[Premium-Rx] ICOM PCR-1500/R-1500 Programming / Comparison to WJ-8712

[Gary Geissinger]

Guys,

While this isn't strictly a "Premium-RX" email, I thought it might be
useful to our membership.

I received by R-1500 last week.  No programming information was
included.  If I fill out an NDA, ICOM offered to sell me a CD for $500
with "programming information and drivers". Well...

1.  The PCR-1500 uses the same commands/telemetry as the PCR-1000. There
are numerous sites on the web that have the command/telemetry list.
2.  The USB port is really a USB-Serial device.  After you load the USB
drivers, just plug the PCR-1500 into the USB port and then use the
control panel to get the new serial device address.  Then simply write
code to interface with a serial port as usual.
3.  The PCR-1000 evidently comes setup at 9600 baud; the ICOM software
then immediately switches it to 38,400 baud.  The PCR-1500 comes up at
38,400 baud; you can then change the baud rate if you like.
4.  I would be careful about experimenting with commands that are not on
the PCR-1000 lists. I am told (more of a rumor really) that the PCR-1500
is soft calibrated, so it might be possible to accidently corrupt the
calibration with some unknown command.

I wrote my control program and then compared the "on-air" performance of
the PCR-1500 to my WJ-8712 on HF.

I think that I'll keep using the WJ-8712 on HF and reserve the PCR-1500
for VHF/UHF only.  The WJ-8712 filters are better and it seems (not
exactly a scientific measurement) less prone to intermod on 49m at
night.  On the other hand, the PCR-1500 has a good price/performance
ratio.

Gary WA0SPM