Rob Sherwood R-8600 test data!

[dlwtrunked]

Got to see one close up here at the Orlando Hamfest. Wow it is tiny. I think a dozen of those would fit inside my R9000!

Please keep us posted as to Sherwoods personal opinion on this radio. I think what I glean, at least in comparing with the IC-R9000 is that the new receiver has much improved dynamic range and lower LO noise. Would I be correct? And are these strictly HF assessments, not the UHF and microwave bands?

I have an R-8600 and an R-9500. I have told people I would probably trade my R-9500 for 2 R-8600 and if you know the price of these and performance of the R-9500, you understand that this is strong praise of the R-8600.

The only thing I would improve on the R-8600 is to have given it a larger knob like that on the R-9500 (but that will not fit now as other controls are too close.)

If one has an R-8600, get the 7300 designed for the Escort R-7300 which will fit the R-9500.
See the photo at Portable Zero - Amateur Ham Radio Portable Accessories
This is very different from the ICOM mounting bracket & handle. It will help protect the radio.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I have an R-8600 and an R-9500. I have told people I would probably trade my R-9500 for 2 R-8600 and if you know the price of these and performance of the R-9500, you understand that this is strong praise of the R-8600.

The only thing I would improve on the R-8600 is to have given it a larger knob like that on the R-9500 (but that will not fit now as other controls are too close.)

If one has an R-8600, get the 7300 designed for the Escort R-7300 which will fit the R-9500.
See the photo at Portable Zero - Amateur Ham Radio Portable Accessories
This is very different from the ICOM mounting bracket & handle. It will help protect the radio.

Shoot; don't know if I would swap an R9500 for just two R8600's! What are those things worth?

I am really liking the R8600 for the improved specs and the newness. But I have 63 yo eyes and the size and knobbiness (word I invented to say discrete controls instead of menus and touchscreens) have me still loving my ICR-9000.

I will be watching this radio in 2018. Maybe I can trade off some of my other expensive radio toys and add an R8600 along side the R9000. When I bought my R9000, I sold off my R71A and R7000 (still working today) to a friend and what I missed was the ability to simultaneously park on an HF channel and scan the UHF military channels. This while in Miami during the Cocaine Cowboy decade. We had AWACS hovering overhead, US customs and DEA going on daily.

One day I heard them intercept a yacht motoring into the Coral Gables waterway. I jumped onto my bike and went to watch them board the boat. On the bridge next to me a scruffy guy watching the scene, his black (DEA Issue) Camaro with cowal mount FM/AM Stico disguise antenna parked at the foot of the bridge. I said some pleasantries to him asked if that was his car." Yes it was". I refrained from saying "I did not know these new models had an external FM/AM antenna"!

 

[prcguy]

Both radios would have had the same firmware revision and they were tested within the same week or two. Rob's radio is a US blocked version and mine is a US Govt unblocked, but there are no hardware differences that would affect quality of reception that I am aware of.
prcguy

Were the two samples fitted with same firmware updates? I am no expert in ADC's but it would seem the performance might be affected by firmware differences as opposed to the silicon.

When I worked at the Motorola plant in the 70's, a friend of mine was in final test for CB radios. He used to mark the boxes with a small dot indicating radios with better performance so friends could pick good ones.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Here is the question. If you had a brand new in the box IC-R9000 and someone wanted to trade you a new R8600 for it. No cash involved straight up deal, Would you do it?

Yes I would trade my R9500 for two R8600's.
Reason
1. The R8600 runs cooler. My R9500 had to have the main board replaced when a capacitor failed from heat. Most know ICOM can have capacitors fail and it is too early to know about the R8600.
2. Having an additional radio would be nice.
3. Having an IQ output is useful for me.