Icom IC-V8 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

VHF TRANSCEIVER

iV 8

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.

FOREWORD

Thank you for purchasing the IC-V8 FM transceiver. This trans­ceiver is designed for those who require quality, performance
and outstanding reliability under the most demanding conditions.

DD

FEATURES

❍

5.5 W of ample output power

❍

MIL-STD810 grade durability

❍

CTCSS and DTCS encoder/decoder standard

❍

Optional DTMF decoder

IMPORTANT

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and completely before
using the transceiver.

SAVE THIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL— This instruction man­ual contains important operating instructions for the transceiver.

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

i

EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS

The explicit definitions below apply to this instruction manual.

WORD DEFINITION

R WARING

CAUTION Equipment damage may occur.

NOTE

Personal injury, fire hazard or electric shock
may occur.

If disregarded, inconvenience only. No risk of
personal injury, fire or electric shock.

PRECAUTIONS

RWARNING! NEVER hold 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! NEVER operate the transceiver with a

headset 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 or dis­continue use.

NEVER connect the transceiver to a power source that is DC

fused at more than 5 A. Accidental reverse connection will be
protected by this fuse, but higher fuse values will not give any
protection against such accidents and the transceiver will be ru­ined.

ii

PRECAUTIONS— continued

NEVER attempt to charge alkaline or dry cell batteries. Be

aware that external DC power connections will charge batteries
inside the battery case. This will damage not only the battery
case but also the transceiver.

DO NOT push the PTT when not actually desiring to trans-

mit.

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

DO NOT operate the transceiver near unshielded electrical

blasting caps or in an explosive atmosphere.

AVOID using or placing the transceiver in direct sunlight or in

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

The use of non-Icom battery packs/chargers may impair trans­ceiver performance and invalidate the warranty.

Even when the transceiver power is OFF, a slight current still
flows in the circuits. Remove the battery pack or case from the
transceiver when not using it for a long time. Otherwise, the bat­tery pack or installed Ni-Cd batteries will become exhausted.

For USA only:

Caution: Changes or modifications to this transceiver, not ex­pressly approved by Icom Inc., could void your authority to op­erate this transceiver under FCC regulations.

iii

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES

r

q

w

e

t

y

Accessories included with the transceiver:

q Antenna …………………………………………………… 1
w Belt clip …………………………………………………… 1
e 2251 OPT sheet ………………………………………… 1
r AC Adapter* ……………………………………………… 1
t Battery pack*/Battery case* …………………………… 1
y Battery charging stand* ………………………………… 1

*Not supplied with some versions.

iv

SAFETY TRAINING INFORMATION

CAUTION
To ensure that your exposure to RF electromagnetic en­ergy is within the FCC allowable limits, always adhere to
the following guidelines:

• DO NOT operate the radio without a proper antenna attached,
as this may damage the radio and may also cause you to ex­ceed FCC RF exposure limits. A proper antenna is the an­tenna supplied with this radio by the manufacturer or an
antenna specifically authorized by the manufacturer for use
with this radio.

• DO NOT transmit for more than 50% of total radio use time
(“50% duty cycle”). Transmitting more than 50% of the time
can cause FCC RF exposure compliance requirements to be
exceeded. The radio is transmitting when the “TX indicator” is
lit. You can cause the radio to transmit by pressing the “PTT”
switch.

• ALWAYS use Icom authorized accessories (antennas, batter-
ies, belt clips, speaker/mics, etc.). Use of unauthorized acces­sories can cause the FCC RF exposure compliance
requirements to be exceeded.

v

• ALWAYS keep the antenna at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) away from
the body when transmitting, and only use the Icom belt-clips
which are listed in this manual when attaching the radio to
your belt, etc. To provide the recipients of your transmission
the best sound quality, hold the antenna at least 5 cm (2
inches) from your mouth, and slightly off to one side.

The information listed above provides the user with the in­formation needed to make him or her aware of RF expo­sure, and what to do to assure that this radio operates
within the FCC RF exposure limits of this radio. Electro­magnetic Interference/Compatibility. During transmissions,
your Icom radio generates RF energy that can possibly
cause interference with other devices or systems. To avoid
such interference, turn off the radio in areas where signs
are posted to do so. DO NOT operate the transmitter in
areas that are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation such
as hospitals, aircraft, and blasting sites.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD …………………………………………………………………… i
IMPORTANT …………………………………………………………………… i
EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS ……………………………………………………… ii
PRECAUTIONS……………………………………………………………… ii–iii
SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES ………………………………………………… iv
SAFETY TRAINING INFORMATION ………………………………………v–vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………… vii–viii

