Good evening everybody. You may remember Dane writing on list about this device some time ago. I had been doing some research into similar devices for some time on and off, so it tweaked my interest. That, of course, is the precise reason that this E-Mail list exists and whilst I’m on, please feel free to spread the word amongst your friends that this group exists. Always nice to have a good circulation and helps to stimulate conversation.
Anyway, to the point. Just before Christmas, I decided to take the plunge, and I bought one of those radio receivers. I have not been disappointed in what my money bought for me. My only slight gripe, and it really is a slight one, is that I never discovered until today that there is a version of that receiver which also has a 3G LTE modem, so that you can use it with wireless broadband. But then again, it may not be accessible anyway, so perhaps it isn’t really an issue at all. I managed to locate some adapters which have allowed me to hook up my existing VHF/UHF Colinear antenna to the device. Since doing so on Friday, the performance of the device has greatly impressed me. It comes with a 27-inch metallic telescopic whip antenna which, depending on your location, may or may not be adequate. In mine, it is not adequate, I’m sorry to say. But the external antenna made the receiver sound like a totally different device. Thus, I have a few comments to make here and now, but will do so in extensio in our Blog, in due course. Those of you who have been amateur radio enthusiasts for some years may remember the old 1980s lineup of Kenwood handheld transceivers. Actually, I stil have one in a cupboard here, but haven’t tried using it in years. Guess I must do so. Anyway, to the point. This receiver is the absolute business when it comes to versatility. It handles just about every mode of emission known to mankind, including, but not limited to, FM, (Wide and narrow), AM, (wide and narrow), Lower Sideband, Upper Sideband, CW, CW Reverse, (I’l explain what that is in a moment), as well as just about every digital mode of communications in use across amateur and commercial communications networks. I’m being very specific about using the words “Communications Networks”, because I don’t want to give anybody the impression that it handles systems like DAB or DAB+, as used by many broadcasters across the world. Undoubtedly, if one could obtain the right codec, and compile it into a compatible firmware update, one could probably enable those modes too, as the device is an SDR device. The device has mobile apps available for it in the Google Play Store and the Apple iOS/iPadOS App Store. However, as yet, despite the fact that I do have a working Bluetooth pairing between my iPhone and the IC-R30, for whatever reason the app refuses to connect to it. For those with vision, the device has a high resolution 2.8-Inch display, and I’m told that the menus are very clearly visible. With practice, I dare say that the menu structure will become navigable for a blind person once you spend a lifetime going through the Advanced (Power) user’s guide. I’m in the process of transcribing both the basic and advanced manuals into Braille actually. Anyway, that’s beside the point for the moment. I have absolutely no complaints regarding the audio that the device kicks out. Given its very low profile speaker, it’s actually extremely easy on the ear. With a decent antenna system, resonant at or around the frequency range you wish to listen too, the device is also remarkably sensitive – by far out-performing other receivers and scanners (the two ar very different in nature), which I’ve been fortunate enough to try over the last couple of years. As I said, it’s a market I’ve been looking at for a couple of years now and I’m happy that I’ve finally found a device which fits my needs, in almost every respect. Actually, in some respects, it easily surpasses my expectations, so that too came as a pleasant surprise. The receiver is marketed as a “Wide Band” receiver – and that is exactly what it is. Indeed, it has absolutely no gaps anywhere between 100 KHz and 3.999 GHZ, with only digital mobile phone reception being beyond its capabilities, as you’d expect, of course. In general, there is not quite the same sensitivity at the lower end of the spectrum But, again, I do not currently have an antenna which is resonant on HF and lower, so perhaps that isn’t too surprising. What is surprising is that this device is capable of not only dual-band simultaneous reception, but it also sports 2000 memory channels, programmable into groups so that you can easily sequence your memories in whatever order you wish, and just attach the specific memories to specific groups. Battery charge cycle is quite impressive. The manufacturers state that you can get around 8.5 hours of life per charge. But my tests have only produced around 6 hours per charge. That said, I have both the GPS and Bluetooth functions enabled. So perhaps, I shouldn’t really be too surprised about that. The numeric keypad and other buttons are quite low profile, so it is necessary to have a good sense of touch in order for a blind person to use the device. But I personally have no problem there, having been a Braille reader for the best part of 55 years. The telescopic antenna is, somewhat unusually, double-jointed. Meaning that you can change the elevation and polarisation angles as independent facets. This can be very useful indeed at times, as I have found. Unfortunately, however, the joints on my antenna have become somewhat loose, and it’s quite an achievement to get the antenna to stand vertical. I’m going to contact the dealer I bought the device from about this, as it’s surely not within the design specifications that this should occur after so