Beyond the 8600?? (future)
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prcguy
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Sure, smaller, faster, higher frequency range, more modes, cheaper, etc.
Doubt anything can top the 8600 or R30. When I had my 8600, tried scrolling through frequencies to the top with my discone. Never picked anything up. Assuming you need other equipment to pick up that high. Prcguy, if it could be done, what would you want? Just curious on your thoughts.
prcguy
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Technology marches on, everything gets smaller, faster, cheaper anyways.
I'm not a fan of very small radios. Living so well with my IC-R9000, now becoming "digital" as I just ordered an AOR DV1 that I will use through the 9000's 10.7MHz IF out.
A new, touchscreen, small, not-easy-to-use, expensive radio is not needed for me.
A new, touchscreen, small, not-easy-to-use, expensive radio is not needed for me.
Seems more expensive than cheaper.
Not really when you take inflation etc. into account. Look at the price of an R7000, the 1980's radio most closely aligned with what the R8600 is today. It went for about $1500 in the mid 80's, which is close to $5000 today. The R8600 is about half that, and you get a lot more with it (digital modes, spectrum display, computer connectivity and much more.
Same goes for all sorts of technology. For $600 you can get a Mac Mini or MinisForum that runs rings around any desktop computer you could buy 10 years ago, all in a package the size of a dimestore novel.
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I'm not sure we'll see another after the 8600, but its continued enhancement through firmware is hopefully going to continue. In the early stages I seem to recall Eric Cottrell dismantling his and finding some potential for hardware additions. I'd have to search back many years but it was posted here at RR.
Some simple things could take it a long way, IMHO, such as a breakout for an external monitor. This alone would be an incredible addition to it. Whether or not it's possible I have no idea, but about seven years in it hasn't happened so I would not hold my breath. Obviously it can be used with SDR based software and I do that if I use it on HF by using SDRConsole. It works well with WFView also but I've been consistently unhappy with the display quality in full screen mode. WFView seems to be the only PC based software that retains access to the basic hardware controls of the receiver. SDRControl is a great iPad or Mac based software as well that does the same. The breakout to big screen viewing would have been the best as far as I'm concerned.
We know DMR ain't gonna happen, but there is an easy workaround for that. Instant decode of CTCSS/DCS would be nifty. Hasn't happened either and it is easily overcome in the same manner monitoring DMR via DSD+ is.
It's pretty well documented at this point that I've had a love/hate relationship with this radio. I've bought 'em, I've sold 'em. The guy above this post loves to chastise me for this, so he'll be thrilled to know that I've had another very quietly mounted center-console in a Novexcomm 3U mount for several months now. I can't stay away from the damned things.
As mentioned, I think the future gets smaller. I have several Airspys. I have the new SDRPlay nRSPST networked SDR which I am slowly but surely coming to greatly appreciate for its easy remote access capabilities. I just ordered one of the RX888's and I'm going to try to set it up with OpenWebRX+ at some point if I can figure out how to make that work. The Airspys and SDRPlay devices I think are where the future of wideband receivers are, hell, they've been the present for quite some time now.
The 8600 exists in such a niche market, I think as you mention Marcy it's quite possible/likely that this is indeed it, in this particular form factor anyway, but the tech out there is amazing and we shall see as time passes.
Some simple things could take it a long way, IMHO, such as a breakout for an external monitor. This alone would be an incredible addition to it. Whether or not it's possible I have no idea, but about seven years in it hasn't happened so I would not hold my breath. Obviously it can be used with SDR based software and I do that if I use it on HF by using SDRConsole. It works well with WFView also but I've been consistently unhappy with the display quality in full screen mode. WFView seems to be the only PC based software that retains access to the basic hardware controls of the receiver. SDRControl is a great iPad or Mac based software as well that does the same. The breakout to big screen viewing would have been the best as far as I'm concerned.
We know DMR ain't gonna happen, but there is an easy workaround for that. Instant decode of CTCSS/DCS would be nifty. Hasn't happened either and it is easily overcome in the same manner monitoring DMR via DSD+ is.
