Icom IC-R9500 Professional Receiver with 5 roofing filters, 48 kHz DSP and other new features.

Report by Lidio Gentili IØGEJ, dated 28.08.2006.

Tokyo Ham Fair 2006 - An interesting picture showing how Icom has presented its new technology as implemented in its two flagship radio sets, the IC-9500 and IC-7800: "The New Technical Dimension is Coming."

Icom at Tokyo HamFair 2006: "The New Technical Dimension is Coming." Image courtesy JA7UDE.

A striking new product, first shown at Tokyo HamFair 2006 (19 - 20 August 2006): The new IC-R9500 Professional Receiver, targeting the commercial and military/governmental sectors etc. This is a high-end receiver which is intended to compete in the markets now served by Rockwell-Collins, R&S and Harris. Estimated price level is in the vicinity of 10 000 Euro (USD 13 000). Icom defines it thus: Super performance, multiple function wideband "measuring" receiver.

IC-R9500 front side view.

IC-R9500 roofing filters.

Data from brochure: Frequency range 5 kHz to 3335.000 MHz, with 5 first-IF roofing filters (bandwidths 3, 6, 15, 50 and 240 kHz), selectable according to reception mode: AM, FM, WFM, SSB, CW, RTTY and optional APCO P25 digital voice.

Relay-switched RF BPF Unit (for HF range). IC-7800 roofing filters.

The IC-R9500 is fitted with two DSP IC's, one dedicated to the receiver at a final IF of 48kHz* and the other to the digital filters of the spectrum scope. The DSP's employ the Texas Instruments TMS320C6713BZDP, which is similar to the devices used in the IC-7800 (TMS320C6713GDP).

*IC-7800: 36kHz.

To reduce interference from strong adjacent signals, the HF range utilises a BPF Unit with electromechanical relays and large toroidal inductors, as shown in the above photo. The BPF Unit is based on the one developed for the IC-7800.

This receiver features a built-in spectrum analyser with a span range from ± 2.5 kHz to ± 5 MHz, with selectable speed and resolution bandwidth (RBW). The RBW is selectable from 200Hz to 20kHz, allowing the operator to view a weak signal in the presence of strong adjacent signals. The 7-inch colour TFT LCD display screen has 800 X 480 pixels resolution. A rear-panel VGA socket allows direct connection of an external monitor.

The IC-R9500 displayed at Tokyo HamFair 2006.

The built-in digital recorder has up to 60 minutes (approx.) recording time. The IC-R9500 has 10 VFO channels, each of which saves its own parameters in memory (band, mode, filters etc.) Various scan modes can be set up; in memory mode, the scan rate approaches 40 channels per second !!