Icom IC-E7 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

iE7

VHF/UHF DUAL BAND FM TRANSCEIVER

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is sub­ject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

WARNING: MODIFICATION OF THIS DEVICE TO RECEIVE CEL­LULAR RADIO TELEPHONE SERVICE SIGNALS IS PROHIBITED
UNDER FCC RULES AND FEDERAL LAW.

i

FOREWORD

Thank you for purchasing this Icom product. The IC-E7

VHF/UHF

DUAL BAND FM TRANSCEIVER

is designed and built with Icom’s
superior technology and craftsmanship. With proper care, this
product should provide you with years of trouble-free operation.

We want to take a couple of moments of your time to thank you
for making your IC-E7 your radio of choice, and hope you agree
with Icom’s philosophy of “technology first.” Many hours of re­search and development went into the design of your IC-E7.

DD

FEATURES

❍ Covers the 0.495–999.990 MHz*

frequency range

*Some frequency bands are disabled according to version

❍ CTCSS and DTCS encoder/decoder stan-

dard

❍ 1250 memory channels* with 18 banks

available

*200 auto write and 50 scan edge channels are included.

❍

1800 mAh large capacity Li-Ion battery
standard

IMPORTANT

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and completely

before using the transceiver.

SAVE THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL— This in-

struction manual contains important operating instructions for
the IC-E7.

EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS

WORD DEFINITION

R WARNING!

CAUTION

NOTE

Personal injury, fire hazard or electric shock
may occur.

Equipment damage may occur.

Recommended for optimum use. No risk of
personal injury, fire or electric shock.

Icom, Icom Inc. and the logo are registered trademarks of Icom
Incorporated (Japan) in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ger­many, France, Spain, Russia and/or other countries.

RWARNING RF EXPOSURE! This device emits

Radio Frequency (RF) energy. Caution should be observed
when operating this device. If you have any questions re­garding RF exposure and safety standards please refer to the
Federal Communications Commission Office of Engineering
and Technology’s report on Evaluating Compliance with FCC
Guidelines for Human Radio Frequency Electromagnetic
Fields (OET Bulletin 65)

RWARNING! NEVERhold the transceiver so that the

antenna is very close to, or touching exposed parts of the
body, especially the face or eyes, while transmitting. The
transceiver will perform best if the microphone is 5 to 10 cm
(2 to 4 inches) away from the lips and the transceiver is verti­cal.

RWARNING! NEVERoperate the transceiver with a

earphone, headphones or other audio accessories at high
volume levels. Hearing experts advise against continuous
high volume operation. If you experience a ringing in your
ears, reduce the volume level or discontinue use.

RWARNING! NEVER operate the transceiver while

driving a vehicle. Safe driving requires your full attention—
anything less may result in an accident.

NEVERexpose the transceiver to rain, snow or any liquids.

The transceiver may be damaged.

NEVER operate or touch the transceiver with wet hands.

This may result in an electric shock or damage the trans­ceiver.

DO NOTpush the PTT when not actually desiring to trans-

mit.

AVOIDusing or placing the transceiver in direct sunlight or

in areas with temperatures below –10°C (+14˚F) or above
+60°C (+140˚F).

Place the unit in a secure place to avoid inadvertent use by
children.

AVOID the use of chemical agents such as benzine or al-

cohol when cleaning, as they can damage the transceiver’s
surfaces.

ii

PRECAUTION

iii

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES

qBattery pack (BP-243) ………………………………………1
wBattery charger (BC-164) …………………………………1
eAntenna ………………………………………………………1
rHandstrap ……………………………………………………1
tAC adapter* (BC-145LE/LUK) ……………………………1

(The shape of the BC-145LE and BC-145LUK are different.)
*Depending on versions. Not supplied with some versions.

qw er

t

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD ............................................................................................. i

IMPORTANT ............................................................................................. i

EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS .......................................................................... i

PRECAUTION .......................................................................................... ii

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES .................................................................... iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................... iii

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE ........................................................... I–VIII

■ Preparation........................................................................................ I

■ Your first contact.............................................................................. III

■ Repeater operation .......................................................................... V

■ Memory programming..................................................................... VI

■ Programmed scan operation.......................................................... VII

1PANEL DESCRIPTION ................................................................... 1–4

■ Front, top and side panels ............................................................... 1

■ Function display .............................................................................. 3

2BATTERY CHARGING ................................................................... 5–8

■ Caution............................................................................................. 5

■ Battery installation............................................................................ 7

■ Battery charging ............................................................................... 8

3 FREQUENCYAND CHANNEL SETTING .................................... 9–12

■ VFO and memory channels.............................................................. 9

■ Operating band selection ................................................................. 9

■ Setting a frequency......................................................................... 11

■ Setting a tuning step....................................................................... 11

■ Selecting a memory channel.......................................................... 12

■ Selecting a call channel.................................................................. 12

4 BASIC OPERATION ................................................................... 13–18

■ Receiving........................................................................................ 13

■ Setting audio volume...................................................................... 13

■ Squelch level setting ...................................................................... 14

■ Operating mode selection .............................................................. 14

■ Monitor function.............................................................................. 15

■ Attenuator function ......................................................................... 15

iv

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

■ Transmitting.................................................................................... 16

■ Transmit power selection ............................................................... 16

■ Dial select step............................................................................... 17

