Icom IC-U20SR Ultimate range tests!!!

The icom IC-U20SR is the new license free PMR446 handheld radio from icom. In this video I test how well these modern new radios work!
icom IC-U20SR
icomuk.co.uk/I...
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[@justiceforall8574]

Great test & review Andy,We got the same radio set & quite remarkable how well they work. We use them from my holiday mobile home & the kids can talk to me up to 2 nautical miles out at sea when fishing & sailing on my boat.

[@michaelloughlin734]

Brilliant little pmrs i was thinking of getting these after viewing youre experience with them i will be now definitely be making the purchase.

[@U2BER2012]

I like how you professionally mounted the radio, on a cardboard box🤣!

[@EnglishTurbines]

Great demo Andy...My early FPV planes used 433 UHF control and 1.2g video...My TX has a full wave antenna though....lol....😳😀😀🇬🇧

[@Chris-tx9ou]

Nice Test Andy at £141.60 per unit quite costly for a ping radio feature - would be nice to see this test on a pair of baofeng at less than £50 per pair more affordable for everyone.

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

The multinational licence free Baofeng BF-T8 / BF-R8 / BF-U9. is the one to test against, around 40quid a pair

[@davidhill8068]

Pay cheap you will get cheap. Baofeng are ok if you have a budget but Icom, Kenwood are the best, you get what you pay for.

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

@@davidhill8068 that used to be the case as all Japanese handys were Superhets, Many are now also SDR and made in china

[@Lowered_Gadh]

No cheap Icoms

[@sramsdellwdm]

Great job Andy. Nice review. Love those little radios. Very good Icom quality for sure. I have had many Icom Amateur radios. So I am sure they are equivalent. Thanks again and keep up the good work

[@RingwayManchester]

Amazing video rog

[@robredridge1703]

Try going digital. I use Kenwood digital 446 radios. I live in mid Wales right out in the sticks. Farming country where there are more sheep than people. I can keep in contact from home to the 3 local villages about 5 miles reliably. I was in the local garage getting a new tyre fitted and wanted to tell the wife i would be a bit late back home. The garage owner said that wont work here mate, there is no phone signal. Thats another benefit. The phone signal is patchy at best so these work far better than a mobile phone in our area. Best of all, no noise when in a poor location. Any received signal comes through as good 5 miles away as it does 5 feet away.

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

If you arent too worried about the legality? a couple of Baofeng DM-5R v3 about 50quid a piece. out of the box with 446 entered on the keypad in frequency mode will work back to back in Tier 3 DMR mode

[@spig021]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2KXp2meZ82SeJI

[@lesiunek]

which model you use ? what you recommend from dpmr radios ?

[@TheSpotPlot]

Two-way radios work best when you speak into the microphone from about 6 inches away. Using an external speaker microphone lets you hold the radio higher while still talking close to the mic.

[@mickgatz214]

Nice bit of kit Andy. Not available in Australia. (ATM)??? Guess i stick to my UV-5R 😂 However, I was rather interested with that signal report feature! I noticed Ringway Manchester did a similar review on another radio with incredible noise reduction feature! Great Review/Test. 👍

[@mikecrockford6500]

Good review Andy, Yaesu / Vertex Standard radios have a similar feature called Auto Range Transponder (ARTS) but not with any PMR446 radios that I know of.

[@josephdeery4931]

Hi Andy I loved this video loved doing tests like this. The only thing that jumped out at me is if you can not see the screen because of a visual impairment you do not know how many bars you are getting back!!!!!! But a great test loved it!!!!!! Many thanks Joe

[@MylesHSG]

I work on the railways and we still use radio based communications widely

[@spig021]

Great review @Andykirby. The best feature on these is the smart ring where it pings the other radio. That is very useful.

