Good Deal pn PC-R2500

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brusso99

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I just ordered one from gigaparts.com, for 659.00 including shipping from Ken, They shipped it out same dayl. this looks like a great deal.

it comes with bonito software and an additional 20 dollar mail in rebate.. Im looking for a DSP board for 100 delivered now. any comments on ut-106?

Just FYI

Brett
 

iMONITOR

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Icom's UT-106 DSP option board is disappointing. It works at the AF level, not the RF level. I found it not to be of much use. You can buy much better external audio DSP devices. Some speakers have it built in.

You'll find a few DSP speakers here:
Amateur Radio Speakers Mobile Speaker
 

Stevenme

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I just ordered one from gigaparts.com, for 659.00 including shipping from Ken, They shipped it out same dayl. this looks like a great deal.

it comes with bonito software and an additional 20 dollar mail in rebate.. Im looking for a DSP board for 100 delivered now. any comments on ut-106?

Just FYI

Brett

Is this the same as the R2500 minus the remote head? I'm interested in the R2500, what's the best price out there?
 

WayneH

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Is this the same as the R2500 minus the remote head? I'm interested in the R2500, what's the best price out there?
ICOM discontinued the 2500 without the remote head.

One thing to watch out for with the cheaper blocked versions is the band limits extend downward past 869MHz in to the Public Safety band. Unless that's been fixed though I've yet to hear that.
 

brusso99

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as i understand the pcr 2500 is the same just no head which you can buy later if you really want it.. i am building a system into a pelican with a laptop so i dont see the need for the head.. as for cheaper versions, what they are talking about is buying and illegaly importing one from japan or another country. i did not want to go through the hassel.. i already have a uniden 996xt and you can buy a number of scanners that are or can be corrected for that blocked space.

659 delivered with additional 20 mail in delivered in two days, is alot better than 899 plus 66 dollars shipping and a two week wait and the possiblity of the package being stopped at customs.
 

WayneH

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I imported one from the usual seller on eBay with ZERO problems (and the help of Bing Cashback to lower the price). I attempted to contact ICOM to purchase an unblocked version but they would only sell to Law Enforcement. It didn't matter whether my company can legitimately operate and have access to the blocked RF spectrum.

The PCR2500 - without the head - is no longer manufactured by ICOM. Only the model with the head is sold unless someone has old stock.
 

iMONITOR

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as i understand the pcr 2500 is the same just no head which you can buy later if you really want it.


Are you certain about that? I contacted ICOM directly and they said under no circumstances would the control head be sold separately. Even if you want to order it as a replacement for an R2500 that originally came with one, they want the serial number of the R2500, and you have to return the defective one before they will ship the replacement.
 

brusso99

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I can verify that the band limits make it impossible even with trunking software to monitor if the trunk is anywhere near the blocked range which seems to allways be the case here.

this is a nice radio if you have the antennas for below 30mhz, or are doing something 1300mhz and up. but unless you honestly have the cash to burn on it. Get a trunking scanner with digital. My Scanner does 25-1300 with a very tight cell gap that doesnt interfear with operations, it decodes p25 out of the box, and you can take it mobile if you need to.

I relized when i got it that it was not a scanner, but without the real ability to put up 100 feet of wire, even on a large house, i dont really get anything below 30mhz. i think the money may be better spent on a ham tranciever for about 200-300 more they have radios that work hf and all the other bands up to 900 i think..

I guess the unblocked version is a must and with shipping they are 960 dollars. I think thats a lot for this unit.
 

WayneH

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What are you going to use this radio for.
I mainly use it for VHF and UHF logging and recording since I'm rarely in front of the unit. The P25 Received Call log is a nice tool. I don't use it for trunking or 800MHz. I have it hooked to a multicoupler so I don't do anything below 20MHz.

Not the best tool for wanting to monitor a lot of stuff, but then that's what a scanner is for and why I run one alongside it. No scanner I have beats its VHF performance though.
 

WayneH

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Wayne, Which software package has this logging feature, or ANY other logging feature for this radio for that matter? Seems like far and few between.
The ICOM software that comes with the unit. Under Settings click the P25 tab and make sure RX ID DIsplay" is checked. Once an ID is received the display box will pop up. Or you can manually open it to start a log by clicking the Digital toolbar button and opening the Received Call record.
 

K2GMZ

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The ICOM software that comes with the unit. Under Settings click the P25 tab and make sure RX ID DIsplay" is checked. Once an ID is received the display box will pop up. Or you can manually open it to start a log by clicking the Digital toolbar button and opening the Received Call record.
Thanks Wayne.
 

KC1UA

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Are you certain about that? I contacted ICOM directly and they said under no circumstances would the control head be sold separately. Even if you want to order it as a replacement for an R2500 that originally came with one, they want the serial number of the R2500, and you have to return the defective one before they will ship the replacement.

That's interesting. At one point I owned both a PCR2500 and an R2500. They (Icom) were only too happy to sell me a remote head with no questions asked for under $100. Now that was at least 2 years ago, maybe longer, but even then there were rumblings that they wouldn't sell them.
 

brusso99

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Well 2500 about three days, now radio will not access at all via com port. Windows xp, I deleted the drivers and reconnected the radio no luck. It's just not responding.
any ideas ?

Brett
 

WayneH

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When you initially connected the device to your computer you used all the drivers ICOM supplies on their CD right? Windows will automatically use what it feels is right when you attach the device but its drivers don't work correctly.
 

WayneH

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In Device Manager do you see "USB Serial Port" under "Ports (COM & LPT)"?

If you plug in the device and Windows doesn't attempt to install a driver or simply chimes the device plugged in sound, then the drivers are still loaded.
 

brusso99

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i installed on a vista laptop and all worked..

my main computer as follows..

new drivers insalled from icom website, old drivers removed and restart

device manager prolific usb-to-seral comm port (com8).. not working in icom control.. select commport dialog is blank..

i get no responses when i connect or disconnect the unit.

steps?
 

brusso99

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Problem Solved

ok...

USB Hub Replaced...


possible conflict with uniden usb cable interface drivers.. ?

Resolved and up and running. thanks


BTW Question,

they say no ssb up over 1300, but i read about removing a mode diaode for this, now the idea was that it told the software to open the feature, so i checked and installed trunk pcr and it seems to allow ssb over 1300mhz, anyone know if removing the diodes is ok or just use thrid party software?

thanks'
 
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