Icom IC-7000 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Contents
1. issue below and a battery voltage booster to maintain the 13 8 volts required for maximum output I use my IC7000 on CW almost exclusively and I operate ONLY mobile I use the N8XJK booster http stores tgelectronics org with no problems at all For a while I used it with the RF sensing but no longer do so not because of any performance problems but because when the engine is running I don t need the booster and when in receive I don t hear any noise problems from the booster so I decided to so away with the additional wiring needed to use the RF Sensing lt Dave K9FN gt I will ad that the MFJ 4416 voltage booster has helped greatly when the vehicle isn t running This radio and many other mobiles do not Tx full output power on less than 13 volts So either get a battery voltage booster or keep the vehicle running lt AESMH gt How do I use my radio in VOX mode Two things two check You are in a voice mode and you have turned VOX on I just tried it and it works with the stock 151 microphone Be sure the word VOX shows up on your display lt Steve Ellington N4LQ gt Turn the VOX Gain up reasonably high and turn the Anti VOX as low as you can with out the speaker triggering the VOX My 7000 works great with stock microphone in VOX mode lt Dave KI4KQ gt How do I access the CW Voice memory keyer The CW and voice keyer options are accessible through the menu When using the keyers via menu it is2. Radio Issues The IC 7000 runs hot even on receive There are reports of the IC 7000 running hot despite most of the radio body being cooler than the IC 706 There are three points in particular that can run warm the display because of the backlight the area behind the speaker where the DSP ICs are heat sinked and the actual heat sink on the back of the radio Here is a chart showing relative temperatures of various devices with color displays The temperatures below were taken with an infrared thermometer pointed at the display after a 24 hour warm up period at 71 degrees F with no transmit Icom IC 7000 91 F 33 C Icom IC 2800 107 F 41 C Sharp 15 TV Monitor 85 F 29 C G2G 5 TFT Portable Monitor 106 F 41 C Initial 7 Portable DVD Player 85 F 29 C The display runs about 91 F The heatsink on the rear runs 99 103 F in receive The cooler areas on Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ the back are 92 96 F The temperature on the top ranges from 95 109 F The area directly behind the speaker is the hottest at 109 F This is directly over the silver box containing the DSP chips The thermometer on the multimeter display shows the rear heatsink temperature The final output transistors use this heatsink Many users have installed fans over or behind the radio to increase the airflow over the chassis Care must be taken with fans in dusty environments There is also a fan
3. composite video output available at all times to support a larger monitor Multifunction display shows complete receiver status S meter power output ALC compression SWR and final temperature on a single screen Semi real time spectral display 25 500kHz wide with peak hold and SWR sweep meter VHF 2 13 NTSC TV reception with internal modification Many functions including band stack registers direct frequency entry mode filters and speech synthesizer available directly via the microphone no menu navigation required Two programmable function keys on microphone for most used functions CW Voice memory keyer with 4 memories each and internal recorder feature CW voice keyer directly accessible with simple box described in manual Thermostatically controlled fan Less receive standby current draw than the IC 706MKIIG Remotely mountable head 6 pin data jack and 13 pin accessory jack Customizable opening message Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ User Measured Specifications Power output The IC 7000 maximum output power drops as voltage drops This behavior is consistent with other radios as shown by the Yaesu FT 450 results below The band tested below was not specified vous meceve Tear rower a a Co j e f e i eee Ce e e e Co e e e Cee e e l Cee e y a i Co e Voltage measured at power supply Cables supplied by Icom Power
4. display Although the 1 8 mini jack is small it s not a standard video connector Radio Shack offers a 6 foot cable Catalog 42 2444 for only a few dollars that has a 1 8 mini plug to RCA plug and will connect the IC 7000 directly to a standard composite monitor TV It is also possible to use an adapter to convert the 1 8 mini jack to an RCA to allow the use of a standard RCA cable Rigid adapters should be used with caution because the jack can be pulled off the main board if too much torque is applied To use with a standard computer monitor it is necessary to convert the composite video to RGB video with a device like the KWorld TV Box 1680ex I use this one and it works ok but the above is better http www aver com mpd tvbox9 html lt Steve Ellington N4LQ gt How do I use a Bluetooth headset with my IC 7000 Works great See link below from K7SFN http www k7sfn com projects bluetooth html Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ lt Dave KI4KQ gt How do I connect more than one CI V device to my IC 7000 The Icom CI V interface is a serial bus design This allows more than one device to be connected to the radio CI V interface amplifier antenna switch SteppIR antenna additional radios etc To connect these devices get a flexible adapter like the Radio Shack 42 2437 or even a three way adapter like the Radio Shack 42 2458 lt Doug Faunt N6TQS
