Category Archives: New Products

Icom announces the new ID-52A/E HT with color display and Bluetooth

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Paul and John (KC8RZM), who share the following press release from Icom:

Icom releases the ID-52A/E Amateur Handheld Transceiver with Color Display and Bluetooth® Communication

Icom Incorporated (Headquarters: Hirano, Osaka, Japan/President: Masataka Harima) releases the ID-52A/E*, VHF/UHF dual band digital transceiver that supports D-STAR (Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio).
* ID-52A is the USA version, ID-52E is the European version

The ID-52A/E is equipped with a color display. The display size is increased to 2.3 inches (1.7 inches for the ID-51A/E), and a transflective display is used to achieve excellent visibility, even in bright sunlight. The transceiver also supports Bluetooth® communication as standard. Wirelessly connect to Android™ devices with ST-4001A/ST-4001I Picture Utility Software and RS-MS1A Remote Control Software installed, the optional VS-3 Bluetooth® headset is also available, for hands-free operation.

And the following features are enhanced from the previous ID-51A/E models. Simultaneous reception in V/V, U/U, V/U as well as DV/DV. Air band reception is expanded from VHF to UHF (225 to 374.995 MHz). The new model can be charged via micro USB connector. Audio output is significantly increased from 400 mW to 750 mW. The latest function of D-STAR enables you to send, receive and view saved photos on an installed microSD card using only the ID-52A/E.

In addition to the above, the ID-52A/E has a variety of attractive features such as the DR function with easy set-up, built-in GPS receiver, micro SD card slot, IPX7* waterproof construction, and Terminal/Access Point modes. The ID-52A/E is a product that leads the amateur radio digital communications with enriched features that satisfy any users, from beginners to even heavy users who want to fully enjoy D-STAR.

Main Features

  • 2.3″ large transflective color display that is easy to see outdoors
  • Bluetooth® communication as standard
  • Simultaneous reception in V/V, U/U, V/U and DV/DV
  • Enriched D-STAR® features including the terminal mode/access point mode
  • UHF (225?374.995MHz) air band reception
  • Significantly increased audio output power to 750 mW (400 mW for ID-51 series)
  • Accessories for the ID-51A/E such as battery packs and microphones can be used

Icom IC-705 approved by FCC: pricing and availability update

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I’ve just learned via Universal Radio that the new Icom IC-705 has been F.C.C. approved and is scheduled to start shipping in the US “early Fall 2020.”

Shipping/Availability

Consensus from other sources in the industry is that Icom would like to start shipping the IC-705 by the end of September but have not committed to a specific date. I assume they’re being cautious due to Covid-19 logistics challenges.

I’ve no firm report on availability from the UK, Europe, or other countries as of yet, but I would have to assume they’re on a similar timeline.

Pricing: $1,299.95 US

Also, there is still no word on a firm US price. UPDATE: Steve (K9SWX) notes that Ham Radio Outlet has posted a retail price of $1,299.95 US. Gigaparts has also listed the price as $1299.95.

At time of posting, I couldn’t find other US retailers who have confirmed a price, however, you can expect that the price will consistently be $1,299.95 US. Manufacturers like Icom often cap any retailer price adjustments and (sometimes) extra perks when new products are introduced.

ML&S has a pre-order price listed at £1299.95 ( £1083.29 EXC. VAT). The price in Japan is roughly 124,800 yen.

Review

I have pre-ordered an IC-705 for review even knowing Icom early adopters pay a premium. I’m incredibly curious if the IC-705 will hold up well in the field and especially how it might compare with my other benchmark QRP transceivers.

We’ll continue to post updates as they become available. Bookmark the tag: IC-705

The New RX-888 16 bit ADC Direct Sampling SDR with 32 MHz bandwidth

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, H. Garcia (PU3HAG), who writes:

While doing the daily eBay and AliExpress strolling for new and cool radio stuff, this showed up:

RX888 ADC SDR Receiver radio1.8GHz 16bit direct sampling HF UHF VHF HDSDR

Like the DragonFly RX-666 you posted about recently, it’s based on IK1XPV Oscar’s BBRF103 works. Both share a hefty metal case.

