What other makes of receiver would be similar or compare with the R8600 ?
R8600 IC-R8600 Query
- Thread starter rocky28965
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Well, there is always the Icom R9500, or maybe something from Rohde & Schwarz
Similar in what way? Do you want the entire frequency range up to 3.335 GHz or are you willing to accept a tad less top end? Do you require a waterfall display, or can you deal with a more traditional front panel? Are you looking for desktop, stand alone operation? Or are you willing to accept a computer for interface and control? Do you want to focus on HF, or is the VHF/UHF region your target, or, like the R8600, all of it?
Depending on your answers to the above, and other factors not yet asked, something like the AOR AR-ONE may work for you. Maybe the AOR AR5700D, AR-8200, or the AR-DV1. Maybe the WinRadio G39DDC (very, very, good) or the G315 / 305.
Define what you want, your expectations, and someone may be able to come up with a tailored suggestion.
T!
Don't need the high range.
Mainly MW, HF, VHF, UHF,
Not that fussed on the waterfall but need a decent size spectral display.
Stand alone & PC programable.
Portable would be handy.
I'll have a look at the ones you've mentioned.
Mainly MW, HF, VHF, UHF,
Not that fussed on the waterfall but need a decent size spectral display.
Stand alone & PC programable.
Portable would be handy.
I'll have a look at the ones you've mentioned.
AOR 5700D (Several Digital Modes Icom doesn't have.)
Take a look at the Icom R-30. Similar coverage specs and highly portable
KinkedCoax
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IC-705 = Done and done...
-HF/VHF/UHF
-Spectrum display
-Stand alone / PC programable
-Portable
Hit's all of your requirements, is an off the shelf unit and relatively well priced. Even has QRP TX to boot.
-HF/VHF/UHF
-Spectrum display
-Stand alone / PC programable
-Portable
Hit's all of your requirements, is an off the shelf unit and relatively well priced. Even has QRP TX to boot.
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Thank guys, looks like I've got a bit of reading to do.
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If coverage up to 470 MHz, minus 200 - 400 MHz, works for you, if you do not need the digital public service modes, then the 705 is indeed a really possible choice.
T!
IC-705 would appear to be a transceiver.
I don't have a Ham license.
I googled the other suggestions & can't find any of them, new or used for sale in NZ.
I didn't look to closely at their specs, but none of them appeared to be SDR's.
I don't have a Ham license.
I googled the other suggestions & can't find any of them, new or used for sale in NZ.
I didn't look to closely at their specs, but none of them appeared to be SDR's.
Icom R30 or AOR 8200 Mk3. Also the AOR 8200D if you can find one for a good price.
I have all three and they work well on the bands you wish to monitor. The R30 is especially good on HF and VHF/UHF Airband.
I have all three and they work well on the bands you wish to monitor. The R30 is especially good on HF and VHF/UHF Airband.
KinkedCoax
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If the radio meets all of your requirements 100%, and then some, what does it matter if it transmits?..... You can throw the mic away, if it pleases you. You listed the R8600 as your benchmark comparison. The 705 is part of the same Icom family of radios as the 8600 and shares many similarities. It's the only radio in that Icom lineup that truly is portable. My 8600 mostly collects dust these days, as I can easily grab my 705 and go anywhere. I'll probably never use the 705 for transmit. You could also just use KiwiSDR and take care of at least your HF requirement for FREE. Very few radios that are more portable than your phone, tablet, etc. Let us know specifically which bands and services you plan on monitoring. That information would much help narrow the field.
@ClarkeBelt I am unfamiliar with laws in New Zealand, but it may be illegal for the OP to purchase/import an Amateur radio without a license. As to your 8600 on a shelf collecting dust, send it this way and I will dust it for years to come.