5. gt How can I connect a headset and keep the mike connected for rig control Page 3 of the English manual states A microphone connector is also available on the rear panel DO NOT connect 2 microphones simultaneously Many users want to retain the functionality of the microphone while using a headset or desk mike There are two issues First is that the supplied HM 151 mike audio is always hot When used with a headset or desk mike this could create a feedback or echo issue Secondly the radio supplies a limited amount of 8 volts to operate the electronics in the mike and this regulator could be overloaded Most desk mikes and headsets don t use power so this is less of an issue It is possible to permanently disable the audio in the mike by lifting the wire to the element Other solutions involve creating RJ 45 jumpers to insert into or replace the mike cable that are missing that wire Villas PY5VB idea of making a custom RJ 45 mic cable with no connection on pins 5 amp 6 would certainly be my choice lt Steve W3AHL gt T use 2 mikes BUT original mike with a homemade RJ45 cable with audio pin disconnected plugged in front connector I use the back connector with a SM 8 HEIL HC 5 element inside The original mike is only for functions on the keyboard triple band staking filters modes memories tuner etc lt Villas PYSVB gt Just a variation on the RJ45 mod I use a short cat 5 cable with a small ba
6. modification published on http www mods dk Low power output on transmit Check the voltage level at the radio Resistance along the power cord especially the fuses can cause a significant voltage drop between the supply and radio Steve W3AHL reports The issue with the fuse holder isn t the connection of the wire to the contacts The problem is with how the fuse holder s contacts DON T wipe the oxide off the fuse s blade The broad smooth contacts in the holder are not aggressive enough to break through the oxide layer and form a clean gas tight contact with the base metal If you look at a fuse blade on a unit with excessive voltage drop under a microscope there is a thin dark line where the contact meets the blade This oxide layer creates resistance which creates heat which accelerates the formation of more oxide and causes the voltage drop to slowly increase with TX time and high current draw Removing the fuse and wiping the contact with contact cleaner will reduce the voltage drop temporarily but it will always return in weeks or months Heat humidty and current draw accelerate the oxide regrowth A standard automotive style ATC fuse holder has a much different type of contact that bites through the oxide and applies a much higher force per unit area This is ensures a long term reliable connection under high current The poor design of the Icom fuse holder is the 1 cause of low transmit power on HF But it also contr
7. IC 7000 often makes a small pop or thump sound in the speaker when powered up This is normal S meter reads low The IC 7000 S meter is very accurate but as a mobile unit is calibrated to read accurately with the preamp enabled Changing the transmit audio bandwidth results in poor transmit audio The Icom IC 7000 supports changing the transmit audio bandwidth There are three predefined settings which can be modified Because it appears the transmit equalization feature was cut there is no way to rebalance the audio as the bandwidth is narrowed This makes the audio quality very poor at narrow bandwidths If DX quality narrow audio is desired the best solution is a good DX microphone or an external equalizer like those from W2IHY Revision Information Any changes or corrections can be emailed to Scott N7SS at N7SS at ARRL net The latest version of the document can be found at https docs google com document pub id 1b8bAXbMQq02h1 kIFeUnFREoHxjpFVJKVRtF60fY A8I4 Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011
8. Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ This guide was created to answer the most commonly asked questions about the Icom IC 7000 The goal is two fold 1 Condense the discussions found in the Yahoo group to the raw information providing a definitive source for the FAQ reader 2 Remove these recurring questions from the group to improve the signal to noise ratio Instructions for updating correcting and adding information are located at the end of this FAQ IC 7000 Unique Features e The IC 7000 was the smallest multimode radio available at its introduction and the time of this writing It was the first truly mobile radio to feature IF DSP customizable filters nothing to buy Filter width adjustable by mode with sharp and soft shape factors Dual ADI Blackfin DSP Processors feature set similar to the IC 7800 IC 756 Pro III ACG loop performance controlled by DSP e Auto notch plus dual manual notch filters for up to 70 dB of attenuation Noise blanker features adjustable pulse width and depth of cut Internal RTTY decode and dual peak RTTY filter High stability crystal oscillator is standard d Voice synthesizer standard VFO knob includes a working spinner e The VFO knob tension is adjustable from free to tight and detented great for mobile operation Microphone and external speaker jacks on both the head and body Color
9. aker because the internal speaker is communications grade meaning it has a frequency response limited to voice frequencies It was also not audible when using Heil David Clark and other communications headphones or speakers It was most obvious when using inexpensive Walkman style hifi headphones which are excellent at reproducing non voice frequencies Icom addressed this within a few months after production began with some capacitor and grounding changes This modification should be available at no charge for units in warranty Low level hiss in audio Many radios have a small amount of hiss white noise when the volume is set to the minimum value This hiss remains at a constant level as the volume is increased and is quickly overwhelmed by signal audio The hiss is apparently internally generated There is no known solution but some users insert attenuators in the audio line Since the hiss is a fixed level it will reduce the hiss level while allowing the signal level to be increased with additional AF gain This audio hiss is very low through the internal speaker because it is communications grade meaning it has a frequency response limited to voice frequencies Any external speaker or headphones should also be designed for communications work rather than hi fi so as to minimize this issue Pop or thump sound when powering on Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ The
10. ck to back cat5 coupler hard to explain 2 cat5 socket back to back see link http www maplin co uk Module aspx ModuleNo 44750 which with care can be snapped open and the grey wire snipped and then snapped back together again I then connect the standard 1c 7000 fist mic to one side of the coupler and the cat5 cable to the other and connect to rear socket you then have full use of the buttons and PTT on fist mic without having both mics live lt Graham GIRNZ gt How do get better transmitted audio Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ The IC 7000 was designed as a mobile radio and the microphone was intended to be used in high noise environments Although the Heil microphones and W2IMY equalizers provide excellent audio many people want to maintain the functionality of the stock microphone and get better audio without the expense of these options ABSN has created a modification for the stock microphone at http www 7000mic com that creates a hotter microphone and higher quality audio There is also a microphone modification posted at http www mods dk The IC 7000 has two microphone jacks but the Icom manual specifically states that only one microphone should be used at a time This is likely because both microphones would be hot at the same time Some have suggested a mute switch disabling the mike element in the stock microphone This would allow the stock microphone to b
11. d This should only be performed when the tones are being transmitted by WWV and you can hear WWV clearly You can perform this with any of the WWV frequencies 2 5 5 10 15 20 however the higher the WWV frequency the more precisely you can adjust radio lt Bruce1010a gt Can I use my IC 706 accessories with my IC 7000 Most accessories from Icom and third parties will work directly with the IC 7000 There are a few exceptions The Icom remote kit is different for the IC 7000 The body and head bracket are the same but the remote cable has 10 pins rather than only 8 pins The microphones are largely compatible Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ but the IC 7000 does not have an audio output line in the microphone cable This could effect some TNC cables and older Heil headsets The later Heil headsets have a separate speaker plug There have also been some compatibility issues with third party tuners LDG and Turbo Tuner although ROM upgrades are generally available to address these issues Where do I find DC Power connector New HF radios from Japan introduced in the past 5 years operating on 12V DC like the ICOM IC 7000 Kenwood TS 480 Yaesu FT 450 Yaesu FT 2000 and the new ICOM entry level radio all use the same connector wired the same way lt John Bee NIGNV Quicksilver Radio gt Quicksilver Radio http www gsradio com DCpower htm Tower Electronics
