R1500 performance

[Mike1]

Hello!

After reading about the R1500 I really would like to buy one, but
haven't decided what is best suited for me, the R20 or the R1500.

One of my biggest concerns is to know if the software of the R1500 can
record a file with both the audio and the frequency associated when
it stops on a search, or records just the audio.

The other question is about interference, we all know that the
computer is a big source of noise. If the antenna is near the
computer/receiver doesn't create a lot of birdies in the HF bands that
masks the signal on lots of frequencies? Is the HF reception
acceptable only when the antenna is in the roof? Does the DSP help
removing this computer type of interference on HF?

The last question, do I hear a background noise when using headphones
with the squelch closed/without a signal? Do I have to change the
internal switch every time that I want to connect the headphones? If I
don't change what happens?

Many thanks in advance for your answers.
Mike

 

[MacombMonitor]

I don't think you'll be too happy with the IC-R20. Numerous people have sold them shortly after buying them. Sensitivity, and gaps in coverage seem to be the biggest complaint. And as with any hand-held, they don't do well on HF due to practical antenna limitations.​

I have the PCR-1500 and I am very satisfied with it. The supplied software only records the audio into one large .wav file, with no date/time/frequency stamps. What's nice is the audio is transferred though the same USB cable that is used for programming, and control. However, the spectrum analyzer has logging capability which might meet your requirements.​

Interference is always an issue on HF. Having a HF antenna inside your house just compounds the problem, as there are numerous sources of interference generated by the average household that have ill effects on HF reception. Having that antenna in your computer room adds to the problem of course. The DSP feature is at the audio level, not the RF level, so it's effectiveness is also limited. Although it does help, it's not a miracle worker. If you're serious about HF reception, I would definitely recommend an outside antenna. Even a poor antenna outside will be better than a good antenna inside. It doesn't have to be much. Even a 20' piece of wire will do!​

I haven't tried headphones yet, so possibly someone else will answer that question. You could leave the internal switch set to "headphones", and when not using them, play the audio though your computer speakers...again via the USB cable, rather than the external speaker jack. I also found if you play audio though an external speaker connected to the speaker jack, and at the same time, though your computer speakers via the USB cable, you will hear a slight reverberation effect due to a very tiny delay in the USB link. Actually for music it creates an interesting effect!​

 

[hotdjdave]

Pcr2500

Before you buy that 1500, you might want to check out the PCR2500 first.

Here is a link to the PCR2500 translated website: http://tinyurl.com/mx62u

Here is a link to the PCR2500 Yahoo! discussion group about the PCR2500 (lots of info there): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCR2500/

 

[Mike1]

IC1500 Performance

Hello,

Many thanks to all for your answers.
After reading and seeing the publicity about the R20, R1500 and R2500, I want to buy them all... Don't know what to do, I'm completelly confused.
Don't think I'm a newbie on this hobby, I have the R1, R2, R5, 8200, 8000, FRG9600, Yupi8000, Welz, Alinco, and others that I've been collecting some years from now.
All them (R20, R1500 and R2500) suit my needs to upgrade, in particular ways, mobility, computer control, dual freq. listening, wide freq. reception.
The main problem that I suppose that exists with the R20 (and R5) is the difficulty in setting skip freqs when doing a search, I need to press a lot of buttons to put that particullar freq on memory, (straightforward on AOR8000/8200 - just press a button).
The other problem is the incapacity of the Icom software logging time/freq. stamps with the audio files to help finding who was talking at that time, the AOR can do that - is really simple to do a first search blocking birdies and let it stay alone searching new signals and collect them on wav files with the freq and time stamp indication, really a great funcionality to find those new freqs without the need to be near the radio.
Since I like to listen in lots of different home/outside spaces the R1500 doesn't seem a god choice, the remote head is too simple, with few informations, just 6 alphas/or freq. indication, and bulky compared with the R20.
I don't understand very well the reason of Icom sorting the R2500 as it is, doesn't have autowrite channels (I suppose), diversity reception is not very clear if exists/really works, seems to be just two simple radios radios in one box.
I may be wrong with some aspects of this opinion, hope didn't annoy annyone with it.

Mike

 

[Tweekerbob]

Mike,

What bands are you looking to scan?

A PCR-1000 (discontinued) along with TalkPCR or Probe1k software would be the best bet for what you want. TalkPCR will search any specified frequency range, log the hits with time/date/duration and signal strength. It will also allow you to exclude (lock-out) freqs you don't want scanned. Additionally, it will record the audio per hit and you can record in MP3 which saves a lot of disk space over wave files. And yes, it will save all of those hits or a selection thereof to a file (which becomes a "bank").

As far as the 2500 goes, it is basically two 1000/1500's in one box. While they are not professional grade, they are far from simple. With a computer actually running the radio and not some lackluster onboard CPU, the resources available become more limited by the computer programmer's skills and/or imagination rather than the radio itself. Yes, using the 2500 with the hardware only (not hooked up to a PC) is not very impressive.

The only problem with the 2500 and even the 1500 is that there really isn't a lot of software out there for them. Unless you are a programmer, then you will be limited by the programs that are already out there. That is to say, you could buy a 2500 now, but you may have to wait for someone to write better software than Icom's. And who knows how the long the wait will be.

Ryan

 

[MacombMonitor]

TrunkPCR is out for the ICOM 1500 series now.