■ Lock function .................................................................................. 18

■ [DIAL] function assignment ............................................................ 18

5 REPEATER OPERATION............................................................19–23

■ General........................................................................................... 19

■ Offset frequency............................................................................. 20

■ Subaudible tones............................................................................ 21

■ 1750 Hz tone.................................................................................. 23

6 MEMORY/CALLCHANNELS ..................................................... 24–33

■ General description ........................................................................ 24

■ Memory channel programming....................................................... 24

■ Memory bank setting...................................................................... 25

■ Memory bank selection .................................................................. 26

■ Programming memory/bank name................................................. 27

■ Selecting display type..................................................................... 28

■ Copying memory contents.............................................................. 29

■ Memory clearing............................................................................. 30

■ Transferring memory contents ....................................................... 31

■ Erasing/transferring bank contents................................................. 32

■ Call channel programming ............................................................. 33

■ Copying call channel contents........................................................ 33

7 SCAN OPERATION .................................................................... 34–41

■ Scan types...................................................................................... 34

■ Full/band/programmed scan........................................................... 35

■ Scan edges programming .............................................................. 36

■ Memory/bank scan......................................................................... 37

■ Auto memory write scan................................................................. 38

■ Skip channel/frequency setting ...................................................... 39

■ Scan resume condition................................................................... 41

8 PRIORITY WATCH ..................................................................... 42–44

■ Priority watch types ........................................................................ 42

■ Priority watch operation.................................................................. 43

9TONE SQUELCH AND POCKET BEEP .................................... 45–48

■ Tone/DTCS squelch operation ....................................................... 45

■ Tone squelch frequency/DTCS code setting .................................. 46

■ DTCS polarity setting ..................................................................... 47

■ Tone scan ....................................................................................... 48

10 SET MODE ................................................................................. 49–59

■ General........................................................................................... 49

■ Set mode items .............................................................................. 50

11 OTHER FUNCTIONS ................................................................. 60–64

■ Data cloning .................................................................................. 60

■ Auto power-off function .................................................................. 61

■ TV channel operation ..................................................................... 62

■ All reset ......................................................................................... 63

■ Partial reset .................................................................................... 64

12 FREQUENCY TABLE .................................................................65–72

■ TV channels ................................................................................... 65

■ VHF marine channels..................................................................... 68

■ Weather channels .......................................................................... 68

■ Other communications in the USA ................................................. 69

■ Other communications—other countries........................................ 71

13 MAINTENANCE ......................................................................... 73–74

■ Troubleshooting.............................................................................. 73

■ Optional CP-21LR fuse replacement.............................................. 74

14 SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................................... 75–76

■ Transceiver..................................................................................... 75

■ Battery pack (BP-243).................................................................... 76

■ Battery charger (BC-164) ............................................................... 76

15 OPTIONS .................................................................................... 77–79

■ Options........................................................................................... 77

16 POCKET GUIDE ......................................................................... 80–81

17 CE ..................................................................................................... 82

16
17

I

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

■ Preparation

D Battery installation

qRemove the battery cover from the transceiver.
wInstall the BP-243 (Li-Ion battery pack).

• Be sure to observe the correct polarity.

eReplace the battery cover to the transceiver.

Keep the battery contacts clean. It’s a good idea to clean
the battery terminals once a week.

DD

Antenna

Insert the supplied antenna into the
antenna connector and screw down
the antenna as shown at right.

NEVER hold the antenna when car­rying the transceiver.

Keep the jack cover attached when
jack is not in use to protect the con­nector from dust and moisture.

✔

For your information

Third-party antennas may increase transceiver perfor­mance. An optional AD-92SMA

ANTENNA CONNECTOR

ADAPTER

is available to connect an antenna with a BNC

connector.

D Handstrap

Slide the handstrap through the
loop on the top of the rear panel as
illustrated at right. Facilities carry­ing.

w

q

Facingupthisside

OrderOrder

r

t

e

II

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

D Charging the battery

RR

WARNING!:

NEVER charge any other than the specified battery pack.

D Charging description

qPlug the AC adapter into an AC outlet; or the optional CP-

21LR into a cigarette lighter socket.

wInsert the adapter plug into [12~16V DC INPUT] of the BC-

164

BATTERY CHARGER

.

eInstall the BP-243

BATTERY PACK

(see left page) to the

transceiver.

rBe sure to turn OFF the transceiver, then charge the bat-

tery with transceiver.

•Takes approximately 3 hours for fully charge with the supplied
BP-243 battery pack.

• Charging indicator of BC-164 lights or blinks as follows.

* It may be charging outside of the specified temperature range: +5˚C to

+35˚C (+41˚F to +95˚F). Restore the specified temperature range and
reinsert the transceiver.

NOTE: The transceiver has battery indicator to show the
following information.

• No indicator appears when the installed battery pack has

ample capacity.

• “” (battery indicator) appears when the battery pack

is nearing exhaustion.

• “” blinks when the battery pack must be charged.

• “” and “LOW” indicator appear just before the battery

pack is completely discharged and display turns OFF.

Quick reference guide

Charging indicator status Charging status

Lights orange Charging
Lights green Charging is completed
Blinking red Charging error*

Transceiver

N

A

C

S

W

M

.

