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> Icom ic-R20 wideband am fm ssb scanner radio ***mint***
Icom ic-R20 wideband am fm ssb scanner radio ***mint***
For sale is an Icom IC-R20 handheld scanner super wideband radio receiver. This unit was gently used for a short period of time and looks virtually brand new. As you can see, it comes with it's original box, ac adaptor, antenna, belt clip, lithium battery pack, battery spacer, documents and unfilled warranty card. The only thing missing from this package was the original user manual and I am including a high quality copy supplied in a 3 ring binder. Also included is a CD that contains a bunch of great document files including reviews, user and service manuals and the Icom sales brochure.
The R20 is a masterpiece of electronic design engineering considering it's multitude of features and it's receiving range of 150 khz thru 3300 mhz (less cellular). In the Monitoring Times review of this unit, it is referred to as a "superhandheld" receiver and this is a great description of this unit given it's capabilities. Let me summarize what this handheld has onboard and contained in it's circuitry:
* Receiving modes of FM, WFM, AM, LSB, USB, and CW
* Two VFOs with dual watch capability
* 32 MB IC audio recorder can record 1, 2 or 4 hours of reception
* 1250 memories are featured: 1000 regular, 25 scan edge and 200 auto-write scan
* 3 types of priority watch - memory channel watch, memory scan watch, vfo scan watch
* 6 types of scanning - full scan, programmed scan, bank scan, band scan, memory scan, frequency/memory skip function
* CTCSS / DTCS / DTMF decode built in
* Operates off of rechargeable lithium ion battery, 3 AA batteries, or AC power adaptor
While many of these features can be found on other scanners, but the R20 has some unusual features that deserve closer review. First of all is the built in bandscope. How often have you tuned into a frequency and wondered if you were missing activity up or down the band. Or perhaps you were trying to locate a transmission quickly. Well, the bandscope will indicate reception throughout the band on frequencies that are not being listened to. By pressing the "scope" button, the R20 scans the band to give the user a visual overview of reception on the given band allowing you to tune quickly to those frequencies for reception.
How many times have you heard a transmission and you wanted to record it for future reference or to play for a friend or family member? Well, normally the transmission is lost to history once it is heard through the speaker. However, with the R20, you can choose to record these transmissions and, like the old VCR, can choose recording quality versus recording duration.....choosing 1, 2 or 4 hours of recording time. This built-in recording capability is a feature that has great application and uses.
Have you ever wanted to listen to two conversations simultaneously but doing so would mean the need for two scanners? Most scanners will offer a priority watch, but this only allows you to prioritize what is heard so that if you are listening to one channel and an important transmission comes on another channel, the receiver can switch to hear the higher priority channel. However, with the R20's Dual Watch capabilities, you can listen to two channels at one time....seeing both of them on the display and setting volume and squelch at individual levels specific for the listening needs of each channel. Basically, the R20 becomes two receivers in one.....allowing extraordinary flexibility of tuning on the VFO while sitting on a memory channel or perhaps scan a memory bank while using the receiver to listen or tune on the other channel.
This Dual Watch capability allows a listener to hear the dispatch and the emergency crews at the same time, hear the police and fire channels simultaneously during an emergency, or listen to something like AM, shortwave, or FM broadcast while monitoring one of the public service channels. The bottom line is that with Dual Watch, you can have your cake and eat it too!
As previously mentioned, this handheld has an extreme receiving range capability giving it a DC to daylight receiving range from the low end of the listening spectrum at 150 khz on up into the AM, shortwave, FM, public service, satellite, and microwave frequencies with a high frequency of 3300 mhz (less cell phone in the 800 mhz range). When within the listening range of the broadcast transmission and connected to the appropriate antenna, the listener could expect to tune and hear a variety of signals such as:
* aircraft and ground control
* other emergency personnel & rescue
* security (school, campus, arena, business, etc, etc)
* wireless microphones (such as stage mics)
* National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Service weather broadcasts
* wireless and cordless phones
* GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)
* FRS or family handheld units
* military emergency guard and strategic air command
I have used Icom handheld wideband scanners regularly over the years. I carry one of them with me at all times in my backpack and in it's own fanny pack so it can be grabbed to go on the run, if necessary. I can't even fully convey to you how convenient this has been for me. It goes to the ball games to tune in the sportscast, it allows me to tune into airtraffic at the airport, I can hear my favorite shortwave broadcasts, I can tune into a TV program while on the road traveling (audio only), I have used it to listen to truck CBers whenever I am in a traffic snarl to find out what is going on up ahead, I have tuned into the local road crews during a snowfall to hear road conditions, I have listened to the local amateur ham operators on 2 meter FM, I have dialed in Lifeflight helicoptor when passing an accident scene, and I have listened to the local weather channel for updates. These are some of the things I have done, but this scanner is capable of so much more.
Since this scanner can grab almost any signal being broadcast, the user can tune into regular AM and FM broadcasts, or for a change, the local MacDonald's drive thru. I know, who would want to hear that sor of chatter, but the point is that it is possible. Frankly, I have taken such a handheld radio into auditoriums for lectures and to concerts to tune into wireless microphones. This can be done discretely and is a lot of fun to hear the stage crews cuing up things behind the scene or hearing an individual singer's mic from the rest of the choir onstage.
If you like to just tune into local fire or police, then this can be your information tool as well. Some local emergency crews use VHF, some use UHF, and some use 800mhz bands. This scanner radio can get them all. If you like to go to Nascar races, you can hear the pit crews. If you go to Disney, you can tune into the characters talking with one another. I can remembered hearing Beaver Stadium security while working in State College. The stadium was about 2 miles away from where I worked, but during lunch, was able to pick them up as they were working during a Penn State football game. I have also heard security at the local county jail and at the state Rockview Prison near Bellefonte. The more I think about it, the more I consider what I have used this scanner for.
Please keep in mind that this R20 is not a perfect and does not work as well as a dedicated tabletop receiver on the shortwave bands, but does offer respectable reception. However, for a handheld portable receiver, it is indeed a superhandheld and is a great multipurpose unit making it a nice choice for emergency communications. Imagine, during a power outage or national emergency, you have a handheld that can operate for hours using it's rechargeable lithium ion battery or on 3 AA batteries that are readily available and usually found in the household storage drawer.
I am happy to try to answer any questions you may have. If you would like to do some more research on this Icom IC-R20, you may visit these sites:
http:// /html/mtscan1104.pdf
http:// /en/products/receivers/handheld/r20/default.aspx
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/IC-R20
Penna residents are reminded that they are responsible for the 6% state sales tax.
