Nate wrote:
- Runs hot on high power. Hot enough it's uncomfortable.
- If powered externally with too high a voltage, the rig drops down to
about 300 mW of output power, even though you're in the range specified
by Icom. (Try it sometime on the workbench with a dummy load hooked up.
Very interesting. )
- When powering from external power, the voltage regulation circuits in
the rig add to the already hot operation... the rig gets rediculously
hot. (Buy oven mitts or an external speaker mic.)
I think rig just in sq'd rcv get too warm and yes it really gets too hot
to handle on long time tx. Guess ICOM thought the battery would drain
before this became an issue, but I use mine on a 10V external supply
most of the time.
- Programming anything this complex through the keypad is a giant pain.
Get the programming software and cable. (The plus is, the programming
cable doubles as the data/serial cable on the HT's -- not on the mobile
rigs.)
I did not find all that difficult prog the rig, however, had to know
what was needed with the callsign, etc. With the rig sending the ID
info was good. Don't have to keep a mental or physical pad of the
users. Some like it for they know the kerchunkers who do not manually
ID.
- The thing eats batteries alive. On the to-do list to get more or the
aftermarket bigger one.
The battery drain in most HTs these days is 160 ma sq'd rcv and Hams
wanting all small makes it hard to put in a large battery.
That's my "list"...
Nate WY0X
