Msg Nr. : 37206 Da : PE1OZA Per : ICOM @EU Tipo/status : B$ Data/ora : 0903/0838 Dimensione : 2095 Titolo : IC-W2E crossband repeater function Bid (Mid) : 45503_PI8DRE Modification Instructions for the IC-W2A Handheld Cross Band Repeat Function To access the cross-band repeat function, first perform the extended receive mod by holding down the Light/B/# keys while turning on the power. To enable cross-band repeat, set each band to the frequency and mode desired. Set the current band to VHF. Press and hold Function, press 2 and #. The little "L" indicator will flash. The radio is now in the cross-band repeat mode. To disable, press Function + #. Msg Nr. : 37207 Da : PE1OZA Per : ICOM @EU Tipo/status : B$ Data/ora : 0903/0841 Dimensione : 3231 Titolo : IC-W2E expanded Rx MOD Bid (Mid) : 45504_PI8DRE ICOM W2(E) frequency expanding To expand the ICOM IC-W2 Rx range, you have to do the following, 1) Turn off the radio 2) Push and hold : FUNCTION and # and B (or 3 and # and B) 3) Turn on the radio. The display will show all functions. Now your ICOM can receive a lot of interesting frequencies. However ICOM assures a very good result on the following bands: 108 - 136 MHz ( AM ) 136 - 175 MHz ( FM ) 320 - 520 MHz ( FM ) 800 - 980 MHz ( FM ) I also did some measurements on the VCOs. The VHF VCO locks between 78-370 MHz With changeover points: 136, 175, 200, 250 and 310 MHz Also the frondend is tuned to the low bandpart (with varicaps) between 108-136MHz, so Rx below 108 MHz is not so sensitive. And the UHF VFO locks between 330-520 and 700-1000 MHz With changeover points: 441, 425, 808 and 870 MHz Here are some RX reports by JBE; -------------------------------- RX Freq Sensitivity (12db sinad) ------------------------------------------------- 126MHz - 111dBm 136MHz - 123dBm 145MHz <*** Main ***> - 125dBm 160MHz - 123dBm 174MHz - 110dBm 190MHz - 67dBm Low vfo ------------------------------------------------- 390MHz - 108dBm 430MHz <*** Main ****> - 124dBm 452MHz - 105dBm 470MHz - 103dBm 485MHz - 104dBm 850MHz - 110dBm 900MHz - 116dBm 925MHz - 114dBm 935MHz - 112dBm 950MHz - 107dBm 999MHz - 96dBm Hi vfo ------------------------------------------------- Msg Nr. : 37208 Da : PE1OZA Per : ICOM @EU Tipo/status : B$ Data/ora : 0903/0844 Dimensione : 5559 Titolo : IC-W2E expanded Tx MOD Bid (Mid) : 45505_PI8DRE Modification Instructions for the IC-W2E Handheld Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department ((206) 454-8155) and order a pair of MA133 diodes (P/N 1790000850), And a MA132WK (installed in the SEA version). These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages. It is probably not advisable to substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The modification involves removing two surface mount components and installing tree others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel ________________________________________________ | | | -------- -------- | | | | | | |--- | | CPU-1 | | CPU-2 | | | | | | | | | P | | -------- -------- | T | | .. .. | T | | -------- D15-> V V <-D16 | | | -------- ` ` |--- | .<: <-D21 ---------- | | .. | |fuse | | | | D22-> V ---------- | | ` .. | | D23-> V | | ` .. | | V <-D? | | ` | D21, D22 and D23 are locations on the board. Only D22 is installed at the factory. To perform the mod, you must do the following: Remove D15 Remove D22 Install D16 Install D21 Install D23 The locations of D21 and D23 are clearly silk screened onto the circuit board and are easy to locate. Don't attempt to re-use D22. The periods (..) show the approximate location of the solder pads for the 2-legged sides of the diodes. Diode D22 may be removed by carefully heating the leads and prying it up using a sharp tool. Be very careful since it's easy to lift the solder pads. One method of installing diodes D21 and D23 is to use a very small drop of super glue to mount the part, and then use a soldering iron to tack down the pins. After the parts are installed, reassemble the radio. Although the manufacturer recommends that the microprocessor be reset after this mod, I have found it to be unnecessary. All memories retained their settings after the mod. Tests using a dummy load and a frequency counter showed TX ability on UHF from under 400MHz to over 480MHz. And TX ability on VHF from under 115MHz to over 185MHz. But the transmitter enables from 0.1-200 MHz on the VHF band and 0.1-600 MHz on the UHF band. And not in the 900 MHz band. Msg Nr. : 