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Icom braved bold frontiers when they delivered the IC-R1 roughly a decade ago.
And while this tiny radio set new standards in many areas, popularity just
wasn't one of them. Stepping out on the ledge a few years ago Icom decided to
erase the memory of the R1 by introducing what would become the wildly popular
IC-R2.
Of course, after you've churned out the R1 and the R2 the R3 must surely follow, right? It appears to be just that. Once again Icom is testing the waters with a new wide-band receiver that incorporates a TV tuner and color LCD! The question is, will the R3 be another R2 sensation or just an R1 fizzle? What follows are my personal impressions regarding the features and performance of this receiver. This, in no way, should be viewed as an endorsement to purchase this radio nor is it intended to discourage anyone from buying it. I have no personal or business relations with Icom Inc or any of its subsidiaries. These are simply thoughts offered to my fellow hobbyists who may be interested in purchasing this particular radio or simply knowing more about it. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into the testing and writing of this review. I would appreciate it if every effort is made to keep this document whole with me as the original author. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this document is copyrighted and therefore protected by US law and international treaties governing intellectual property. Except for personal use, and for the sake of brief passages quoted in reviews and given appropriate credit, no part of this work may be reproduced in any forms or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. And if you want to share your thoughts about this review with me or have further questions, feel free to send e-mail. Thank you and enjoy!
Rich Wells |
| Channels | 400 memory 60 TV 62 pre-programmed TV | |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | 8 | |
| Coverage | 495 kHz - 2450 MHz | |
| Scan | 10 chan/sec | |
| Search | 30 steps/sec | |
| Steps | 5/6.25/9/10/12.5/15/20/25/30/50/100 kHz | |
| Modes | AM, FM, WFM & CF3 | |
| Sensitivity | As listed in the manual: AM (at 10dB S/N): FM (12dB SINAD): WFM (12dB SINAD, typ): | |
| Selectivity | As listed in the manual: | |
| Conversion | Triple (AM, FM & WFM) Double (CF3) | |
| IFs | As listed in the manual: AM/FM: WFM: CF3: | |
| Priority | 1 channel | |
| Search limits | 25 | |
| Search skip | 400 | |
| Auto-store | No | |
| S-meter | Yes | |
| Delay | Global, 0 - 20sec or hold | |
| Lockout | Yes | |
| Attenuator | Global, 4 levels | |
| Lock | Yes | |
| Tone codes | Yes - CTCSS/PL | |
| Computer intf | Optional | |
| Rotary control | Yes | |
| Channel count | No | |
| Data skip | No | |
| Clock | No | |
| Timers | Yes - APO | |
| Weather | No | |
| Weather Alert | No | |
| Light | Display | |
| Power | Lithium Ion pack or 3 AAs | |
| Audio | 100mW at 10% THD @4.5V | |
| Size | 2.4(W) x 4.7(H) x 1.3 (D) inches 61(W) x 120(H) x 32.9(D) mm | |
| Weight | 10.6 oz. (300 grams) | |
| Antenna | BNC, 50 ohm | |
| Interfaces | BNC, DC, earphone, audio/video out | |
| Memory | non-volatile |
With that said, I'll give you a run down of my "decoded" manual...
The manual is roughly 75 pages in length. It also appears to be a much better reference than that supplied with the R2 (which isn't hard to do). It starts with the usual warning and cautions and then proceeds to cover the attachment of accessories (antenna, belt clip and hand strap) and application of power via batteries and power adapters.
Next up are two pages of tables which describe the functions of the keys in various modes. This is a very handy reference and will be often used by new R3 owners. This is followed by more useful reference material which includes several screen simulations of various modes and an explanation of all the indicators you'll find.
It's then time to turn on the radio and play with the volume, color LCD, LCD contrast, LCD background color and various LCD screens. With that done, it's time to learn about the VFO; how to tune it, select receive modes, select the tuning step, use the rotary control and use the squelch. The final sections of this chapter cover the S-meter and use of the 4-level attenuator.
The R3's memory configuration is then discussed as well as how to move about in memory and program it accordingly. The various types of scanning operations are covered which includes "scanning" of the 25 programmable search bands.
The multiple priority operations are listed which is followed by CTCSS tone scanning.
Chapter 7 concerns itself with the operation of SET mode where various features such as the backlight, auto power-off, beep volume, power saver, keypad lock and so on.
The next chapter is dedicated to TV tuning, bandscope and RF direction finding functions. The following chapters cover such things as the duplex feature, reset operations, available accessories, troubleshooting and radio-to-radio cloning.
The last chapter details the R3's specifications, a table of the pre-programmed TV channels and their respective frequencies, and a table which lists the bandplan for receive modes and step sizes for the entire receive range.
Inside the back cover is a handy functional quick reference table which lists key features, associated key/control actions and a page reference should you desire to read the entire text for that feature.
My Japanese R3 was also shipped with an addendum sheet which contains an additional warning/caution and corrections for four pages. Hopefully these have been wrapped up into later production runs and will not be a concern for either European or North American buyers.
Construction and Physical
Before we get into the "meat" of this section, I want to convey two notations
I will be using from here on out. When I mention the MLCD, this means the small
monochrome LCD while CLCD refers to the color LCD.
The primary purpose of a radio like the R3 is to provide a tuner capable of receiving a wide range of signals. And while one should never judge a book by its cover nor base a buying decision on the looks of a radio, that's hard to do once you see and take hold of this little gem! Just as thousands of hours are spent by designers to make exotic sports cars look like they're going fast while standing still, the design of the R3 was obviously no less important to those who worked on it.
