Icon IC-H10 VHF Transceiver

[Paul1949]

Can anyone help
I have 4 Icom IC-H10 Transceivers. I would like to change the frequency of these radios can anyone help with how I can go about this. I have a uk amateur radio licence G1 DPX. I know these radio’s are old but they are in good condition and still work but there frequency is not on the amateur band. They have a range between 150 - 174MHz
Many Thanks
PaulC

[Jon_G4MDC]

Looks CPU controlled. It has a clone function which can be assumed to read channel data from one radio to another.

Programming new frequencies from scratch looks like you would need a dedicated programmer or a serial interface, PC and programming software. Icom dealer equipment unless you can borrow a set already on the frequencies you want.

[SiriusHardware]

Hello Paul - you need the DOS programming software and a PC which can run DOS software and has a serial (COM) port. You also need an RS232 to TTL-level converter interface / cable for which I believe I have the diagram somewhere. I've sent you a PM.

Although these radios officially cover the VHF high band they will reprogram to cover 2m. They were part of the first generation of PMR radios which used varactor tuning of the RF 'tank' circuits, so they effectively auto-retune themselves to whatever frequency (within their operating range) they are programmed to.

As far as cloning goes, cloning (from one radio to another) and the PC programming software use the exact same protocol, such that the radio does not actually know whether it is being programmed from another radio or from a PC. If you already have one H10 programmed the way you want, a simple connecting cable is all you need to transfer the settings of that radio into any others you may have.

As you've pointed out, 2m is a little bit beyond the edge of their official coverage, but the auto tuning may well track down that little bit further and it may work perfectly well on 2m without any further adjustment. These radios do also have CTCSS as standard, which is pretty helpful in the modern amateur environment.

[SiriusHardware]

Forgot to add - if you want to send me one radio body only, I can programme it to your requirements (no charge) and you can then clone the programmed data from that one to the others using an easily made home made cable (3-core wire and two 2.5mm stereo plugs).

However, I am guessing you would prefer to have the flexibility of being able to reprogramme them yourself.

[Paul1949]

Thanks for coming back, it would be nice to be able to program the radio’s myself. Not sure where to get the program and the RS232 to TTL-level interface. So thanks for the offer I may well take you up on it and get one set up and then clone it.
Many Thanks
Paul

[SiriusHardware]

Ok Paul - the mods have removed your email address from the public forum here because you don't really want to be spammed to death, do you (?) but I have it in the PM you sent.

Give me a few days to see if I can find what you need to do the job yourself, and if I can, I'll get back in touch via PM or email.

[Paul1949]

Yes I will send you a radio body, less battery to program as the old win 98 computer is a problem have only an old laptop running win7 very slowly. If you can spare a copy of the software and circuit diagram of interface cable would be very much appreciate a copy also cloning cable diagram and how to fit.

Many thanks, best use email
Paul

[SiriusHardware]

Working on that now, as I assumed that would be your preference. I've found the diagram of the interface but it is a printed paper copy so I will have to scan it.

Essentially it's a 78L05 regulator and a MAX232 RS232 to TTL converter IC with some transistor buffering between the radio and the TTL level inputs and outputs on the MAX232. The interface requires its own nominal 9V to 12VDC power supply.

I own an original floppy disc copy of the software but it may be easier just to scrape it off the hard drive of one of the PCs I installed it on than to find that floppy, which may not even be readable by now.

Hang on to your radio body for a bit longer and I'll see if I can get everything you need together and email it to you so you can have a go yourself.

[Radio Wrangler]

Sounds like the ICOM CI-V interface?

David

[SiriusHardware]

No, this particular one is an Icom EX-1196 (he says, turning it over in his hands). It looks like a well made hobby project, rather than a commercially produced item, but we bought it directly from Herne Bay.

Oddly enough the circuit diagram I have wasn't drawn by me - I offered similar help to someone else a long time ago - 1997 - and sent him a hand drawn sketch of the circuit of the interface - he in turn sent me back a version which he had nicely redrawn on something like Orcad, and that's the copy I still have now.

Those Icom IC-H10s, incidentally, originally cost around £450-£500 each - we used a pair where I worked in the 1990s, and we bought ours new. That's how I ended up also having the programming software and interface.

[SiriusHardware]

Well then, here's a very crude sketch of the diagram for the Icom H10 cloning cable. This same cable is used regardless whether the source of the data to be cloned into a radio is a PC + interface, or an already programmed radio.

As you can see it's two 2.5mm stereo plugs wired Gnd to Gnd, Tip to Middle and Middle to Tip, unlike a ready made lead which would probably be wired Gnd-Gnd, Middle-Middle, Tip-Tip.

However if you have such a lead handy you could always cut it in half in the middle and use something as crude as a bit of choc-block to rejoin the screens and switch the signal cables over. For this occasional use case, it doesn't have to look good.

[SiriusHardware]

For general interest, here is the diagram of the programming interface. I have cropped in on it to eliminate most of the surrounding white space, to make it a more forum friendly size.

Originally it included the name, full address and company name of the gentleman who redrew it from my hand sketch - I have removed those details for obvious reasons.