[@stevenyemc]

I have built a 1/2W FM broadcast transmitter. It gets out miles with just a short wire antenna. I have a few leftover parts if you want to build one and test it? Dead bug style and just a handful of components. Take the decks up in the mountains ;)

[@manicminer4573]

It would be interesting to do the same test with a pair of UV-5R operating on PMR446 frequencies. Yes, I know they aren't quite legal because the antenna is removable. But on low power and narrow band they are pretty close to regular PMR446.

[@sramsdellwdm]

UV-5R are garbage radios with very heavy spurious emissions. Icom will definitely be much cleaner. I think the Chinese radios ruined the radio market. Buy good stuff and stop polluting the air waves.

[@BigPinkJohn]

Hi Andy. I love my Icom radios and these look nice neat little sets. Amazing performance

[@gbamck]

Nice review, Andy 👍 Between you and Lewis recently you've had me almost missing the hobby! Then I read the comments from some of the gatekeeping/miserable bleeders and remember why I left it 🤣 Cheers!

[@LennartWennberg]

And of course, thank you Andy for another excellent video!

[@LenOver-vh8jc]

What a pair of PMR446's the best I have had with PMR446 was at a very low height 22 miles aprox. On the beach just west of Eastern Docks Dover to a friend on the beach in Calais. I was not surprised as in the very early days of Mercury one2one, I was getting into the Mercury cell at Dover from Calais which was 1800Mhz at about 1 watts maximum

[@christophersmith1155]

WOW. ! 1/2 A WATT. HERE IN THE USA OUR VERSION IS FRS AND WE HAVE UP TO TWO WATTS.

[@26TM034]

in good conditions and from hilltops they can get strange distances... 446 handy in Bristol (house) made Fecamp north France recently..!! think the record is 122 km approx... hill to hill..

[@FNUKSTER1366]

Lewis Ringway is getting you 30+ in the dead centre in that church in your location , cracking video's as always 👊👍❤ 73's 10-10 till we meet again 😂

[@andykirby]

😅

[@chuckp3739]

I really love your videos. You make the hobby fun.

[@cottonfoo]

I looked at these, quite expensive for 446 radios but then all the main makes are. It's a shame Kenwood don't sell their mini 446 radios here, but they're expensive too.

[@Kanailad]

Hi Andy, another great video, such a shame you cannot have a little more power or change the antenna, especially when UK CB radio is licence free and you get 4 Watts on AM/FM and 12 Watts on SSB and whatever antenna you want !

[@VicGreenBitcoin]

P.s the Canada version is the IC-U20GM (has 1 Watt tx and is FRS/GMRS)

[@ohaya1]

every silent key ham - testing from the graveyard :)

[@LennartWennberg]

I have one Icom IC-F29SDR and two Icom IC-4029SDR. Of course I bought them for the dPMR but if I was to buy an analog only PMR446 radio, this is a strong candidate because of the professional building quality of this little handy thing! 🇸🇪

[@andykirby]

Yes the quality is amazing. Wouldn't expect anything less from icom 👍🏼

[@spig021]

@LennartWennberg how do the IC - F29SDR’s perform. I’m Interested in those radios.

[@LennartWennberg]

@@spig021 Well, it is built like a brick and has big battery capacity! A real professional radio! But, it's not easy to program and customize. You need both a cable and software. If you buy a pair and plan to use them together they play good together. Please come back if you have more questions! I will try my best to answer you!

[@spig021]

@@LennartWennberg Thank you. Perhaps a short review on your channel just going over the features of the radio & examples of range & quality of sound? Also, does the keypad illuminate?

[@Lij_MC]

​@@andykirbywhat output power is coming out of these units?

[@VicGreenBitcoin]

Yes! the review! I wonder if there is secretly also LPD somewhere hide in there.

[@stanleybest8833]

This sounds much better in tone and no squelch pops.

[@paulmark63]

Hi Andy great video any ideas how I can purchase them which web sites Paul in Kent

[@mshihadeh3]

I clicked on this video and thought, "This bloke sounds like Kirby" lol

[@andykirby]

Haha funny, what other videos have you watched of mine?😁

[@Grzegorz1983]

Test the Midland 777 Pro pmr

[@stephendonkin5497]

Impressive

[@mrradio2187]

Signal report sold me!