The first detail you're apt to notice is the dual color scheme. While the front half of the case is colored a dull silver with metallic flake, the rear half is the usual black. Cast entirely of plastic, the case is very solid feeling and fit and finish are top notch. Tracing the contours between the two halves prove how precisely the R3 has been designed and manufactured. Just what we expect from Icom whose talents not only design receivers but transceivers for the amateur radio, marine and aeronautical markets.
Held in the hand, the R3 has a decent weight and heft to it but feels lighter than I expected. Looking across the front panel, your eyes are immediately drawn to the large LCD at the top which is used for the TV tuner and to access some of the R3's more advanced features.
Turning the radio about to view the reflections off the 2" diagonal color LCD cover which appears to be made of plastic, you can't help but notice the rich blue coating on it. Owning just a few pairs of telescopes and binoculars, I can't help wonder if this coating is designed to increase transmission of the LCD light or to help reduce glare from the environment or perhaps both? Either way, such coatings improve light transmission and help to improve contrast.
Just below the color LCD (CLCD) is a 4-way directional rocker switch and next to it, the monochrome LCD (MLCD). The rocker switch has arrows printed on it for each of the compass directions in which it can be pressed. The control itself has a nice, light feel but feedback is positive making for easy use.
The next row of controls consists of four buttons; 1 green and 3 black. The green POWER button is recessed into the faceplate while the black buttons protrude just slightly. All have medium length throws (how far the key has to be pressed before it activates) and a good snap to aid in positive feedback.
The bottom third of the front panel houses the speaker grill of which roughly two-thirds of its semi-circle indentations are cut through fully through to allow porting of the speaker audio. The speaker appears to be about 1 inch in diameter which is very similar to that of the IC-R2.
A glimpse of the side panels reveals inlays between the two halves which run roughly three-quarters of the length of these panels. While adding a bit of flare to the design, one would assume they are also intended to aid in gripping the radio.
At the top of the inlay on the left side is the rubber FUNC switch which has a short throw and good snap. Near the top of the inlay on the right side are two rubber caps to cover the DC and TV audio/video output jacks. At the very top of the right panel is an anchor point for the hand strap.
Moving up to the top panel reveals the rotary control, earphone jack (which also doubles as the computer interface) and BNC antenna connector. The earphone jack is thoughtfully covered by a rubber cap attached to the ring which is held in place by an attached antenna.
On the opposite end of the R3 are three metal contacts recessed into the bottom panel which allow the R3's Lithium-Ion battery pack to be recharged via the optionally available BC-135 charger (which also looks to be able to recharge a second Lithium-Ion pack by itself).
That leaves the back panel which provides the belt clip anchor, a space for the radio identification label and battery compartment cover. The provided belt clip is plastic but large and fairly strong. I'm just grateful that it's a "normal" belt clip and not anything like the arcane and easily breakable model that was supplied with the IC-R2! The belt clip also contains a slot which provides another mounting point for the hand strap.
The battery compartment cover is the same design as the R2. A plastic flip which resides in the bottom panel must first be unlatched and swung downward to allows the bottom of the cover to be pried up and removed. Doing so reveals what is likely the most complex battery compartment ever designed. This is because it thankfully provides facilities for either the Li-Ion pack or regular AA cells to be used to power the R3.
Located along both sides of the compartment are the usual metal contacts for the use of AAs. Also provided is a small plastic tray which is fitted into the bottom of the compartment and provides snug nesting spots for the AA cells.
The physical facilities that provide an interface to the Li-Ion pack are two metal contacts along the right side (the power terminals) and a contact switch located roughly in the center (which I imagine provides an indication that the Li-Ion pack is installed and thus enables recharging).
Should you desire to swap back and forth between use of the Li-Ion pack and AA cells, you'll need to get use to the insertion and removal of the Li-Ion pack. First, the pack (at least on this IC-R3ss) is inserted with the lettering side down (which can be confusing since there are metal contacts on both sides of the pack).
Insertion force is quite a bit more than expected so don't be shy. Start by inserting the top of the pack just underneath the belt clip first. Once in, then press in the rest of the way at the top and work your way downward.
Even more challenging is its removal since it is so tight and there are no facilities provided for doing so (hey Icom, what about a small nylon strap like Yupiteru puts in their battery compartments to aid in cell removal?)
Being such a pain in the neck to remove, I have found the following to be the quickest and least painful method. First, turn the radio sideways so that the battery pack metal contacts are on top and the front side is face down (and resting on a soft surface to prevent marring the front cover). Next, take your two index fingers and pry up the battery a bit on the battery contact side using the small portion of the pack that extends above the compartment side.
Now take one index finger and while pushing down on the left side of the battery pack (which is really the top side when the radio is upright) use your other index finger along the same side to further pry up the right side of the pack (which is really the bottom). Doing so will pivot the pack so that the left (top) side goes deeper into the compartment while the right (bottom) side comes fully clear of the compartment sides. It's then easy to grab the pack on the right (bottom) and remove it the rest of the way.
Like I was saying about that battery removal nylon strap...
Antenna
The antenna supplied with the R3 is quite nice. It's a telescoping whip that
measures 5.5" when retracted and 22.5" when extended to all 6 segments. It
collapses easily which is not all that common with some telescoping whips which
require excessive force to collapse the bottom segment or two.
Obviously supplied to help ensure the best possible reception for TV signal tuning, it is also of great use for HF and VHF-lo work. This antenna also has an elbow joint and swivels which allows the antenna to remain vertical regardless of the position of the R3.
