I have tried numerous types of software with my R8500 (it came with Icom’s RS-R8500 software, which is fine for the most basic tasks). I have read where others have said the same thing about their R8500 NB feature so it’s not just me on this one. On the other hand the NB on my R75 does improve signal noise clarity when enabled so go figure on that one. I have toggled it countless times under a multitude of conditions and it doesn't seem to ever had any effect whatsoever. Additionally, I find the Noise Blanker on the R8500 to be virtually useless. This is something people will feel VERY differently about though, depending on who you are and your operating situation. However, this was not a big issue for me as I find I do not use DSP on my R75 receiver very often.
The one thing the R8500 lacks is a DSP notch filter though, which I find a bit odd considering the cost and grade of this receiver, but for some reason Icom decided to omit this particular feature from this wonderful radio. Reception in the HF bands is exceptional and is every bit as good as my decked-out Icom R75 if not *better*. That’s when I ended up buying my R8500 and I can say I absolutely LOVE this thing and use it every single day from top to bottom. There’s a lot of 2-meter SSB and even 70-cm SSB I wanted to monitor so this was the receiver for me. However, after buying a nice used Icom R75 I found I really wanted to be able to monitor the world above 30 MHz (or 60 MHz in the case of the R75) and not have to compromise by merely using a typical scanner. I previously owned an Icom R7000 receiver and was very happy with it but it had some inherent problems many R7000’s develop over time so I considered just buying an R75, as my main interest was originally to monitor HF. Fortunately Radio Shack still sells the correct DC power connector for this receiver for a whopping $2.36 at the time of this writing, so I bought one and my R8500 is now powered via my Astron 12 amp supply (actually it powers a few other items as well, including my Icom R75 receiver and a few regular scanners). This same connector can be wired as a replacement “jumper” if you buy a used R8500 that doesn't come with one or you lose yours. Originally I started out using the included AD-55 power supply but I found the power supply itself was the only component that ran a little too warm for my tastes so I went to Radio Shack and bought a 4-pin Molex connector and wired it accordingly for use with my R8500. I have noted others indicating their R8500’s run warm or even hot, however mine does not. Having said that, I do own several actual scanners for my everyday police, Fire and EMS reception but if you’re considering a new or used R8500 it would have to be for purposes other than regular “scanning”. Although it does receive a very wide range of the radio spectrum and does in fact scan if desired, it’s not a scanner in the traditional sense of the word. As many have already stated here, this is NOT a scanner so please don’t buy it thinking you can use it as such.
I don’t have any electronic gadgets to show numbers and figures of what it can do but I can say it’s the finest receiver I've ever owned. However, one must bear in mind this is an older receiver design and as dated as it is there are still new units being sold at the end of 2012, which say’s a lot about any receiver with a production run that long. There are many things to say about the R8500 but I’ll start by saying it does everything the specs say it does. It’s been a real winner with me and I plan on keeping my Icom IC-R8500 indefinitely. I have wanted to try one of these receiver for many years now and a few months ago I finally decided to just go for it and buy a used model for a price I knew I would be a able to recover my costs if I just didn't like it. I've been missing this kind of receiver performance for years, now I have it it's staying. The radio has every feature I could want & then some.
IC R8500 ICOM MOD
I can only assume my 8500, which is a late model either came from the factory this way or maybe it's had the LED display mod done. There is no evidence of bulbs being used on my example & the factory default setting, which is called bright is fine, even in a darkened room. It is not the simplest receiver to get to grips with, especially the memory system but I'll figure it out in time! I have seen complaints from users on here about the bulbs that illuminate the display being almost visible if you look down or up at the display & either being too bright or too dim. Having used it for a while now, mainly on MW & SW I realise what a sensitive receiver it is. A short while ago I bought a used example at a sensible price which apparently had little use & looked like it had just come out of the factory, not a mark on it anywhere. I had always wanted one of these receivers but the cost was out of my radio budget.
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