[@rickrudd]

If you spend anytime in WV or Southwest VA, whether skiing, hiking, or riding ATVs; you need walkie talkies. Little to no coverage otherwise.

[@andykirby]

Yes definately👍🏼 everyone should practice the art of radio comms.

[@HamRadioDX]

Nice little units those!

[@uavsitesurvey]

perfect for my spotter if drone flying BVLOS..great review cheers andy

[@larrynorris8775]

well done andy

[@MrSerendipity01]

The range test would be more interesting if you kept to line of sight. Would you be able to get 5Km or more?

[@pilovali]

Nice! Did you test any dPMR handheld radio's? I'm curious how they compare to PMR.

[@andykirby]

IMO they don't sound great but performance is pretty good.

[@pilovali]

@@andykirby thanks for the reply!

[@spig021]

I reckon if these were on dPMR with no hiss, that signal would’ve been a lot clearer.

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

dPMR is dead. DMR tier 3 killed it, Baofeng DM-5R ver3 around 50quid, not strictly legal on 446.. but, well...

[@pilovali]

@@user-em6vi6sj7p I've got a DM-5R, but it doesn't do tier 3. Only 1 and 2.

[@szabokristof_hu]

Hi Andy, Can you help me some info about this radio which I can't find anywhere. Is it possible to program a scan list for 3 channels, and later change the frequencies and CTCSS codes of this 3 channels on the radio keypad? And is it possible to auto start scan when I select one of this 3 channel? I can achieve this with an F29SR2 except the keypad frequency change. And is the MONI button works the same as on bigger Icom radios? When I hold it it opens the squelech and temporarry removes the CTCSS from the channel until I press again and it reactivate the CTCSS on the channel. Thanks in advance!

[@tommycoe1043]

Test them with the remote unit 6' above the ground as 90% of people will be when using these radios. The range will be greatly reduced. You basically have the remote radio on a much higher location, which increases the line of sight.

[@esuohdica]

Get a couple of cheap 8W BaoFeng mobiles - job done!

[@mickgatz214]

Can u programme it? (via Chirp) to typical UHF CB frequencies?

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

Why? it would probably void its 446 licencing? look for its UHF CB version

[@K.E70]

How you make it scan???

[@redjohn20001]

Great radios but the price, I'm assuming they are analogue. The Kenwood 3701 is digital and not far from the same price. Thanks for yet another entertaining video Andy.

[@pn8902]

Hey andy, if I wanted to make a device that can detect the presence of an emergency vehicle (using the emergency network) and alert the driver (deaf driver) of their presence so they can be alerted in advance to move out of the way, as they are deaf and may not notice the emergency vehicle in their mirrors. What kind of receiver would I need? I assume the receiver can be a “weak” one because it only needs to receive when they are close by.

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

I think ringway manchester tested a Tetra Airwave detector on 380 to 400MHz some time ago?

[@ohaya1]

It's a genuine question as I don't have a driving licence and don't know the rules : Are deaf persons allowed to drive?

[@Old_Man_Pete]

@@ohaya1 yes they are, deaf, partially sighted, amputees etc, in fact if you are able to pass a driving test safely then you are allowed to drive.

[@ohaya1]

@@Old_Man_Pete thanks, good to know

[@Flipdrivel]

Walkie-talkies are not designed to be used at arm's length! Your signal isn't "down in the noise", it' just that your audio is ridiculously low. A foot or two extra in height isn't going to make up for that.

[@andykirby]

I'd keep you at arms length you know it all bellend.

[@markp6594]

I would imagine a good speaker mic is available for the radio

[@alzag6hpr553]

Hi Andy, does the antenna screw off or is it all one unit( probably not) but thought I’d ask as that would certainly make a difference 😊

[@andykirby]

No unfortunately not, as per the regulations you can't have removable antennas on PMR446

[@C...G...]

brilliant 10/100 ,👍😀

[@MarvinBowen]

Line of sight will be fine. Introduce obstacles and no more fun.

