Icom R20 and civ-air / mil-air?

[K2QI]

How does this receiver fare on civ-air and mil-air reception compared to a PSR-500 and AOR 8200MKIII?

Also - anyone know where to get an unblocked version? I'm assuming Canada?

BTW - reason I'm looking for unblocked is because I've read Icom inadvertently removed the entire 800mhz band from the R20, including legitimate frequencies within that band. Not sure if this is still the case though; if not, perhaps no need to go unblocked. Please clarify.

 

[Turbo68]

I monitor the airbands with the 3 radios u mentioned and they all do an excellent with a Diamond-RH771 antenna.

Regards Lino

ALINCO-DJX2000
AOR-3000/AOR-3000A/AOR-8200MK3
GRE-PSR500
ICOM-R3/ICOM-R5/ICOM-R20/ICOM-PCR1000/ICOM-PCR1500/ICOM-PCR2500/ICOM-R9500/ICOM-92AD
JRC NRD-545
UNIDEN-245/UNIDEN-396/UNIDEN-780/UNIDEN-996
REALISTIC-PRO2035
YAESU-VX7R/YAESU-FT880R/YAESU-VR500/YAESU-VR5000

 

[Air490]

The R20 is a really good airband receiver. It does very well on the VHF airband, and well on the UHF airband except for frequencies between about 395MHz and 400MHz.

Hey Lino,
have you got yourself an IC-RX7 yet?

 

[K2QI]

How's the rejection/filter circuitry in the VHF band?

BTW I see you guys are in Oz. Ex-pat here from Melbourne. ;-)

 

[Turbo68]

I might be getting the new Icom-RX7 toward christmas.

Regards Lino.

ALINCO-DJX2000
AOR-3000/AOR-3000A/AOR-8200MK3
GRE-PSR500
ICOM-R3/ICOM-R5/ICOM-R20/ICOM-PCR1000/ICOM-PCR1500/ICOM-PCR2500/ICOM-R9500/ICOM-92AD
JRC NRD-545
RADIO SHACK-PRO97
REALISTIC-PRO2035
UNIDEN-245/UNIDEN-396/UNIDEN-780/UNIDEN-996
YAESU-VX7R/YAESU-FT8800R/YAESU-VR500/YAESU-VR5000

 

[Air490]

The R20, like many receivers, doesn't like strong FM broadcast signals. That is the only problem I have ever had with it. I bought a notch filter for FM broadcast (which permanently lives on my cable from the external antenna) and have not a problem since.

I will admit I am a bit of a fan of Icom, and in particular the R20. If you are after a receiver just for airband it's one of the best around.

And I'm looking at an IC-RX7 for my Christmas present too Lino!

 

[K2QI]

Do the newest R20's have the correct 800mhz frequencies incorporated, or did icom still block the whole band?

 

[Air490]

To meet FCC requirements, Icom still block out a large part of the 800MHz band on receivers to be sold in the US. To get around this you could buy one from overseas that doesn't have the block.

Oh and my post about sensitivity should have read 295MHz to 300MHz, not 395 to 400.