With regards to portability have you considered the Afedri LAN-IQ or the Malahit? For VHF/UHF the Afedri has a wider spectrum display depending on how it is used, but it will require a separate power source and speakers (or headphones). The Malahit only shows about 160 KHz of spectrum but it is completely self contained with built in power source and speaker. Also with regards to the Malahit, there are a ton of Chinese clones available and from direct experience and general consensus, most of them suck! I have an original Russian Malahit and it is a superb performer. Both SDR's have beautiful displays and are good performers. There are Groups-IO mailing lists for both that are quite active, and both have websites for their products.
I considered a 705 for portable use but balked at the gap in the 200-400 range and the omission of anything above 470 MHz. But...both gaps are understandable as it is first and foremost an amateur transceiver for specific bands. I have an IC-R8600 and while it has a few quirks, it is an absolute gem, the best communications receiver I have ever owned, hands down.
Best of luck with your search!
I considered a 705 for portable use but balked at the gap in the 200-400 range and the omission of anything above 470 MHz. But...both gaps are understandable as it is first and foremost an amateur transceiver for specific bands. I have an IC-R8600 and while it has a few quirks, it is an absolute gem, the best communications receiver I have ever owned, hands down.
Best of luck with your search!
Yes I have watched videos on the Afredi LAN-IQ
Would suit my needs ok.
Screen is slightly smaller than the IC-R8600.
Can't find any listed to buy in NZ
Re IC-705
Can't buy them without a license in nz.
I have a friend who is a Ham who could possibly get one for me.
I have emailed the NZ supplier regarding price and availability.
Would suit my needs ok.
Screen is slightly smaller than the IC-R8600.
Can't find any listed to buy in NZ
Re IC-705
Can't buy them without a license in nz.
I have a friend who is a Ham who could possibly get one for me.
I have emailed the NZ supplier regarding price and availability.
Thr gap on the IC 705 is not worth it. Had one, sold it. Nice radio but the gap sucks.
I'm not sure if you have any restrictions from other countries but here is the link to obtain stock and order information for the Afedri.
Ordering information
I found the manufacturer to be very responsive and friendly.
Thanks, importing goods is a bit risky atm with the covid restrictions.
Delivery times are unknown, then customs sit on it deciding what duty to charge.
I'm still waiting for a antenna ordered from aliexpress 2 months ago
Delivery times are unknown, then customs sit on it deciding what duty to charge.
I'm still waiting for a antenna ordered from aliexpress 2 months ago
I'm now leaning towards WinRadio WR-G305e
Looks like I may be able to get one from Australia.
The IC-R8600 is currently $5200 nz
Looks like I may be able to get one from Australia.
The IC-R8600 is currently $5200 nz
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All of the WinRadio products are underappreciated in the hobby community, they just do not have a very large hobby user base. I have owned and run WinRadio products since 1995 or so, with the WR-1000i being the reason I bought my first PC that was not a Mac. So my below is not trying to talk you out of it, in fact I strongly suggest the WinRadio line (for example, the G33 is, in my opinion, one of the best HF radios of any kind I have ever used, the G31 is an excellent lower cost option that is almost as good) but I am just trying to make sure you understand some of the things about their equipment in general, and the G305 in particular.
Some things to remember about the WinRadio G series:
They are not stand alone, they can only be used while connected to a computer.
The performance quality of the line (depending on which model you get) runs from truly world class down to good. I do not think they make a product today that is not at least good. With that said, the G305e is at the low end of their scale. I don't own the G305, but I have used one before.
For whatever reason, and despite the fact that WinRadio distributes an SDK, WinRadio products typically have very limited, almost no, third party software support. If you do not like the WinRadio supplied software you might be out of luck finding other software that supports the hardware. Fortunately I generally find their software to be complete and useful, but not everyone agrees with me. You can download and try the software in Demo mode for free, I suggest you make sure you are OK with the interface before purchasing. The "options" for the software, such as the "Professional Demodulator" (DSB / ISB support) or the "Wideband FM" are very expensive, frankly too expensive for what they are, but if you want that capability you may end up paying that much.
