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Reviews For: ICOM IC-2820H

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : ICOM IC-2820H
Reviews: 48MSRP: 768
Description:
The ICOM IC-2820H 2M/440 dual bander has all the features you would expect and some you would not! You get: separate front panel, wideband receive, 3 power settings, built-in CTCSS decode/encode, selectable amber/green display, PC compatibility and 522 memory channels. V/V and U/U receive is available. The rear panel has two SO-239 antenna jacks to support diversity reception (two antennas required). The diversity function compares the receiving signal strength from two different antennas, ANT1 and ANT2, and automatically selects the strongest signal. This feature is useful when you are listening in a moving vehicle or the transmitting station itself is moving. Diversity receiving is available in 127 MHz, 136 MHz, 146 MHz, 375 MHz, 440 MHz and 500 MHz bands only.

The IC-2820H is D-STAR upgradeable with the optional UT-123 Power output is 50/15/5 watts on 2 meters and 50/15/5 watts on 440 MHz. It is 9600 BPS packet ready too (6 pin DIN). This radio comes with full function backlit HM-133 remote DTMF hand mic, mounting bracket, power cord and spare fuses. Main unit size: 5.9 x 1.65 x 7.4 inches 3.3 Lbs (150x40x188 mm 1.5 kg). Controller size: 5.9 x 2.6 x 1.25 inches 7.4 ounces (150x58x32 mm 210g). This model requires 13.8 VDC at 12 amps. This radio is supplied with the OPC-1663 and OPC-1712 separation cables.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/2820.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00483.6
N4FRL Rating: 2008-01-05
Solid performer Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is a update to my previous review. Icom has came out with a firmware upgrade to correct the PTT issue and the UHF digital on the left. I sent both of my 2820's in to have the upgrade and they have perfomed flawlessly since I have received them back. Icom did a great job and deserves to be commended on their quick action. Also the latest production run of the 2820 has the upgrade and should be ok
KN4AQ Rating: 2007-07-18
A few quick notes Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm still getting used to this complex radio, and I haven't hit anywhere near bottom yet, but there are a couple of points I can add.

Dual speakers: there are two speaker jacks, so you can send "left side" audio to one speaker, and "right side" to the other. Plug in just one speaker and all the audio goes there.

Intermod/overload: The acid test, sitting in traffic just on the edge of Chicago's downtown "loop" - an RF nightmare. On 2-meters, the 2820 was a meter-pegged wash of white noise across the band. I also have a Yaesu 8900 in the car, and on that I was able to listen to a suburban repeater just fine, about S-3 (some other channels had typical pager intermod). Advancing the 2820's squelch (which kicks in a 10 dB attenuator) did not allow the radio to hear the suburban repeater. In less severe environments, the 2820 intermod performance was significantly worse than the 8900, but still not a huge problem.

Dual-band DV Mute: The radio will let you do DV on both left and right sides (unlike the 91AD HT, which does DV only on the "B" band). But you can't hear audio on two DV channels at once. The sub band is muted. Probably because there's only one codec.

Mic gain: the radio has a two-step mic gain adjustment in the menu, defaulted to "low". Everyone but that car salesman on TV will need to change that to "high." The audio does not have much low end.

Sometimes no DV Transmit? My DV experience is limited to trips (no local D-STAR repeater yet), but I did have a few episodes of not being repeated. Was I transmitting? At least once, I was, as the station I was talking to switched to the repeater input and heard me. He said he's seen that symptom before on the repeater.

I like the mild friction the volume and squelch knobs have. The 8900's knobs are "loose" and it's easy to spin them too far up or down. Icom should apply that trick to the volume knob on the 91AD.

The display and menus are complex, but the display has enough detail that navigation and settings are fairly straightforward.

More when I learn about it!

73,
Gary KN4AQ
KF4HR Rating: 2007-06-29
Nice rig but a bit buggy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
First the good:

1. It's a nice dual bander, and with the optional D-Star/GPS module you get a lot of functionality from this radio.

2. A lot of memory locations (400+)

3. Fast adaptable scanning.

4. Analog and DV capablities, plus GPS monitoring capability (sort of).

5. Nice large display, and an option to display a single band in VERY LARGE numerals.

6. One-button "return route" for D-Star operations is a very nice touch.

And now... the not-so-good:

1. At ~$650, it's the most expensive dual-bander you can buy. Then tack on another ~$300 more if you want to operate in the digital mode.

2. The plastic cover that covers the LCD display causes reflections which can make the display somewhat difficult to see under certain lighting conditions. (No problem seeing the display at night.)

3. With the optional D-Star/GPS module, the unit can dispaly GPS Monitoring screen that can show the distance and direction to another D-Star station, plus provide distance alerting to that digitally transmitting station. It takes a few button selections to set the IC-2820H up in the GPS Monitoring mode. Unfortunately when you press your PTT button, the GPS Monitoring screen disappears and the screen reverts back to the standard frequency display. This can be frustrating if you're trying to track someones position and communicate with them at the same time.

