Finally, in the last few days I have had the opportunity to put the newly purchased Icom IC R-75 communications receiver through its paces and compare it with my long trusted Yaesu FT-2000D transceiver, which also doubles as a comms receiver. Some of the regulars asked me to post what I think of the radio so here I go:
I was fortunate enough to purchase one of the last two brand new IC R-75 receivers from Icom Australia down in Melbourne, I was told this line ceased production some two years ago.
Primarily, I purchased the radio for LW and MW DXing and it has not let me down and compares well to the Yaesu.
On MW I noticed that many stations are distorted and this was rectified by switching out the Noise Blanker, beautiful clear reception with the NB switched off. It pulled in ZB Talk Radio in Wellington, New Zealand (around 2,200kms distance) quite well on my evening Grey Line and compared well to the FT-2000D reception of same.
Early this morning the NDB band was performing well and the following were logged:
1534z FRT 278KHz Forrest WA for 2,191kms 319-419 report.
1536z LEO 377KHz Leonora WA for 2,793kms 319 report, new logging, first time heard.1541z WLU 383KHz Wiluna WA for 2,973kms 419 report.
1548z KA 404KHz Karratha WA for 3,581kms 419 report.
1624z WP 377KHz Weipa QLD for 2,468kms 319-419 report, this beacon not heard for around two years.
1631z GV 380KHz Gove NT for 2,783kms 419-519 report.
1905z TNK 272KHz Tennant Creek NT for 2,224kms 519 report.
The above loggings attained by NOT using either Pre-Amp-1 or Pre-Amp-2, running 380 feet of wire via the PL-259 plug to the radio SO-239 socket. I found reception of weak NDB's much clearer without introducing the PreAmp functions. The PreAmp both 1 & 2 increase the noise threshold too much, so left off. I did introduce the Twin PBT function and found it clarified some of the weaker NDB's pulling them out of the noise but for the majority of the time this function was left off.
Unfortunately the band was not open to New Zealand but I did log Kaitaia, New Zealand on 238KHz 519 report around 1130z a couple of nights previous for 2,081km on the R-75, its first overseas logging.
Surprisingly the R-75 doesn't seem to attract as much crud and birdies from MW on the NDB band that the FT-2000D does and I didn't really need to use the home brew filter (cut off at 500KHz) that is in line all the time with the FT-2000D.
The digital bar graph signal meter seems to lack with NDB local beacons, about a one and a half to two 'S' points difference compared to the analogue FT-2000D meter.
The small speaker at the face of the radio is a little bit of a let down, but once you get used to it things are fine, however, I find by connecting it to the Yaesu SP-8 external speaker (matches the old FT-1000D transceiver) with High/Low filters the R-75 sounds a lot better also NDB reception audio is enhanced by tweaking the High/Low filter switches on the SP-8 speaker.
Receiver noise level is excessively high until you connect an earth wire to ground, so using the R-75 in the bedroom is out of the question at present, thinking of filling a five gallon drum with good garden soil and run the wire to that and see what happens?
A surprise bonus was to find out that I have in fact the Asian domestic version of the R-75 with continual coverage from 30KHz to 60MHz, the Australian import version does not have this feature and cuts out at 30MHz and comes back in just below 50MHz I am told. So will be utilised well for the summer 50MHz DX season to check on rising MUF and out-of-band indicators.
Have filled up just over half of the 100 Memory Channels with NDB and M89/V07/HM1 frequencies plus some aviation and marine frequencies.
On the Tropical Band section of SW it pulled in the regular stations I hear from the USA, Pacific and Asia on the FT-2000D with ease and nice audio (providing the NB is left off). The test will come this weekend when I chase African shortwave DX between 3 and 7MHz in my early mornings.
Not into digital bar graph style signal meters but beggars cannot be choosers I guess, signal strengths compared with the analogue meter on the FT-2000D are favourable and acceptable.
Bit disappointed that no internal AC power supply, as with the majority of HF comms receivers of days gone by. Not real keen on the AC adapter method of providing power, time will tell. Another irritation is the poor quality Earth connection via a plastic push mount next to Antenna-2 long wire connector. Should have been a more solid wing nut connector towards the bottom of the radio.
In built speaker is suffice, but could have been better, once you get used to it it's acceptable, external "quality" speaker is the way to go.
Be interesting to see what advantages the optional UT-106 DSP Unit and Automatic Notch Filter features have to offer, perhaps someone reading this has these two options and can comment on their worthiness?
Also it will be most interesting to see how it performs in the 30-50MHz sector when the six metre band summer DX season rolls around as I am a very keen 50MHz DXer with 75 DXCC countries confirmed.
Overall, I am happy with the radio and look forward to many hours of DXing with it...