The G305 (and 315) are SDRs, but they are early examples that are still in production, I think the 305 was introduced in something like 2006. And users expectations from an SDR have shifted from when these units were introduced. These are hybrids that are not DDC (Direct Digital Conversion). This means they downconvert the RF, whatever the freq, to the baseband and then digitize the baseband. This is not an unusual format, in fact the Icom R8600 uses this architecture when operating above 30 MHz, the R8600 is DDC below 30 MHz, and downconverting above 30 MHz. But the G305 and 315 use this format for all frequencies. This is not a bad thing when done properly, but the question of why they have to do it is important to understand.
Today we expect SDRs with multiple MHz of displayed bandwidth. Digitizers that can provide wide waterfalls and wide displayed bandwidths are common today. They were not in 2006. The displayed bandwidth of the G305 and 315 are 20 kHz. That means the instantaneous spectrum display you can look at a signal on is 20 kHz wide.
And there is no waterfall representative of what people expect from SDRs today.
I consider the G305 and G315 to be good receivers, indeed the 315 is very good, but I do not consider them to be good SDRs by todays standards. They were very good when introduced, but they lack some of the features (wide display bandwidth and waterfall displays) that people have come to expect from an SDR today.
I suggest a few things:
- Ask specific questions (for example on here) about that specific hardware before you purchase, this will make you think about its capabilities and how well you understand its functions before you buy.
- Download and try the software before you purchase.
- Look at some YouTube videos of the specific hardware you want in use before you buy. This will help you in forming questions.
Again, I am not trying to talk you out of a 305, only trying to help you understand what it is, and make sure it fits your desires, before you spend the cash.
T!
Thank you for your very detailed reply.
I know very little about Software Defined Radios.
I do have a RTL-SDR V3 RTL2832, (or variant of) which I am currently experimenting with.
I am very impressed with what it can do, considering it was only $30 on ebay.
So thought paying more for a better device was worth looking into.
I have variety of receivers here already, but only the Icom IC-R6 is PC programmable.
My initial search for a higher spec SDR led me to the R8600, hence my original query.
I looked up all the ones you mentioned in post #2, quite a bit of reading and you tube videos.
Most are currently unavailable in NZ and therefore unpriced.
Got to thinking I might get away from the buttons, knobs and small LSD screens.
Go for a full SDR, hence the WinRadio.
I looked up their listings for general coverage receivers.
The three you mentioned G305e, G315e & G39DDCe were the choices for USB connection.
I won’t be looking at 3500MHz, so maybe the G315e would be a better choice as it’s described as professional rather than low cost as was the G305e. I have contacted the Australian agents for cost & availability.
If I go in that direction, I guess I will be comparing them with the HackRF One, Malahit & Afedri.
The Afedri looked the most promising out of those. Has a fairly informative website.
I know very little about Software Defined Radios.
I do have a RTL-SDR V3 RTL2832, (or variant of) which I am currently experimenting with.
I am very impressed with what it can do, considering it was only $30 on ebay.
So thought paying more for a better device was worth looking into.
I have variety of receivers here already, but only the Icom IC-R6 is PC programmable.
My initial search for a higher spec SDR led me to the R8600, hence my original query.
I looked up all the ones you mentioned in post #2, quite a bit of reading and you tube videos.
Most are currently unavailable in NZ and therefore unpriced.
Got to thinking I might get away from the buttons, knobs and small LSD screens.
Go for a full SDR, hence the WinRadio.
I looked up their listings for general coverage receivers.
The three you mentioned G305e, G315e & G39DDCe were the choices for USB connection.
I won’t be looking at 3500MHz, so maybe the G315e would be a better choice as it’s described as professional rather than low cost as was the G305e. I have contacted the Australian agents for cost & availability.
If I go in that direction, I guess I will be comparing them with the HackRF One, Malahit & Afedri.
The Afedri looked the most promising out of those. Has a fairly informative website.
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