Icom R20 vs Alinco DJ-X11 ??

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safetyobc

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Anyone have experience with both of these radios. Which do you prefer and why? Also what features does one have over the other.

Thanks for any info!!
 

grosminet

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I have an european DJX11 model for 2 years now . It is sometime difficult to understand how to use it but It is only a good knowlegde of English language !!

DKX11 has a IQ output that is working fine with a good sound card and any SDR application

Sensibility is good ,eg :

Satcom 255.55 Mhz with Diamond RH795

New york FM OM 29 Mhz relay with the same antenna from France

Well one of the best recent very unknown scanner
 

trap5858

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I have the r-20 and have been very pleased with it. It is considered a professional communications receiver. I had tried an AOR AR-8200mkIII but found it even more complicated than the R20. I also read the reviews for the Alinco and while the specs were impressive and the price a bit less than the Icom, there were things in the review that left me wondering if it would be any better. I decided to stay with what I know and am comfortable with.

Like all theses things people tend to be brand loyal.

I really do not think you can go wrong with either choice.
 

SCPD

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alinco

I would get the Alinco,because if you ever want to sell it,the R20 even unlocked,is almost impossible to sell.Wish I could get rid of mine,I never use it.
 

tumegpc

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I had the R-20 and still have the Alinco DJ-X11 . Both are very capable receivers but I have to say the Alinco has very nice audio and better AM reception. Includes charging stand and more than 100.00 cheaper.
 

perseus68

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This has been my question for months. Finally I got the DJ-X11 (EU version with the latest 2.60 firmware) also for the IQ output. After almost two years I have to admit that I don't use the IQ output at all. Doing HF reception with such a tiny thing is waste of time. Buy a SDR receiver for it!
A friend of mine who bought the IC-R20 and we met for a side-to-side test.
While listening to civil Aviation,the IC-R20 is clearly more affected by intermods by Commercial FM.
Audio quality is similar and both are on the weak side.
Display is gorgeous on the IC-R20 and S-meter has many more bars.
Also Spectrum analyzer has 7 bars (each side) on R20 and 5 bars (each side) on DJ-X11.
Sensitivity is also similar at VHF and UHF bands; we could not test if the IC-R20 does indeed lacks of sensitivity at around 300MHz.
For sure my DJ-X11 is darn sensitive almost everywhere.
At HF they do work quite well but I don't like the poor audio of the DJ-X11.
Size factor: here the DJ-X11 wins hands down. I love it!
Recorder and auto-memory : unfortunately only on the IC-R20 !

To conclude: After almost two years of use I realized that I don't need the IQ stuff and those two last features are important to me.
I'd go back and buy the IC-R20 but I just got an used IC-R8500...

My two cents
73s
 

uncorq

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Just picked up the Alinco DJ-X11 with my refund from the taxman. I had been struggling with the Yaesu VR-500 just to hear aero in my area. I took a risk and the price for the Alinco was reasonable.

Memory programming: fairly easy if you don't want to use alpha labels, but the software is straightforward windows 95 era interface, tabbed. Also: it's FREE from Alinco, providing you have a cable to use it with...

Bonus: as a linux enthusiast, getting the software to work under wine was very easy. The manual is cryptic as they all seem to be these days (yet not as bad as was the Yaesu).

The cost of programming cable stung (proprietary USB cable, but mods for standard USB cables that work, are available on the internet; I was just not patient enough to cobble one together.)

The audio IS very good compared to what I could hear on the VR-500, I tried several replacement duckies for that one, and no improvement.

On the DJ-X11, both the ducky and my extended radioshack mag mount antenna that I had lying around, pick up quite well.

I have only played with on HF in a limited fashion but hope to set it up to hear EAMs now and then.

As mentioned the charger, LI-ION pack and alkaline battery cartridge came included, so for ~$319 I felt it sweetened the deal, and offset the pain of having to buy a proprietary cable.

The build quality of the radio feels VERY durable; the charger is a bit light and easy to pull without the radio in it, but it holds the radio at a very nice viewing angle.

Have not yet tried the IQ data output, but as I'm an SDR enthusiast, this is on my list.


I still drool for the R20 mind you, but I've had to pay repairs a few times on ICOMs after near field lightning strikes over the years (IC-R1500/R75 - long story, life lessons, etc) and wanted to give Alinco a try.