12. e used as a remote control in one mike jack with a headset in the second mike jack How do I use my IC 7000 on 60m Page 40 of the IC 7000 manual provides information on 60m operation and is quoted below To assist you in operating the 5 MHz band correctly within the rules specified by the FCC transmission is impossible on any 5 MHz band frequency other than the 5 frequencies indicated in the table below 1C 7000 Display Frequency FCC Channel Center Frequency 5 33050 MHz 5 33200 MHz 5 34650 MHz 5 34800 MHz 5 36650 MHz 5 36800 MHz 5 37150 MHz 5 37300 MHz 5 40350 MHz 5 40500 MHz NOTE We recommend that you store these frequencies mode and filter settings into the memory channel for easy recall The channel center frequencies that are specified by the FCC show the center frequency of their passband However the IC 7000 displays carrier point frequency so set 1 5 kHz below from FCC channel center frequency How do get full power output when transmitting The IC 7000 was designed to deliver full power output at 13 8 volts This is the voltage provided by most power supplies and the alternator output of a vehicle The voltage table at the beginning of this Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ FAQ shows output as voltage drops When using the radio from a battery it is necessary to use the largest possible power cabling and good fuse connections see low power output
13. g Cable amp Driver Software today the number and description is right off their label I followed their directions and connected the USB plug after Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ installing the driver It connects at 19 200 bps and has not given one sign of improper connection This is faster and easier than the CT 17 I used a 20 foot stereo extension to get to the ICOM and used the stereo to mono adapter supplied with the interface to plug in at the radio end of the connection 18 hours later I am sure this is the best way to go lt im2old2run gt Interfaces are also available from West Mountain Radio http www westmountainradio com RIGtalk htm MFJ http www mfjenterprises com Product php productid MFJ 53831 Control software The IC 7000 is similar to the other Icom HF radios and can use much of the same software written for the IC 706 family although the radio address may need to be changed More software is offering native IC 7000 support One of the first and best is Ham Radio Deluxe HRD and is available for download at no cost from http www ham radio deluxe com Memory programming software There are a number of packages specifically designed to program the memory channels in the IC 7000 Rumtrol7k http www dl2rum de rumsoft RUMtrol7K html IC7000BKT http 4z2bkt altervista org ic7000bkt_en htm CI V CAT program Memory Manager http www tellina nl software
14. http www pl 259 com Powerwerx http www powerwerx com Wimo http wimo de cgi bin verteiler pl url netzgeraete zubehoer_d html Monitor There are too many monitor options available from too many sources to list here The IC 7000 provides composite video out This can be run into most TV sets and VCRs with the appropriate cable 1 8 monaural mini plug to RCA plug Small monitors can often be found on eBay and any place that sells car audio video In dash DVD players and many navigation systems include a composite video input There has even been some discussion that a Toyota Prius instrument panel has an input that could be used for an IC 7000 Icom uses a 7 Xenarc 700YV monitor in the display they use at hamfairs This monitor is more than what is necessary for most users The rated LCD brightness of 500 cd m and contrast ratio of 400 1 creates a nice image These are the two most important numbers when determining the quality of an LCD display Often these numbers are not available and the price is the only indication of the relative monitor quality Cl V computer interfaces for serial and USB Icom sells the CT 17 interface which offers 4 CI V ports and a single DB 9 serial port There are a number of less expensive options available on the market in both serial and USB These are commonly found on eBay Radio Shack also has some scanner programming cables that will work T purchased the Radio Shack 20 047 USB Programmin