51242 Da : EB2AQH Per : ICOM @EU Tipo/status : BF Data/ora : 1012/1537 Dimensione : 6728 Titolo : MODS ICOM IC-W2A Bid (Mid) : 23701_EB2EHA ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ICOM IC-W2A MOD ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Modification Instructions for the IC-W2A Handheld Two mods, one for Cross Band Repeat and one for extended TX range Cross Band Repeat Function To access the cross-band repeat function, first perform the extended receive mod by holding down the Light/B/# keys while turning on the power. To enable cross-band repeat, set each band to the frequency and mode desired. Set the current band to VHF. Press (Function-2) (Function-Enter) and the little "L" indicator will flash. The radio is now in the cross-band repeat mode. Do disable, press (Function-Enter) again. Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department and order a pair of MA133 diodes (#1790000850). (Call 206-454-8155 about $3.00 each, ask for Kimberly) These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages. Do not substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The modification involves removing one surface mount component and installing two others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel _____________________________________________________ ! -------- -------- ! ! ! ! ! !--- ! CPU-1 ! ! CPU-2 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! P ! -------- -------- ! T ! ! T ! -------- ! ! -------- !--- .<: <-D1 ---------- ! .. ! !fuse ! ! ! D2-> V ---------- ! .. ! D3-> V ! .. ! V <-D? ! ! D1, D2 and D3 are locations on the board. Only D2 is installed at the factory. =============================================================================== In article esaholm@polaris.utu.fi (Esa Holmberg) writes: >crisp@mips.com (Richard Crisp) writes: > >>I have gotten a very large and much appreciated response for the mods I >>requested. Many thanks to all that responded. > > I have recently got an IC-W2E, and I'd also appreciate > those mods, or even hints, where to look them for.. > > Thanks Here is a collection of the mods. Enjoy folks, and thanks for the help! For crossband repeat, just set up each band with the mode which you want to use, and then hit 2 ENTER - To cancel hit 2 ENTER again. -fred -- | Fred Lloyd AA7BQ Fred.Lloyd@West.sun.com | | Sun Microsystems, Inc. ...sun!flloyd | | Phoenix, AZ (reality -- what a concept!) (602) 275-4242 | ________________ This is less of a mod than it is a function. To expand the receiver frequency range of the new Icom IC-W2A to 118.00-170.00, 322.00-513.00, and 800.000-970.000, do the following: o Hold down the Light, B, and # keys while turning the power on. That's actually a four button sequence, since power on is controlled by a keypad button. -- 73, Paul _____________________________________________________________________ From the shack of Paul MacDonald! Packet Radio: WA1OMM@KB4N.NH.USA / / /\ / /~~/ /\/\ /\/\ /\ / /\ (~ / / / / /\ /\ / / / \/\/ /~~\ / /__/ / / / / ~ / V /~~\ ) /~/ /_/ /~~\, / V /~/ Internet: ...ubbs-nh!wa1omm!paul CIS: 70411,626 PLink: UPPERCRUST ________________ Modification Instructions for the IC-W2A Handheld Two mods, one for Cross Band Repeat and one for extended TX range Cross Band Repeat Function To access the cross-band repeat function, first perform the extended receive mod by holding down the Light/B/# keys while turning on the power. To enable cross-band repeat, set each band to the frequency and mode desired. Set the current band to VHF. Press (Function-2) (Function-Enter) and the little "L" indicator will flash. The radio is now in the cross-band repeat mode. Do disable, press (Function-Enter) again. Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department ((206) 454-8155) and order a pair of MA133 diodes (P/N 1790000850). These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages. It is probably not advisable to substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The modification involves removing one surface mount component and installing two others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel _____________________________________________________ | -------- -------- | | | | | |--- | CPU-1 | | CPU-2 | | | | | | | | P | -------- -------- | T | | T | -------- | | -------- |--- .