— November 30, 2023
Excellent receiver, not a trunking scanner for DMR
Fantastic hot receiver - hears just about everything. Precision calibrated signal strength meter and handy 10MHz reference input for accurate frequency. Tons of memories and clever groups allow you to set up what you want to listen to. The panadapter display shows you the weak signals, tuning is a snap, and it supports many digital modes except DMR. This is not a trunk tracking scanner - so if you're looking for that, look at alternatives. It is one of the most sensitive receivers I've ever owned and its huge frequency coverage and multiple antenna inputs make it easy to cover a huge chunk of spectrum. I was underwhelmed by the optional SP-39AD external speaker and power supply. The speaker in the radio sounds way better, and the RFI from the switching power supply is significant, adding a lot of noise on some bands, wiping out the weak signals. Instead, buy a linear power supply (eg Pyramid or Astron) and you'll be very happy. The R8600 is good value for the money, once you learn what a great performer it is. Plus you can even use it with SDR software and control it from your PC.
VE4NSA — July 15, 2018
Awesome
Exceeds expectations. Running it with PC software and on satellite antennas for VHF and UHF. Great reception of RTTY on HF. Recommended!