The biggest concern here is the excessive force needed to bend the elbow joint. If you find that yours is like this, DO NOT bend this joint by holding the R3 in one hand and grabbing the antenna to do so with the other! If you do, you'll might have to replace the antenna or send the unit in for repair of the BNC jack somewhere down the road.
The best method for bending is to firmly grasp the black metal base with the thumb and forefinger while using the other hand to position the whip accordingly.
Features
To make a long story short, if you were to take an IC-R2 and add a color LCD
and TV tuner, you'd basically have an IC-R3. If you take into account all of
the features, attributes, user interface and performance you can't help but
reach this conclusion.
So, if you ever used an R2 and found it impossible to live with due to its limited key input, don't have any false hopes that the R3 does it any better than its predecessor. And if you have an R2 and have a hard time using it without the manual handy, you better think long and hard before adding the R3 to your monitoring arsenal.
Now to tell the long story...
Believe or not, the R3 has a smaller monochrome LCD than the R2. That's the price you pay for that juicy 2" color LCD! Luckily it isn't that much smaller. Comparing the two, it's pretty easy to see that all of the indicators sprinkled around the perimeter are the same size (that means they're tiny!) but what has suffered is the frequency readout. I'll guess that the numerics on the R3 are about 60% the size of those on the R2. But that's still plenty large enough for most of us to read without difficulty.
A quick look at the appropriate diagram in the manual reveals all of the indicators you'll ever see on the R3's MLCD. These include the current receive mode, duplex, tone squelch and bell, priority, attenuator, battery indicator, S-meter, memory mode, memory pass, memory lockout and memory channel. While nearly identical to R2, the R3 only swaps the PRIO and ATT indicators and replaces the R2's BUSY indicator with RX.
Contrast of the MLCD is very good and it holds up well at most viewing angles. The indicators are also placed far enough from the edge of the LCD so that when viewed at an angle they are not hidden by the surrounding plastic.
To provide illumination of the MLCD in dim or dark environments, there are two green LEDs located at the bottom of the MLCD. They are a bit weak but get the job done. Using SET mode, you can select whether this backlight is off, on or timed (5 second intervals with each key press). Sad to say there is no simple way to turn the light on manually on demand. I would have liked to have seen a LIGHT key right under the FUNC key used for this very purpose.
While the MLCD might be a bit constraining, you may never go back to it once you've gotten a look at the CLCD in action! You will need to go into CLCD mode if you want to make use of the R3's bandscope, radio direction finder and/or alpha-tags. And when the CLCD is turned on, the MLCD's function is to primarily display the battery voltage (which will drop quickly with the CLCD on and only appears to have 0.5 volt increments).
With the CLCD on there are screens of information which provide different display readouts or access to advanced features. The first two screens effectively mimic the display of the MLCD. The various indicators are located at the top of the LCD along with the frequency readout. Also present are the memory channel and bank if the R3 is in memory mode.
Extra pieces of information that are only available on the CLCD are the current step size and programmable alpha-tag. Memory must have been a precious commodity since each alpha-tag is limited to a paltry 6 characters while the LCD real estate has enough area to display 12! I guess something is better than nothing.
The difference between these two screens is that one displays the alpha-numeric data quite large in size while the other reduces them to make room at the bottom of the LCD for the S-meter and volume setting bar graph.
The next screen in succession is the bandscope which is followed by the screen which provides the radio direction finding facilities (and reminds me of the HUD on an F-16!)
The fifth and final screen in this sequence enables the TV tuner and tries to display any TV signal it finds on the currently tuned frequency.
While the CLCD is used to access multiple functions, what makes it even more useful are the adjustments that can be made to it in SET mode. The first of these is the contrast control which can vary from 0 to 100% in 3% steps. These level of settings are also used for the brightness control. The last selection is the display color used as the background for the white text. Available colors are black, pink (perhaps a light magenta if you don't fancy yourself the frilly type), grass green, orange, medium blue, lighter blue, light green, and medium gray.
There is also a SET mode parameter which allows you to select if the CLCD is automatically enabled when the unit is turned on and external power is being used.
And if you turn off the R3 while the CLCD is enabled and not on the TV tuner screen, when powered on it will respond with an IC-R3 text logo which starts small and grows large thus giving the impression of zooming in on it.
As you no doubt have noticed (or read from the above) there aren't a whole lot of keys on the R3's front panel. The R2 pioneered this space saving technique which puts added burden on the user and their ability to "hunker down" with the manual.
Since the R3 has more features, Icom thought it prudent to add a single control which would replace the three used on the R2 while adding even more functionality. This control is the 4-way rocker switch located right next to the MLCD.
While this control may add more functionality, it doesn't really make the R3 any easier to use. That's because each of the arrow keys provides access to four different functions depending on how it is used. You can press it, hold it, press it while FUNC is held, or press and hold it while FUNC is held! And if you rotate it in a clockwise direction while rotating the rotary control in a counter-clockwise direction...just kidding!
Below this control is the row of four keys which give you access to the rest of the R3's functionality. A more accurate description of this would likely be that there are three keys you'll use since the power key is simply used to turn the radio on and off (which is nice since it means you don't have to play with volume each time you turn on). Of course these keys have multiple access methods as well since they can be pressed, held and used in conjunction with the FUNC key.
The V/M/SKIP key is used to toggle between VFO and memory modes, start the memory write process, adjust a memory channel's skip setting, register a frequency to be skipped while searching and edit alpha-tags.
The MODE/SET key is used to change the receive mode, change the step size, enter/leave SET mode, and enable/disable the keypad lock (which simply displays a 'L' in the lower right corner when engaged).
The last key on the row, SQL/ATT, is used to open the squelch, set the squelch level, set the attenuator level and use duplex receive.