<: <-D1 ---------- | .. | |fuse | | | D2-> V ---------- | .. | D3-> V | .. | V <-D? | | D1, D2 and D3 are locations on the board. Only D2 is installed at the factory. To perform the mod, you must do the following: Remove D2 Install D1 Install D3 The locations of D1 and D3 are clearly silk screened onto the circuit board and are easy to locate. Don't attempt to re-use D2. The periods (..) show the approximate location of the solder pads for the 2-legged sides of the diodes. Diode D2 may be removed by carefully heating the leads and prying it up using a sharp tool. Be very careful since it's easy to lift the solder pads. One method of installing diodes D1 and D3 is to use a very small drop of super glue to mount the part, and then use a soldering iron to tack down the pins. After the parts are installed, reassemble the radio. Although the manufacturer recommends that the microprocessor be reset after this mod, I have found it to be unnecessary. All memories retained their settings after the mod. Tests using a dummy load and a frequency counter showed TX ability on UHF from under 400MHz to over 490MHz. TX on VHF covers from 136MHz to 174MHz. -fred AA7BQ -- | Fred Lloyd AA7BQ Fred.Lloyd@West.sun.com | | Sun Microsystems, Inc. ...sun!flloyd | | Phoenix, AZ (reality -- what a concept!) (602) 275-4242 | ________________ Now for the added part - multi-digit entry for mhz After doing the above, REQUIRED!! select the VHF band as MAIN push F (above the PTT button) and SET (the 8 button) then using the ^/SCAN button make the lower right symbol of the band say PL rotate the right knob to set the display to 1,10, or 100 as desired 1 sets entry to single digits only 10 sets entry to 10's and single digits 100 sets entry to all digits hit PTT Now - repeat the above for the UHF band - Note It WILL NOT work unless you do it for BOTH bands. You now have a walkie that requires all the digits (assuming you chose 100) to program it's frequencies. /s/ Bob Gettys N1BRM ________________ Rupert, Here is more info on the the performance of the W2A after the mod. John. N0LHW Well folks I have had my IC-W2A for one week now & am,needless to say suitably impressed. But now my comments... Why did Icom have to change the DC input socket to what the W2A has. It is very unusual & as far as I can find out, Icom are the only people who can supply a plug for it. I think they should have stayed with the more common 2.1mm DC jack as per the IC-32AT. I did some checks of the receivers using an IFR 500A signal generator & the following is what signal level I needed to get 1 "S" point on the W2A's S meters. At 70mhz, 1mV (milli-volts) 80mhz 0.5mV 90mhz 0.25mV 100mhz 75uV (micro-volts) 110mhz 1.5uV From here to 170mhz less than 0.2uV 173mhz 1.5uV 174mhz 75uV 200mhz 75uV 250mhz 0.5mV (whats going on here???) 275mhz 4uV 300mhz 1.5uV 320mhz 5uV (changed to UHF main VFO from here on) 400 - 450mhz less than 0.35uV 460mhz 0.75uV 465 - 510mhz less than 1uV 520 - 690mhz less than 2uV 700 - 999mhz varies from 7.5uV to 2uV, dips to 0.35uV at 900mhz. Quite impressive, but I would really like to get better sensitivity at the 70 - 80mhz end. Studying the circuit diagram shows bandpass/bandstop filters all over the show, so maybe its possible to modify a few to increase sensitivity here. I am gathering together the ciruits of the Icom IC-R1, IC-24AT & W2A to compare the front ends so we will see what comes of this experiment in the near future. One other worry was the on/off switch, how do you turn the set off when the battery is flat. I am concerned about running the battery to zero volts, hopefully this does not occur. I have been disconnecting the battery when charging to prevent anything funny happening. The antenna supplied with my W2A is an FA-1443BB, whats the difference between this & the FA-1443B, & the FA-4B supplied with an IC-R1. One more gripe, I dont like the plastic plug/covers over the DC jack, headphone, external speaker sockets, they should have been rubber as per the IC-32AT, as I can see already that they will not last very long after prolonged use. Boy what a moaner, you say, small complaints but this would really have made it the best. I wonder what Yaesu & Kenwood are going to do to compete with this??? Cheers C. Tetenburg (ZL1BQJ) Internet: charlie@mof.govt.nz Network Controller Ministry of Forestry Computer Centre Forest Research Institute Sala St. Rotorua New Zealand >From daemon Mon Jul 15 23:39:24 1991 Received: by violet.berkeley.edu (5.61/1.32) id AA03693; Mon, 15 Jul 91 14:39:02 PDT Date: Mon, 15 Jul 91 14:39:02 PDT From: admitq@violet.berkeley.edu (Graduate Division-Admissions) Message-Id: <9107152139.AA03693@violet.berkeley.edu> To: info-admin@infoac.rmi.de Subject: Re: Request: rig; Topic: icom_ic_w2 Status: OR Thanks For The IC W2A Mods. The extended receive that HRO Oakland gave me differs slightly from the posted version...my display (sensitivity is another matter) indicated RX from DC to somewhere just below IR after: turn off simultaneously press-funct-3-B-# keys turn on (end of mod) It has been pointed out that only the funct is different from previously posted version, but I wonder. I get the feeling that there are many more hidden tricks to this rig that only ICOM knows about. I'd really be curious about any kind of data transfer/ cloning capabilities it may have, etc. -73 de Michael Dahl KC6UFR e-mail: admitq@violet.berkeley.edu A couple of weeks ago I posted an inquiry about bad transmit audio in a IC-W2 handheld. I would like to thank everybody who sent in their response. Some said their radios work well, one said his doesn't and one told Icom America had repaired similar symptoms in his friend's radio. A later comparison with a healthy unit confirmed that the fault wasn't between the operator's ears...:-) However, Jukka, OH2BUA, a good friend of mine happened to work me with his brand new IC-2SRE. He had audio characteristics astonishingly similar to my radio. As a result to my complaints he opened his radio and cured the problem. Last Monday I did the same job and here it comes: ---------------------------- W A R N I N G ------------------------------- Servicing your radio by yourself may void the warranty. The author takes no responsibility whatsoever of the possible hassles with warranty codes intended for technically non-experienced radio users. If you are not a qualified radio service technician on if you are not accustomed to work with extremely miniature surface-mount components, return your radio to the dealer with the following instructions. ---------------------------- W A R N I N G -------------------------------- Radio: IC-W2A/E, IC-2SRA/E, IC-4SRA/E Trouble: Weak transmit audio, deviation below the specifications, high end of the speech spectrum missing. Tools needed: A good soldering iron with a sharp tip, desoldering braid, solder, sharp-nosed pliers, small cross-point screwdrivers. Cure: 1. Open the radio case following the instructions in the owner's manual (p. 45). 2. In radios fitted with the UT-63 board, pull out the board. 3. Unscrew the two small screws holding the tin plate against the bottom ends of the band modules. Pull out the plate. 4. Pull out the band modules. 5. Now you see the microfone fitted to the mother board. It should fit neatly against the inside of the fascia panel. If it doesn't, carry on. 6. Unsolder the microphone leads from the mother board. BE CAREFUL not to overheat the board and the wire insulation. 7. Pull out the microphone and the rubber gasket. 8. Re-install the gasket. Pull in the microphone so that it fits inside the gasket well and press it firmly to the end. 9. Re-solder the mic wires. 10. Install the band modules, the tin plate and don't forget the screws. 11. Replace the rear panel. 12. Tighten the 7 screws. 13. Test the audio response. (c) OH2BUA and OH3BK, 1991. Unlimited reproduction allowed. -- Richard Crisp crisp@mips.com MIPS Computer Systems !decwrl!mips!crisp 928 Arques MS 5-07 (408) 524-7250 Sunnyvale, Ca 94086 Path: njitgw.njit.edu!rutgers!jvnc.net!darwin.sura.net!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!agate!rsoft!mindlink!a3853 From: Jim_Sollows@mindlink.bc.ca (Jim Sollows) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc Subject: Re: Modifications for ICOM handhelds Message-ID: <14048@mindlink.bc.ca> Date: 7 Aug 92 00:37:35 GMT Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada Lines: 19 AH the truth of the matter is that if you set PL to 100 you can enter and recieve any frequency between 100MHz and 999MHz, then by rotating the tuning dial you can push the radio beyond the 1GHz mark and keyboard enter all the way to 1.2GHz. Here is the complete Mod....try it for yourself. Hold Down 3 # B Turn power on Hold for 30 seconds Enter Set Mode Use ^/Scan key to select PL Use tuning dial to change the PL Setting as below: PL = 1 range 140.000 to 149.995 PL = 10 range 100.000 to 199.995 PL = 100 range 100.000 to 999.995 note reception above 999.995MHz and below 100.000MHz is possible but very poor