S

T

E

S

Charging
indicator

BC-164

Optional CP-21LR
Cigarette lighter cable
with noise filter

to [12~16V DC INPUT] jack

to AC outlet

AC adapter

to cigarette
lighter socket

III

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

■ Your first contact

Now that you have your IC-E7 ready, you are probably ex­cited to get on the air. We would like to take you through a
few basic steps to make your first experience “On The Air” en­joyable.

D About default settings

The [DIAL] control function can be exchanged with the
[YY]/[ZZ] key functions by pushing and holding [FUNC] then

push [YY] or [ZZ]. However, in this QUICK REFERENCE
GUIDE, the factory default setting ([DIAL] sets operating fre-
quency) is used to simplify the instructions.

D Basic operation

1. Turning ON the transceiver

➥ Push and hold [PWR] for 1

sec. to turn the power ON.

• Opening indication passes
through, then frequency indica­tion appears.

The opening indication can
be skipped. While pushing
and holding [FUNC], push
and hold [PWR] for 1 sec. to
shortcut the opening indica­tion.

2. Adjusting audio level

➥ Push [YY]/[ZZ] to set the desired audio level.

3. Adjusting squelch level

➥ While pushing and holding [SQL] (

ATT•SET

), rotate [DIAL]

to set the squelch level.

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

[DIAL]

[SQL]

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

[Y]/[Z]

N

A

C

S

S.MW

T

E

S

[PWR]

IV

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

4. Tune the desired frequency

The tuning dial will allow you to dial in the frequency you want
to use. Pages 11 and 17 will instruct you on how to set the
tuning step size.

qPush [BAND] (

TS

•

LOCK

) sev-

eral times to select the de­sired frequency band.

• While pushing and holding

[BAND] (TS•

LOCK

), rotating

[DIAL] also selects frequency

band.

wRotate [DIAL] to set the de-

sired frequency.

• While pushing and holding

[FUNC], rotate [DIAL] to select
frequency in 1 MHz steps.

5. Operating mode selection

➥ While pushing and holding

[FUNC], push [CALL]
(

MODE•SCAN

) several times to

select the desired operating
mode.

• FM, WFM and AM modes are
selectable.

• WFM mode is not selectable
below 30 MHz band.

6. Transmit and receive

➥ Push and hold [PTT] to trans-

mit then speak into the micro­phone; release to receive.

•Transmission is available on the
144 MHz/430 MHz (FM mode)
amateur bands only.

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

Microphone

[PTT]

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

[CALL]

[FUNC]

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.M

W

[FUNC]

[BAND]

[DIAL]

Quick reference guide

V

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

■ Repeater operation

1. Setting duplex

qWhile pushing and holding

[FUNC], push and hold [SQL]
(

ATT•SET

) for 1 sec. to enter set

mode.

wRotate [DIAL] to select “DUP.”
eWhile pushing and holding

[FUNC], rotate [DIAL] to select
minus duplex or plus duplex.

rPush [SQL] (

ATT•SET

) to exit set mode.

2. Repeater tone

qWhile pushing and holding

[FUNC], push and hold [SQL]
(

ATT•SET

) for 1 sec. to enter set

mode.

wRotate [DIAL] to select

“T/TSQL.”

eWhile pushing and holding

[FUNC], rotate [DIAL] to select
the repeater tone activation.

rPush [SQL] (

ATT•SET

) to exit set mode.

NOTE: The transceiver can transmit a 1750 Hz tone burst.

Push [PTT] briefly, then push and hold [PTT] for 1 to 2
sec. to transmit a 1750 Hz tone burst. (p.23)

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.M

W

[SQL]

[FUNC]

[DIAL]

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

[SQL]

[FUNC]

[DIAL]

VI

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Quick reference guide

■ Memory programming

The IC-E7 has a total of 1250 memory channels (including
200 auto write channels and 50 scan edges) for storing often
used operating frequency, mode, etc.

1. Setting frequency

In VFO mode, set the desired receive frequency mode.

• When “ ” indicator is displayed, push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) to select

the VFO mode.

2. Selecting a memory channel

Push [V/M] (

SKIP

•S.MW) for 1 sec. to

enter select memory write mode

(

1 short and 1 long beep sound)

,

then rotate [DIAL] to select the de­sired memory channel.

•“ ” indicator and memory channel
number blink.

•To cancel and exit select memory write mode, push

[V/M]

(

SKIP•S.MW

)

momentarily.

3. Writing a memory channel

Push and hold [V/M] (

SKIP•S

.

MW

) for 1 sec. until 3 beeps

sound.

• Memory channel number automatically increases when continuing

to push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) after programming.

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

[V/M]

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

[V/M]

[DIAL]

N

A

C

S

S.MW

T

E

S

VII

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

■ Programmed scan operation

50 channels of memories in 25 pairs are used to specify
scanning ranges for programmed scan operation. The pro­grammed scan scans between “xxA” and “xxb” (xx=00 to 24)
channels. Therefore, before operating the programmed scan,
different frequencies must be programmed into the “A” and
“b” channels.

DD

Programming scan edges

A start and stop frequency must be programmed into a pair
of "xxA" or "xxb" channels.

1. Setting frequency

In VFO mode, set the desired operating frequency and mode.

• When “ ” indicator is displayed, push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) to select

the VFO mode.