And let's not forget the rotary control which also serves multiple purposes! It is used to change the current VFO frequency, change the currently displayed memory bank and/or channel, and change the value of SET mode parameters.
Like its predecessor, the R3 has loud and crisp audio. Even at full volume on AM and FM signals there is little distortion. There's a bit more on WFM signals such as those used by FM and TV broadcast stations. WFM signals are pleasing but a bit hollow sounding for my tastes.
With the unit powered on and no signal being received, the speaker does not emit a hissing sound like many models do these days. Unfortunately, the old saying of not getting something for nothing is especially true here. Each time a transmission ends and the squelch closes, the audio amp turns off which causes an irritating clicking sound.
The earphone jack is monaural but you can get mono sound in each side of a set of stereo headphones by not inserting the plug the entire way into the jack. And yes, the powerful thumping sound heard as the audio amp turns on and off is easily heard when using the earphone jack.
Speaking of noises being emitted, the R3 allows the beep volume to be controlled via SET mode. It has 30 or so levels to choose from and while its value is being selected in SET mode, it emits a ringing sound to help you set it to your liking.
Like the R2, there are several settings for the squelch control. It can be locked open, set to use one of nine programmable levels or placed in automatic mode where the circuitry detects any signals and opens the squelch on its own.
For listening to very weak signals or those which may on the verge of reception and opening and closing the squelch repeatedly, the SQL key can be used to force the squelch to remain open. The SQL key itself can be configured so that it has to be pressed and held to open the squelch or whether pressing it toggles the squelch between open and closed.
To keep listening to signals as long as possible, you'll want to do your best to make the most of your portable power source. As mentioned earlier, the R3 can be powered from the included LiIon battery pack or 3 AAs that you supply. And while the R3's biggest claim to fame will be its color LCD and TV tuner, these are its Achilles' heel!
One of the first tables you'll run across in the manual is the one which informs you of the run times you'll get from various internal power sources. Should you decide to use the CLCD a lot, the best power source is the LiIon pack. Even so, the run times are likely to be much shorter than you expect.
Using the LiIon battery with the CLCD enabled (but not TV tuning), you can expect a maximum of 2 hours and 10 minutes before the battery is exhausted. If you use the CLCD for TV viewing, reduce that to 1 hour 45 minutes! But if you keep the CLCD off, run time jumps up to a max of 25.5 hours! Using AA alkalines, they will deliver 27.5 hours in MLCD mod (but only 45 minutes when CLCD TV tuning!)
To get the most out of your power source while in MLCD mode, the battery saver function might be able to be used to do this. If you are sitting on a single frequency and there is no activity for 5 seconds, the power saver comes on and reduces battery drain by constantly cycling between "sleeping" for short period of time and then "waking up" briefly to check for a transmission.
For those forgetful types who don't want to come back to a dead radio because they forgot to turn it off, there is an APO feature which allows the radio to turn itself off after no interaction after 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.
While the unit is powered off and connected to external power with the LiIon pack inside, the MLCD flashes "HI V" and the battery level indicators cycle through the sequence of their 3 display states. This continues while the LiIon battery is being charged. The R3 is smart enough to know when the battery is topped off and discontinues charging which is indicated by "HI V" flashing without the cycling battery indicators. For a fully discharged pack, this can take 13-15 hours with the radio off.
One popular feature of most Icom receivers is their ability to provide a data interface via the earphone jack. This interface can be used for programming the R3 which is especially desirable for those who find the user interface as friendly as a rabid pit bull. This interface can also be used in conjunction with the optional OPC-474 cloning cable which is used to connect two R3s so that the data from one can be cloned into the other.
The last features we'll cover here are the two resets. The partial reset is used to reset the radio and all of its settings while leaving the contents of memory intact. The full reset does the same thing while also erasing all data programmed into memory which effectively returns the R3 to the state it was in when it left the factory.
Set Mode
The SET Mode menu is how you get to most of the adjustable parameters for tone
squelch, scanning, power management, etc. This mode is entered by holding down
FUNC and pressing SET.
As mentioned earlier, while most of the settings can be accessed from any mode, those settings which control the CLCD can only be accessed when SET mode is entered when the CLCD is enabled.
Movement among the selections is accomplished by using the rotary control. To change most settings, FUNC is held down while the rotary control is twisted to view the available choices. When done, simply release FUNC. Leaving SET mode is as easy as pressing CLR.
Each setting is represented by a number between 1 and 32 as well as an identifying title. Here's a table which lists the available settings as they appear on the LCDs:
| CLCD | MLCD | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tone Squelch | tSqL | Off, on and alert |
| Tone Freq. | tonE | Select tone squelch value |
| Duplex | dUP | Enable and direction |
| Offset Freq. | oFFSEt | Duplex offset value |
| Scan Resume | RESUmE | 0-5 sec or hold |
| Pause Scan | PAUSE | 2-20 sec or hold |
| Priority | PRIo | Off, on and alert |
| Beep Audio | bEEP | Beep volume |
| Light | LIGHt | Off or automatic |
| A. Power OFF | AP oFF | Off, 30, 60, 90 or 120 min |
| Power Save | P SAVE | Off or automatic |
| Monitor | monI | Press or hold |
| Dial Speedup | SPEEd | Off or on |
| Key Lock | LoCk | All, normal, no SQL or no VOL |
| Display | dISP | CLCD manual or automatic |
| Contrast * | ContRA | CLCD, 0 - 100 |
| Bright * | bRIGHt | CLCD, 0 - 100 |
| Back Color * | CLCD, 0 - 7 |
* = These settings are only available when the CLCD is enabled.