selectivity. ============================================================================= Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc From: bryan@edgar.mn.org (Bryan Halvorson) Subject: Re: W2A receiver modification Message-ID: <1993May02.043741.25872@edgar.mn.org> Reply-To: bryan@edgar.mn.org Organization: Electronics 101. Apple Valley MN References: <1993May1.155436.1@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu> Date: Sun, 02 May 1993 04:37:41 GMT Lines: 54 In article <1993May1.155436.1@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu> u95_dgold@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu writes: > I've heard of a mod to increase the UHF out of band receive sensitivity of the > W2A. Could anyone please send me or post more information about this. I've got a diagram that shows how to do it but it's not real good at labeling pin numbers so I'll try to describe it. One word of warning. The parts involved here are surface mount and are very tiny. It's very easy to screw something up and loose UHF receive. You need to open up the the UHF unit inside the radio and look at the component side of the board. Q7 is a 5 pin surface mount IC that is near the edge of the board, about a half an inch from the URF unit. There are 2 pins on the side nearest the URF unit. You must lift the one nearest the edge of the board. Most of the people that I know who've tried this have broken off the IC leg or lifted the pad from the circuit board. I don't see Q7 in the schematic, I think it's D7 in there. Q3 is a surface mount transistor thats near the center of the board about three quarters of an inch from the URF unit. Once you've lifted the pin on Q7 you attach the cathode end of a 1N34 diode to it. The anode end of the diode goes to the pin on Q3 that only has one pin on that side. It sounds easy but Q7 is in a very tight corner. Here's an attempt at diagramming the locations. The "<-" mark where the connections should be. ----------------------------------------------------------- Q3 _ ___ |_|<- |L1 | ----------- |___| ---------------- | | VCO | Q7 | UNIT | _ | URF unit | | | | | | | | ----------- |_|<- ---------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- -- Bryan Halvorson bryan@edgar.mn.org N0BUU bryan@n0buu.tcman.ampr.org ============================================================================ Msg Nr. : 49386 Da : IW3GRX Per : MOD Tipo/status : PN Data/ora : 0521/2135 Dimensione : 7174 Titolo : Alcune modifiche per l'ICW2 Bid (Mid) : 4365_IW3GRW ллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл From: gettys@yacht.enet.dec.com (Bob Gettys) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc Subject: IC-W2A multi-digit MHZ entry procedure Message-ID: <21940@shlump.nac.dec.com> Date: 9 Apr 91 20:21:46 GMT Sender: newsdaemon@shlump.nac.dec.com Reply-To: gettys@yacht.enet.dec.com (Bob Gettys) Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 39 More stuff on the IC-W2A - Thanks to Paul for this part which is REQUIRED for the next step!! This is less of a mod than it is a function. To expand the receiver frequency range of the new Icom IC-W2A to 118.00-170.00, 322.00-513.00, and 800.000-970.000, do the following: o Hold down the Light, B, and # keys while turning the power on. That's actually a four button sequence, since power on is controlled by a keypad button. -- 73, Paul _____________________________________________________________________ From the shack of Paul MacDonald! Packet Radio: WA1OMM@KB4N.NH.USA / / /\ / /~~/ /\/\ /\/\ /\ / /\ (~ / / / / /\ /\ / / / \/\/ /~~\ / /__/ / / / / ~ / V /~~\ ) /~/ /_/ /~~\, / V /~/ Now for the added part - multi-digit entry for mhz After doing the above, REQUIRED!! select the VHF band as MAIN push F (above the PTT button) and SET (the 8 button) then using the ^/SCAN button make the lower right symbol of the band say PL rotate the right knob to set the display to 1,10, or 100 as desired 1 sets entry to single digits only 10 sets entry to 10's and single digits 100 sets entry to all digits hit PTT Now - repeat the above for the UHF band - Note It WILL NOT work unless you do it for BOTH bands. You now have a walkie that requires all the digits (assuming you chose 100) to program it's frequencies. /s/ Bob Gettys N1BRM From: flloyd@L1-A.West.Sun.COM (Fred Lloyd SUN Phoenix SE 602-275-5537 x17) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc Subject: IC-W2A MOD Summary: cross-band repeat, extended TX Message-ID: <1641@west.West.Sun.COM> Date: 29 Apr 91 17:08:24 GMT Sender: news@west.West.Sun.COM Organization: Sun Microsystems, Phoenix, AZ Lines: 119 Modification Instructions for the IC-W2A Handheld Two mods, one for Cross Band Repeat and one for extended TX range Cross Band Repeat Function To access the cross-band repeat function, first perform the extended receive mod by holding down the Light/B/# keys while turning on the power. To enable cross-band repeat, set each band to the frequency and mode desired. Set the current band to VHF. Press (Function-2) (Function-Enter) and the little "L" indicator will flash. The radio is now in the cross-band repeat mode. Do disable, press (Function-Enter) again. Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department ((206) 454-8155) and order a pair of MA133 diodes (P/N 1790000850). These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages. It is probably not advisable to substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The modification involves removing one surface mount component and installing two others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel _____________________________________________________ | -------- -------- | | | | | |--- | CPU-1 | | CPU-2 | | | | | | | | P | -------- -------- | T | | T | -------- | | -------- |--- .<: <-D1 ---------- | .. | |fuse | | | D2-> V ---------- | .. | D3-> V | .. | V <-D? | | D1, D2 and D3 are locations on the board. Only D2 is installed at the factory. To perform the mod, you must do the following: Remove D2 Install D1 Install D3 The locations of D1 and D3 are clearly silk screened onto the circuit board and are easy to locate. Don't attempt to re-use D2. The periods (..) show the approximate location of the solder pads for the 2-legged sides of the diodes. Diode D2 may be removed by carefully heating the leads and prying it up using a sharp tool. Be very careful since it's easy to lift the solder pads. One method of installing diodes D1 and D3 is to use a very small drop of super glue to mount the part, and then use a soldering iron to tack down the pins. After the parts are installed, reassemble the radio. Although the manufacturer recommends that the microprocessor be reset after this mod, I have found it to be unnecessary. All memories retained their settings after the mod. Tests using a dummy load and a frequency counter showed TX ability on UHF from under 400MHz to over 490MHz. TX on VHF covers from 136MHz to 174MHz. 73's, -fred AA7BQ -- | Fred Lloyd AA7BQ Fred.Lloyd@West.sun.com | | Sun Microsystems, Inc. ...sun!flloyd | | Phoenix, AZ (reality -- what a concept!) (602) 275-4242 | ллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллл Msg Nr. : 135195 Da : IW3GRX Per : MOD Tipo/status : PN Data/ora : 0105/0058 Dimensione : 5123 Bid (Mid) : 4123_IW3GRX Titolo : Alcune modifiche per l'ICW2 Article 2002 of rec.radio.amateur.misc: Path: serval!milton!dali.cs.montana.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!convex!texsun!newstop!west!L1-A.West.Sun.COM!flloyd From: flloyd@L1-A.West.Sun.COM (Fred Lloyd SUN Phoenix SE 602-275-5537 x17) Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc Subject: IC-W2A MOD Summary: cross-band repeat, extended TX Message-ID: <1641@west.West.Sun.COM> Date: 29 Apr 91 17:08:24 GMT Sender: news@west.West.Sun.COM Organization: Sun Microsystems, Phoenix, AZ Lines: 119 Modification Instructions for the IC-W2A Handheld Two mods, one for Cross Band Repeat and one for extended TX range Cross Band Repeat Function To access the cross-band repeat function, first perform the extended receive mod by holding down the Light/B/# keys while turning on the power. To enable cross-band repeat, set each band to the frequency and mode desired. Set the current band to VHF. Press (Function-2) (Function-Enter) and the little "L" indicator will flash. The radio is now in the cross-band repeat mode. Do disable, press (Function-Enter) again. Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department ((206) 454-8155) and order a pair of MA133 diodes (P/N 1790000850). These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages. It is probably not advisable to substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The modification involves removing one surface mount component and installing two others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel _____________________________________________________ | -------- -------- | | | | | |--- | CPU-1 | | CPU-2 | | | | | | | | P | -------- -------- | T | | T | -------- | | -------- |--- .