15. ibutes to increased intermodulation products on voice peaks because of the unstable voltage supplied to the PA I have seen this problem in over ten radios of local hams in the past three years That s probably about 75 of the people I know in some way that have 7K s Several didn t know they had a problem until I mentioned their signal sounded distorted and suggested they check the DC voltage being delivered to Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ the radio Several responded that Oh I probably need to wiggle the fuses again They knew there was a problem but had just learned to live with it lt Steve W3AHL gt Strange behavior on transmit shutting down resetting changing frequency etc This is most commonly a grounding RFI issue Make sure the radio and antenna are properly grounded If the separation cable is being used attempt to route it away from RF sources and be sure to use the screw to attach it to the radio Audio feedback during transmit Check to make sure you don t have the monitor turned on Usually you just use the monitor when transmitting digital modes e Push SET button AF gain control knob upper left hand corner of radio e Go to Set Mode gt OTH gt Monitor Set to OFF lt Brian KC4UKR gt High frequency 8kHz tone in audio Very early models of the radio had a noticeable tone at 8kHz This was not audible through the internal spe
16. not possible to access other features or the popular multimeter screen There is a simple resistor network with switches shown in the manual to allow immediate access to the CW voice memory keyer I made the device in the photo for solve this problem using the circuit at the 135 Page I use my 7k for contesting and expeditions so the voice message function is a powerful help but use it via the menus is complex http www netcomunity com ealnt 7kbox htm lt Luis EAINT gt How do I use a Turbo Tuner and screwdriver antenna with an IC 7000 On the Turbo Tuner Web site N2VZ is shipping Turbo Tuners setup for the 7000 AND the software update for Turbo Tuners that were programmed for 706 to make it a 7000 tuner He will email you the update to flash your 706 Turbo Tuner thru the RS232 port on the Turbo Tuner http www n2vz com lt Kent KQ4KK gt Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ How do enter DTMF tones for Echolink IRLP or repeater control The stock IC 7000 microphone has many functions but like the IC 706 family it can t generate DTMF tones There are two solutions offered by Icom The first option is the same DTMF microphone used by the IC 706 the HM 154T There are also 4 DIMF memories of up to 24 digits described on page 67 68 of the IC 7000 manual This allows recording command control sequences in these memories Set Menu Option 38 specifies which DTMF option appear
17. out as indicated in CW mode on attached tuner into a dummy load At full voltage I had a full 100w PEP on SSB lt Marc WOKYZ gt By comparison these are the measurements that I looked up the charge chart for my Trojan I obtained from a new Yaesu FT 450AT late last Deep Cycle battery year 100 12 70V 13 8V 100W 80 12 46V 12 5V 100W 75 12 40V 12 0V 75W 50 12 20V 45 12 16V Scott Honaker N7SS January 10 2011 Icom IC 7000 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ 11 5V 68W 25 12 00V lt VR2AX gt 10 11 94V 5 11 92V Discharged 11 90V lt Jack_son gt Receive standby current Icom specs say 1 3A on receive squelched and 1 6A full volume I checked mine I got 1 36A two minutes after power up with default settings on 2m FM Full volume painful was 1 52A I found I could save about 40mA by reducing LCD Bright to minimum and still read the display and another 40mA by turning off the switch backlighting The readings were a little tough to validate because the fan is variable speed and can affect the readings by more than 100mA These numbers seem consistent with the published Icom specs It s not exactly milliamps but it s still 500mA less than the IC 706MKIG specs lt Scott N7SS gt How do l How do I hook a monitor to my IC 7000 The IC 7000 uses a 1 8 mono mini jack to provide composite video out Any monitor TV or VCR that supports composite video input yellow RCA jack can be used as a
18. s when F 2 is pressed in the menu Is there a way to calibrate the radio without test gear You should use the OTH menu 51 REF Adjust to calibrate your receive frequency to a known standard such as WWV or European equivalent See page 136 of user manual Record the original factory setting before changing it Allow the radio to warm up 30 45 minutes before adjusting Read message 22462 below for instructions on how to zero beat with WWV DO NOT go into the Service Adjustment menu using Jig Plug into REMOTE jack to adjust the Reference Frequency unless you have a calibrated signal generator set to 124 032000 MHz lt Steve W3AHL gt There is another variation using WWV to adjust the Ref Adjust instead of switching between USB and LSB I tune to the highest frequency I can hear WWV 15 or 20 MHz with the radio in USB mode I then shift the twin passband CCW all the way for both upper and lower passband edges This has the effect of basically shifting the passband lower than the tuned frequency You will then be able to hear flutter or warble a beat frequency which is the difference in frequency between the radio and WWV As you adjust the Ref Adjust on the radio you will be able to increase or decrease flutter beat frequency The idea is to adjust it until the flutter goes away completely You have now matched the frequency on the radio to WWV EXACTLY I am able to adjust the radio to within a few Hertz with this metho
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