2. Selecting a scan edge channel “A”

Push and hold [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) for 1

sec. to enter select memory write
mode (

1 short and 1 long beep

sound)

,

then rotate [DIAL] to select

the desired scan edge channel “A.”

•“ ” indicator and scan edge channel
number blink.

3. Writing a memory channel

Push and hold [V/M] (

SKIP•S

.

MW

) for 1 sec. until 3 beeps

sound.

• Scan edge channel “b” is automatically selected when continuing to

push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) after programming.

• After programming is completed, the display returns to VFO indica­tion.

4. Selecting a scan edge channel “b”

Push and hold [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) for 1

sec.,

then rotate [DIAL] to select the

desired scan edge channel “b.”

•“ ” indicator and scan edge channel

number blink.

• When the scan edge channel “b” is already selected at step 3, con­tinuing to push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) after programming, skip this step.

5. Writing a memory channel

Push and hold [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) for 1 sec. until 3 beeps

sound.

• The next scan edge channel “A” is automatically selected when con­tinuing to push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) after programming.

• After programming is completed, the display returns to VFO indica­tion.

WFMAM-DUP

VOL PRIOP SK IP

5

1

LOW

TSQL

9

ATT

DTCS

MR

WFMAM-DUP

VOL PRIO P SKIP

1

LOW

5

TSQL

ATT

DTCS

MR

9

VIII

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

DD

Starting scan

1. Select VFO mode.

Push [V/M] (

SKIP•S

.

MW

) to select the VFO mode for full, band

and programmed scan operation.

• Select memory mode by pushing [V/M] (

SKIP•S

.

MW

) again for mem-

ory or bank scan.

2. Selecting a scanning type

Push and hold [CALL] (

MODE•SCAN

) for 1 sec.,

then rotate

[DIAL] to select the desired scanning type.

•Available scan types when VFO mode is selected; “ALL” for full

scan; “BAND” for the selected band; one of “PROGxx” (xx=0 to 24)
for programmed scan.

•Available scan types when memory mode is selected; “M ALL” for all

memory scan “B ALL” for all bank scan, “B LINK” for bank link scan,
“BANK” for the selected bank scan.

3. Starting scan

Push [CALL] (

MODE•SCAN

) to start the scan.

• Rotate [DIAL] to change the scanning direction.

4. Cancelling scan

Push [CALL] (

MODE•SCAN

) again to stop scan.

✔

For your information

The memory channel number you program the scan edges
into correlate “PROGxx” as follows:
00A/00b: Select “PROG 00” to scan between frequencies

programmed in 00A and 00b channels.

•

•

•

•

24A/24b: Select “PROG 24” to scan between frequencies

programmed in 24A and 24b channels.

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

• Programmed scan• Full/Band scan

• Bank scan

• All memory/All bank/
Bank link scan

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S.MW

[DIAL]

[CALL]

• Full scan

• Scan type indication examples

• Programmed scan

• Band scan

Quick reference guide

■ Front, top and side panels

qANTENNA CONNECTOR (p. I)

Connects to the supplied antenna.

• An optional AD-92SMA adapter (p. 77) is available for connect­ing an antenna with a BNC connector.

wEXTERNAL SPEAKER/MICROPHONE JACK [MIC/SP]

Connects an optional speaker-microphone or headset via
an optional

†

OPC-782

PLUG ADAPTOR CABLE

, if desired.
The internal microphone and speaker will not function
when the

†

OPC-782 is connected. (See p. 77 for a list of

available options.)

†

An optional HM-153P

TIE-PIN MICROPHONE

can be connected to

the IC-E7 directly (without the OPC-782).

ePTT SWITCH [PTT] (p. 16)

➥ Push and hold to transmit, release to receive.
➥ Push briefly, then push and hold to transmit a 1750 Hz

tone burst. (p. 23)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push to toggle the

transmit output power between High and Low.

rFUNCTION KEY [FUNC]

Push and hold this key for access to secondary functions.

tUP/DOWN KEYS [YY]/[ZZ]

➥ Adjusts audio volume level.* (p. 13)
➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push either key to

exchange [DIAL] and [YY]/[ZZ] function. (p. 18)

SCAN

S.MW

SET

Function display
(pgs 3, 4)

Speaker

Microphone

!1

!0

!2

t

r

y

u

i

e

w

q

o

1

PANEL DESCRIPTION

1

*The function of [DIAL] and [YY]/[ZZ] can be exchanged. See page

18 for details.

2

1

PANEL DESCRIPTION

1

yCALL•MODE•SCAN KEY [CALL] (

MODE•SCAN

)

➥ Push momentarily to select the call channel. (p. 12)
➥ Push and hold for 1 sec. to enter the scan type selection

condition, push again to start a scan. (p. 35)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push momentarily

to select the operating mode. (p. 14)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push and hold for

1 sec. to start a tone scan. (p. 48)

uVFO/MEMORY•MEMORY WRITE KEY [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

)

➥ Push momentarily to toggle between VFO and memory

mode. (p. 9)

➥ Push and hold for 1 sec. to enter select memory write

mode. (p. 24)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push momentarily

to select scan skip condition. (p. 40)

➥ During VFO scan, pushing and holding [FUNC], push

and hold for 1 sec. to store into highest blank memory
channel as PSKIP channel (p. 40)

iSQUELCH•ATTENUATOR•SET KEY [SQL] (

ATT•SET

)

➥ Push and hold to open the squelch temporarily and

monitor the operating frequency. (p. 15)

➥ While pushing and holding this key, rotate [DIAL]* to ad-

just the squelch level. (p. 14)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push and hold for

1 sec. to enter set mode. (p. 49)

oPOWER KEY [PWR]

Push and hold for 1 sec. to turn the transceiver power ON
and OFF.

