Icom r8500

[acl777]

I posted this in scanning but would probably be better here. Does anybody know if this receiver is good for MW DX and HF sensitivity/selectivity. All reviews concentrate on its VHF/UHF abilities.

[marcusabacus]

Saw your DXR8 on ebay... Had enough?

[acl777]

Hi. No I love it but if the Icom r8500 which I've just bought is as good on MW AND HF then I'll have to sell it to raise the funds to pay for it. As you know by now I have a complete addiction to radios. Are you my one and only watcher for the dx r8e on ebay?

[26TM944]

But a Perseus SDR and you WILL never go back to anything else for MW or SW DXing. Nothing comes close for what £500? They absolutely smash everything else away.

I have DX'd with a Perseus since they came out (s/n 82) and it knocks spots of what it replaced a WJ8711A. Great little box & very flexible. I used a ALA1530 loop as well and you could pull US and Canadian MW stations on 1050 out from under 1053 ... try that on another radio!

73

Steve

[marcusabacus]

let us know how you get on !

Not me watching the radio

[acl777]

But a Perseus SDR and you WILL never go back to anything else for MW or SW DXing. Nothing comes close for what £500? They absolutely smash everything else away.

I have DX'd with a Perseus since they came out (s/n 82) and it knocks spots of what it replaced a WJ8711A. Great little box & very flexible. I used a ALA1530 loop as well and you could pull US and Canadian MW stations on 1050 out from under 1053 ... try that on another radio!

73

Steve

Impressive but I've just bought the Icom 8500 for £541 in good condition on ebay. Im always changing radios so I better stick with this one for a few years. It covers everything and has good reviews but yes the Persus is something I've heard lots of positive things about. At £500 its actually great value.

[acl777]

let us know how you get on !

Not me watching the radio

Will do but not sure if it will sell or not. My aor 8600 which I've just put up as well has generated a lot more interest. Strange I guess non dxers are more into scanning and therefore show more interest in VHF and UHF.

[cottonfoo]

£541 was a good price, mine cost me £815. I've not tried any MW DX with it but it won't be as handy as an SDR, I mostly use it for HF with an ALA1530S+.

[acl777]

£541 was a good price, mine cost me £815. I've not tried any MW DX with it but it won't be as handy as an SDR, I mostly use it for HF with an ALA1530S+.

It narrow AM filter is 2.2khz I think with a standard of 5 and a wide of 12,the Alinco's is 2 in narrow and 9 in standard so it should be as good for MW dx but as you say it seems SDRs are the main way forward in the long term.

[cottonfoo]

2.2 narrow, 5.5 medium and 12 wide. On the plus side it doesn't require a computer, but I would quite like a Perseus or similar in addition.

[26TM944]

Hi,

I have to say I was old school radio wise knobs & a big case.

I had dreamt for years of owning something really decent after playing with a Racal 3790 a friend leant me whilst he moved home - from then on I was convinced that was the way. I saved crap loads and got a s/h WJ 8711A with the pre-selector and I was made up proper - loved it - did everything I wanted and looked the nuts - then as time went on these "SDR" radios appears in some form or another and I was doing software work for a company that could as they knew I liked radio's send me and early one - so off my 600€ went and I had a very early Perseus - once I got to grips with it and the fact it was a PC with a small black box plugged in - I was as many others were sold. And yes so was my loved WJ; he went right away. Never used it again in anger after the Perseus arrived. It sat on 909Khz with R5L for the news ...

I like the IC8500 - they are good radios (good unf that OFCOM had a few from ICOM...) - but get a Perseus and "feel" the difference :-) You'll be sold too.

73

Steve

[acl777]

Hi,

I have to say I was old school radio wise knobs & a big case.

I had dreamt for years of owning something really decent after playing with a Racal 3790 a friend leant me whilst he moved home - from then on I was convinced that was the way. I saved crap loads and got a s/h WJ 8711A with the pre-selector and I was made up proper - loved it - did everything I wanted and looked the nuts - then as time went on these "SDR" radios appears in some form or another and I was doing software work for a company that could as they knew I liked radio's send me and early one - so off my 600€ went and I had a very early Perseus - once I got to grips with it and the fact it was a PC with a small black box plugged in - I was as many others were sold. And yes so was my loved WJ; he went right away. Never used it again in anger after the Perseus arrived. It sat on 909Khz with R5L for the news ...

I like the IC8500 - they are good radios (good unf that OFCOM had a few from ICOM...) - but get a Perseus and "feel" the difference :-) You'll be sold too.

73

Steve

Could you just confirm if the 8500 has AM narrow built in as I know it doesn't have CW narrow built in you have to add an optional extra for that . Cheers

[cottonfoo]

Could you just confirm if the 8500 has AM narrow built in as I know it doesn't have CW narrow built in you have to add an optional extra for that . Cheers

Yes, it has N, M and W settings, just press AM to flip between them.

[acl777]

Thanks

[cottonfoo]

How have you got on with it, and how does it compare with your IC-7000's receive capability?