The IC-R8500 -02 model is the same as above, but with the 824-849 / 869-894 MHz cellular bands blocked. The Icom IC-R8500 -32K could be purchased by the Federal government or for export only. The IC-R8500 was reviewed in the April 1997 issue of QST magazine.

The R8500 is supplied with an AD-55 AC adapter or may be run from 12 VDC with the supplied OPC-023C DC cord. Other rear panel jacks include: IF Output (10.7 MHz), Remote Jack, AGC Out Jack, External Speaker and RS-232C (DB25) Jack. The rear panel features three separate antenna inputs (covering two ranges: 0.1-30 MHz SO239/RCA and 30-2000 MHz N). Attenuation may be set for 0, 10, 20 or 30 dB. Other refinements include: Noise Blanker, S and Center Tune Meter, RF Attenuator, LCD Dimmer, Clock-Timer, Record Jack and Recorder Activation Jack, Selectable AGC and Main Dial Tension adjustment. And what a memory system! 1000 channels are available organized in 20 banks of 40 channels, plus 100 skip channels and 100 Auto Write Memories. Direct keypad frequency entry is available. In addition you can program your own tuning step (0.5-199.5 kHz). The R8500 employs a PLL circuit which provides tuning and readout resolution to an amazing 10 Hz. Separate band pass filters minimize cross modulation and provide high sensitivity in the 0.1 to 30 MHz range. Triple conversion and advanced RF circuits achieve an improved dynamic range of 107 dB and an intercept point of 27.5 dBm. The APF can select between two bandwidths and serves as a tone control in the FM mode and can also selectively boost signals in the CW mode. The IF shift effectively rejects nearby signals in the SSB modes. This receiver is equipped with IF Shift and Auto Peak Filter functions. Reception modes include: AM, LSB, USB, CW, FM-N and FM-W. The R8500 (and R9500) are clear exceptions to this rule, combining the performance of the popular HF IC-R75 and venerable VHF/UHF IC-R7100. Most wideband receivers tend to perform only modestly below 30 MHz. Covering 100 kHz to 1999.99 MHz, this receiver does cover it all and more importantly it does it well throughout this extraordinary range.

The Icom IC-R8500 -32K government receiver produces performance, coverage and sophistication rarely seen in other models. Specifications | Accessories | Display | Rear Panel | Larger Image Icom R8500 Wideband Receiver, Icom IC-R8500

Icom icr8500