!0BAND•TUNING STEP•LOCK KEY [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

)

➥ Push to select the operating frequency band. (p. 9)
➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push momentarily

to enter tuning step set mode. (p. 11)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push and hold for

1 sec. to toggle the lock function ON and OFF. (p. 18)

!1TX RX INDICATOR [TX/RX] (pgs. 13, 16)

Lights green while receiving a signal or when the squelch
is open; lights red while transmitting.

!2CONTROL DIAL [DIAL]

➥ Rotate to select the operating frequency.* (p. 11)
➥ While scanning, changes the scanning direction.*

(p. 35)

➥ While pushing and holding [SQL] (

ATT

•

SET

), sets the

squelch level.* (p. 14)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], changes the oper-

ating frequency in 100 kHz, 1 MHz or 10 MHz incre-

ments in VFO mode.* (p. 11)

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], changes the mem-

ory channel in 10 channels steps in memory mode.*

(p. 12)

➥ While pushing and holding [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

), selects

the operating band in VFO mode.* (p. 9)

➥ While pushing and holding [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

), selects

the programmed bank or auto memory write channel in

memory mode.* (p. 9)

3

1

PANEL DESCRIPTION

qFREQUENCY READOUT

Displays a variety of information, such as an operating fre­quency, set mode contents, memory names.

• The smaller “75,” “50” and “25” on the right of the readout indi­cate 0.75, 0.5 and 0.25 kHz, respectively.

• The decimal point blinks during scan.

wDIAL/VOLUME EXCHANGE INDICATOR (p. 18)

Appears when the function of [DIAL] and [YY]/[ZZ] are ex­changed.

eBATTERY INDICATOR

➥ No indicator appears when the installed battery pack

has ample capacity.

➥ “” (battery indicator) appears when the battery

pack is nearing exhaustion.

➥ “” blinks when the battery pack must be charged.
➥ “” and “LOW” indicator appear just before the bat-

tery pack is completely discharged and display turns
OFF.

■ Function display

!4

!3 !2

WFMAM-DUP

q

w
e
r

VOL PRIO P SKIP

1

LOW

tyu

T SQL

5

DTCS

ATT

!1

!0
o

MR

9

i

4

1

PANEL DESCRIPTION

1

rPRIORITY WATCH INDICATOR (p. 43)

Appears when priority watch is in use.

tLOW POWER INDICATOR (p. 16)

➥ “LOW” appears when the low output power is selected.
➥ No indicator appears when the high output power is se-

lected.

yS/RF METER

➥ Shows the relative signal strength while receiving sig-

nals. (p. 13)

➥ Shows the output power level while transmitting. (p. 16)

uSKIP INDICATORS (p. 39)

➥ “SKIP” appears when the selected memory channel is

set as a skip channel.

➥ “PSKIP” appears when the displayed frequency is set

as a skip frequency.

iMEMORY CHANNEL NUMBER INDICATOR

➥ Shows the selected memory channel number. (pgs. 12,

24)

➥ “C” appears when the call channel is selected. (p. 12)
➥ “L” appears when the lock function is active. (p. 18)

oMEMORY INDICATOR (pgs. 12, 24)

Appears when memory mode is selected.

!0AUTO WRITE CHANNEL INDICATOR (p. 38)

Appears when auto write channel is selected.

!1ATTENUATOR INDICATOR (p. 15)

Appears when the RF attenuator is in use.

!2TONE INDICATORS

➥ “T” appears while the subaudible tone encoder is in use.

(p. 21)

➥ “T SQL” appears while the tone squelch function is in

use. (p. 45)

➥ “DTCS” appears while the DTCS squelch function is in

use. (p. 45)

➥ “S” appears with the “T SQL” or “DTCS” indicator

while the pocket beep function

(with CTCSS or DTCS)

is

in use. (p. 45)

!3DUPLEX INDICATORS (p. 19)

“DUP” appears when plus duplex, “–DUP” appears when

minus duplex (repeater operation) is selected.

!4OPERATING MODE INDICATOR (p. 14)

Shows the selected operating mode.

• FM, WFM and AM are available.

5

BATTERY CHARGING

2

■ Caution

• R DANGER! Use and charge only specified Icom battery

packs with Icom radios. Only Icom battery packs are tested
and approved for use with Icom radios. Using third-party or
counterfeit battery packs may cause smoke, fire, or cause
the battery to burst.

DD

Battery caution

• R DANGER! DO NOT hammer or otherwise impact the bat-

tery. Do not use the battery if it has been severely impacted
or dropped, or if the battery has been subjected to heavy
pressure. Battery damage may not be visible on the outside
of the case. Even if the surface of the battery does not show
cracks or any other damage, the cells inside the battery may
rupture or catch fire.

• R DANGER! NEVER use or leave battery pack in areas

with temperatures above +60˚C (+140˚F). High temperature
buildup in the battery, such as could occur near fires or
stoves, inside a sun heated car, or in direct sunlight may
cause the battery to rupture or catch fire. Excessive temper­atures may also degrade battery performance or shorten
battery life.

