Anyone use the new Icom IC-R20? What do you think of it compared to other scanners? The few comments and reviews I have seen so far are favorible.
Icom IC-R20
- Thread starter W4KRR
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The iCOM IC-R20 Communications Reciever is a nice unit. Sensitivity is very good. Dual Watch VFO, Real Time Band Scope, and Audio Recorder work great. I use the unit exclusively for AM Civil Air, Military Air, and some Conventional Frequencies.
The Stock Antenna works very good for any frequency band. Superb for SWL. This unit picks up comms my other radios can't. It is also the fastest scanning communications reciever. It is a good communications reciever that has some qualities as a scanner.
It is slightly cheaper than AOR, and includes options that are extra for the AOR. It also has USB support, one of the few communications recievers to have this feature. The LiOn battery lasts about 12-16 hours with 8 hour charge.
HTH
73
Dave AKA The Tripzter :shock:
The Stock Antenna works very good for any frequency band. Superb for SWL. This unit picks up comms my other radios can't. It is also the fastest scanning communications reciever. It is a good communications reciever that has some qualities as a scanner.
It is slightly cheaper than AOR, and includes options that are extra for the AOR. It also has USB support, one of the few communications recievers to have this feature. The LiOn battery lasts about 12-16 hours with 8 hour charge.
HTH
73
Dave AKA The Tripzter :shock:
Air490
Member
I use mine for VHF airband. The sensitivity is outstanding. I had some problems with UHF airband, but I think they were caused by a strong FM braodcast transmission.
Other than that it is one of the best receivers I have ever owned.
Other than that it is one of the best receivers I have ever owned.
i bought one and sent it back the next day, :evil: i was PIST its missing part of the 800mhz band thats NOT cellular. I needed it for my local police and state police in Mass. I loved the radio and called ICOM, and they said there will not be a fix. I think they are going to lose a lot on this scanner unless they fix that problem. One was is to get one from Canada. 
rodog said:
Hello,
iCOM omitted 867.0000-868.9875 MHz from the US version of the IC-R20. However, in my monitoring area most comms in this frequency range are Trunked, ASTRO CAI IMBE, and some Control Channels. The R20 would be useless in my area for this frequency range, except for some of the ITACS.
My Trunking scanners handle this just fine. I don't agree with iCOM for the omission. I wanted to use it for Trunker some day. For what the R20 can do, the omission was not a deciding factor not to keep it. Its performance in other bands was outstanding. It is the best reciever in my shack for Railroad, Marine, Military and Civil Air, and Conventional VHF/UHF Public Safety.
I can understand your decision. An Euro version would seem more appropriate for what you want to do.
73
Dave AKA The Tripzter :shock:
Air490
Member
The only problem I had was FM broadcast transmissions desensitzing UHF airband. I'm been told by a few people that a trap filter helps.
I am enjoying mine so far, I have been useing it now for about 3 weeks. I sold my AOR 8200 and bought this. One thing I do not like is its accuracy while searching a portion of the spectrum. I made a search bank between 154.0000 and 156.0000, it finds many of the active frequencies in this range, but many times stoping 5 to 10 khz prior to the center frequency, anyone have this same issue? Am i possibily useing and incorrect step size? I havent turned on the AFC yet to see if it helps at all, but even if it does, by the time it finds the center freq the TX may be over.
Scott
Scott
Hello,
I have noticed what you are talking about. I find the RF Gain has alot to do with bleedover in the VHF Hi Band. Step Sizes are adjustable. iCOM did not include the 7.5 Step Size in the unit. It does have 6.25 and 8.33. To enter a frequency with 7.5 Step Size, I changed the unit to a low step size and was able to enter it. Unit hears it fine.
I have used the unit for 6 months problem free. I also mounted a long wire antenna for HF. The unit works well on HF even for HH. The AFC does work, but check the step size just in case.
73
Dave AKA The Tripzter
I have noticed what you are talking about. I find the RF Gain has alot to do with bleedover in the VHF Hi Band. Step Sizes are adjustable. iCOM did not include the 7.5 Step Size in the unit. It does have 6.25 and 8.33. To enter a frequency with 7.5 Step Size, I changed the unit to a low step size and was able to enter it. Unit hears it fine.
I have used the unit for 6 months problem free. I also mounted a long wire antenna for HF. The unit works well on HF even for HH. The AFC does work, but check the step size just in case.
73
Dave AKA The Tripzter
Air490
Member
Just a note on the VHF trap filter...
It works a treat! Totally solved the FM broadcast problem.
It works a treat! Totally solved the FM broadcast problem.
Hamradiostuffing
Member
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