Hello
I have searched this question and although there is one in 2019 that asked for advice about lower cost telemetry receivers with one reply mentioning the IC-R30 the answer did not get specific.
So, does anybody have any experience using the ICOM IC-R30 radio receiver for tracking?
https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-R30/Handheld_Receiver-Scanner
I am thinking of purchasing one to track bats fitted with Lotek PicoPip VHF Tags (173 MHz range). The receiver will be connected to a Yagi directional antenna (173 MHz). The receiver has a wide band range which makes me think that sensitivity may not be great. I would like to know how others have found the the ICOM IC-R30 whilst tracking with a directional antenna for tags in the 173 MHz range.
Any thoughts would be welcome and possible comparisons with the dedicated Lotek Biotracker VHF Receiver if anybody has experience using both.
Many thanks
Andrew
I have not used this receiver, because it is not my field, but I have used direction-finding radio in a very different application (with custom equipment).
One question you might consider is the bandwidth of the transmitted telemetry signal versus the bandwidth of the receiver. A narrow band telemetry signal received on a wide-band receiver will give low volume.
Thank you Micheal. Your answer has made my understanding much clearer.
The transmitted signal is very narrow and and so I need to select a narrow band receiver that covers the correct frequency (173 mHz range) to get good volume.
The wide band ICOM IC-R30 will work but provide low volume. This is why dedicated telemetry receivers are available in different narrow band frequencies.
Picking up weak signals is key to what I need so I will look for something else with better sensitivity.
Hi - I'm using it for wildlife tracking and it works fine if you know how to use it.
Best wishes,
Ralf
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