Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: ICOM ID-31

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Hand-held

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : ICOM ID-31
Reviews: 28MSRP: 340
Description:
70cm handheld FM/D-Star transceiver with built in GPS and micro SD slot
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/handheld/ID31A/default.aspx
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00284.8
N2HAM Rating: 2020-08-06
Great receive and awesome audio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great receive and awesome audio! Well built! I have Fusion so I thought I would try D-Star, works well easy programming for sure! I must say though Fusion is much easier to setup and use and sounds better. But D-Star works fine, especially when it automatically sets up local repeaters!
WA0UAY Rating: 2020-06-26
Solid radio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Been in Fusion and DMR for awhile now but decided to try DStar.
Another great mode and the ID31A with a Zumspot makes it very enjoyable.
Excellent audio on this HT, well thought out functionality. Perfect size and solid feel. Easy to operate.
Setup is a bit different but after a very good Youtube video, we were off and going. Much more activity on DStar than I realized.
If you intend to operate UHf only into a hotspot this radio is more than capable!
KV4AN Rating: 2018-04-27
Lots of Fun Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a really nice Yaesu FT-2DR Fusion mode HT, but nobody is on that mode, so decided to get a DSTAR HT. Got a great price on the ID-31A Plus. I've been having a lot of fun with this radio. DSTAR is harder to use than Fusion and the audio quality is not as good, but at least there are people on it. The ID-31 does really well and the built-in GPS,repeater list, and automatic call sign capture really make it usable. Like the DPRS function (DSTAR APRS). Tons of features (too many to list and more than the FT-2DR). Took me a week to figure it all out, which I love. Extremely well built and controls are well laid out. Thinking about getting a DSTAR mobile next! Highly recommended.
W9MT Rating: 2018-04-24
Good radio. Great fun factor. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Nice, 3rd generation UHF D-Star radio. Super transmit audio. Loud, yet full and mellow receive audio, even from the small internal speaker.

Bought it used, on-line, with standard (271) battery, drop-in charger, and compatible (non-Icom) speaker mike. I was happy with the deal I got. It allowed me to "try D-Star" with a recent vintage radio without "breaking the piggy-bank" if I was less than enamored.

Well, I must say I like it as much as my two "Cheap Chinese Radios (TYT MD-380 and Radioddity GD-77). Both modes and all three radios have their places in my radio-arsenal.

All 3 interface superbly with my Shark RF OpenSPOT at home. With the SLO output power setting for transmit, the ID-31A's battery lasts "practically forever".

Programming by hand is miserable on the ID-31A, but not as bad as with earlier generation D-Star radios, like the ID-91A I almost bought last year at a hamfest. As others have also said, you can program the wee-beastie via the 4GB microSD card that goes into the radio for data logging. The Icom programming software is likewise very capable via this microSD or via a compatible cable. I find myself liking the RT Systems programming software most of all.

Let the DX purists poo-poo using Internet enabled radios for QSO's. I find speaking with the various Brits, Outback Blokes, Kiwi's, Japanese, and other DX stations "like they're in the same room with me" to be much more amenable to my favorite past time of "rag chewing". I really don't care if my contacts with these folks don't count toward DXCC credit. I'm having FUN.

I'm enjoying my radio hobby at a time when miserable band conditions on HF would have made my affectation more of a chore than a joy.

Learning to configure D-Star and DMR radio "code plugs" makes one sweat a bit and learn something new. This too, is a growth opportunity. I consider this struggle a puzzle to be overcome.

I was considering purchasing the LC-178 carrying case, but previous experience with a similar leather/plastic window case for my old Standard C-508 micro-talkie implies that the window will eventually get brittle and crack around its perimeter. So, to me, it's not worth the $29.95 one can "find it for". In its place I bought a Chinese HSC-20 series pouch case. (They come in A thru D suffixes. I have no idea what the differences are. Mine is a B.) It cost me under $7 on Amazon and I got it in 3 days. You can find them on eBay for half of that cost, but who wants to wait a month for shipping from China for such a little price difference? This pouch case is quite rugged and will fit the ID-31A and either of my DMR radios. Good deal, and superb protection utility in the event of dropping the radio.

I also bought a generic BP-272 equivalent battery off of eBay, complete with a belt clip for $33.95. It was a nice upgrade and lengthens time between chargings considerably. Beware, however... The generic belt clip is longer than the official Icom one and the battery won't slip into the drop-in charger slot and guides with it in place. (So, I leave it off.)