[@deltatom2459]

ha ha ha..... testing from the grave yard...💀☠ cool video... suprisingly good Quality from Icom. .... usable for a lot of close range activity`s , thanks for the video .....

[@C...G...]

are the batteries for these radios the"nokia" type of battery?

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

AFAIK Only the TYT TH UV-3R uses Nokia BL5C or BL6C The Baofeng UV-3R mk1 or 2, uses a Fuji NP60 camera battery which works better

[@C...G...]

​@@user-em6vi6sj7p👍 cheers!

[@ibinabaya6174]

🤣 a signal from the other side...🤣

[@Lowered_Gadh]

What about Icom IC-F200

[@VrilyaSS]

i once had a handeheld that did 40km, but now cant be able to find 1 above 15km

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

you had a handheld that did 40km because of lift condtions, and hight above ground

[@gareththomas2376]

One four , one four for a copy ...Side slide. How many candles are you burning bro

[@simonhadley6965]

can you remove the ctcss ?

[@andykirby]

Yes

[@arkadiuszweiss]

There are always those weird questions, why is there a radio station when there is a mobile phone?. And I ask why there is milk if there is butter or tea, and why there are cars if there are planes, why there are bicycles if there are skateboards, etc. The radio is very convenient at work, it connects quickly and you don't have to pay. The military uses all services because it is fast and reliable. The phone depends on too many things. In fact, the use of portable radios is increasing because they are cheap, after all, and used to cost as much as a used car, and use was only for government services.

[@toritori4430]

UK PMR should be at least 1 watt tx power imho . The quarter watt is a joke given how built up the UK is and how rugged the landscape is . That one watt would make these radios very usable and not be ott powered . Ideally 2watts would be good one with ability to change antenna or two with fixed 🤷

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

Its said that Hang Gliders use 143.50 to 143.95 MHz FM to talk to ground helpers. using Baofengs, and as long as hey dont cause trouble Ofcom leave them alone (its been said) probably not true?

[@Flipdrivel]

Half a watt, but OK

[@user-em6vi6sj7p]

@@Flipdrivel Half a watt ERP, that could be 2 watts out into a minus 6db helical

[@cskeise]

💙👊😎

[@paulellis2248]

no not pay £114 a radio over priced

[@utredutredson1686]

Easier to advertise a product when people don't realise they're being advertised

[@andykirby]

Huh?

[@Old_Man_Pete]

Not a product I would buy.

[@lizvickers7156]

Instead of doing kilometres why don't you do miles. We don't work in kilometres here in the UK so it's hard to comprehend how far away you are so a bit pointless really.

[@andykirby]

I suppose I should have put both on the screen. In radio ive always worked in meters as you can be more accurate. If i said 0.0621 of a mile would you know how far that is? Surely you have a feel for how far a meter is? 1km is 1000 meters. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@RingwayManchester]

Yawn

[@Mike-H_UK]

@@RingwayManchester Stick it up yer Thunderpole.

[@pn8902]

Did you know you can convert it on google if you really cared that much

[@JNET_Reloaded]

Looks crap as antenna not removable no nr and no headphones connection to record audio better

[@andykirby]

There is a headphone/speaker mic socket.

[@Old_Man_Pete]

We deal in miles in the UK, not kilometres 🤬

[@andykirby]

Do we?

[@H4CK61]

@@andykirby Yes we do.

[@captainmcadams]

Of course we do… and every other unit when it suits us! 😝

[@AJ-qn6gd]

But the rest of the world don’t, we are the odd ones out !

[@H4CK61]

@@AJ-qn6gd you mean we are not Sheep?

[@JNET_Reloaded]

Ur a mile away from the mic so pointless

[@andykirby]

You're pointless.

[@nxesr]

Have you tested the Midland G90 Pro and I know you can get a 5 watt G90 Pro.