Making an IC-R7000 act like a scanner

[SCPD]

I have an ICOM IC-R7000 (Communications Receiver 25-1300 MHz) and well it is a great radio ... but as a scanner well not so sure. I love the radio .. but this is a little annoying.

What I am interested in is making the R7000 act like a NORMAL scanner. Just scanning the frequencies and sit on an active frequency and continue when the transmission is over. This would be what it would do continuously ...

I am wanting to monitor a control channel of a Trunking system .. thus I want it to stay on the control channel until it changes, then move on as required.

This is what I find mine does ... scans the memory channels but when it gets thru ONE pass of the memory channels it SHUTS THE SCAN OFF. I want it to scan continuously ...

Am I doing something wrong .. or can the R7000 not act like a normal scanner ?


All help is appreciated.

 

[VE6RHS]

Which Scan mode are you using?

The "Selected Mode" scan and the "Selected Memory" scan modes should work fine.

Check section 5-5 of your manual. The manual is written in "Icomese", so you may have to read the manual 2 or 3 times to figure out the TRUE meaning or the various scan modes.

Enjoy!

 

[ka3jjz]

FYI - Altho the receiver is not really a scanner, there are a few software packages out there which should at least make it approach a scanner. RadioMax in particular has been tested out and I can highly recommend it. I've personally not used it with the R7000, but the reviews on the wiki page at:

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/IC-R7000

have (I used it with a 895). It won't be blazing fast, but it will be somewhat better. And according to some recent comments in MT, RadioMax is quite stable on XP.

I use this software as my weapon of choice when scanning UHF milair.

73s Mike

 

[bsmotril]

R7000 scanning

When the R7000 came out, Icom ended up in some patent disputes with a scanner maker (bearcat??). Hence, the funky scan delay settings with no auto-resume after the squelch closes. They could not add that feature because it was covered by a compeititors patent. BillS

 

[Al42]

I am wanting to monitor a control channel of a Trunking system

Why? You like listening to digital noise?

.. thus I want it to stay on the control channel until it changes

Unless it's a trunk tracking scanner, the control channel never changes until the system changes control channels, if ever (some don't).

 

[SCPD]

Thanks for the replies ..

Yes it is a bit of a pain that the radio wont operate like a scanner. I will try that software.

 

[MacombMonitor]

Thanks for the replies ..

Yes it is a bit of a pain that the radio wont operate like a scanner. I will try that software.

The Icom IC-R7000 is a great communications receiver, but a poor scanner as Mike pointed out. I've owned a couple over the years, and believe me when I tell you, even with the best software you can find, you won't be happy trying to use it as a scanner. It's good for sitting on a particular frequency, waiting for something to happen, as in surveillance work. Or thumbing the tuning knob, in an effort to seek out new frequencies within a small range.

You'll probably be happier and less frustrated if you sell the Icom, and put the money toward a PRO-2096, or BCD996T.

Bill