Any info on the new Icom PCR1500?

[karldotcom]

There is a short blurb about the radio replacing the PCR1000 on RadioIntel.com. Has anyone heard anything more?

http://www.ticon.net/~n9ewo/
Hot News : Adam VA7OJ fills us in that Icom is to come out with a replacement for the discontinued IC-PCR1000 computer receiver perhaps by the end of November (in Japan). The new Icom IC-PCR1500 will have improved spectrum coverage over the older model. Down to 10 Khz (all modes) and up to 3299.99 Mhz in the AM, FM and WFM modes. CW and SSB modes up to 1300 Mhz. Will use a USB connection to the computer. Lets hope for better HF performance as many already know the PCR1000 was only so-so (poor dynamic range to name one). I have no additional information at this time. (Nov 12)

 

[Caesar]

hehe, hopefully it'llkick out soon so the 1000 gets cheaper, b/c unless the 1500 has trunking, it is to expensive for me, but being able to get the 1000 for about 300 dollars would be nice...

 

[Arcticpeak]

ICOM Japan:
http://www.icom.co.jp/products/receiver/ic-r1500/index.html

English translation:
http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools

 

[karldotcom]

Lost in the translation

Does that translation say you can control 2 radios with one computer?

 

[MacombMonitor]

It appears the PCR-1500 will have a remote control head! This would be sweet in the car!

 

[dmaharajh]

The R1500 & PCR1500 has appeared on Universal Radio website

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1500.html

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1501.html

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

It appears that the radio will not do the 7.5 tuning step directly. Also ICOM believes the Cellular band goes from 800 to 900 MHz so you are likely in for a surprise if you get this radio to listen to 800 MHz Public Safety.

73 Eric

 

[MacombMonitor]

Hello,

It appears that the radio will not do the 7.5 tuning step directly. Also ICOM believes the Cellular band goes from 800 to 900 MHz so you are likely in for a surprise if you get this radio to listen to 800 MHz Public Safety.

73 Eric

Have they released the actual specs on this model yet? I was really hoping they would overcome the unnecessary limitations in the 800~900MHz band. Considering it doesn't do trunking, or digital, it's not real useful in that band anyway. In the past, they didn't seem to be able to block only the cellular portion of the band, due to the original design of the receiver. You would think if this was a totally new design they could. Or is it just a re-hash of the PCR-1000?

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

I got corrected by a scanner buddy that recent high end ICOMs, like the IC-8500, just block the cellular band. I though the PCR-1000 blocked all of 800 MHz but it just blocks the cellular band. I know the ICOM R100 and some ICOM handhelds do block from 800 to 900 MHz.

I like the ICOM PCR-1000 having a Discriminator Tap (hidden by calling it Packet Output). I looked at the ICOM PCR-1000 but wanted something that could go above 1.3 MHz so I got the AOR-8600.

73 Eric

 

[oregontreehugger]

I am really liking the remote head idea.

 

[MacombMonitor]

I looked at the ICOM PCR-1000 but wanted something that could go above 1.3 MHz so I got the AOR-8600. [clipped]

73 Eric

Curious as to what there is to monitor above 1.3MHz?

 

[KC1UA]

Considering it doesn't do trunking, or digital, it's not real useful in that band anyway

Au contraire!! With its discriminator tap it's very useful at 800 MHz, if you use it with any of the trunker-type programs. The PCR1000 is a very sensitive receiver and will dig out some signals that other radios may miss. With that in mind the one that I just bought used will be interfaced to my #1 computer and used quite a bit for that very purpose, primarily in conjunction with Rick's Unitrunker program.

Whatever possessed Icom to block the entire 800 MHz band is a mystery, but they did it with thier followup to the wonderful R7000 receiver, the R7100. Yuck.

This looks like a neat radio, and the USB interface is certainly a plus. I read somewhere that despite the remote head computer connectivity will still be necessary. That doesn't make sense. Icom's software once again looks "pretty", but only time will tell if it actually provides any function above and beyond simply allowing for tuning of the receiver. The PCR1000 software was a great selling point because it looked slick, but it was very simple. TalkPCR, while semi-ugly, really makes the PCR1000 shine, as does Probe1K (if you're using it in the VHF/UHF spectrum).

Eric, you can make the 7.5 KHz step work using TalkPCR; it will allow you to manually enter that step. Further, Probe1K will allow it as well. I would imagine that this one will do the same thing.

 

[hotdjdave]

It appears the PCR-1500 will have a remote control head! This would be sweet in the car!

Actually, the R-1500 will have a remote control head. The PCR-1500 version will not.

 

[MacombMonitor]

Actually, the R-1500 will have a remote control head. The PCR-1500 version will not.

You are correct! I didn't not see the actual model numbers, when I first saw the picture.

 

[hotdjdave]

I just wish ICOM would put an IF out (@ 10.7 MHz) in these PCR receivers so that an AOR ARD25 Digital to Analog Conversion Unit can be attatched to receive APCO-25 digital transmissions (or for the other nifty uses an IF out has).

 

[Hamradiostuffing]

Could not agree more about the the unit needing trunk tracking. The R20 lacks that as well.