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The receiver is designed to have two separate antennas reserved for a predefined frequency segment. Depending on whether you are tuning a radio channel lower or higher than 30 MHz, a specific input connector is activated, respectively SO239 and N. The mediocre IF filters selectivity in fact makes the receiver not competitive in these cases.Īspect to remember is the mandatory management of the antenna system.
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Below 30 MHz the dynamic range with the presence of signals far from the tuned frequency is certainly of a good level but nevertheless significantly worsens with a reduced signals separations compromising listening in crowded bands. In highlighting the merits and the defects it must be emphasized that the combination of sensitivity and images rejection has its maximum in the 30~500 MHz range, presenting a progressive degradation on the higher frequencies due to the conversion scheme adopted. Regardless of this vision, the ICOM ICR8500 offers unique features that make it appreciated by certain groups of users. The salient feature of this receiver is its hybrid nature, basically a HF device to which a V/UHF scanner has been added or - symmetrically - a scanner with a dedicated HF section added. IC-R8500 performance and practical notes : Automatic frequency control (AFC) in FM mode with display indication. VSC function to unlock the scan in the presence of an unmodulated carrier. Scan speed 10 memories per second, 20 channels per second in the search for bandwidth limits. Multiple search options: between band limits, within memories, on a priority channel, according to the mode, with auto-writing. Predefined tuning steps that can also be user-defined with 0.5 KHz resolution. The tuning can be set by rotary control, whose friction is adjustable, with direct input from the keyboard, or even via remote PC. Wide range of memories collected in 20 distinct groups that can be identified by a term to five characters while eight characters can be inserted to mark each frequency, a memory bank is intended for the self-writing function that keeps track of the active frequencies during a scan, a further memory bank allows to insert the channels that the user imposes are ignored during the scan. All mode, with IF-shift to offset the band-pass filter with respect to the tuned frequency, adjustable audio filter on two levels, noise-blanker, selectable AGC time constant, squelch, two RF attenuators, internal clock and switch-off timer.
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Substantially the IC R8500 is internally divided between a section dedicated to frequencies below 30 MHz and a section, more articulated in the conversion scheme, for frequencies above up to 2000 MHz. The ICOM IC-R8500 is a receiver with plenty of functions, far from complex to use, with some important points in the controls management being equipped with a rational front panel.