hey I'm mostly an airband and adsb guy, but want a portable receiver that does p25 for local and state frequencies across mighagan along with repeaters and occasionally swl .but like I said mainly aircraft im thinking of getting a r30 I use a 706 mk2 in my shack any thoughts
For aircraft...you cannot beat the R30. I just picked one up and it has fantastic airband sensitivity, and I'm comparing that to my Icom R6 which is also a fantastic airband receiver. I also do a lot of airband listening, and it's especially great for that because of the dual simultaneous receivers. I've been scanning mil freqs with one receiver, and then a wider range of airports and ARTCCs with the other receiver. You get audio from both receivers simultaneously, and it scans FAST. You can also do temporary or permanent lockout of memory channels, and the lockout type is adjustable (temporary for 5 or 10 minutes, or until you stop scanning, or until you power off).
SWL: The radio has 10 RF Gain settings, a NB, and 3 ATT levels, which is fantastic for a handheld. They really do help clean up the signals.
Regarding P25: It decodes P25 with NO LSM distortion, which is a pleasant surprise. It also displays TG IDs and RIDs. It does not know how to decode and follow control channel, i.e. it doesn't trunk track. But - I've programmed all the voice frequencies and just scan those conventionally. Because of the statistical nature of calls, and depending on how busy the system is...you can actually follow some conversations, but don't count on it. It is a nice way, however, to hear bits of everything. This doesn't concern me too much because I have a Unication G4.
My 1 and only complaint - the display contrast is not the best in any kind of shadows. Plan on using the backlight. The battery does last a long time, though.
If you like airband and SWL - then seriously consider the R30.
Edit: The quality and build feels really solid. Not professional like my G4, but it definitety does not feel cheap or flimsy. It's also waterproof. The instructions actually say to clean it in a bowl of fresh water if you drop it in unclean or salty water.