little use. The antenna uses SMA connectors, rather than the more common BNC – as in the case of the IC-R20 – it’s predecessor. Again, I don’t consider this to be an issue really, and in fact, it’s quite a plus actually. SMA and F-connectors are frequently used on equipment designed for use at UHF, EHF and above, because they’re more efficient than BNC. So personally, I applaud Icom for the way they’ve implemented their antenna system. Producing a device whose frequency coverage is as expansive as this receiver’s is, and only suffering slight drop-off at the lower end of the spectrum, is quite an achievement. Indeed, in the pre-SDR era, it would probably not have been possible at all. This device is partially accessible right out of the box actually, as it does incorporate basic speech output. On demand, one cab always be notified of the current frequency and mode one is using. Sadly, I don’t think the speech synthesis goes any deeper than that. So I’m not sure whether it’s possible to know when one switches between memory and VFO mode, between main and sub-band, etc. That would have been quite a nice touch and, you never know, Icom may decide at some point to expand on this aspect at some future point in time. Firmware updates are quite frequent, as I’m given to understand it. The hardware interface is obviously already present, so it would only require software development to make this happen. The build quality of the device is exceptional. Rather than the cheap and flimsy plastic cases which I’ve seen on, for instance, some of the recent Yasue transceivers in the handheld device market, Icom has used a very tough and rugged exterior cover. I could break it, I’m sure, if I deliberately set out to do so. Although I can assure you that I have no such intentions, not even to satisfy either my own curiosity or that of a reader. ;-) In fact, Icom hasn’t really missed a clue when it comes to this device. It’s possible to very the frequency step rate from 25 KHz to 10 Hz, right across the spectrum. Modes of reception change automatically to accommodate the frequency band plans across the entire spectrum. That said, there are gaps. For example, on the VHF and UHF amateur bands, the mode does not change quite as accurately as I’d have liked to see. But that’s really only quite a minor issue, as changing modes manually, as well as via the control software on either a mobile device or desktop computer (I’ll deal with that next), is really easy to accomplish, even without vision. I have been able to accurately tune to both single sideband and CW signals on HF and VHF with no difficulty at all. Actually it’s possible to set up the main and secondary band to receive within the same frequency band, simultaneously. Again, another almost unique feature of this device. Although as I understand it, it is not possible to use different modes within the same band at the same time. But again, that’s not an issue at all for me. There are, by default, multi-tone beeps which occur when pressing keys on the keypad. Indeed, when an operation is successfully completed, a double-length beep sounds to advise you of that fact. If you press keys which do not have a function within the parameters you’re using at the time, a lower tone beep sounds. So again, you can’t really go wrong there. As yet, I haven’t found any way to backstop through a keypad entry to correct errors, etc. Although, undoubtedly, this is possible. I think Dane would agree with me when I say that I would be guilty of grossly misleading the reader of this mini-review by saying that I’m familiar with the device’s every function. Absolutely not! That’s why there are two extensive and well-compiled user documents outlining it’s use – the “Basic” and the “Advanced” guides. The device can also be connected to an external power source In a couple of different ways. Either the micro-USB interface, or via an optional AC supply. The device also supports voice recording, saved in Wave format on to an FAT32-compatible Micro-SD card. From memory, I believe that the device supports SD, SD-HC and SD-XC formats. This, if true, would allow you to use up to 2TB Micro-SD media. Such media is now available, although it’s extremely expensive at the moment. Undoubtedly that will change as technologies advance. The device is supplied with quite a flimsy-looking hand strap, and with a heavy-duty belt clip. I would be hesitant to walk down the street with this thing visible. But I’d certainly not have any qualms about going on a hiking expedition, for instance, with the belt-clip in use. That said, I would recommend the addition of one of the optional carrying cases, probably one which supports a larger battery. Although it is possible to buy a case which will allow you to power the device using 3 AA batteries, if memory serves, although it’d be interesting to see how the device fairs when powered by just 3 1.5 volt batteries, which deliver somewhat less power in terms of both voltage and current than either the standard battery or the optional heavy-duty battery deliver. Finally, for the moment, there’s just one thing I think that Icom missed regarding accessibility. The ability to have an audible indication or voice output allowing the user to be informed when the battery level drops to a certain poin. But I wouldn’t like to say that this functionality is not possible. It may very well be that I simply haven’t encountered it yet. There is much that I could say to continue this discussion. But, perhaps, I should pause for breath at this juncture so that I can continue learning, and also present anybody better informed than I to contradict anything I’ve stated so far. I’m not above admitting that I may be mistaken, of course. ;-)
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