VFO
The R3's VFO, just like the R2, allows you to select a frequency to be tuned
as well as setting a receive mode and step size. For those users who purchase
an R3 from a dealer within the country in which they live, they will most
likely be able to let the R3 automatically select the receive mode and step
size. But it's always nice to be able to override the chosen settings.
The frequency range from 495 kHz to 2450 MHz is divided up into 11 bands. To traverse these bands to tune a desired frequency, the right and left arrow keys are used. Since each band holds the last accessed frequency, receive mode and step size, it's almost like having 11 VFOs.
Once the proper band has been brought up, the FUNC key is held down while turning the rotary control to effect 1MHz changes (and can be changed to 10 MHz or 100 kHz) which brings you closer to your target frequency. The rotary control is then used by itself to arrive at the exact frequency (provided the step size has been set to do so).
While it might seem quite involved, it really takes little time to get accustomed to it and is really quite effective when you consider there are no numeric keys available! Part of its success is due to the rotary control which reacts normally when turned slowly but makes large frequency jumps when turned quickly.
Once the frequency is tuned, there are various functions which can be brought to bear to further enhance your monitoring.
One very unique feature is the 4-level attenuator! While some radios have a single attenuator setting, the R3 allows the maximum flexibility to meet the needs of all users or those who travel among several types of RF environments with varying signal levels. The available attenuator levels are 6, 10, 15 and 30 dB. While there is flexible in the setting level there is little flexibility in where it is used. It's a global setting and either on or off for all of the VFO, memory and search modes.
Another handy monitoring tool in RF-intense locales is to use tone squelch to block out all signals except those with matching CTCSS tones. The R3 supports 50 CTCSS tones which are listed in the owner's manual.
Not only does the R3 have the ability to decode CTCSS tones, it can also scan for the tone being used on a frequency! The search is a bit slow and can take a number of normal-length transmissions to find an active tone. It's also nice that it stores the found tone into the SET mode so that it is easy to use it right away!
For those who find monitoring of repeater input and output frequencies, the R3 includes a duplex receive function. Once enabled, this feature allows a frequency offset to be applied to the currently tuned frequency quickly and easily. This gives the user the ability to quickly toggle back and forth between two frequencies. Using SET mode, the duplex feature can be enabled and an offset value specified which can be applied in either a positive or negative direction.
While in VFO mode, there is also the ability to perform a search starting at the current frequency and using the current step size and receive mode. More on this later.
Memory
Another similarity to the R2 is the R3's memory configuration. 400 memory
channels are divided up into 8 banks labeled A - H. I would have liked to have
seen Icom change to at least 10 banks since the 400/8 configuration makes for
50-channel banks which I find to be a bit excessive.
Once the frequency, mode, step, duplex receive and CTCSS settings are all dialed in, the memory write process can be started. Memory writes come in two forms. One allows the bank and channel to be selected before the write occurs while the other simply programs the data into the last viewed channel. For this second type, you also have the option to allow the memory write to automatically increment to the next memory channel. This is quite effective when you first get the radio and are most likely going to program in many, successive memory channels.
If you care to use the CLCD for both programming and subsequent reception, you have the ability to program each memory channel with a 6 character alpha-tag. Available characters consist of the entire alphabet (both lower and uppercase), the ten numerals and most punctuation marks including the space character but curiously omitting the @, <, >, ", [ or ].
Once memory is programmed, the V/M key is used to toggle between VFO and memory modes. The rotary control is used to move within a memory bank to view any of the programmed channels (empty channels are skipped). To view another memory bank, the FUNK key is held while the rotary is turned to select the desired bank.
Icom refers to the channel lockout feature as skip which, when set on a particular memory channel, prevents it from being included in the scan operation. Another level of the skip setting also allows a memory channel to be specified as a skipped frequency when performing searches.
The handy copy functions allows the contents of a memory channel to be copied into another channel of your choice or copied to the VFO for experimenting.
And, of course, there is a handy function used to delete the contents of a single memory channel.
One note of caution about using the R3 (which also effects R2 owners) is that while it is possible to modify the CTCSS tone value of a memory channel, as soon as you step off of that channel the tone value is put back to its originally programmed value. If you need to change the CTCSS programming of a memory channel simply view the channel, edit its tone data, copy it to the VFO, and then write it back to that memory channel!
Scanning
As usual, Icom likes to refer to all frequency access functions as scanning.
I personally like to keep scanning functions separated from the search
functions (which Icom refers to as program scanning) and will do so, as usual,
in this review.
Once memory has been programmed, you now have the ability to scan the contents you have worked so hard to place in the R3's memory. And don't get any false hopes here. Icom remains true to form and once again hamstrings our abilities by only providing for one or all 8 bank scanning!
Before you actually begin scanning, you must first select whether you will be doing the single or all bank method. Once done, pressing and holding either the left or right arrow key is used to start the scan. The arrow chosen will determine whether the banks are scanned in the numerically increasing or decreasing direction. This can be changed at any time by using the rotary control to change the direction accordingly.
Scanning continues until a signal is detected on a memory channel frequency at which point the scan is paused to display the memory contents for that channel. Luckily this includes the alpha-tag label (since it doesn't compete with any other screen resource on the CLCD - a fatal flaw of the similarly sized IC-R10).
Once paused, there are two parameters that dictate what will happen next and when. The Pause Scan setting is used to determine how long the R3 pauses on the channel while its frequency is active. This can be set between 2 and 20 seconds or indefinitely (which is the norm for most of us). Once the signal goes away, Scan Resume determines how long the R3 stays on the frequency waiting for a reply until the scan resumes. This can be set between 0 and 5 seconds or made to hold indefinitely thereby stopping the scan on the last, active channel (a personal favorite of yours truly).
