Icom IC-2820H
$$$··
| Frequency | 144-148 MHz, 440-450 MHz |
| TX power | 5 / 50 W |
| Modes | FM, DV (D-STAR) |
| Weight | 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 2007 |
| antenna | SO-239 |
| dc in | 13.8VDC fused power cable |
| mic | Icom 8-pin RJ-45 modular |
| power req | 13.8VDC (vehicle power) |
Icom's first D-STAR-capable mobile (with the optional UT-123 module, which also adds GPS). Dual-band with dualwatch receive. 50W. Detachable controller. 522 memories. The bridge between Icom's analog mobile lineup and their D-STAR future.
D-STAR required an optional module ($100+). The D-STAR implementation is first-generation. Superseded by the ID-880H and ID-5100A. The detachable controller cable is fragile.
Icom's D-STAR debut on mobile. The IC-2820H introduced D-STAR to the mobile market as an optional upgrade. For operators who already owned one when D-STAR arrived, the plug-in module was an easy entry into digital voice.
The IC-2820H is a dual-band mobile that sits a step above the plain analog rigs because it can do D-STAR, Icom's digital voice mode, which is not the same thing as DMR or Yaesu's C4FM and will not talk to either. The catch is that D-STAR is not built in: the radio needs the optional UT-123 board fitted, and that board also adds the GPS receiver for position reporting. Without it, the IC-2820H is a very capable analog FM radio.
On the analog side it is genuinely well equipped. It makes 50 watts on both 2 meters and 70 centimeters, has a detachable control head, and offers true simultaneous dual receive in any combination, two VHF signals, two UHF, or one of each. The rear panel even carries two antenna jacks for diversity reception. There are 522 memories and the usual tone and packet features. QST reviewed it in late 2007.
It is discontinued now, and the UT-123 module is hard to find, which makes adding D-STAR to a bare unit a chore. Buyers who wanted digital without the add-on hassle often jumped to the ID-880H, which had D-STAR built in, or later to the ID-5100A. As a used dual-receive analog rig it still holds up well.