4. As documented by several people on the ICOM D-Star Forum, the infamous "no-transit" issue. Periodically when you push the PTT button to transmit, it won't. The radio is still in the receive mode, even with the PTT button pushed. This event happens very randomly; once every couple of days on mine. But others are reporting the problem more often. This problem should not be confused with the "BUSY LOCK OUT" feature - which will cause this same effect. In all cases that I know of, users have insured that Busy Lock Out feature was disabled, yet the above problem continues to happen. ICOM is reporting the problem may be the microphone.

4. The radio comes with a single ~10 foot remote head separation cable. Unfortunately, unlike many other mobile radio's, the IC-2820H has no optional "long" remote cable. In cases where you want to mount the body of this radio in the trunk, the 10 foot cable may not long enough. I ended up spicing in a 5 foot section of shielded cable in, which worked.

5. When in the GPS Monitoring mode, don't look for "Speed" (as shown with most GPS units). It isn't there.

Summary: This is a nice radio, but being ICOM's first D-Star dual bander - it has a few minor bugs. Many of the owners of this fine, albeit expensive, rig would like to see fixes for the above problems, be it firmware or whatever, but I expect fixes for the above issues will come in the form of the IC-2830 model.

Would I buy another 2820H? Yes, the positive side of this radio far outweighs its negative points. It's just unfortunate that a dual-bander this expensive, gets released to the buying public with bugs, especially when compared to non-buggy $300-400 dual-banders.

KF4HR
N8FZ Rating: 2007-06-21
Maybe best mobile rig ever! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
As a ham for 30 years(first license at 15), I have had many different 2 or 2/440 rigs for mobile use. Most of the time either the display and or the knobs/buttons were too small to use and drive safely at the same time. Now with the 2820 all of that has changed. The display is very easy to read and all the contols are big enough to use on the road. I am amazed that it took this long for someone to come up with the idea of magnets on the back of the faceplate. It makes my installation neat and clean.

Although this rig is loaded with features I will likely never use, and is a bit pricey, I think it is worth the money. I would buy another in a heartbeat dispite my now busted ham budget!
KC9AYN Rating: 2007-05-15
ALMOST PERFECT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
OK, I HAVE MORE TIME TO PLAY WITH THIS RADIO. MOST OF YOU MIGHT NOT NOW IT DOES CROSSBAND. LOOK IT UP UNDER ICOM SUPPORT-TYPE IN CROSSBAND AND IT TELLS YOU HOW. THE ONLY NEGATIVE THING I CAN SAY IS THE DISPLAY IS HARD TO SEE IN THE CAR WHEN THE SUN HITS IT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST ICOM HAS COME UP WITH IN DUAL BAND RADIOS!!!
READ THE BOOK FROM FRONT TO COVER TO ENJOY WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER YOU.
W6QE Rating: 2007-05-11
Great Radio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Received my IC-2820H as a retrirement present from my wife. She has good taste. I like the display, the versatility of the alpha tag display, and the ability to display freq in big numbers and alpha tag in small leters, or the alpha tag in large letters and the frequency in small numbers, and overall the ability to display both at once, for each band.
I'm enjoying the 50 watts output on both bands, especially the 70 cm band.
I don't have the radio remoted as I'll just use it here in the shack. The magnets that hold the head to the body is a good idea.
I'm not using D-star, because of a lack of repeaters here in the L.A. area, but time will fix that.
The display adjusts well to ambient lighting, and can also be done through the Icom software.
NOTE: The Icom cable progragging cable is about $55. DON'T buy it. I used a standard Yaesu cable which is also the same cable I used for my IC-91/A.
All thgings considered, I rate the radio, after 1 month of use as a 5/5. I get good audio reports, output power is satisifactory and it's a breeze to program and work with the setup menu's.
If you can afford it, do it. The addition of this radio to my shack solved a permenent problem and I'm very pleased with the radio.
Milt.
W6QE
A Know Code Ham
KC9GDV Rating: 2007-05-07
both thumbs skyward Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Have had the 2820 for about a month, replacing one of three 2720s. Seems to exhibit less intermod, especially on VHF. Due to lack of market penetration, have had only one extended DV QSO. DV audio quality reminiscent of digital cell phone.

Only negatives thus far revolve around the display. In the shack, it's nice and bright, but in the car difficult to read unless directly illuminated by the sun, or at night. Type is tiny, requiring use of reading glasses. That is not a prudent idea while driving.

Looking forward to working more with DStar!
W6TAZ Rating: 2007-04-04
COOLER THAN PENGUIN POOP Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Way better than the 2720. Great screen/layout and audio is much better. Cool magnet mount head and built like a tank. Works great with my 91AD (Digital). One thing I don't like is the Mic connector is only on the main unit and not on the head like the ic7000. The cable is a whopping 85 bucks.