I really like this seller of RX888 on eBay. The person provided quite a bit of technical details. The seller is also up-front about the current challenges regarding thermal issues, software stability and bandwidth available above 32MHz.

(How many manufacturers let you know in advance the negatives? I like this guy!).

The bandwidth limit above 32MHz is a curious one. Apparently, coverage above VHF and UHF coverage relies on Rafael Micro’s R820T2 tuner chip (also used on RTL dongles and AirSpy R2 and AirSpy Mini). However, R820T2 can only push a slice of 8 to 10MHz of the spectrum into RX888’s ADC. So, FM broadcast DXers, be warned. You may need to use a downconverter that brings the 88-108MHz to 8-28MHz. Perseus SDR uses this approach.

Another interesting tidbit. As we know, TaoBao is a huge marketplace, but their sellers focus exclusively on the China market (very few also deliver to South East Asia). There are LOTS of cool, never-seen-before products on TaoBao that don’t have visibility to us here in the Western hemisphere. The RX888 was one of them, I recalled seeing it about a month ago and thinking “Hey, this is so cool, why are they not selling it on AliExpress yet?”

Thank you so much for the tip! I agree with you: it’s refreshing to read not only a thorough eBay description but also frank comments from the seller.

I must admit, the receiver world is going through a dynamic change and its champion is the SDR. It’s hard to keep up with the innovations and technology is pushing limits I could not have imagined even a decade ago.

I’m looking forward to checking out these super wideband SDRs like the RX-666, RX-888, and the ELAD FDM-S3.

Click here to check out the RX-888 on eBay (partner link supports the SWLing Post)

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New Dragonfly wide band SDR with 32 MHz bandwidth

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Franco (K4VZ), who writes:

Last night I came across a new SDR receiver from China called ‘RX-666’. On paper its specs are interesting: 16bit ADC, max sample rate 32MHz (in theory one could sample the whole LW+MW+SW bands at the same time), USB 3 interface, and tunable from 1kHz to 1.8GHz.

Its design seems to be a “derivative” of Oscar Steila’s (IK1XPV) BBRF103 SDR – see this post from Oscar – it looks like they upgraded the ADC, made use of a better voltage regulator, and moved to a 4-layer PCB (the original was a 2-layer PCB).

Unfortunately (for Linux people like me) they only have proprietary drivers running on Windows.

Besides the AliExpress store, I saw it is also available on eBay – the AliExpress vendor has two versions, a cheaper one with a ‘standard crystal’, and a more expensive one with an ‘upgraded crystal’; I messaged them earlier to find out what is the difference between the two, but I haven’t heard back yet.

I thought some of those readers of the Post who are interested in capturing large parts of the radio spectrum to decode later might want to look into this SDR receiver.

Thanks for the info on this SDR, Franco. I was not familiar with it. A 16 bit wide band SDR with a 32 MHz working bandwidth is most impressive–I’m sure FM DXers will be following this closely. I’m glad they’re using a USB 3.0 port but am very curious if it can even handle the amount of data should a user initiate a really wide spectrum recording. Perhaps recordings have capped bandwidths?

As a side note, someone should tell the manufacturer that their model number “RX-666” is…well…a culturally sensitive number!

Post Readers: Please comment if you’re familiar with this SDR.

Silphase R1 videos and information about power and antenna ports

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We’re starting to get a little more info about the recently posted Silphase R1 SDR receiver. At this point, the radio isn’t in production and is obviously only in a prototype stage so there are a lot of question marks–including if it’ll ever come to fruition. The pandemic is obviously not an ideal time to launch and produce a new high-end radio. I, for one, certainly hope they do!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst asked Silphase about R1 external antenna support and power options. A Silphase representative replied:

“We are constantly redesigning the rear panel receiver Silphase R1, so we
can say for sure that there are 4 connectors – antenna F-type connector,
12.6 V power/charging, RJ-45 and USB”

And thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who received the following info from Silphase:

You can watch real videos on our YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQN8YbKULHlkA4KBFt76Hhg

Sample videos:

Click here to view all of the videos on the Silphase YouTube channel.