Using the Shark to select my favorite reflector and route it to a simplex channel of my choice on the ID-31A is my favorite way to use the radio around the house. I select the reflector with a computer on my network or via a tablet (Fire HD-8). Either works well. This has become my favorite mode of operation, breathing new life into my joy of ham radio.

At present, I see no need right now to do further upgrades or inroads into acquiring either more DMR or D-Star radios. The next step will be to figure a way to take the radio and OpenSPOT mobile with a small wireless router and use my cellphone as an Internet hotspot "gateway" to the Internet. (i.e.: more learning and experimenting to do) The data rate needed is low (~16kb per second), and my 3GB monthly allowance should handle this well. (Yeah, yeah...I know...not "REAL" radio operations. I don't care.)

So, I've hit a nice "sweet spot" for a low cost outlay. I an enjoying a wonderful ROI on "bucks spent" vs "enjoyment returned".

Yay....
2E1VAR Rating: 2016-10-08
Best £200 spent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
had my ID-31E a couple of years now and I absolutely love it. Use mine mainly for D-STAR combined with a DV-Mega, follows me all around the house while I'm pottering about. Great loud audio, great battery life. Lots of features such as GPS, Alpha tags etc. but really easy to use.
I will never, ever sell it.
Best £200 I ever spent.
WD1V Rating: 2015-01-23
Best Audio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Lightweight, small yet very solid feel - simple UI - superb audio in and out. Using with DVAP and RT software.
Like the 100 mw power setting, GPS, and many interesting YouTube vids for various D-Star tips. Also have ID-5100A.

73,

John WD1V
KB0VVK Rating: 2014-12-05
need more info Time Owned: more than 12 months.
very good if you can use it radio to radio or to
repeater but the instructions using the dv accesspoint dongle you got to find some place
else I hope I do better with the id 51
it may be easier to use with the dv dongle accesspoint dongle
K9CRT Rating: 2014-07-03
Loaded Features For The $ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The title to my review here about says it all. With included GPS plus all the features included it is a winner. Unlike others have mentioned my battery life ( I have the I included 7.4v 1150 ma battery) is great but I do keep the GPS turned off unless it is needed. Then you can select to only have it hit the GPS every x times per minute and this extends the life greatly. Got mine @ HRO @ their Dayton Hamfest reduced price of $ 279.95. The receive audio is good even with the speaker in the unit, and the transmit audio is some of the best if not the very best D-Star audio I hear. This is a 3rd generation D-Star product and it shows with the easy programming of the D-Star and I might add works equally well on the analog side as well. If you don't need VHF this is a can't miss home run for under $300.
N3CAL Rating: 2014-05-29
Outstanding HT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Out of the box it was ready to use in just a few minutes! The menu's are very easy to use and navigate. One of the few rigs I've owned where I didn't need to break out the manual. With the added SD Micro card it's a real winner! Audio both on TX and RX is good as well.
N4XTS Rating: 2013-12-16
Best D-Star portable yet Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am not a fan of D-star, but I am a digital voice fanatic, digital IS the future. I own NXDN, P25 phase 1 and DMR radios. I've never been too impressed with previous D-star portables.

But I have to give it to Icom, the ID-31 is a great product. Out of the box I never had to crack the manual. It has a very user friendly interface, and they have made the process of accessing D-star repeaters much less effort. The radio has integrated GPS and can actually query the internal database (which can also be easily updated using the included CS-31 software) for nearby D-star repeaters.

The automatic call sign/message announce is neat. I wish my LMR P25 radios would do this, a "voice" caller ID, so you never have to look at the radio to see who is keying up. The radio has a nice sound on the air on both digital and analog, and they did make some improvements in the DSP to allow you to make changes to the tone/EQ of both RX and TX.

With the micro SD card slot, you don't need to buy a programming cable, just use your PC and load/save the files to the memory card. I was able to build a codeplug from scratch with every D-star repeater I will ever use on the East coast and all my other stuff in about 20 minutes.

Radio feels solid in the hand, a little small for my tastes, but it has good audio. I LOVE the display. Hands down, a solid HT. If you don't NEED 2 meters, save the $200 price difference of the ID-51 (which albeit looks as cool as this one).

Only gripe is the lack of a desk cradle, faster re-charge time of the included 1100mah battery is a little long. Battery life is pretty decent for a medium capacity battery.

The belt clip is also bar none of the best designs.

This is a good radio, and Icom did this one right. I am giving D-star another chance and so far this little radio has not let me down yet. It is no APX7000 or even XTS5000, but it is not a slouch and a very good performing HT.