• R DANGER! DO NOT expose the battery to rain, snow,

seawater, or any other liquids. Do not charge or use a wet
battery. If the battery gets wet, be sure to wipe it dry before
using. The battery is not waterproof.

• R DANGER! NEVER incinerate used battery pack since in-

ternal battery gas may cause it to rupture, or may cause an
explosion.

• R DANGER! NEVER solder the battery terminals. This may

cause heat generation, and the battery may rupture, emit
smoke or catch fire.

• R DANGER! Use the battery only with the transceiver for

which it is specified. Never use a battery with any other
equipment, or for any purpose that is not specified in this in­struction manual.

• R DANGER! If fluid from inside the battery gets in your

eyes, blindness can result. Rinse your eyes with clean
water, without rubbing them, and see a doctor immediately.

• WARNING! Immediately stop using the battery if it emits an

abnormal odor, heats up, or is discolored or deformed. If any
of these conditions occur, contact your Icom dealer or dis­tributor.

• WARNING! Immediately wash, using clean water, any part

of the body that comes into contact with fluid from inside the
battery.

Misuse of LiTHIUM-ion batteries may result in the fol­lowing hazards: smoke, fire, or the battery may rupture.
Misuse can also cause damage to the battery or degra­dation of battery performance.

6

2

BATTERY CHARGING

2

• WARNING! NEVER put the battery in a microwave oven,

high-pressure container, or in an induction heating cooker.
This could cause a fire, overheating, or cause the battery to
rupture.

• CAUTION!Always use the battery within the specified tem-

perature range for the transceiver (–10˚C to +60˚C; +14˚F
to +140˚F) and the battery itself (–20˚C to +60˚C; –4˚F to
+140˚F). Using the battery out of its specified temperature
range will reduce the battery’s performance and battery life.
Please note that the specified temperature range of the bat­tery may exceed that of the transceiver. In such cases, the
transceiver may not work properly because it is out of its op­erating temperature range.

• CAUTION! Shorter battery life could occur if the battery is

left fully charged, completely discharged, or in an excessive
temperature environment (above +50˚C; +122˚F) for an ex­tended period of time. If the battery must be left unused for a
long time, it must be detached from the radio after discharg­ing. You may use the battery until the battery indicator
shows half-capacity, then keep it safely in a cool dry place
with the temperature between –20˚C to +20˚C (–4˚F to
+68˚F).

DD

Charging caution

• R DANGER! NEVER charge the battery pack in areas with

extremely high temperatures, such as near fires or stoves,
inside a sun heated car, or in direct sunlight. In such envi­ronments, the safety/protection circuit in the battery will acti­vate, causing the battery to stop charging.

• WARNING! DO NOT charge or leave the battery in the bat-

tery charger beyond the specified time for charging. If the
battery is not completely charged by the specified time, stop
charging and remove the battery from the battery charger.
Continuing to charge the battery beyond the specified time
limit may cause a fire, overheating, or the battery may rup­ture.

• WARNING! NEVER insert the transceiver (battery attached

to the transceiver) into the charger if it is wet or soiled. This
could corrode the battery charger terminals or damage the
charger. The charger is not waterproof.

• CAUTION! DO NOT charge the battery outside of the spec-

ified temperature range: +5˚C to +35˚C (+41˚F to +95˚F).
Icom recommends charging the battery at +20˚C (+68˚F).
The battery may heat up or rupture if charged out of the
specified temperature range. Additionally, battery perfor­mance or battery life may be reduced.

7

2

BATTERY CHARGING

■ Battery installation

Before installing, or replacing the battery pack, be sure to turn
OFF the transceiver. If it’s ON, push and hold [PWR] for 1
sec. to turn the power OFF.

qRemove the battery cover from the transceiver.

wInstall the BP-243 (Li-Ion battery pack).

• Be sure to observe the correct polarity.

eReplace the battery cover to the transceiver.

Keep the battery contacts clean to avoid rust or poor con­tact. It’s a good idea to clean the battery terminals once a
week.

r

w

Facing up this side

t

q

e

8

2

BATTERY CHARGING

2

■ Battery charging

D Charging connections

• Charging periods: Approx. 3 hours

D Charging description

qPlug the AC adapter into an AC outlet; or the optional CP-

21LR into a cigarette lighter socket.

wInsert the adapter plug into [12~16V DC INPUT] of the BC-

164

BATTERY CHARGER

.

eInstall the BP-243

BATTERY PACK

(See left page) in the

transceiver

rBe sure to turn OFF the transceiver, then charge the bat-

tery with transceiver.

•Takes approximately 3 hours to fully charge with the supplied BP­243 battery pack.

CAUTION: BE SURE to disconnect the CP-21LR from the
cigarette lighter socket when charging is finished, because,
a slight current still follows in the CP-21LR and the vehi­cle’s battery will become will be drained.

Charging indicator of BC -164

Orange (lights) : During charging.
Green (lights) : When the battery pack is charged completely.
Red (blinking) : The charger may be outside of the specified

temperature range: +5˚C to +35˚C (+41˚F to
+95˚F). Restore the specified temperature
range and reinsert the transceiver or contact
your dealer.