As we learn more about the Siplase R1, we’ll publish it on the Post with the tag: R1.

The new Silphase R1 SDR receiver

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I’ve just learned about a new SDR receiver in development by the Polish company Silphase. It’s called the Silphase R1 and appears to be a stand-alone, high-performance SDR receiver.

What could set this receiver apart from the rest is the:

  • Color backlit 5″ TFT touch screen display
  • Magnesium alloy body/chassis
  • USB out for recording and native logging
  • Record to internal “flash memory” (unclear if audio and/or spectrum)
  • Four internal speakers
  • 12.6V 12000 mAh, internal battery
  • IP55 rating for water/dust protection
  • The price is $1199/€1099 with no expected availability date at time of posting
  • Click here to download the PDF product brochure.

The receiver is portable and will measure 11.25×4.3×2.2in (285×110×55mm). Looks like the screen will be 5″ which should allow for a detailed spectrum viewing area (for comparison, the Icom IC-7300 TFT display is 4.3″)

Siphase is a new company based in Poland and they claim they also plan to eventually produce transceivers:

“At the end of 2020 we will introduce a 25W transceiver in the same form factor powered by an internal battery, and a bit little later a 100W transceiver in the same form factor also powered by an internal battery.”

The Silphase product page has a complete list of specifications, but here are some worth noting:

  • Frequency coverage RX 0.1–30MHz
  • Frequency resolution 1Hz
  • Frequency steps 1Hz to 1KHz
  • Dual VFO
  • Direct sampling 16bit high speed 122 M/s ADC
  • Modes: CW, SSB, AM, FM
  • Sensitivity 1.8–29.999MHz, SSB/CW: (BW: 2.4kHz at 10dB S/N) – 132 dBm, 0.06?V
  • 20dB LNA
  • Spurious and image rejection >90 dBm
  • Clipping level -3dBm
  • DSP (various filters, adaptive noise reduction, automatic notch filter, notch blanker, adjustable filters (0-1KHz HPF,0.5-6KHZ LPF, 50Hz step, etc.)
  • AGC (slow, medium, fast)
  • Main filter sharpness Factor 1.05 and lower
  • Audio recorder (use the internal flash memory or USB 16GB external flash memory)
  • Virtual USB audio card for OS update
  • Ham radio hardware log
  • OS QNX (“UNIX-like” real time operating system)
  • Telescopic antenna with F connector
  • Main optical encoder and four multifunction encoders
  • 6 input modes buttons (attenuators, adjustable filters, AGC, NB, auto notch filter, NR)
  • Power supply requirement 12.6 DC ±15%
  • Power consumption RX 0.6 A typical
  • Battery 12000 mAh, 12.6V (3×3.7V/12000 mAh)
  • Operating time 20 Hours
  • Operating temperature range –10C to +60C; 14F to 140F
  • Frequency stability Less than ±0.2ppm (–10?C to +60?C; 14?F to 140?F)
  • Dimensions (W×H×D) 285×110×55mm; 11.25×4.3×2.2in
  • Weight (approximately) 1.8kg; 4 lbs
  • Magnesium alloy body, IP55 (in future IP 67)
  • “Expected Operational Lifetime 30 Years” With One Year Warranty – Additional Warranty
  • Made in EU

As I learn more about this receiver and the company producing it, I’ll post updates with the tag: Silphase R1

Click here to check out the Silphase website.

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Photos of the lab599 Discovery TX-500 in the field

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don (W7SSB), who shares the following photos of the new lab599 Discovery TX-500. Don notes that all of these photos were taken in Russia–where the TX-500 is manufactured–and include a number of Chameleon resonant field antennas.

Thanks for sharing these, Don.  The thin form-factor of the TX-500, paired with a resonant antenna, certainly makes for a lightweight portable field setup!