For sale is an Icom IC-R20 handheld scanner super wideband radioreceiver. As a handheld receiver with such receiving and scanning capabilities, the R20 is a wonderful unit to have on your person whenever you leave the house or travel. This particular unit is gently used, is in excellent condition, and looks nearly new in appearance.

As you can see, it comes packed in it\'s original box with it\'s AC adaptor/charger, antenna, belt clip, wrist strap, battery spacer, BP-206 lithium battery pack, original user manual, a copy of the service manual, copy of the sale flyer, and a couple of reviews. Also included is a CD that contains a bunch of great documentfiles including reviews, cloning software, user and service manuals and the Icom sales brochure. The battery spacer and carry strap are still in the unopened bag.

The R20 is a masterpiece of electronic design engineering consideringit\'s multitude of features and it\'s receiving range of 150 khz thru 3300 mhz(less cellular). In the Monitoring Times review of this unit, it is referred toas a \"super handheld\" receiver and this is a great description of thisunit given it\'s capabilities. Let me summarize what this handheld has onboardand contained in it\'s circuitry:

·Receiving modes of FM, WFM, AM, LSB, USB,and CW

·Two VFOs with dual watch capability

·32 MB IC audio recorder can record 1, 2 or 4hours of reception

·1250 memories are featured: 1000 regular, 25scan edge and 200 auto-write scan

·3 types of priority watch - memory channelwatch, memory scan watch, vfo scan watch

·6 types of scanning - full scan, programmedscan, bank scan, band scan, memory scan, frequency/memory skip function

·CTCSS / DTCS / DTMF decode built in

·Bandscope

·Voice scan control

·Auto squelch

·RF gain

·Attenuator

·Key lock

·Noise blanker

·ANL (auto noise limiter)

·AF filter

·Key touch beep

·Power save

·Operates off of rechargeable lithium ionbattery, 3 AA batteries, or AC power adaptor

While many of these features can be found on other scanners, butthe R20 has some unusual features that deserve closer review. First of all isthe built in bandscope. How often have you tuned into a frequency and wonderedif you were missing activity up or down the band. Or perhaps you were trying tolocate a transmission quickly. Well, the bandscope will indicate receptionthroughout the band on frequencies that are not being listened to. By pressingthe \"scope\" button, the R20 scans the band to give the user a visualoverview of reception on the given band allowing you to tune quickly to thosefrequencies for reception.

How many times have you heard a transmission and you wanted torecord it for future reference or to play for a friend or family member? Well,normally the transmission is lost to history once it is heard through thespeaker. However, with the R20, you can choose to record these transmissionsand, like the old VCR, can choose recording quality versus recordingduration.....choosing 1, 2 or 4 hours of recording time. This built-inrecording capability is a feature that has great application and uses.

Have you ever wanted to listen to two conversations simultaneouslybut doing so would mean the need for two scanners? Most scanners will offer apriority watch, but this only allows you to prioritize what is heard so that ifyou are listening to one channel and an important transmission comes on anotherchannel, the receiver can switch to hear the higher priority channel. However,with the R20\'s Dual Watch capabilities, you can listen to two channels at onetime....seeing both of them on the display and setting volume and squelch atindividual levels specific for the listening needs of each channel. Basically,the R20 becomes two receivers in one.....allowing extraordinary flexibility oftuning on the VFO while sitting on a memory channel or perhaps scan a memorybank while using the receiver to listen or tune on the other channel.

This Dual Watch capability allows a listener to hear the dispatchand the emergency crews at the same time, hear the police and fire channelssimultaneously during an emergency, or listen to something like AM, shortwave,or FM broadcast while monitoring one of the public service channels. The bottomline is that with Dual Watch, you can have your cake and eat it too!

