Icom IC-R1500 opinions before purchasing

Status
Not open for further replies.

csialv

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
25
Hello friends, after looking and looking without finding the answer I ask to you that this does Icom IC-R1500 receiver in civilian and military air bands. In marketing the sensitivity figure is very low compared with other receivers-scanners, between 0.3 and 1 uV. R1500, according to its manufacturer, has 2 uV in AM mode on the military air band ....

Between my candidates for purchase, just to listen to aviation, include the IC-R1500, Uniden BC796 (version UBC785XLT in Europe) and the BCT-15 (UBC800XLT in European version). I like the Icom for possible functionality through its connection to computer, but I value above all, a great receiver, responsive and able to handle the possible intermodulation smoothly. The reception in HF have covered the with other rig.

Any suggestions, please?
 

eriley

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
29
I have both BCT15 and PCR1500. BCT15 maybe the better choice unless you need USB for military and Air frequencies. BCT15 can be controlled by computer. I use Proscan which allows remote control of scanner also. The advantage of the Icom is wide frequency, mode and filter selection but costs much more.
 

Turbo68

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
878
Location
East Devonport,Tasmania,Australia
I use the Icom-PCR1500 to monitor the Airbands and its connected to an Icom-AH7000 discone and remember all the radios u mentioned will do an excellent job monitoring the airbands if u get a good outdoor antenna.

Regards Lino.
ALINCO-DJX2000/AOR-3000/AOR-3000A/AOR-8200MK3/GRE-PSR500/ICOM-RX7/ICOM-R3/ICOM-R20
ICOM-R75/ICOM-PCR1000/ICOM-PCR1500/ICOM-PCR2500/REALISTIC-PRO2035/PALSTAR-R30A
UNIDEN-245/UNIDEN-396/UNIDEN-780/YAESU-VX7R/YAESU-FT8800R/YAESU-VR500.
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
I owned an ICOM PCR-1500 and I was not impressed.

For MilAir I use a Uniden BCT15X and a DPD Productions MilTenna Omni UHF/VHF. A perfect combination!
 

csialv

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
25
Thank you all for your answers.

Icom IC-R1500's, have not found anywhere which is its scanning speed.

Carmelof, I see that you have also an AOR AR-3000A, like me. It could be compared with the IC-R1500 in terms of sensitivity and intermodulation rejection for a reference?

So far the BCT15 (or UBC800XLT) only negative I found it very difficult to handle. The Icom IC-R1500 with remote head is hard?

MPSCS, why do not you impressed?
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
MPSCS, why do not you impressed?

The software that comes with it is very limited, and awkward. There is not a lot of aftermarket software for it either.

It's not really a scanner radio, more like a communications receiver, that scans...very slow...too slow. It seemed almost deaf on Mil Air. I don't know anyone using it on those bands.
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2008
Messages
229
I have owned a PCR-1500 for a few months now and I have had mixed feelings about it. I wanted a wideband receiver so I could do a bit of poking around the spectrum to see what was out there and - compared to the other options - the PCR-1500 seemed rather affordable to me at the time.

Part of me wishes I had sprung for the R-1500 with the control head, just because the software that comes with it is so bad (Hope you have Windows XP, because in Vista it is unreliable and in 7 the software refuses to even see the radio, why Icom couldn't have just reference a virtual COM port instead of a driver name I have no idea.) Another part of me wishes I had purchased a PCR-1000 from the used market, primarily because of it's simple serial interface, but also because of native support for it in Ham Radio Deluxe. Speaking of HRD, some nice person wrote a utility called PCRCloak (Files and support) - which lets HRD see the PCR-1500 as a PCR-1000 - but it can be a bit of a pain to get working if you're not used to this sort of thing.

Other third-party software exists, like TrunkPCR and PCRPro, which (in my opinion) is better than the stock software that comes with the radio - but with the requisite nag screens for registration if you actually like the software, just leaves me disappointed that the stock software from Icom is so terrible and unfriendly. Oh, and the USB audio interface will make your sound cut out, sending you into the Windows control panel to adjust your default audio settings - something that seems like it should be unnecessary for a product intended for ordinary computer users.

On the plus side, and this is coming from an inexperienced radio owner (all of my previous radios have been scanners), the performance of this thing has been quite good. It seems immune to the overloading issues I have had with my scanners and my Yaesu HT, caused by several powerhouse FM broadcast transmitters just 5 miles to the north of me. Also, with the addition of a 20m inverted vee that I built in my backyard a couple of weeks ago, I've been picking up a lot of things that I couldn't receive with my VHF/UHF scanner antenna.

If only this thing had the control head so I could just spin the freaking dial every now and then!

In the end, my love/hate relationship has been more hate than love. Like several old cars from my past, I've spent more time getting this thing working than I have actually using it. If I were doing this again, I'd probably hunt down a used PCR-1000 or save up my money for something with a control panel on the front.
 
Last edited:

DrMistry

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
1
PCRCloak / PCRScan

Hi folks,

I'm the guy who wrote PCRCloak (thanks for posting the link smokey!). I'm also working on a control app for the 1500, which features unlimited memories (and the ability to import HRD "favorites"), scanning and saving hits to a memory folder, a high-speed signal strength meter and all manner of other fun things. If anyone needs a hand with PCRCloak, please feel free to ask for help. Using virtual serial port isn't an ideal solution (I might get round to making this invisible one day soon) but for the moment it will have to do I'm afraid.

Anyway to get back on thread, I've had my 1500 for more just under two years now, and it's been rock solid. The Icom software isn't the best I've ever seen, but it's usable. Once I got it working with HRD it really came in to it's own - I've used it for PSK, CW, SSTV, NOAA wefax, ACARS, pager decoding, checking out all the ham bands, and "run of the mill" general local scanning. It's very forgiving in terms of antenna use - just a length of copper wire gives me great coverage from 160M to 40M, and a cheap ($50) scanner antenna does very nicely for PMR and other higher-band work. Chuck a good amp on and you'll be glad you bagged one.

Regards,
Mike
 

csialv

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
25
Thank you all for your answers. The higher price, features not need, the negative comments and practice dependence on a personal computer, force me to change of election. Now, I'm considering buying a UBC800XLT or BCT15 (same model, different name)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top