Icom Ic-r7

[Arcticpeak]

Does someone have any specifications or pictures of the new ICOM IC-R7 presented on Dayton Hamvention?

 

[oregontreehugger]

First I've heard of it, but I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone else has info! Thanks for the heads up.

 

[swman]

Icom IC-RX7

see : http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/5007.html

pre production brochure : http://www.elettronicagm.com/primapagina/IC-RX-7/IC-RX7.pdf

swman

 

[MarkWestin]

Here is the best information that I could find so far: a PDF file from an Italian Web Site (In English Yet!)

http://www.elettronicagm.com/primapagina/IC-RX-7/IC-RX7.pdf

Highlights: 1650 memory channels(1400 regular, 50 Scan Edge, 200 Automatic Write)
CTCSS/DTCS and or Voice Squelch
"High Speed Scan" and "High Speed Search" (100 channels/sec)
SMA antenna connector
23mm thick(not including projections)
200g (7.1 oz) weight with battery pack and antenna
BP-244 Li Ion pack or 3 AA (LR6) batteries in BP-262

Same AC Adapter as IC-R5: BC-149A

Alpha numeric name , up to 16 characters per channel
Has Icons to show different categories of frequencies (Airplane, Bus, Train, Taxi, ETC)
Three types of memory management: Category(up to 26), Group(up to 100), and Name(up to 100). Up to 6 channels can be stored per memory name heading.
Dimensons: 57mm x 128mm x 23mm or 2 1/4" x 5 1/32" x 29/32"

Mark

 

[a727469]

Ok..took a look at the brochure, specs etc and just wondering why anyone would buy this radio...
In comparison to the r5, yes the r7 has a keypad but so do all the GREs/Unidens(although without the wide freq range)..the Uniden BR-330 has the wide range, plus trunking...the R7 also appears to have the typical Icom complicated bank/group system although now they are grouping a bit differently..Icom calls it "3 level memory management"...what the heck is the advantage to this?....

The Icom ic-r91A or AD has a keypad, wide receive(actually 2 separate receivers) and transmit...also both r5 and 91 have equal to or better receive specs...

I love Icom equipment and have owned both the r5 and the ic-91 and many others and they are great radios, but they are not very good "scanners"....looks like Icom is trying to get closer to a radio that is a "scanner" ...anyone have a price?...please tell me what I am missing ...Radio looks nice but just trying to come up with a reason to buy..what is the market for this....? ..would love to buy another radio...!

 

[oregontreehugger]

Hmm... looks interesting. Not sure I like the fact it comes with a rechargeable battery as standard and the AA battery pack as an option.

Also don't understand the choice for the memory structure. Although the preset common channels (air, marine, etc.) are a nice touch.

And why no narrow band and no SSB?

 

[Air490]

I don't know if I would put much stock in the sensitivity figures in the brochure. They did the same with the IC-R20 and it turned out to be a lot better than the brochure.

 

[commscanaus]

Nice radio-

But when will Icom finally release a scanner with P25 trunking capability?

I have always been a big fan of Icom- having owned an IC-R1, IC-R10, IC-R100, IC-R7000 and an IC-R7100.

The IC-R2500 greatly appeals for use in the car- but with no P25 trunking capabilty- the cost is prohibitive.

Come on Icom- get on board with Uniden and GRE- release a TRUNKING P25 scanner!

Frustrating! Commscanaus.

 

[N8IAA]

Eye candy for the MP-3 set. Icom has always had high end comm receivers and low end comm receivers. Would you really want to try and decipher SSB on a radio that small with such a wide front end? I truly wish I had my R-2 back again.
Larry

 

[N1SQB]

Looks Nice!

Not much besides that though!
Again, its preliminary but if the specs for the audio are correct, ( 75 mw) you will need to crank this radio almost all the way up just to hear something. Consider that the new pro-162 just to use it as an example, has 270 mw of audio. Thats pretty bad! We'll have to wait and see.

Manny

 

[DaveNF2G]

Icom does not make scanners. They make communications receivers. Recent models allow you to scan the memories.

 

[steve_s]

Icom does not make scanners. They make communications receivers. Recent models allow you to scan the memories.