<: <-D1 ---------- | .. | |fuse | | | D2-> V ---------- | .. | D3-> V | .. | V <-D? | | D1, D2 and D3 are locations on the board. Only D2 is installed at the factory. To perform the mod, you must do the following: Remove D2 Install D1 Install D3 The locations of D1 and D3 are clearly silk screened onto the circuit board and are easy to locate. Don't attempt to re-use D2. The periods (..) show the approximate location of the solder pads for the 2-legged sides of the diodes. Diode D2 may be removed by carefully heating the leads and prying it up using a sharp tool. Be very careful since it's easy to lift the solder pads. One method of installing diodes D1 and D3 is to use a very small drop of super glue to mount the part, and then use a soldering iron to tack down the pins. After the parts are installed, reassemble the radio. Although the manufacturer recommends that the microprocessor be reset after this mod, I have found it to be unnecessary. All memories retained their settings after the mod. Tests using a dummy load and a frequency counter showed TX ability on UHF from under 400MHz to over 490MHz. TX on VHF covers from 136MHz to 174MHz. 73's, -fred AA7BQ -- | Fred Lloyd AA7BQ Fred.Lloyd@West.sun.com | | Sun Microsystems, Inc. ...sun!flloyd | | Phoenix, AZ (reality -- what a concept!) (602) 275-4242 | Msg Nr. : 154590 Da : IW3GRX Per : TMP Tipo/status : PN Data/ora : 0219/1759 Dimensione :21533 Bid (Mid) : 23518_IW3GRX Titolo : Alcune modifiche per l'ICW2 ************************************************************************ Subject: Icom W2A Mods >crisp@mips.com (Richard Crisp) writes: > >>I have gotten a very large and much appreciated response for the mods I >>requested. Many thanks to all that responded. > > I have recently got an IC-W2E, and I'd also appreciate > those mods, or even hints, where to look them for.. > > Thanks Here is a collection of the mods. Enjoy folks, and thanks for the help! For crossband repeat, just set up each band with the mode which you want to use, and then hit 2 ENTER - To cancel hit 2 ENTER again. -fred -- | Fred Lloyd AA7BQ Fred.Lloyd@West.sun.com | | Sun Microsystems, Inc. ...sun!flloyd | | Phoenix, AZ (reality -- what a concept!) (602) 275-4242 | ________________ This is less of a mod than it is a function. To expand the receiver frequency range of the new Icom IC-W2A to 118.00-170.00, 322.00-513.00, and 800.000-970.000, do the following: o Hold down the Light, B, and # keys while turning the power on. That's actually a four button sequence, since power on is controlled by a keypad button. -- 73, Paul _____________________________________________________________________ From the shack of Paul MacDonald! Packet Radio: WA1OMM@KB4N.NH.USA / / /\ / /~~/ /\/\ /\/\ /\ / /\ (~ / / / / /\ /\ / / / \/\/ /~~\ / /__/ / / / / ~ / V /~~\ ) /~/ /_/ /~~\, / V /~/ Internet: ...ubbs-nh!wa1omm!paul CIS: 70411,626 PLink: UPPERCRUST ________________ Modification Instructions for the IC-W2A Handheld Two mods, one for Cross Band Repeat and one for extended TX range Cross Band Repeat Function To access the cross-band repeat function, first perform the extended receive mod by holding down the Light/B/# keys while turning on the power. To enable cross-band repeat, set each band to the frequency and mode desired. Set the current band to VHF. Press (Function-2) (Function-Enter) and the little "L" indicator will flash. The radio is now in the cross-band repeat mode. Do disable, press (Function-Enter) again. Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department ((206) 454-8155) and order a pair of MA133 diodes (P/N 1790000850). These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages. It is probably not advisable to substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The modification involves removing one surface mount component and installing two others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel _____________________________________________________ | -------- -------- | | | | | |--- | CPU-1 | | CPU-2 | | | | | | | | P | -------- -------- | T | | T | -------- | | -------- |--- .