QUICK REFERENCE ……………………………………………………… I–VII

■ Preparation …………………………………………………………… I–III

■ Your first contact……………………………………………………… IV–V

■ Repeater operation……………………………………………………… VI

■ Programming memory channels ……………………………………… VII

1 ACCESSORIES …………………………………………………………… 1

■ Accessory attachment …………………………………………………… 1

2 PANEL DESCRIPTION ………………………………………………… 2–8

■ Switches, controls, keys and connectors…………………………… 2–6

■ Function display ……………………………………………………… 7–8

3 BATTERY PACKS……………………………………………………… 9–15

■ Battery pack replacement ……………………………………………… 9

■ Battery caution ………………………………………………………… 10

■ Battery charging …………………………………………………… 11–13

■ Charging NOTE ………………………………………………………… 14

■ Battery case (optional for some versions) …………………………… 15

4 BASIC OPERATION ………………………………………………… 16–20

■ Power ON ……………………………………………………………… 16

■ Setting a frequency ………………………………………………… 16–18

■ Setting audio/squelch level …………………………………………… 18

■ Receive and transmit…………………………………………………… 19

■ Key lock function ……………………………………………………… 19

■ Display type……………………………………………………………… 20

5 REPEATER OPERATION …………………………………………… 21–24

■ General ………………………………………………………………… 21

■ Offset frequency ………………………………………………………… 22

■ Subaudible tones…………………………………………………… 22–23

■ Auto repeater function (USA versions only) ………………………… 24

vii

6 MEMORY/CALL OPERATION ……………………………………… 25–29

■ General ………………………………………………………………… 25

■ Selecting a memory channel ………………………………………… 25

■ Selecting the call channel……………………………………………… 25

■ Programming the memory/call channels …………………………… 26

■ Channel name programming ………………………………………… 27

■ Memory transferring ……………………………………………… 28–29

7 DTMF MEMORY ……………………………………………………… 30–31

■ Programming a DTMF code …………………………………………… 30

■ Transmitting a DTMF code …………………………………………… 31

■ DTMF transmission speed …………………………………………… 31

8 SCAN OPERATION ………………………………………………… 32–36

■ Scan types ……………………………………………………………… 32

■ Programmed scan ……………………………………………………… 33

■ Memory scan ……………………………………………………………34

■ Skip channels …………………………………………………………… 34

■ Priority watch …………………………………………………………… 35

■ Scan resume condition ………………………………………………… 36

9 SUBAUDIBLE TONES ……………………………………………… 37–40

■ Tone squelch ……………………………………………………… 37–38

■ Pocket beep operation ………………………………………………… 39

■ Tone scan ……………………………………………………………… 40

10 PAGER/CODE SQUELCH …………………………………………… 41–47

■ Pager function…………………………………………………………… 41

■ Code programming ………………………………………………… 42–44

■ Pager operation …………………………………………………… 45–46

■ Code squelch …………………………………………………………… 47

11 OTHER FUNCTIONS ………………………………………………… 48–56

SET MODE

■

INITIAL SET MODE

■

■ CPU reset ……………………………………………………………… 56

12 CLONING ………………………………………………………………… 57
13 OPTIONAL UNIT……………………………………………………… 58–60

■ Optional UT-108 installation …………………………………………… 58

■ Optional MB-87 installation ……………………………………… 59–60

14 SPECIFICATIONS ………………………………………………………… 61
15 OPTIONS ……………………………………………………………… 62–63

…………………………………………………………… 48–50

…………………………………………………… 51–55

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

viii

QUICK REFERENCE

■ Preparation

D Battery pack replacement

Before replacing the battery pack, push [POWER] for 1 sec. to turn
the power OFF.

• Slide the battery release forward, then pull the battery pack up­ward with the transceiver facing away from you.

D Battery case— optional for some versions

When using a BP-208
stall 6 AA (R6) size alkaline batteries as illustrated below.

BATTERY CASE

attached to the transceiver, in-

I

QUICK REFERENCE

Check orientation

and

Spacer A

Spacer B/C

Check orientation for cor­rect charging. (Insert
together with AD-99.)

Turn power OFF.

BC-144/146
+AD-99

D Charging with the BC-144/146

The optional BC-144 provides rapid charging, and the BC-146 pro­vides regular charging of an optional battery pack with/without
transceiver. The following is additionally required:

• An optional AC adapter. (An AD-99 is supplied with BC-144/146.)

• About AD-99

Attach the spacer (Spacer B/C) to the adapter (Spacer A) with ori­entation as illustrated in the diagram below.

Quick Reference

• Attach the spacer (Spacer B/C) to the adapter with the orientation
of the stamp “ ” pointing up.

