Does anyone have the ICOM IC-R20?

[jwwphoto]

I have a Radio Shack Pro-97 and would like to upgrade to a reciever with more features. I really like the Icom IC-R20 and I am willing to spend $500.

What are your thoughts on it? I know it comes with the data cable and the cloning software appears to be around $50. I hope it is as easy to use as Don Starr's program.


Jeff W. Waldrop

 

[Theo]

I have one for sale with the CR-R20 software and a CT-17 converter. Contact via e-mail. Thanks.

 

[JohnGingras]

R5

Buy the R5 it has better ears than the R20 and a lot cheaper!!

 

[gmacka]

when you say" it has better ears "what do you mean by that? the r20 has wider band frequency i believe.

 

[Turbo68]

Gday I have both these Receivers and the R-20 is easier to use because its got a direct frequency keypad entry and the audio on both sounds good and the frequency coverage is much better than the R-5.

Regards Lino:ALINCO-DJX2000E,AOR-3000A,AOR-8200MK3,AOR-8600MK2,ICOM-R5,ICOM-R20,ICOM-PCR1000,ICOM-R2500,ICOM-R9000,ICOM-R9500,UNIDEN-245,UNIDEN-780,UNIDEN-396,UNIDEN-996,RADIO SHACK-PRO97,REALISTIC-PRO-2035,YAESU-VX7R,YAESU-VR500,YAESU-VR5000.

 

[gmacka]

HI THERE i am finding it really hard to find any one in sydney that has a ic-r20 in stock.

 

[Lodis]

What are your reasons for wanting to buy the IC-R20 specifically?

I was also planning on buying one of these but changed my mind after doing further research. I recommend you join the Yahoo R20 News Group and do a search for ''R20 Impressions''. Some of the complaints were the inflexible Dual receive, lack of firmware update capability, step and modulation settings not staying for Scan edges, no linked searching, illogical user menus. Also the US versions have blocked out too many ranges by accident to account for the Cell blocking.

The softare for the R20 is also very limited, as far as I remember it does not allow simple copy, cut and pasting options so you end up entering frequencies into the software one by one. I have an R5 and the software has the same limitation.

By far the most positive feature new users like on the R20 has to be the 4 Hours recording which in itself is tempting though. Here is a review that still manages to make me consider buying the R20 despite the problems http://www.ukmidlandscanner.co.uk/r20rev.htm and here http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4317

 

[Turbo68]

Hello go to the Icom Australia website & you will find a list of Icom Dealers and most of them you can buy direct buy using the credit card and by the way do not buy it from Andrews Communications in Sydney he is not an Icom Dealerand you are not covered by warranty he imports his direct and they are blocked version.

Regards Lino.

 

[drouin8]

RE: Icom IC-R20

I have the above-referenced radio and I Love It!!! I get excellent reception and, to me, there is no disputing the quality of the Icom brand. Of course, I live in the US and I do not know if this applies to the "downunder"...I presume it does.

The only other h/h Icom I owned was also a dual bander, and I think the model was a Icom 2SRA (.5 - 2 W transmitter on the 440 MHz band, for technician class and above). I liked this Icom better than the current one.

Anyway, good luck. Regardless what you choose, Icoms Rock!!!

Doug

 

[Turbo68]

Gday Doug actually in australia we are lucky because we never have any problems with our radios thats probably because we are last to get new models and there is no frequency gaps in radios.

Regards Lino.

 

[gmacka]

just receiced my new icom r20.so far i have found it easy to use and find software very easy as well to use.however there are a few questions that i would like to ask ?
1-will icom ever make a p25 card for listening to digital for this model ?
2-do i need a am antenna to listen to HF band.
3- what does LSB & USB & CW bands stand for & when should i use ?
thanks regards gmacka

 

[W4KRR]

just receiced my new icom r20.so far i have found it easy to use and find software very easy as well to use.however there are a few questions that i would like to ask ?
1-will icom ever make a p25 card for listening to digital for this model ?
2-do i need a am antenna to listen to HF band.
3- what does LSB & USB & CW bands stand for & when should i use ?
thanks regards gmacka

1 - Doubtful, but who knows?

2 - For HF monitoring, a random length piece of wire stretched out horizontally will improve reception on frequencies below 25 MHz or so. Get a length of wire 10-20 feet or so long, solder an alligator clip to one end, and clip it to the end of the supplied telescoping antenna. I have not tried this myself, and I have heard that this radio can be overloaded very easily by strong signals.

3 - LSB = Lower sideband; USB = Upper sideband; CW = Continuous wave, aka morse code. These modes are mainly used on frequencies below 25MHz for HF Utility stations and amateur radio stations. Most HF Utility stations use USB; amateur radio uses USB above 14MHz, and LSB below 10MHz (I think?) CW (morse code) is still used by many amateur radio operators.

 

[gmacka]

thankyou 4 your input i will give the wire a go.
regards gmacka