BC-164

Charging
indicator

Transceiver

to [12~16V DC INPUT] jack

AC adapter

to cigarette
lighter socket

to AC outlet

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S

.

M

W

Optional CP-21LR
Cigarette lighter cable
with noise filter

9

FREQUENCY AND CHANNEL SETTING

3

■ VFO and memory channels

The IC-E7 has two primary operating modes: VFO mode and
memory mode.

VFO mode is used for setting the desired frequency within
the frequency coverage.

➥ Push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) to select VFO mode.

Memory mode is used for operating from memory channels
which have programmed frequencies.

➥ Push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) to select memory mode.

• See p. 24 for memory programming details.

What is VFO?

VFO is an abbreviation of Variable Frequency Oscillator. Fre­quencies for receiving or transmitting are selected and con­trolled by the VFO.

■ Operating band selection

The transceiver can receive the *AM broadcast, *HF band,
*50 MHz, *FM broadcast, *VHF air, 144 MHz, *300 MHz,
400 MHz, *600 MHz, *800 MHz or television channels.

*Available frequency bands are differ depending on ver-

sion. See the specification for details. (p. 75)

➥ Push [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

) several times to select the desired

frequency band.

• When memory mode is selected, push [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) to se-

lect VFO mode first.

➥ While pushing and holding [BAND] (

TS

•

LOCK

), rotating

[DIAL] also selects frequency band.

SCAN

S.MW

SET

[DIAL]

[DIAL]

Push

Dual operation

Push and hold

+

SCAN

SET

S.MW

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

“ ” and memory channel
number appear.

• VFO mode indication

• Memory mode indication

S.MW

10

3

FREQUENCY AND CHANNEL SETTING

3

• Available frequency bands

AM broadcast band HF band 50 MHz band

: Push

: Rotating while pushing

TV channels

†

Initial frequencies shown differ according to version.

†

Appears only when TV channels are programmed using the

optional CS-P7.

600 MHz band800 MHz band 400 MHz band

FM broadcast band

VHF air band

144 MHz band

300 MHz band

■ Setting a frequency

qPush [V/M] (

SKIP•S

.

MW

) to select VFO mode, if necessary.

wSelect the desired frequency band with [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

).

•Or, while pushing and holding [BAND] (TS•

LOCK

), rotate [DIAL]

to select the desired frequency band.

eRotate [DIAL] to select the desired frequency.

• The frequency changes according to the preset tuning steps.
See the section at right for setting the tuning step.

• While pushing and holding [FUNC], rotate [DIAL] to change the
frequency in 1 MHz steps (default).

The 1 MHz tuning step (dial select step) can be set to

100 kHz, 1 MHz or 10 MHz tuning steps in set mode. See

p. 17 for details.

■ Setting a tuning step

The tuning step can be selected for each frequency band.
The following tuning steps are available for the IC-E7.

• 5.0 kHz* • 6.25 kHz* • 8.33 kHz

†

• 9.0 kHz‡• 10.0 kHz

• 12.5 kHz • 15.0 kHz • 20.0 kHz • 25.0 kHz • 30.0 kHz

• 50.0 kHz • 100.0 kHz • 200.0 kHz
* Appears for below the 500 MHz bands only.

†

Appears for the VHF air band only.

‡

Appears for the AM broadcast band only.

DD

Tuning step selection

qPush [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) to

select VFO mode, if neces-

sary.

wPush [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

)

several times to select the
desired frequency band.

•Or, while pushing and hold-

ing [BAND] (TS•

LOCK

), rotate

[DIAL] to select the desired

frequency band.

e

While pushing and holding

[FUNC], push [BAND]
(

TS•LOCK

) momentarily to

enter tuning step set mode.

rRotate [DIAL] to select the

desired tuning step.

tPush [BAND] (

TS•LOCK

) to

return to VFO mode.

SCAN

SET

S.MW

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIO P SKIP

MR

5

1

9

[DIAL]

5 kHz tuning step

SCAN

SET

S.MW

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

[DIAL] changes the fre­quency according to the
selected tuning step.

While pushing [FUNC],
[DIAL] changes the frequen­cy in 1 MHz steps (default).

[DIAL]

11

3

FREQUENCY AND CHANNEL SETTING

12

3

FREQUENCY AND CHANNEL SETTING

3

■ Selecting a memory channel

qPush [V/M] (

SKIP•S

.

MW

) momentarily to select memory

mode.

•“ ” appears when a memory channel is selected.

wRotate [DIAL] to select the desired memory channel.

• Only programmed memory channels can be selected.

• While pushing and holding [FUNC], rotate [DIAL] to select a

memory channel in 10 channel steps, blank channels can be se­lected in this case.

■ Selecting a call channel

qPush [CALL] (

MODE•SCAN

) momentarily to select a call

channel.

wRotate [DIAL] to select the desired call channel.

ePush [CALL] (

MODE•SCAN

) or [V/M] (

SKIP•S.MW

) momen-

tarily to return to the previously selected mode.

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

144 MHz band 430 MHz band

• Call channel example (depends on version)

SCAN

S.MW

SET

SCAN

[DIAL]

SCAN

S.MW

SET

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

[DIAL]

[DIAL] changes the mem­ory channel.

