PLS HELP ; IC-R5 or VR-120D ???

[devalex]

Hello ; i'm new to scanning anything beyond 30 MHZ ; which is better the icom or the yaesu ??? where i live they go for the same price .

 

[ka3jjz]

To me, these kinds of rx are only useful at a specific event, such as an airshow....but we have Wiki pages with at least some reviews and info here;

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/IC-R5

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Yaesu_VR-120

73s Mike

 

[radio10-8]

I have used both, I enjoy the size of the VR120 and it's ruggedness. The only drawback is the programming can be difficult on the VR120. I have not used any programming software for either one. If I had to choose a small rugged scanner that can hear almost everything I listen to it would be the VR120D. Also the Vr120 has a BNC connection I think Icom is SMA?

 

[Napalm]

My vote would always go Icom.

I had a Yaesu once. bought it on the fact its advertised as "rugged". I'm a big guy, and things like scanners tend to break around me.

The Yaesu got knocked off something 3ft from the ground, where it landed onto carpet... the VFO/dial knob sheared off... This is a VR500 by the way.

I've had an Icom R2 for the past 4 years now. That's been with me to Riots, the ocean, airshows, dropped into a toilet (clean!), dropped/thrown onto concrete, and generally abused. The only thing I had problems with was the SMA socket solder joint came apart - a dab of the soldering iron fixed that (don't attach an SMA to BNC adaptor and use a long antenna).

My money will always go to Icom for sheer build quality - ok they make receivers and not scanners, but there you go.

 

[devalex]

yeah ... in my country they offer a 3 year warrany for the icom , whereas for the yaesu they offer only 1 year

 

[a727469]

No question...the R5..have owned both but only have the r5 now..pl(ctcss) and dpl, easy to program with software(even without if you take the time to read the manual), better audio, better sensitivity, more rugged(also better looking although that may not count!) etc etc...I realize there will be some disagreements on this, and I know it does not have a bnc connector and a few other quirks, but the r5 is definitely the way to go.

 

[devalex]

thanks a lot ; i just issued the command for the r5; now i'll have to wait for 1 month...