While paused on the frequency, you have the ability to lock out this channel from future scans or force the scan to resume immediately by turning the rotary control.
Scanning can be stopped on command by simply pressing the left or right arrow key.
Searching
Even though Icom likes to refer to it as program scanning, I prefer to stick
with the more traditional term searching. Just like it's little brother, the
R3 comes with 25 search bands which can be programmed to your liking but the
parameters only consist of the lower and upper frequencies. Other settings
such as receive mode, step size, attenuator are taken from the VFO which means
you better hope you're able to use the auto bandplan. Otherwise you're going to
have to manually select the proper receive mode and step size before each
search is started.
This set of 25 bands is implemented as a separate memory bank which is accessed just like any other bank. This allows you to go into memory mode and view how the search bands are programmed. And you'll need to do this when there are 25 of them to keep track of.
Also available is a VFO search which starts from the current VFO frequency and uses the current receive mode and step size. The one caveat here is that if your search goes across the boundary of one of the 12 VFO bands and you are not using the auto bandplan, it's most likely that the receive mode and step size will change. This may or may not be to your liking.
Once the bands are programmed they are ready to be used. A special key sequence is used to first select the band to be searched and then you're off and running. Unfortunately, there is no way to link search bands together.
Since searching is really considered a form of scanning, the pause and resume parameters come into play here as well with regards to how signals are treated once they are being received. The rotary dial can also be used to change the direction of the search as well as force the search to resume when stopped on a signal. As mentioned earlier, the 4-level attenuator is also at your disposal while searching.
There is no auto-store function but the R3 does allow you to select frequencies to be skipped during searching. Just like the R2, these skip frequencies are programmed into normal memory channels which means that if you never want to do any scanning, you can use all 400 memory channels for skip frequencies.
Priority
The priority functions come in a variety of flavors. None of them are probably
what you might be use to from your experience with other receivers and I can
assure you that they will seem strange and hard to work with.
The first priority function allows you to spend most of your time monitoring the frequency in VFO mode while briefly checking the current memory channel frequency every 5 seconds.
Another of the priority functions is similar but instead of sitting on a single VFO frequency, you can perform a VFO search while going off to check a single memory channel every 5 seconds.
The last priority function sits on a VFO frequency and every five seconds it samples successive memory channels for activity. But only one memory channel is checked every 5 seconds. I'm not sure how useful this functionality is but Icom keeps including it on their radios.
TV Tuner
As you no doubt have guessed, the biggest golly-gee-whiz feature of the R3 is
its color LCD and ability to tune and display TV signals. Customers in the US,
Canada and Japan will want an R3 model with an NTSC TV tuner while those in
Europe will desire some flavor of the PAL type. Those in France and other
French-related countries will desire SECAM models but I have not heard of any
such R3s.
The manual breaks desired TV signals into two types. The first are the regular, old TV channels which are referred to as AM TV signals. The R3 comes with 62 of them pre-programmed into a special memory bank. Such signals are received in wide FM and allow you to tune into local TV channels broadcasting in the 54-72, 76-88, 174-216 and 470 (or 512) - 806 MHz. You can also elect to tune on any frequency above 30 MHz for these type of frequencies. There is also a bank of 10 memory channels (tV) which you can program to your liking.
The second type of signals are called ATV signals which can be tuned between 900 - 1300 and 2250 - 2450 MHz. These types of TV signals are basically anything other than broadcast TV signals mentioned above and include amateur radio, surveillance cameras, video cameras, etc. While these ranges for such signals are relegated to the frequencies mentioned above for European and Canadian models, it will be interesting to see what ranges are available on the US model. There is a separate bank (FtV) which provides for the storage of up to 50 ATV frequencies.
Right out of the box the first thing I did was power up the R3 and try to figure out how to tune TV channels (remember I had a Japanese manual to contend with)! Once I had it figured out, I was very pleased to note that the LCD was a brilliant active matrix (which means expensive and battery draining). Being captivated by the vibrant colors, I held it my hand for quite a while making any excuse to look at any good signal I could. It was during this time that I noted my hand was feeling quite warm! That will give you your first clue that this LCD is draining the life right out of the battery.
Examining the LCD close up, I got the chance to do for both the unit I received from Glenn Cohen of Scanners Unlimited for a brief trial and the long term review unit supplied by Bandercom. Glenn's unit has no dead pixels that I could find but the Bandercom unit did have on dead pixel located in the lower right quadrant. Now we're talking one pixel here which is VERY tiny and 90% of the time can't be seen. About the only time you'll be able to check for and see a dead pixel is when the screen is absolutely white.
Playing with the R3 some more and its TV tuning features, I ran across a 'CAR' display in the MLCD. While I can't be sure, deciphering the manual and talking to others about the R3 seems to reveal that this -63 to +63 setting allows for the retuning of the audio sub-carrier for the clearest sound.
One feature that is not mentioned in the manual was found by Don Boekenkruger, VE7CBT, who mentioned it on the R3 mailing list. He mentioned that many ATV signals were inverted making them appear to be scrambled. Don says that if the MODE key is pressed on such a signal, the R3 will invert the signal allowing the signal to be viewed correctly.
Regardless of the type of signal tuned, the audio and video are available to be fed outside of the R3 via the side panel A/V jack. Flipping back the protective rubber cap reveals what appears to be a normal 1/8" (3.5mm) jack.