II

QUICK REFERENCE

To attach the belt clip

To release the belt clip

D Antenna

Attach the antenna to the transceiver as
illustrated at right.

D Belt clip

Attach the belt clip to the transceiver as illustrated below.

III

QUICK REFERENCE

[POWER]

[SQL]

[D•

CLR]

[Y]

[Z]

[VOL]

[SQL]

■ Your first contact

Now that you have your IC-V8 ready, you are exited to get on the
air. We would like to walk you through a few basic operational steps
to make your first “On The Air” use an enjoyable experience.

D About default setting

The [VOL] control function can be traded with [Y]/[Z] keys function

INITIAL SET MODE

in
tory default setting ([VOL] controls audio output level) is used for
simple instructions.

D Basic operation

1. Turning ON the transceiver

Although you have purchased a brand
new transceiver, some settings may be
changed from the factory defaults be­cause of the QC process. Resetting the
CPU is necessary to start from factory
default.

➥ While pushing [SQL] and [D•

push [POWER] for 1 sec. to reset the
CPU and turn power ON.

2. Adjusting output level

➥ Rotate [VOL] to set the desired audio

level.

3. Adjusting the squelch level

➥ While pushing and holding [SQL], push

[Y] or [Z] to set the squelch level.

. However, in this QUICK REFERENCE, the fac-

CLR

],

Quick Reference

IV

QUICK REFERENCE

• Example 1— when entering 145.525 MHz

Push

• Example 2— when entering 144.800 MHz

Push

[Y]
[Z]

Keypad

[D•CLR]

4. Tune the desired frequency

The up/down keys, [Y]/[Z], will allow you
to tune to the frequency that you want to
operate on. Page 18 will instruct you on
how to adjust the tuning step.

Push [Y] or [Z] to adjust the frequency.

➥

Direct frequency input from the keypad is
also available.

➥ To enter the desired frequency, enter

6-digits starting from the 100 MHz
digit.

• Enter three to five digits then push
[#•

ENT

] to set the frequency.

• When a digit is mistakenly input, push [D.

CLR

] to abort inputting.

5. Transmit and receive

➥ Push and hold [PTT] to transmit, then speak into microphone; re-

lease to receive.

V

■ Repeater operation

[A•FUNC]

[1•TONE]

[A•FUNC]

[4•DUP]

1. Setting duplex

➥ Push [A•

times to select minus duplex or plus
duplex.

• The USA version has an auto repeater
function, therefore, setting duplex is not
required.

2. Repeater tone

➥ Push [A•

times until “” appears, if required.

FUNC

FUNC

], then [4•

], then [1•

DUP

TONE

] several

] several

QUICK REFERENCE

Quick Reference

VI

QUICK REFERENCE

[A•FUNC]

[C•MR]

■ Programming memory channels

The IC-V8 has a total of 107 memory channels (including 6 scan
edges and 1 call channel) for storing often used operating fre­quency, repeater settings, etc.

1. Setting frequency

In VFO mode, set the desired operating frequency with other de­sired settings, such as repeater and subaudible tone.

2. Selecting a memory channel

➥ Push [A•

[Z] several times to select the desired
memory channel.

•“X” indicator and memory channel

3. Writing a memory channel

➥ Push [A•

• 3 beeps sound

• Memory channel number automatically increases when continuing

FUNC

], [C•MR] then push [Y]or

number blink.

FUNC

], then [C•MR] for 1 sec. to program.

to push [C•MR] after programming.

VII

ACCESSORIES

To attach the belt clip

To release the belt clip

■ Accessory attachment

D Antenna

Attach the antenna to the transceiver as
illustrated at right.

Keep the jack cover attached when jacks
are not in use to avoid bad contacts.

D Belt clip

Attach the belt clip to the transceiver as illustrated below.

1

1

1

2

q

w

e

r

t

y

u

Speaker

Microphone

i

o

PANEL DESCRIPTION

■ Switches, controls, keys and

connectors

2

PANEL DESCRIPTION

q CONTROL DIAL [VOL]

Rotate to adjust the volume level.*

w POWER SWITCH [POWER]

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

e PTT SWITCH [PTT]

Push and hold to transmit; release to receive.

r SQUELCH SWITCH [SQL]

Push and hold to force the squelch open and set the transceiver
to the squelch level adjustable condition.

t UP/DOWN KEYS [Y]/[Z]*

Selects the operating frequency.*

y KEY PAD (pgs. 4–6)

Used to enter operating frequency, the DTMF codes, etc.

u ANTENNA CONNECTOR

Connects the supplied antenna.

i [SP]/[MIC] JACK

Connect an optional speaker-microphone or headset, if desired.
The internal microphone and speaker will not function when ei­ther is connected.

o FUNCTION DISPLAY (pgs 7, 8)

2

2

*The assigned function for [VOL] and [Y]/[Z] can be traded in

INITIAL SET MODE

(pgs. 17, 53).

