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Reviews For: Icom IC-92AD

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

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Review Summary For : Icom IC-92AD
Reviews: 48MSRP: 600
Description:
Rugged and submersible 5 watt dualband HT with D-STAR built-in. Optional microphone with built-in GPS/antenna available.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/handheld/92ad/default.aspx
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00484.4
W9APX Rating: 2017-08-27
My favorite non-Motorola HT! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My favorite digital mode is DMR, using Motorola HTs. I call D–Star “R2D2 Radio”, so when I came across this radio at HRO on the Consignment shelf (it was new in the box, having only been used once) for a decent price, I was intrigued by its solid construction.

I had occasion to use this radio during an ARES event, where we supported a 100-mile running race. We were stationed at the 75-mile stage of the race, manning runner in, out, and logging stations. The battery life of this radio is nothing short of miraculous! With the exception of a 1-hour period during which I tried unsuccessfully to get a little sleep, the radio was powered up constantly from 11:00 Saturday morning to 9:00 Sunday morning, with plenty of TX happening. At the end of this period, the 2-segment battery indicator had not changed! As an experiment, it took another 6 hours of RX of a local AM radio station’s 450.7 MHz feed with the green backlight constantly lit, to drain the battery - and this was with the stock 1620 mAh battery.

If you come across one of these at a good price, don’t hesitate to buy it - it’s a good, solid radio with excellent battery life.
N8FZ Rating: 2017-07-04
The complete package Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I picked up this IC-92AD on the used market. This was a pricey HT new and even pre-owned it has held its value. Having said that I feel like I've purchased a Cadillac at a Chevrolet price.

This HT is the real deal. It has all the features you could ever want or use. There is a learning curve but with the thick Icom manual it does not take that long to master. I cant give a thumbs up or down for the D-Star features since we have no local D-Star repeaters. Works well on extended RX no intermod issues and I get good signal reports.

I have always thought buying a used HT is risky but in this case it has been a good value investment. If you can find one in good condition at a good price I would make that investment in a heartbeat.

Speaking of investments I would also suggest the RT systems programming software. Although it is not a requirement, it WILL make your experience easier and more enjoyable.
N6PET Rating: 2015-09-29
Very pricey and expensive to keep Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've had this HT for 5 months only. D-star will always require more time to program and this is no exception. Save some time and get yourself RT Systems software and cable ($80) to get your D-Star up and running in no time. There is really nothing special about this HT besides its D-Star capabilities. Its your typical over-priced iCom product that charges even more ridiculously for its "accessories."

iCom markets this HT with GPS and APRS but these are features you have to pay extra for. The GPS mic will cost you close to $300. I have spent almost $1K for this HT and 2 weeks ago the knob started acting up. I've never dropped it and has been kept either in my laptop bag or clipped to my belt.The dual control knob, channel and volume, were turning together. Ive always find it hard to get used to this combined control knobs but now things even got worst. Although it was under warranty, I had to pay iCom $110 to get it repaired. They say it has been dropped and is not covered under the warranty.

Icom's quality and service has rapidly depreciated in the past 20 years. This is the last iCom radio I will ever buy.
K7NG Rating: 2015-06-09
Still learning what it can do Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I obtained an IC-92AD used in June 2014. Came with the GPS speaker-mic (which has little interest for me) and a few other accessories. I doubt I would have sprung for a D-star HT new in the store but the price I paid for this little guy made it reasonable.

There are no D-star repeaters in my area at the moment, but I do on occasion travel to places where there is D-star. I found that it is not impossible to carry on a QSO via a repeater 40 miles distant from indoors with the HT, assuming you have found a hot spot and are using an aftermarket antenna with a little higher performance than the factory one.

I don't find the audio quality of D-star objectionable if the person on the other end is using a radio and not a dongle, and the difference in quality compared to analog FM is un-noticeable coming out of the little internal speaker of the 92AD. The quality of my transmitted signal has been said to be excellent both in analog FM and D-star modes. I have found sensitivity to be excellent in the ham bands.

Each user has preferences on how to arrange memories in the A and B banks, and the way I set mine up I still have about 100 memories in the A bank and hundreds in the B bank available for future use.

I have found the wide band receive (and the several VFO memories dedicated to WB receive) entertaining, but in no way influenced my decision to get the radio in the first place. The number and variety of AM and SWBC stations that can be received even with a small antenna such as the Diamond RH777 is surprising.

The radio can also double as a VHF/UHF scanner for PSB or airband if you should choose to allocate some of your memories to the purpose. I don't personally, but it can be done, if the signals you want to hear are analog FM (wide or narrow) or AM in the case of airband...and you don't mind scanning speed about 1/2 that of current model scanners.

