Equipment: IC-R2 Communication Receiver

Happy new year! What a great year for espionage information - '007.

Today's review is of a classic scanner: the Icom IC-R2. These units are nearly seven years old, but have an advanced design that is still competitive today. It is an extraordinarily compact receiver, so much so that without an antenna, the device will likely fit inside your palm. In fact, the included antenna is about twice its size. I have found it to be most useful when attaching a small multiband SMA antenna. Doing so provides you with a fully functional radio that is very concealable. I keep two other antennas in its case (one for utility bands and one for broad spectrum).

The scanner has a very large band plan. Coverage extends from the shortwave spectrum through 1310MHz. If you are in the US, you will receive a model that is missing the cellular band plan (around 860MHz), even though hardly anyone is using cell phones that use that frequency anymore. There are a few "birdies" (i.e. it thinks it is receiving a real transmission where there isn't one), but I have found those to be rare.

If you have reviewed the IC-R2 elsewhere, you will have noticed that many people think it is deaf on certain frequencies. So much of this depends on the antenna. Yes, out of the box, it does not receive shortwave, CB, and higher frequencies well. With a shortwave reel antenna or even just copper wire, it receives broadcasts more than adequately - just below the performance of a Grundig Yacht Boy. With other antennas, performance also increases. Some experimentation is required to find what best suits you, just be aware that the antenna is a SMA antenna, not a standard BNC connector; of course, you can get adaptors as necessary.

The receiver is less modern when it comes to connecting it to a PC. Reportedly, it can connect to the PC via the headphone jack, and there are programs to work with it, but I haven't dared. They also seem to be fairly limited in their usage.

Since it lasts a fairly long time on two AAs, it is a great scanner to carry everywhere with you - AAs are typically readily available, and its portability allows it to be in your briefcase or jacket.

Some warnings for new scanner users:

• The radio is more complex that other scanners, so expect a bit of a learning curve.
• If you live in an area that uses trunking, the scanner will not follow local radio conversations as easily.
• If you live in an area that uses digital transmissions, you will not be able to use the Icom to listen in on them.
• Some government services use the 800MHz band - check before purchasing, since that band has some blocks on the Icom.
• There is no keypad, so entering frequencies may be more laborious than you would want.
• Icom is very clear this is a communications receiver, not a scanner. What I think they mean is that most scanners search through frequencies much faster and have more scan options. In my mind, it is still a scanner, just with a slower scan.