IC-R20 or AOR 8200 MarkIII?
- Thread starter Videokid
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I did own both; however, after purchasing the R20, I was convinced to sell my 8200 Mark III. Regarding sensitivity and selectability on the VHF/UHF airbands, I believe that is a tossup between the two receivers. Both are very good on the airbands. However, you get much more for your money with the R20 IMO. The following are features/areas I believe the R20 excels above the AOR:
- Dual Watch: A fantastic feature with the R20 which is not available with AOR.
- CTSS: Standard with the R20 and an additional $100 option (slot card) with the AOR.
- Internal Recorder – Record up to 4 hours with the R20. A 20 second slot card is available for the AOR for an additional $80.00.
- Battery Versatility: The R20 uses either the standard Li-Ion battery pack or 3 AA alkaline batteries. The AOR uses 4 rechargeable AA Ni-MH.
- Battery Life: Up to 12 hours of use on R20 battery pack. The AOR will get you 5 hours of use per charge if you are lucky.
- Display: Good on the R20 and average on the AOR (Very large pixels and blocky looking).
- Squelch: R20 has an auto-squelch feature which is not available with the AOR. Also, the squelch is very poor on the AOR and is very erratic and unstable. Very difficult to set the AOR squelch at the threshold. The AOR squelch requires frequent adjustments.
- The R20 is a faster scanner than the AOR.
- Cost: R20 - $499.00, AOR - $569.00 (and additional cash is required for features that are standard with the R20).
- User Operation/Menu System – The R20 is MUCH and I mean MUCH easier to operate. The AOR is VERY and I mean VERY difficult to operate. Who ever developed the software for the AOR was…..well, I’ll just leave it at that.
The following features/areas I feel the AOR has the advantage over the R20:
- 12 character alpha tags, 8 on the R20 (what was Icom thinking?).
- The AOR has a better band scope over the R20.
- The AOR seems a little less prone to pager and strong FM station interference than the R20.
- The AOR audio power on SSB is a little better than the R20.
One last thing, the AOR has the Narrow-AM mode which is not available on the R20. Some say Narrow-AM is essential for monitoring HF, but I disagree. For a handheld, the R20 performs just as well as the AOR on HF.
There you have it. The R20 in my opinion is the hands-down winner. Both are good receivers; however, the advantage goes to the R20 because of the most functionality for the money.
- Dual Watch: A fantastic feature with the R20 which is not available with AOR.
- CTSS: Standard with the R20 and an additional $100 option (slot card) with the AOR.
- Internal Recorder – Record up to 4 hours with the R20. A 20 second slot card is available for the AOR for an additional $80.00.
- Battery Versatility: The R20 uses either the standard Li-Ion battery pack or 3 AA alkaline batteries. The AOR uses 4 rechargeable AA Ni-MH.
- Battery Life: Up to 12 hours of use on R20 battery pack. The AOR will get you 5 hours of use per charge if you are lucky.
- Display: Good on the R20 and average on the AOR (Very large pixels and blocky looking).
- Squelch: R20 has an auto-squelch feature which is not available with the AOR. Also, the squelch is very poor on the AOR and is very erratic and unstable. Very difficult to set the AOR squelch at the threshold. The AOR squelch requires frequent adjustments.
- The R20 is a faster scanner than the AOR.
- Cost: R20 - $499.00, AOR - $569.00 (and additional cash is required for features that are standard with the R20).
- User Operation/Menu System – The R20 is MUCH and I mean MUCH easier to operate. The AOR is VERY and I mean VERY difficult to operate. Who ever developed the software for the AOR was…..well, I’ll just leave it at that.
The following features/areas I feel the AOR has the advantage over the R20:
- 12 character alpha tags, 8 on the R20 (what was Icom thinking?).
- The AOR has a better band scope over the R20.
- The AOR seems a little less prone to pager and strong FM station interference than the R20.
- The AOR audio power on SSB is a little better than the R20.
One last thing, the AOR has the Narrow-AM mode which is not available on the R20. Some say Narrow-AM is essential for monitoring HF, but I disagree. For a handheld, the R20 performs just as well as the AOR on HF.
There you have it. The R20 in my opinion is the hands-down winner. Both are good receivers; however, the advantage goes to the R20 because of the most functionality for the money.
Air490
Member
I sold an AOR AR8200Mk2 to buy my R20 and have never looked back!
The R20 is just so much more usable than the 8200. The dualwatch feature is one of the best things in receivers/scanners since sliced bread!!!
The R20 is just so much more usable than the 8200. The dualwatch feature is one of the best things in receivers/scanners since sliced bread!!!
I did the same, sold my MKII for the R20 and am loveing it. This is comming from a die hard AOR fan! I agree 100% with the pros and cons between the two radios. Racin.....didnt you just buy the MKIII? LOL Quick to get rid of it!
RS
RS
scott4957 said:
Yes, I did just buy the MKIII. I had the MKIII in my hands for about two months. Fortunately, my brother offered to take the MKIII of my hands for $520.00 (even after I warned him that I wasn't satisfied with the MKIII); therefore, I lost about $50.00 on the deal.
My brother is satisfied with the MKIII and I am loving my R20! A win-win deal!
K2KOH
Silent Key
I just put the R20 to the test in Colorado Springs, where I had Peterson AFB and Colorado Springs Airport. The rig performed quite well, with very few birdies on UHF air like a lot of scanners have. I use an Austin Condor, and it pulled everything in.
I have no experience with the AOR radios, but I feel confident in saying the R20 is the best choice
I have no experience with the AOR radios, but I feel confident in saying the R20 is the best choice
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