Icom ID-880H Quick Start Manual

Quick Start Guide for the ICOM ID-880H D-STAR Radio

1. ICOM’s Cloning Software is being illustrated. Before using it tell it what radio you have by selecting “Load Configuration

from Radio”. RT Systems also has programming software for the 880H.

2. D-STAR repeater data in a .csv file can be downloaded from www.dstarinfo.com by selecting Downloads / “Repeater List

Downloads for DR Mode Radios”. This file can then be imported into the Repeater List using the software’s drop down

menu - File/Import/Group…

The ID-880H is one of ICOM’s most affordable and popular D-STAR radios and the first to include a DR
mode. New 880H users often have difficulty understanding how to program the DR mode and what
radio setting is needed for the repeater to route their signal to the internet. This guide is designed to
eliminate some of the mystery, and get you on the air quicker.

1. Using programming software1 program some D-STAR repeaters in memory channels in the Repeater
List Groups. Don’t program them in regular Memory Channels. Use those for FM repeaters. Example
for Repeater List - Group 1:

not here

here

“Repeater Call Sign” (RPT1) includes the repeater’s module letter in the 8th position. (Convention: 2M =
C; 70cm = B.) “Gateway Call Sign” (RPT2) must have a G (= Gateway) in the 8th position.2

2. Select “Call Sign” and “Your Call Sign” to get the Your Call Sign
list (see right). Enter or edit the info. CQCQCQ is for talking to
anyone listening. The U, I and E stand for Unlink, Info and Echo
and all must be in the 8th position. The others are for linking to
various reflectors. What you enter here should be customized for
your needs. For now, this will get you started.

3. Once everything is set, write to the radio (or use
Clone/Write from the menu).

Now let’s use the ID-880H radio.

1. Enter DR mode by pressing [DR] button. -DR- will appear on the display; and r will appear below.
Next select the group. Long press [BAND], rotate [DIAL] to the desired group and press [BAND] again to
exit. Now rotate [DIAL] to select the desired repeater.

2. Press [CS] to enter current call sign mode. U will appear beneath -DR-. Press enter [ ] (MONI) to
enter the selection mode. Rotate [DIAL] to select the desired UR command and press enter [ ] (MONI)
to select it.

3. Then key the radio with PTT to either talk using CQCQCQ or for just a second or two (kerchunk) to
send the UR command to the repeater. The repeater should acknowledge the command with a voice
and text response saying it either executed the command or it could not execute it.

4. If you are heard on the local repeater, but not heard on the reflector, check that you have the
repeater’s call sign followed by a G in RPT2. Press [CS] to enter current call sign mode. Rotate [DIAL]
until R2 is shown at the left of the display. If it says “Not Used” rotate [DIAL] until the call sign of the
repeater you are using with a G in the 8th position is displayed and press enter [ ] (MONI).