S.MW

Push Push and hold Dual operation

■ Receiving

Make sure charged battery pack (BP-243) is installed (p. 7).

qPush and hold [PWR] for 1 sec. to turn power ON.
wPush [YY] or [ZZ] to set the desired audio level.

• The frequency display shows the volume level while setting. See
the section at right for details.

eSet the receiving frequency. (p. 11)
rSet the squelch level. (p. 14)

• While pushing and holding [SQL] (

ATT•SET

), rotate [DIAL].

• The first click of [DIAL] indicates the current squelch level.

•“LEVEL 1” is loose squelch (for weak signals) and “LEVEL 9” is

tight squelch (for strong signals).

•“AUTO” indicates automatic level adjustment by a noise pulse

counting system.

• Push and hold [SQL] (

ATT•SET

) to open the squelch manually.

tWhen a signal is received:

• TX/RX indicator lights green.

• Squelch opens and audio is emitted.

• The S/RF meter shows the relative signal strength level.

■ Setting audio volume

The audio level can be adjusted to one of 40 levels.

➥ P

ush [YY] or [ZZ] to adjust the audio level.

• If squelch is closed, push and hold [SQL] (

ATT•SET

) to verify the

audio level.

• Pushing and holding either key changes the audio level continu­ously.

• The display shows the volume level while setting.

SCAN

S.MW

SET

INDICATION AUDIO LEVEL

Minimum setting
(no audio)

Muximum setting

Initial setting

S

C

A

N

S

E

T

S

.M

W

q [PWR]

e Set frequency
r Set squelch level

w Set audio level

e Select band

r Push for setting

the squelch
(Push to monitor)

13

BASIC OPERATION

4

14

4

BASIC OPERATION

4

■ Squelch level setting

The squelch circuit mutes the received audio signal depend­ing on the signal strength. The transceiver has 9 squelch lev­els, a continuously open setting and an automatic squelch
setting.

➥ While pushing and holding [SQL] (

ATT•SET

), rotate [DIAL]

to select the squelch level.

•“LEVEL 1” is loose squelch (for weak signals) and “LEVEL 9” is
tight squelch (for strong signals).

•“AUTO” indicates automatic level adjustment by a noise pulse
counting system.

• “OPEN” indicates continuously open setting.

■ Operating mode selection

Operating modes are determined by the modulation of the
radio signals. The transceiver has 3 operating modes: FM,
AM and WFM modes. The mode selection is stored indepen­dently in each band and memory channels.

Typically, AM mode is used for the AM broadcast stations
(0.495–1.620 MHz) and air band (118–135.995 MHz), and
WFM is used for FM broadcast stations (76–107.9 MHz).
WFM mode cannot be selected below 30 MHz bands.

➥ While pushing and holding [FUNC], push [CALL]

(

MODE

•

SCAN

) several times to select the desired operating

mode.

SCAN

S.MW

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIO P SKIP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SKIP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SKIP

MR

5

1

9

FM mode

AM mode

WFM mode

SCAN

SET

SCAN

S.MW

SET

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

[DIAL]

Automatic squelch

Maximum level

SET

Push Push and hold Dual operation

■ Monitor function

This function is used to listen to weak signals without disturb­ing the squelch setting or to open the squelch manually even
when mute functions such as the tone squelch are in use.

➥ Push and hold [SQL] (

ATT•SET

) to monitor the operating

frequency.

The [SQL] (

ATT•SET

) key can be set to ‘sticky’ operation in

expanded set mode. See page 56 for details.

■ Attenuator function

The attenuator prevents distortion of a desired signal when
very strong RF signals are near the desired frequency or
when very strong electric fields, such as from a broadcasting
station, are present at your location.

➥

While pushing and holding [FUNC], push [SQL] (

ATT•SET

)

momentarily to toggle the attenuator function ON and OFF.

•“ATT” appears when the attenuator functions is in use.

SCAN

S.MW

SET

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SKIP

MR

5

1

9

ATT

SET

Appears

SCAN

S.MW

SET

ATT

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

The 1st segment blinks

SET

15

4

BASIC OPERATION

Push Push and hold Dual operation

16

4

BASIC OPERATION

4

■ Transmitting

NOTE: To prevent interference, listen on the channel be-
fore transmitting by pushing and holding [SQL] (

ATT

•

SET

).

qSet the operating frequency. (pgs. 9, 11)

•Transmission is available on the 144 MHz/430 MHz (FM mode)

amateur bands only.

• Select output power if desired. See the section at right for details.

wPush and hold [PTT] to transmit.

• TX/RX indicator lights red.

• S/RF meter shows the output power level.

eSpeak into the microphone using your normal voice level.

• DO NOT hold the transceiver too close to your mouth or speak

too loudly. This may distort the signal.

rRelease [PTT] to return to receive.

■ Transmit power selection

The transceiver has two output power levels to suit your op­erating requirements. Low output power during short-range
communications may reduce the possibility of interference to
other stations and will reduce current consumption.

➥

While pushing and holding [FUNC], push [PTT] to toggle
the transmit output power between High and Low.

• “LOW” appears when the low power is selected.

SCAN

S.MW

SET

DTCS

TSQL

WFMAM-DUP

LOW

LOW

VOL PRIOP SK IP

MR

5

1

9

Appears

SCAN

S.MW

SET

TX/RX indicator

Microphone

CAUTION: Transmitting without an antenna will damage

the transceiver.