I am but a humble Dxer, but am very pleased with this radio thus far.
 

ratpatrol

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I have found the Alinco more complicated to use but more sensitive on HF

I love the R20 dual watch which i use all the time and the recording feature is handy

Eventually one will own several scanners but I sold the Alinco in order to get the Home Patrol

Cheers
John
 

Turbo68

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Hi safetyobc i got the Alinco Dj-X11 & the Icom-R20 both are excellent h/h receivers neither is easy to program main intrest for me is monitoring the vhf airbands antennas Diamond-Rh771 & Watson-881 Super Gainer on the audio side i like both use to have the Aor-8200 but endid up selling it too many h/h receivers

Regards Lino..
 
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Gasmansteve

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Hi guys
New to the forum and also Amateur radio!.
My only experience up to now of amateur radio is using a funcube dongle pro+ with a 2m yagi running Spectrum lab for meteor scatter. After Googling `Icom R20 or Alinco DJ-X11` the post on this forum appeared at a very timely moment as I too am undecided between these two receivers. I thought initially to go for the Alinco as I was interested in the SDR side of it and maybe the R20 might not be so good in this respect however I`ve since come across some software called KE7ATE which is specifically for the R20 and with the right cable it looks like I might be able to fully control the R20 by pc after all and not just for cloning!.
I have a birthday coming soon so looking at either of these two and would be very interested in what you chaps are achieving with these receivers?.
Regards
Steve
 

kc2kth

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Hi Steve,

I've thought about both of these as well as the AOR several times and never end up purchasing any of them. Popular consensus is that an HT sized communications receiver is of little use in the HF ranges which is what I would want from them compared to a typical scanner. If you are interested in HF check out SWLing.com for some recent reviews of SW portables and desktops. Good info there as well as in The Spectrum Monitor, which is a subscription supported, pdf based electronic magazine.
 

Gasmansteve

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Hi kc2kth
Thanks for the reply. I agree maybe a base scanner would be better but the wife and I caravan a lot and a HH type would be ideal, maybe with some homebrew type of antenna for HF. The SDR side looks very interesting especially the decoding bit ,maybe its my nosey parker side coming out ;-)
Best
Steve
 

trap5858

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I use a telescoping whip for HF listening on R20. Not perfect by any stretch but it gets the job done. I have also connected a 20 foot length of wire to the whip to improve things when I know I will be stationary for a while.
 

Gasmansteve

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Thanks for the info!
The R20 does seem to be a very versatile piece of kit. Have you ever tried decoding stuff with it at all? I can`t seem to find much info on decoding with the R20 which makes me think maybe its not really useful for that? maybe I`m wrong!. I did think that decoding could be accomplished with any scanner with an audio output socket but this is all new to me!!! ;-)
regards
Steve
 

KC1UA

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I had the R-20 and still have the Alinco DJ-X11 . Both are very capable receivers but I have to say the Alinco has very nice audio and better AM reception. Includes charging stand and more than 100.00 cheaper.

I guess it depends on the ear of the individual. I had two DJ-X11's and sold them both primarily because I thought the audio was the worst sounding of any handheld receiver I had ever had. I've had the R20 at one point also and enjoyed it far more.
 

fasteddy64

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I have no experience with the Alinco but did have an R-20. It was returned within a week due to the serious lack of sensitivity in the 300mhz area.
 

kc2kth

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I have no experience with the Alinco but did have an R-20. It was returned within a week due to the serious lack of sensitivity in the 300mhz area.

Isn't milair supposed to be something the R20 is really good as too? Maybe a dud? Now I'm starting to get curious again.
 

Xray

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I am surprised the prices on these old analog scanners have not dropped to the $100-$200 range.
People can obviously spend their $$ on what they want but I don't see the point. There are some very good handhelds that can pick up vhf/uhf air if thats what one is interested in for around $100 new and less than that used.
Shortwave on a handheld is almost pointless ,,, So what is the point in paying digital prices for analog ? I'd like to try them both for airshows but would not pay over $100 for either.
 

Gasmansteve

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The analog/digital thing didn`t really occur to me as a newb. Forgive the newb ramblings but like the the tv in my area - all digital now so I guess one day all radio will be digital then the R20 would be a nice (expensive) paperweight or am I way off the mark :)
Steve
 
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Xray

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I had an Alinco DJX2000 which was one of the moist advanced handhelds ever made. Used it only for airshows over the years after everything else pretty much went digital.
Had 3 other handhelds that were used only for airshows so I figured time to part with it, I originally paid about $700 and got $225 on ebay, was worried it wouldn't even go that high.
So they still might be useful in certain areas, I'm just surprised the prices haven't dropped so manufacturers can move them while they can.
 
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