PCR1500, with or without remote head?
 

Hello Folks,

The PCR1500 is around $500, and $100 more if you want the remote head.
It's tough to get much info on that remote head. Heck, it's not even in
the manual, at least not the large pdf version on the Icom site. Is it
worth to have?

I am not too familiar with ham stores in the US yet, wish the ad section
of QST was on the web somewhere. Anyhow, one that seem to be large is
AES. Other suggestions?

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

PCR1500, with or without remote head?
 

Joerg wrote:
Hello Folks,

The PCR1500 is around $500, and $100 more if you want the remote head.
It's tough to get much info on that remote head. Heck, it's not even in
the manual, at least not the large pdf version on the Icom site. Is it
worth to have?

I am not too familiar with ham stores in the US yet, wish the ad section
of QST was on the web somewhere. Anyhow, one that seem to be large is
AES. Other suggestions?

Joerg -
Not sure what this is doing on the homebrew group.

I did briefly get to try an associate's PCR1500 at his house. He did
not have the remote head but was controlling it from a laptop.

I was very unimpressed with the way that local BCB and FM stations
had images showing up and down and all around the SW and ham bands.
Somehow I had expected some preselection.

I believe that with an outboard preselector or even just some traps
to filter out the local stations before they hit the radio, I would've
been much better impressed. The PCR1500 wasn't much worse than a
typical $100-$150 SW receiver in terms of image susceptability (our
neighborhood I think is particularly bad for the US, but I understand
it to be nowhere near as bad as many major European cities).

I also have a RX-320 (Ten-Tec's computer controlled receiver) and
while it is not completely immune to BCB interference and images it is
a much more minor problem there. It's also true that the RX-320 is
truly aimed at the SW market.

The PCR1500 had a bazillion nifty computer-controlled features that
my friend was showing me (esp scanning VHF and UHF channels). He was
more of a scanner nut than a SW or ham listener, and he seemed
positively delighted with the radio and all it's features and computer
controls and scanning channels and ability to monitor multiple
channels at once. He had some special computer software that decoded
and monitored at least a couple of the local trunking systems.

Like when I'm using my RX-320, I missed having real knobs. I'm
guessing that the remote head actually provides some knobs (but have
not seen it either!)

Tim.

PCR1500, with or without remote head?
 

Tim Shoppa wrote:

Joerg wrote:

Hello Folks,

The PCR1500 is around $500, and $100 more if you want the remote head.
It's tough to get much info on that remote head. Heck, it's not even in
the manual, at least not the large pdf version on the Icom site. Is it
worth to have?

I am not too familiar with ham stores in the US yet, wish the ad section
of QST was on the web somewhere. Anyhow, one that seem to be large is
AES. Other suggestions?


Joerg -
Not sure what this is doing on the homebrew group.


Well, it's the only one I am subscribed to but I'll look for a more
appropriate one. Also, I figured that folks who still build their own
stuff (I do) would naturally gain more insight about commercial hardware
than "plug-and-play" users. Because they can pinpoint effects to
circuitry deficiencies just like you did below.


I did briefly get to try an associate's PCR1500 at his house. He did
not have the remote head but was controlling it from a laptop.

I was very unimpressed with the way that local BCB and FM stations
had images showing up and down and all around the SW and ham bands.
Somehow I had expected some preselection.


A fat mixer or even some LC filtering probably wasn't in the cards at
that price level. But I could live with it because I mainly want to use
it for EMI hunting. Being able to listen to noise makes it sometimes
easier to find the root cause. Most spectrum analyzers feature only a
rather crude AM demod output, or none at all.

So, for example I'd probably roll a 123MHz bandstop for work here in the
lab because the local runway is almost next the house and 123.05MHz is
where they call in or key the runway lights on at night. With clients at
other airports it's similar, I can look up their frequencies and build a
filter before heading out.


I believe that with an outboard preselector or even just some traps
to filter out the local stations before they hit the radio, I would've
been much better impressed. The PCR1500 wasn't much worse than a
typical $100-$150 SW receiver in terms of image susceptability (our
neighborhood I think is particularly bad for the US, but I understand
it to be nowhere near as bad as many major European cities).

I also have a RX-320 (Ten-Tec's computer controlled receiver) and
while it is not completely immune to BCB interference and images it is
a much more minor problem there. It's also true that the RX-320 is
truly aimed at the SW market.

The PCR1500 had a bazillion nifty computer-controlled features that
my friend was showing me (esp scanning VHF and UHF channels). He was
more of a scanner nut than a SW or ham listener, and he seemed
positively delighted with the radio and all it's features and computer
controls and scanning channels and ability to monitor multiple
channels at once. He had some special computer software that decoded
and monitored at least a couple of the local trunking systems.


I guess that's why they still block cell bands for the US. Wish they
didn't because I have to check for EMI seemlessly up to 1GHz.


Like when I'm using my RX-320, I missed having real knobs. I'm
guessing that the remote head actually provides some knobs (but have
not seen it either!)


Same here. But when you have to schlepp it along on flights the small
size and low weight is a real advantage and the laptop has to come along
anyhow, usually.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com