One deficiency R3 users have discovered is using the supplied AC adapter to power the unit while using the CLCD and tuning TV signals. This adapter is only spec'd to deliver a max of 500 mA but since the CLCD is flickering and blinking on/off quite a bit, it appears that 500 mA is not enough. And that makes sense since the manual lists a maximum of 790 mA (the highest for TV tuning with the volume cranked up). Since I received no AC adapter with this R3, I found that the adapter from my Sony ICF-SC1s worked just fine at it is rated at 600 mA.
Now, while the TV tuner does a good job for broadcast TV stations, I haven't been able to successfully tune any ATV signals. And it seems that quite a few others are in the same boat! First, you really have to know the frequencies to tune since 900-1300 and 2250-2450 is quite a wide expanse to try and go hunting for what is likely a very weak signals.
Those who have been able to receive such frequencies say they needed to be VERY close to the transmitter. Sensitivity isn't greatest in most receivers above 1 GHz. I also don't think the stock antenna is hardly useful for monitoring such frequencies which have such tiny wavelengths. A directional antenna probably wouldn't hurt matters either.
Perhaps others will be able to find out more on this subject once the R3 is more readily available.
Bandscope
Another hi-tech feature added to the R3 is the bandscope which is used to
graphically depict signal activity on the currently frequency as well as a
limited number of frequencies on either side of it.
To use the bandscope the CLCD will need to be enabled and then the bandscope screen selected. The center frequency appears in the upper right corner and is selected as you normally would a frequency in the VFO. The sweep width is then selected from ± 5, 10, 20, 100 or 500 kHz.
The sweep is then started and either a single or continuous sweep can be selected. Any activity on the tuned frequencies within the sweep bandwidth is plotted vertically with the taller bars denoting stronger signals.
Once the sweep has done its thing and plotted activity in this frequency region, the rotary control can be used to move a cursor at the bottom of the display to line up with one of the bars. The frequency display changes accordingly and allows you to fine tune the reception in hopes of finding the signal that was active.
The bad news is that while sweeping, the audio is muted which isn't as effective for audibly identifying signals as they are tuned.
RF Direction Finder
One feature that most hobbyists aren't likely to put through its paces very
much is radio signal direction finding. This dedicated screen of the CLCD is
used to plot the strength of the current frequency as a continuously scrolling
graph.
The idea behind a successful use of this feature is the use of a directional antenna and usually several participants, each equipped with a similar R3. The directional antenna is able to concentrate its reception along its major axis which, in this case, will likely be parallel to the ground. When pointing at a radio source, it receives very well but as it is turned away its reception drops off dramatically.
Attached to an R3 and using this direction finding feature, one has but to tune the desired frequency and then start sweeping the antenna side to side. When the antenna is pointing closest to the direction of the signal source, the received signal will be strongest and the graph at the bottom of the scrolling display will indicate this.
Having several users in the field hunting for the same source helps to quickly triangulate its position much faster than one person running about and trying to zero in on the source on their own.
HF/VHF/UHF Performance
One of the first tests of any receiver I review is to make a log of all of its
birdie frequencies. This became quite a chore with the R3, unfortunately.
While things started out well on HF where only 8 such frequencies were found,
it also wasn't too bad on VHF where 27 were detected. UHF, however was a
different story. While this band is the widest, I searched up to 1300 MHz and
found a total of 120 frequencies. Thankfully, most of use spend our time below
1 GHz which accounted for only 40 of these hits.
The next test, while at home, was to extend the antenna fully and search 25 - 1300 MHz for signs of images and intermod interference. And the results were very good. Just a couple of TV images, one TV/FM intermod mixing in the low 150s and a couple of cordless phone images above 900 MHz.
Tuning of the FM broadcast band (88-108 MHz) seemed to show that the R3 was getting overloaded by all the strong signals it encountered here. I decided to try a little test using the 4-level attenuator to see what happened. With the attenuator off I managed to find 14 good stations. Bumping the attenuator up to the first level I repeated the same and 5 new stations were clearly heard! Notching up to level 2 lost 3 of the newly discovered frequencies (indicating to me that they were weaker stations which had been desensitized by the overloading of stronger signals) while adding one new entry. Moving on up to level 3 I was now left with just 9 of the original 14 stations. Level 4 managed to shut down reception completely with no stations heard. So if you ever have the case where reception isn't what you think it should be, try some tests with the attenuator and see what happens.
I then packed up and toted the R3 across town to a nasty area which is full of strong signals from a number of powerful, nearby towers. This is what some of us call "RF hell" because it is is so thick with strong signals (pun intended!) that lesser receivers experience any number of problems if their radio circuitry isn't up to the task!
Fully extending the stock antenna with the attenuator off and the squelch set to auto, I performed the same sweep of 25 - 1300 MHz looking for problems. The results showed that the R3 is definitely a well-designed radio and has very good dynamic range just like the R2.
The first problems came from a pager image which plagued a few frequencies starting in VHF-hi and extending just up over 200 MHz. The next weak section was the 410 - 514 MHz region which various forms of image and intermod from pagers, TV and cellular signals. Starting around 860 MHz and running on up through 1140 MHz were regular intervals of cell images. There were about 6 such regions spanning 20 or so MHz per region. Scattered here and there were just a few TV images.
With that done, we packed up shop and returned home to put the R3 back to back with its smaller brother. Testing both radios on the same set of frequencies between 5 and 937 MHz, both were allowed to receive a signal with the same antenna and where no difference could be easily detected, other antennas were used to pick which one truly had the better performance. Where no difference was noted, they tied for first place. Otherwise they were ranked first and second in the table which follows. If a signal could not be detected by a radio, a '-' was logged.