Programming from the radio keypad is cumbersome at first but easier as time goes on, as I mess with the radio more, in other words. I however opted to get the RT Systems software and cable, and I haven't had any regrets at all in that regard. Especially if you are planning a trip and expect to be in range of dozens of different repeaters, programming (or changing your codeplug already in the radio) is far far easier using a decent programming application.

Because of my limited access to D-star over the air I haven't managed to experiment as much as I'd like with the intricacies of the mode but it's all there and not hard to get a handle on with the 92AD. (A NIFTY guide book doesn't hurt either)!
F1HKN Rating: 2015-01-27
Good job with! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
To begin Dstar operation in good condition on december 2013, i purchased a second handed ic92d with the GPS/microphone. Using a wifi hotspot , it's very practical to converse everywhere at home or in the city streets as a pedestrian operator. DPRS works fine for tracking. The price was a good bargain, far less than the new ID 51, as the rapid charger, data cable and programming software was included with the set! I enjoy this quality handy, good modulation and waterproof under rain are remarquable. I hope to hear you soon on DCS033 reflectors in France .... 73 de Leon.
SV1JRF Rating: 2014-05-22
Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I must say that i really enjoy operating with handheld radios. I had many over the years. This one is a very good rock solid transceiver with dstar capabilities. I also have the gps microphone which also works great. I bought the handheld about a week it got on the market ,and i am using it since then with no problem. There is only one problem, it is very expensive!!!as all the dstar enabled radios.

73's
AA4HI Rating: 2013-11-04
Good radio for a good price . Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased my 92ad used back in September 2012 . I had just been registered on the D-STAR network . I purchased the 92ad second hand . I had to call a friend to help me get it working with my 2 meter DVAP . I had to learn about having the correct items in the 8th position . The 92 was rock solid . I used it outside with the water proof speaker microphone . I used it in driving rain , snow etc.. The 92 was excellent , it never had any water get inside of it . It was a heavy duty radio . The clip that comes with it is made of medal . It is strong and you will not have to replace it . I used the RT SYSTEMS software . I wish I had of purchased the Icom software . I find that the Icom software works just fine . I sold mine to a good friend . I know that he will enjoy it as much as I did . I wish now that I still had the 92 . Chuck N4UED NC USA
ZL2UFI Rating: 2012-12-21
Great Handheld for D-STAR Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Over my time as a ham I have owned many handhelds, my first was an ICOM IC-2A, so handhelds have moved on since those days!

I brought my 92AD in Dayton this year, along with various accessories, the GPS speaker/microphone, leatherette case, RT Systems
programming software and cables. I was able to use the handheld from Dayton and used both analogue (IRLP) and D-STAR back to
New Zealand. One of the many comments I got from the ZL hams was the quality of the audio on both modes.
With most D-STAR radios, you need good audio in to get good audio out. (see my Icom -ID-880H review)

I have 'channellised' the memories for D-STAR usage, with memories set for CQCQCQ, linking, unlinking, plus non-gateway
usage (means you can talk locally without your transmitted signal going out on the gateway). I can easily switch between various
memory positions and link/unlink to repeaters/reflectors with ease.

I have since purchased the ID-31A and I can clearly see the improvement coming for handhelds in the D-STAR world.
The new ID-51A will build on this so will be looking at that in 2013.

Not really being a fan of dual receive radios, I tend to operate more in single band mode, perhaps I should have brought the IC-80AD?

Also at Dayton I brought a third party cigarette lighter adaptor, another battery and desktop charger - all these accessories really add
to the price of any handheld, but are best brought at the time you buy the radio. Later on they become very hard to get.

I have really enjoyed this handheld, it feels like one should, weighted well and a good fit in your hand, I have had no problems using it
in the USA, Australia and back here in New Zealand. It also works well on both VHF and UHF DVAP's.

The programming software is a must any of these D-STAR radios, and I can't recommend this enough. I hope that this handheld will last
for years to come and that digital radio (including D-STAR) will continue to grow throughout the world. We just need more repeaters in ZL!
ZL1TAP Rating: 2012-09-19
Good hand held Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Not a bad handheld i use it with my dvap i allso have the gps hand mic i think its a most have.Looking forward to id51 maybe i sale the id92.
K9XXX Rating: 2012-05-28
downgraded from 5 to 4 in followup Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This a followup to my original review.
my 92AD was still on warranty when I discovered
VFO A's habit Of dumping my repeater settings and resetting itself to 370mhz.
Sure,it only takes a few seconds to reset but that
should not be happening.
VFO A requires "babysitting".
I allowed the warranty period to lapse.