It's pretty well documented at this point that I've had a love/hate relationship with this radio. I've bought 'em, I've sold 'em. The guy above this post loves to chastise me for this, so he'll be thrilled to know that I've had another very quietly mounted center-console in a Novexcomm 3U mount for several months now. I can't stay away from the damned things.
As mentioned, I think the future gets smaller. I have several Airspys. I have the new SDRPlay nRSPST networked SDR which I am slowly but surely coming to greatly appreciate for its easy remote access capabilities. I just ordered one of the RX888's and I'm going to try to set it up with OpenWebRX+ at some point if I can figure out how to make that work. The Airspys and SDRPlay devices I think are where the future of wideband receivers are, hell, they've been the present for quite some time now.
The 8600 exists in such a niche market, I think as you mention Marcy it's quite possible/likely that this is indeed it, in this particular form factor anyway, but the tech out there is amazing and we shall see as time passes.
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Nice post!...appreciate the reply ...I,ll def. agree with the "external monitor" addition totally agree! really pushing this one and mentioned before the RC-28 direct connection would have been great! there is a guy on the IO 8600 forum
who makes them (external tuner) it goes directly into the 8600...( I would like to get one eventually) ..thank you
gud dx 73,s Marcy
I suspect you are correct in that regard. Icom might make lesser receivers like they did with the R15 succeeding the R30 but unless there is a big order from a government agency someplace the days of big, expensive communications receivers are pretty much kaput. I hope that we are wrong although I just cannot see what they could come up with to replace it other than a cosmetic makeover.
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Isn't the R-8600 considered a Japanese radio, not Chinese? Yeah, I know, pieces parts etc, but they ship from Japan, and (if I remember right) Japan has a very favorable trade agreement with the US. I don't pay much attention to the news about such things, but is an additional tariff against Japanese products being considered?
T!
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There was a campaign proposal for a 10% tariff on imports from all countries (outside of specific cases with higher rates), but that hasn't happened yet. Really, there's no telling what's going to happen at this point.
I don't think the receiver market can justify the cost of a high end receiver
But, if Icom is listening.....
I would love to see Icom build a dual-receive wideband radio and put in it in the big 7610s chassis.
Basically 2x8600s inside a bigger chassis with a great screen and tons of physical controls.
Maybe add a CPU inside for multi-mode digital decoding, GPS/Bluetooth/WiFi, Ethernet, USB for control and I/Q output, HDMI output.
Then give it the R9500s white/blue color scheme!
But, if Icom is listening.....
I would love to see Icom build a dual-receive wideband radio and put in it in the big 7610s chassis.
Basically 2x8600s inside a bigger chassis with a great screen and tons of physical controls.
Maybe add a CPU inside for multi-mode digital decoding, GPS/Bluetooth/WiFi, Ethernet, USB for control and I/Q output, HDMI output.
Then give it the R9500s white/blue color scheme!
There are so many things that the 8600 does very well - and so many things that are missing. I tell people the same thing, regardless.
A high end HF SDR (~$150) and an Airspy ($125) will give you more functionality than the 8600 for 15% of the cost.
I do not even come close to using all the features of this radio - to me, it's a handy VFO tuner with an easy-to-read LCD.
The nits are well known - the mentioned (and hammered to death) poor CTCSS/DCS decode and no-go for DMR being the biggies. No external monitor or direct discriminator outputs (e.g., not USB) were HUGE oversights and would have had minimal costs to include.
Would I sell mine? No.
Would I buy the successor? No - not unless some of the significant drawbacks are fixed.
50/50/90.
A high end HF SDR (~$150) and an Airspy ($125) will give you more functionality than the 8600 for 15% of the cost.
I do not even come close to using all the features of this radio - to me, it's a handy VFO tuner with an easy-to-read LCD.
The nits are well known - the mentioned (and hammered to death) poor CTCSS/DCS decode and no-go for DMR being the biggies. No external monitor or direct discriminator outputs (e.g., not USB) were HUGE oversights and would have had minimal costs to include.
Would I sell mine? No.
Would I buy the successor? No - not unless some of the significant drawbacks are fixed.
50/50/90.