Here are my results:
| Freq | IC-R3 | IC-R2 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 43 | 1 | 1 |
| 60 | 2 | 1 |
| 72 | 2 | 1 |
| 73 | 1 | 1 |
| 76 | 1 | 2 |
| 82 | 2 | 1 |
| 88 | - | 1 |
| 117 | 1 | 1 |
| 124 | 1 | 1 |
| 127 | 1 | 1 |
| 153 | 1 | 2 |
| 156 | 1 | 1 |
| 162 | 1 | 1 |
| 204 | 1 | 1 |
| 308 | 1 | 2 |
| 443 | 1 | 1 |
| 451 | 1 | 1 |
| 453 | 1 | 1 |
| 461 | 2 | 1 |
| 464 | 1 | 1 |
| 494 | 2 | 1 |
| 524 | 2 | 1 |
| 560 | 2 | 1 |
| 572 | - | 1 |
| 584 | - | 1 |
| 632 | 2 | 1 |
| 674 | 2 | 1 |
| 680 | 2 | 1 |
| 692 | 2 | 1 |
| 851 | 2 | 1 |
| 854 | 1 | 2 |
| 858 | 2 | 1 |
| 861 | 2 | 1 |
| 864 | 2 | 1 |
| 868 | 2 | 1 |
| 872 | 1 | 1 |
| 882 | 2 | 1 |
| 936 | 2 | 1 |
| 937 | 2 | 1 |
As you can plainly see, the R2 easily cruised away with the first place title where sensitivity is concerned. But there definitely wasn't a dramatic difference between the two overall. And where the R2 leads in sensitivity, it takes a firm second place to the R3 in terms of interference rejection.
Neither radio is very good on MW or SW. Owner's will enjoy casual listening and the telescoping whip antenna will help immensely but don't expect the results that accompany larger handheld models.
One thing I found right off when sensitivity testing is that the R3 appeared to be quite deaf. I was getting quite alarmed as test after test the R3 could not pull in a signal that the R2 was getting rather easily! Suspecting that the auto squelch might not be up to snuff, I started testing over again and began using the squelch monitor to break the squelch and see if the signal was anywhere to be found in the background noise. I was rather surprised that upon doing this the signals were right there and easily recognizable. Granted, they were a bit scratchier and weaker than on the R2 but easily heard. I can only guess that this early unit suffered from some problem related to the squelch sensitivity which hopefully has been remedied by now.
| Category | Score | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 20 | 25 |
| Selectivity | 5 | 15 |
| Interference rejection | 20 | 20 |
| Coverage | 90 | 90 |
| Channels | 10 | 15 |
| Channels per bank | 5 | 15 |
| Ease of use | 0 | 20 |
| Scan/Search speed | 0 | 10 |
| Receive modes | 5 | 15 |
| Step sizes | 20 | 25 |
| Conversion | 10 | 10 |
| Audio | 15 | 20 |
| Antenna | 20 | 20 |
| Construction | 20 | 20 |
| Size | 10 | 15 |
| Search | 20 | 35 |
| Attenuator | 15 | 20 |
| Auto-store | 0 | 20 |
| Search frequency lockout | 15 | 15 |
| Backlight | 15 | 30 |
| Alpha-tagging | 20 | 20 |
| VFO | 10 | 10 |
| Squelch tail | 5 | 10 |
| Priority | 5 | 20 |
| Delay | 10 | 15 |
| Hold | 10 | 10 |
| Rotary Control | 10 | 10 |
| S-meter | 10 | 10 |
| Power-on resume | 10 | 10 |
| Computer Interface | 10 | 20 |
| Tone Decode | 10 | 15 |
| Battery indicator | 10 | 10 |
| Channel count | 0 | 5 |
| Tape record control | 0 | 5 |
| Clock | 0 | 5 |
| Timers | 5 | 5 |
| Weather programmed | 0 | 5 |
| Weather alert | 0 | 5 |
| Data skip | 0 | 5 |
| Bank delete | 0 | 5 |
| Bank sort | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 440 | 670 |
| Total | 66 | 100 |
Its primary drawbacks are the battery life when using the brilliant CLCD, the need to use the CLCD to make use of alpha-tags and bandscope, and underpowered scan and search speeds.
With a limited user interface, things will be even more quirky and harder to learn than with the R2. But those with the patience and willingness to take things slowly will be rewarded with a top-notch radio that stands above the rest when you consider it's color LCD, TV tuner, flexible battery options, telescoping antenna, CTCSS decode, 4-level attenuator and plenty of memory channels and search bands!
As always is the case when buying an Icom receiver, you have to remember that you're buying performance and features over speed and ease of use. Icom does not make what we in the hobby would call a scanner. They make communications receivers and there's a world of difference between the two.
The primary reason for buying the R3 will be its abilities in the VHF and UHF part of the spectrum. HF listening should not be one of your primary concerns. While many will be tempted to acquire the R3 for its unique LCD and TV tuner, the enthusiasm will likely fade fast for those who are not aware of the limited play time.
But for those who do their homework first and decide that the R3 has a lot more going for it than against, their radio shack will be all the better for adding a premium receiver like this. While a great day-to-day VHF/UHF radio, the R3 can be an all-in-one package when nasty weather comes and you find yourself without power. Held in your hand will be the power and ability to listen to public safety, utility crews, FM broadcast and even local TV broadcasts.
Just be sure to keep an ample supply of batteries on hand at all times!
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If you are interested in purchasing one of these radios or simply want more information, please stop by their web site, or write Pete at info@bander.com.
| Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells |
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