3

2

PANEL DESCRIPTION

D Key pad

[A•

FUNC

Access to secondary function.

CALL

[B•
Select the call channel. (p. 25)

[C•

MR

➥ Selects a memory mode. (p. 25)
➥ After pushing [A•

gramming/editing mode. (pgs. 26, 28)

➥ After pushing [A•

VFO/memory or call channel contents into memory
channel/VFO when pushed for 1 sec. (pgs. 26, 28)

CLR

[D•
Selects VFO mode, aborts direct frequency input, or
cancels scanning, etc. (pgs. 16, 33)

TONE

[1•
➥ Input digit “1” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

function. (pgs. 21, 37)

P.BEEP

[2•
➥ Input digit “2” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

tion ON and OFF (p. 39)

T.SCAN

[3•
➥ Input digit “3” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

(pgs. 23, 40)

]

]

]

FUNC

], entering into memory pro-

FUNC

], programs/transfers

]

]

FUNC

], selects the subaudible tone

]

FUNC

], turn the pocket beep func-

]

FUNC

], starts the tone scanning.

4

D Key pad (Continued)

[4•

DUP

]

➥ Input digit “4” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

(–duplex, +duplex, simplex). (p. 21)

SCAN

]

[5•
➥ Input digit “5” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

SKIP

]

[6•
➥ Input digit “6” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

for memory skip scan during memory mode. (p. 34)

PRIO

]

[7•
➥ Input digit “7” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

(p. 35)

SET

]

[8•
➥ Input digit “8” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

(p. 48)

LO

HI

/

]

[9•
➥ Input digit “9” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

low output power. (p. 19)

PANEL DESCRIPTION

FUNC

], selects a duplex function

FUNC

], starts scanning. (p. 33)

FUNC

], sets and cancels skip setting

FUNC

], starts the priority watch.

FUNC

], enters into the

FUNC

], switches between high and

SET MODE

2

2

.

5

2

PANEL DESCRIPTION

D Key pad (Continued)

[0•

DTMF-M

➥ Input digit “0” during frequency input, memory chan-

nel selection, etc. (pgs. 16, 25)

➥ After pushing [A•

ory mode. (p. 30)

OPTION

[✱•
Selects an optional pager or code squelch operation
mode. (p. 43)

ENT

[#•
➥ Sets the frequency even if the full 6-digits of fre-

quency have not been entered. (p. 16)

➥ After pushing [A•

tion ON and OFF when pushed for 1 sec. Lock all
keys, except [POWER], [PTT], [SQL] and audio level
adjustment. (p. 19)

]

FUNC

], enters into the DTMF mem-

]

]

FUNC

], switches key pad lock func-

6

PANEL DESCRIPTION

qq

!5
!4
!3

!0
!1

w

!2

ertyu i o

■ Function display

q FUNCTION INDICATOR

Appears while a secondary function is being accessed.

w SKIP CHANNEL INDICATOR

Appears when the selected memory channel is set as a “skip
channel.” (p. 34)

e DUPLEX INDICATOR

Either “–” or “+” appears during repeater operation (p. 21).

r TONE ENCODER INDICATOR

Appears when tone encoder is in use. (p. 21)

t POCKET BEEP INDICATOR

Appears during pocket beep operation (p. 39).

y TONE SQUELCH INDICATOR

Appears when tone squelch is in use. (p. 37)

u DTCS INDICATOR

Appears when DTCS tone is in use. (p. 37)

i TRANSMIT INDICATOR

Appears during transmit. (p. 19)

2

2

7

2

PANEL DESCRIPTION

■ Function display (continued)

o SIGNAL INDICATOR

Appears when the channel is busy and shows receiving signal
strength as below.

Weak ⇐ RX Signal level ⇒ Strong

!0 LOW POWER INDICATOR

Appears when low output power is selected. (p. 19)

!1 KEY LOCK INDICATOR (p. 19)

Appears when the key lock function is ON.

!2 FREQUENCY READOUT

Shows operating frequency, channel number or channel names,
depending on display type (p. 20).

!3 MEMORY CHANNEL INDICATOR

Indicates the selected memory channel number or other items
such as the call channel, etc. (p. 25)

!4 MEMORY MODE INDICATOR

Appears while in memory mode or channel number indication
mode. (p. 25)

!5 AUTO POWER OFF INDICATOR

Appears while the auto power OFF function is activated. (p. 52)

8