Exactly!
ICOM's bread and butter is communications- and Surveillance receivers. Surveillance receivers generally are high performance communications receivers - usually covering a wide frequency range. Although requirements for Communications / Surveillance receivers often appear to be the same as for scanners, there are some mayor fundamental differences between the two groups.
The main difference is the application of the receiver: A communications receiver must be able to pull in very weak signals which may be partially obliterated by noise or other interference close to the desired frequency. Furthermore, the desired signal might vary greatly in amplitude. Also, the receiver must exhibit very high frequency stability to enable it to decode SSB or narrow-band digital signals with high reliability. Filters must be adjustable to eliminate strong adjacent sidebands. The list goes on and on. All these requirements dictate a very well thought-out architecture and a relatively expensive design. A surveillance receiver has the additional requirement of receiving transmitters whose frequency, location, modulation mode, and signal strenght are unknown.
Scanners, on the other hand will (mostly) receive relatively strong signals, on well established frequencies, with little interference (if any interference is present, the FCC will hunt down the culprit). So, from a basic receiver standpoint scanners have an easy life. However, the receiver controller, which decides when and how the sanner should scan its frequency bands, and what information to present to an (many times) untrained operator, is an elaborate digital unit. All this control is is usually performed by a special-purpose computer.
As far as cost is concerned, RF circuitry is far more expensive than digital circuitry. So, while one can buy a high performance scanner for less than $300 or $400, a really capable communications receiver will cost twice that, and a good surveillance receiver will start at three times that cost.
All this points to the fact that, if someone is looking for a scanner, getting a communications receiver is not a very cost-effective purchase - like wanting a scanner and buying an ICOM 9500 surveillance receiver http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/widerxvr/0095.html , LOL.

 

[SkyFoxx]

All this points to the fact that, if someone is looking for a scanner, getting a communications receiver is not a very cost-effective purchase - like wanting a scanner and buying an ICOM 9500 surveillance receiver http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/widerxvr/0095.html , LOL.

I disagree! I recently just bought four 9500's for my scanning needs ... LOL

 

[steve_s]

I disagree! I recently just bought four 9500's for my scanning needs ... LOL

Could I have one of them - pretty please?

 

[Turbo68]

I have been the proud owner of an R-9500 for 8 months and i use a Dressler-ARA2000LL active antenna all i can say its an excellent receiver and u do get what u pay for in radios & antennas and a lot of goverment departments worldwide use communication receivers from AOR/ICOM/NRD.

Regards Lino.

ALINCO-DJX2000
2 AOR-3000A/AOR-8200MK3
ETON-E5 HF PORTABLE
GRE-PSR500
ICOM-R3/ICOM-R5/ICOM-R20/ICOM-PCR1000/ICOM-PCR1500/ICOM-R2500/ICOM-R9000/ICOM-R9500
ICOM-92AD D-STAR
JRC NRD-545
RADIO SHACK-PRO97
REALISTIC-PRO2035
UNIDEN-245/UNIDEN-396/UNIDEN-780/UNIDEN-996
YAESU-VX7R/YAESU-FT8800R/YAESU-VR500/YAESU-VR5000

 

[Larryfire26]

Wow, yet another receiver with NO P25 or trunking!

Why bother! Comon Icom you have the technology lets get the ball rolling and get on board with 21st century technology! Your other products are great!

 

[steve_s]

Wow, yet another receiver with NO P25 or trunking!

Why bother! Comon Icom you have the technology lets get the ball rolling and get on board with 21st century technology! Your other products are great!

They are not any more interested in building scanners than Chevrolet is interested in building bicycles.

 

[w8hey]

I have been the proud owner of an R-9500 for 8 months and i use a Dressler-ARA2000LL active antenna all i can say its an excellent receiver and u do get what u pay for in radios & antennas and a lot of goverment departments worldwide use communication receivers from AOR/ICOM/NRD.

Regards Lino.

ALINCO-DJX2000
2 AOR-3000A/AOR-8200MK3
ETON-E5 HF PORTABLE
GRE-PSR500
ICOM-R3/ICOM-R5/ICOM-R20/ICOM-PCR1000/ICOM-PCR1500/ICOM-R2500/ICOM-R9000/ICOM-R9500
ICOM-92AD D-STAR
JRC NRD-545
RADIO SHACK-PRO97
REALISTIC-PRO2035
UNIDEN-245/UNIDEN-396/UNIDEN-780/UNIDEN-996
YAESU-VX7R/YAESU-FT8800R/YAESU-VR500/YAESU-VR5000

Wow, quite a collection you have there. I'll gladly take some of the older "junk" off of your hands

 

[skanit]

IC-R5 Bought out?

With Icom's new IC-Rx7, did they sell the ICR5 rights to AOR? Take a look at AOR's new "communications receiver". Looks like a repackaged ICR5 to me.

 

[oregontreehugger]

I noticed that... the AOR is a spitting image of the R5. And it's also about $100 more.

Things that make you go "hmmm".