I have an R-20 and a BCD396XT. The R-20 gets used a lot when I want to listen to airport traffic. Dualwatch makes it easy to follow multiple aspects of takeoff/landing at the same time. I also use it for figuring the LCN order of EDACS systems.

The direct entry VFO stuff is very very handy. I hate the way the BCD handles one-off frequency requests.

I'm going to look into doing a discriminator tap mod for mine so I can use the R20 to feed a DSD application and for unitrunker.

safetyobc · #10 (**permalink**) 02-21-2013, 4:24 PM

I have always wanted an Icom R20 just never got one. The R6 is a great little receiver. Also have always wanted the R75. But seems like something always comes along I buy instead of those.

awattam · #11 (**permalink**) 02-22-2013, 6:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfperez

If you can, get an unblocked one. The US version clips 2mhz off the top of the public safety band.

I have an R-20 and a BCD396XT. The R-20 gets used a lot when I want to listen to airport traffic. Dualwatch makes it easy to follow multiple aspects of takeoff/landing at the same time. I also use it for figuring the LCN order of EDACS systems.

The direct entry VFO stuff is very very handy. I hate the way the BCD handles one-off frequency requests.

I'm going to look into doing a discriminator tap mod for mine so I can use the R20 to feed a DSD application and for unitrunker.

Thats a really brave move. I just added a tap to an old (1985) Uniden 800xlt simply because I paid $20 for it and didnt care too much if I killed it. I dont think I would operate on a $520-$600 radio (unless I got a $75 deal also). The unitrunker thing is cool. The DSD not so good with this scanner.

I am going to take a ride to the local Ham Radio Outlet tonight and play with one before I buy.

fasteddy64 · #12 (**permalink**) 02-22-2013, 11:22 AM

My experience with the R-20 was less than favorable.
I found it to be stone deaf in the UHF milcom band, it was returned in about 24 hours.
Replaced it with a Yupiteru 7100, now that's a radio!

Onetechyguy · #13 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 11:08 PM

So you liked the yupiteru 7100 better than the icom? I think the icom is much more capable radio than the yupiteru.

bfperez · #14 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by awattam

Thats a really brave move. I just added a tap to an old (1985) Uniden 800xlt simply because I paid $20 for it and didnt care too much if I killed it. I dont think I would operate on a $520-$600 radio (unless I got a $75 deal also). The unitrunker thing is cool. The DSD not so good with this scanner.

I am going to take a ride to the local Ham Radio Outlet tonight and play with one before I buy.

You're right, a cheapy analog is a better move.

maalox · #15 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 7:01 AM

be great if icom came out with a p25 addon for the icom r120 i had one nice radio got in a trade but who wants to pay $500. for 1

awattam · #16 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 8:58 AM

I hear that. I went along to HRO in Salem NH to play with one but after asking a few basic questions, I decided it was too expensive for a second radio. Incidentally, they have a Pro-197 on consignment for $250.

safetyobc · #17 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 9:12 AM

I want one so bad but I just can't justify $500 for it. May pick one up used for $300 ish. That would be a fair price I think.

awattam · #18 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 9:27 AM

I would happily pay $500 for it if there was a way to decode P25. Even if that option was another $100 I think it would be a great addition to my shack.

dubir · #19 (**permalink**) 04-02-2013, 3:13 PM

I'm going to look into doing a discriminator tap mod for mine so I can use the R20 to feed a DSD application and for unitrunker.[/QUOTE]

i will be happy if you can explain how you are going to do it. i have R20.
Thanks

fasteddy64 · #20 (**permalink**) 04-02-2013, 4:57 PM

It may appear that way, maybe based on features, but the R-20 just doesnt hear well.
There are few, if any, hand-held receivers that hear what the Yupi hears.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onetechyguy

So you liked the yupiteru 7100 better than the icom? I think the icom is much more capable radio than the yupiteru.