As previously mentioned, this handheld has an extreme receivingrange capability giving it a DC to daylight receiving range from the low end ofthe listening spectrum at 150 khz on up into the AM, shortwave, FM, publicservice, satellite, and microwave frequencies with a high frequency of 3300 mhz(less cell phone in the 800 mhz range). When within the listening range of thebroadcast transmission and connected to the appropriate antenna, the listenercould expect to tune and hear a variety of signals such as:

·longwave

·mediumwave (AM broadcast)

·marine

·shortwave

·aircraft and ground control

·fire

·police

·other emergency personnel & rescue

·security (school, campus, arena, business,etc, etc)

·wireless microphones (such as stage mics)

·auto race pit crews

·railroads

·road crews

·National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration Service weather broadcasts

·FM broadcast radio

·Ham radio communications

·TV audio channels

·CB radio

·wireless and cordless phones

·air to ground telephone

·US Coast Guard

·GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)

·FRS or family handheld units

·military emergency guard and strategic aircommand

·search and rescue

·helicopters and unicom

·business frequencies

·drive thru fast food

·Border Patrol

·news media

·US Customs

·ATF frequencies

·FBI

·NASA

I have used Icom handheld wideband scanners regularly over theyears. I carry one of them with me at all times in my backpack and in it\'s ownfanny pack so it can be grabbed to go on the run, if necessary. I can\'t evenfully convey to you how convenient this has been for me. It goes to the ballgames to tune in the sportscast, it allows me to tune into air traffic at theairport, I can hear my favorite shortwave broadcasts, I can tune into a TVprogram while on the road traveling (audio only). I have used it to listen totruck CBers whenever I am in a traffic snarl to find out what is going on upahead, I have tuned into the local road crews during a snowfall to hear roadconditions, I have listened to the local amateur ham operators on 2 meter FM, Ihave dialed in LifeFlight helicopter when passing an accident scene, and I havelistened to the local weather channel for updates. These are some of the thingsI have done, but this scanner is capable of so much more.

Since this scanner can grab almost any signal being broadcast,the user can tune into regular AM and FM broadcasts, or for a change, the localMcDonald\'s drive thru. I realize that few people would want to hear that sort of chatter, butthe point is that it is possible. Frankly, I have taken such a handheld radio intoauditoriums for lectures and to concerts to tune into wireless microphones. This can be done discretely and is a lot of fun to hear the stage crews cuingup things behind the scene or hearing an individual singer\'s mic from the restof the choir onstage.

I can recall one time attending a large estate sale. I couldnot hear the saleeer very well, but was able to tune into his wirelessspeaker system and listen to him that way despite the distance. A few yearsago, when Bill Clinton visited the Governor\'s Association meeting that was atPenn State University, I was able to tune into all the local and state policecommand traffic and found it absolutely fascinating. (secret service trafficwas scrambled and not available for listening)

If you like to just tune into local fire or police, then this canbe your information tool as well. Some local emergency crews use VHF, some useUHF, and some use 800 Mhz bands. This scanner radio can pick up many of these non-digital transmissions. If youlike to go to Nascar races, you can hear the pit crews. If you go to Disney,you can tune into the characters talking with one another. I can rememberedhearing Beaver Stadium security while working in State College. The stadium wasabout 2 miles away from where I worked, but during lunch, was able to pick themup as they were working during a Penn State football game. I have also heardsecurity at the local county jail and at the state Rockview Prison nearBellefonte. The more I think about it, the more I consider what I have usedthis scanner for.

Please keep in mind that this R20 is not a perfect and does notwork as well as a dedicated tabletop receiver on the shortwave bands, but doesoffer respectable reception. However, for a handheld portable receiver, it isindeed a super handheld and is a great multipurpose unit making it a nice choicefor emergency communications. Imagine, during a power outage or nationalemergency, you have a handheld that can operate for hours using it\'srechargeable lithium ion battery or on 3 AA batteries that are readily availableand usually found in the household storage drawer (to use AA batteries, you will be required to purchase the battery holder sold separately for under $25).

I am happy to try to answer any questions you may have. If youwould like to do some more research on this Icom IC-R20, you may visit thesesites:

For shipping cost, you may use the shipping calculator. Thiscost includes shipping and full insurance to your location.

Those buyers living outside the USA are welcome to purchase this R20unit. Over the past 5 years, we have successfully shipped items to 87 different countries and are happy to send this unit virtually anywhere worldwide. You mayalso use the shipping calculator, but please keep in mind that this costdoes not include any import, duty, customs, or VAT fees. If you are unsure ofthese costs or whether you may have such costs required for delivery, I askthat you please check with your local post office prior to purchasing thisradio.

Penna residents are reminded that they are responsible for the 6%state sales tax.

Thank you for taking the time out of a busy day to look at my items!