{"id":21974,"date":"2016-10-30T07:38:39","date_gmt":"2016-10-30T11:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=21974"},"modified":"2016-10-30T08:40:17","modified_gmt":"2016-10-30T12:40:17","slug":"an-swls-review-of-the-icom-ic-r6-sport-16-wideband-handheld-receiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/an-swls-review-of-the-icom-ic-r6-sport-16-wideband-handheld-receiver\/","title":{"rendered":"An SWL’s review of the Icom IC-R6 Sport 16 wideband handheld receiver"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following review originally appeared in the SEptember 2016\u00a0issue of The Spectrum Monitor<\/a> magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"icom-ic-r6-angle\"<\/p>\n

Over the past year, I\u2019ve received a number of inquiries from readers who are considering purchasing a handheld wideband receiver. This is a market I\u2019ve never truly explored because, to be honest, I\u2019m partial to the HF part of the spectrum, and wideband receivers have always seemed more akin scanners than to shortwave receivers.<\/p>\n

But lately, readers have specifically asked about the Icom IC-R6, a compact handheld receiver that covers from 100 kHz to 1309.995 MHz. What makes the IC-R6 appealing is that\u2013\u2013at just $175 US\u2013\u2013it is one of the least expensive wideband handhelds\/scanners on the market that not only covers the shortwave bands, but also the AM broadcast, Longwave, FM broadcast, & NOAA weather frequencies.<\/p>\n

Over the years I\u2019ve read numerous reviews of the IC-R6 and other wideband receivers. Reviewers of this handheld receivers typically gloss over shortwave and mediumwave reception, and for good reason\u2013\u2013it\u2019s generally known that you just can\u2019t have the best of both worlds in the sub-$300 price range. This makes sense, as there are invariably performance compromises when you pack wideband reception into such a tiny package: manufacturers usually put a performance emphasis on the VHF\/UHF bands rather than on HF or mediumwave.<\/p>\n

Still, I was curious enough about the IC-R6 to want to put it through its paces on shortwave and mediumwave, so I contacted Icom, who generously sent me an IC-R6 on extended loan for the purpose of this review<\/p>\n

Usability\/Ergonomics<\/h2>\n

Here I need to throw out a disclaimer: I’m not a fan of handheld radio (Handy Talky) ergonomics.<\/em><\/p>\n

The IC-R6, like most other tiny handhelds, has a spartan array of buttons, all of which have multiple functions. Like its compact competitors, it also lacks a direct entry keypad-\u2013\u2013after all, there’s simply no room for a keypad, and if there was<\/em> one, it would obviously be too small to use.<\/p>\n

\"icom-ic-r6-frequency\"<\/p>\n

That being said, however, I must say that Icom has done a surprisingly good job of making the IC-R6 usable in the field.<\/p>\n

If, like me, you’re the type of person who typically ignores the owner’s manual when you first receive a new radio, the IC-R6 may prove frustrating. Fortunately, the Icom user manual is superb, and well worth the read<\/em>. It\u2019s very well written, and takes you through each function step by step. The 80-page manual is entirely in English (the US version, at least) and even has a cut-out pocket guide in the end. Brilliant!<\/p>\n

Once I spent a few minutes reading through the IC-R6 manual\u2019s outline of its basic functions, I found most operations are simple and relatively easy to remember.<\/p>\n

\"icom-ic-r6-leftside\"<\/p>\n

What makes each operation handy is that the Function key\u2013\u2013which helps toggle the four multi-function buttons\u2013\u2013is located where the PTT (push to talk) button would be on an amateur handheld transceiver. It’s actually a great location for the button because it allows one hand to hold the radio and push the function button, permitting the other hand to push a front panel button. Though I initially felt I was keying up to \u201ctransmit\u201d on an HT, it soon became apparent that this is a very logical key placement.<\/p>\n

Tuning<\/h2>\n

Tuning with the IC-R6 is relatively easy and straightforward.<\/p>\n

Simply select a band with the BAND button. Next, adjust the volume with the UP\/DOWN arrow buttons, and the squelch (if needed) by holding the squelch button and turning the tuning knob. Then you may use the tuning knob to tune up and down the band.<\/p>\n

\"icom-ic-r6-top\"<\/p>\n

If you want to quickly skip to another part of the bands, hold down the function key while turning the tuning knob, and the R6 will tune in 1 MHz steps. I\u2019ve found that this helps to move across the spectrum quite quickly and compensates for the lack of a direct entry keypad.<\/p>\n

You can also easily change the tuning steps by pressing the TS button and using the tuning knob to cycle through selections (a total of fourteen possible step selections are available between 5 kHz and 100 kHz).<\/p>\n

Over the course of a few months of using the IC-R6, I\u2019ve learned a couple of methods to adapt to its lack of a direct-frequency entry keypad:<\/p>\n