<: <-D1 ---------- | .. | |fuse | | | D2-> V ---------- | .. | D3-> V | .. | V <-D? | | D1, D2 and D3 are locations on the board. Only D2 is installed at the factory. To perform the mod, you must do the following: Remove D2 Install D1 Install D3 The locations of D1 and D3 are clearly silk screened onto the circuit board and are easy to locate. Don't attempt to re-use D2. The periods (..) show the approximate location of the solder pads for the 2-legged sides of the diodes. Diode D2 may be removed by carefully heating the leads and prying it up using a sharp tool. Be very careful since it's easy to lift the solder pads. One method of installing diodes D1 and D3 is to use a very small drop of super glue to mount the part, and then use a soldering iron to tack down the pins. After the parts are installed, reassemble the radio. Although the manufacturer recommends that the microprocessor be reset after this mod, I have found it to be unnecessary. All memories retained their settings after the mod. Tests using a dummy load and a frequency counter showed TX ability on UHF from under 400MHz to over 490MHz. TX on VHF covers from 136MHz to 174MHz. -fred AA7BQ -- | Fred Lloyd AA7BQ Fred.Lloyd@West.sun.com | | Sun Microsystems, Inc. ...sun!flloyd | | Phoenix, AZ (reality -- what a concept!) (602) 275-4242 | ________________ Now for the added part - multi-digit entry for mhz After doing the above, REQUIRED!! select the VHF band as MAIN push F (above the PTT button) and SET (the 8 button) then using the ^/SCAN button make the lower right symbol of the band say PL rotate the right knob to set the display to 1,10, or 100 as desired 1 sets entry to single digits only 10 sets entry to 10's and single digits 100 sets entry to all digits hit PTT Now - repeat the above for the UHF band - Note It WILL NOT work unless you do it for BOTH bands. You now have a walkie that requires all the digits (assuming you chose 100) to program it's frequencies. /s/ Bob Gettys N1BRM ________________ Rupert, Here is more info on the the performance of the W2A after the mod. John. N0LHW Well folks I have had my IC-W2A for one week now & am,needless to say suitably impressed. But now my comments... Why did Icom have to change the DC input socket to what the W2A has. It is very unusual & as far as I can find out, Icom are the only people who can supply a plug for it. I think they should have stayed with the more common 2.1mm DC jack as per the IC-32AT. I did some checks of the receivers using an IFR 500A signal generator & the following is what signal level I needed to get 1 "S" point on the W2A's S meters. At 70mhz, 1mV (milli-volts) 80mhz 0.5mV 90mhz 0.25mV 100mhz 75uV (micro-volts) 110mhz 1.5uV From here to 170mhz less than 0.2uV 173mhz 1.5uV 174mhz 75uV 200mhz 75uV 250mhz 0.5mV (whats going on here???) 275mhz 4uV 300mhz 1.5uV 320mhz 5uV (changed to UHF main VFO from here on) 400 - 450mhz less than 0.35uV 460mhz 0.75uV 465 - 510mhz less than 1uV 520 - 690mhz less than 2uV 700 - 999mhz varies from 7.5uV to 2uV, dips to 0.35uV at 900mhz. Quite impressive, but I would really like to get better sensitivity at the 70 - 80mhz end. Studying the circuit diagram shows bandpass/bandstop filters all over the show, so maybe its possible to modify a few to increase sensitivity here. I am gathering together the ciruits of the Icom IC-R1, IC-24AT & W2A to compare the front ends so we will see what comes of this experiment in the near future. One other worry was the on/off switch, how do you turn the set off when the battery is flat. I am concerned about running the battery to zero volts, hopefully this does not occur. I have been disconnecting the battery when charging to prevent anything funny happening. The antenna supplied with my W2A is an FA-1443BB, whats the difference between this & the FA-1443B, & the FA-4B supplied with an IC-R1. One more gripe, I dont like the plastic plug/covers over the DC jack, headphone, external speaker sockets, they should have been rubber as per the IC-32AT, as I can see already that they will not last very long after prolonged use. Boy what a moaner, you say, small complaints but this would really have made it the best. I wonder what Yaesu & Kenwood are going to do to compete with this??? Cheers C. Tetenburg (ZL1BQJ) Internet: charlie@mof.govt.nz Network Controller Ministry of Forestry Computer Centre Forest Research Institute Sala St. Rotorua New Zealand >From daemon Mon Jul 15 23:39:24 1991 Received: by violet.berkeley.edu (5.61/1.32) id AA03693; Mon, 15 Jul 91 14:39:02 PDT Date: Mon, 15 Jul 91 14:39:02 PDT From: admitq@violet.berkeley.edu (Graduate Division-Admissions) Message-Id: <9107152139.AA03693@violet.berkeley.edu> To: info-admin@infoac.rmi.de #Subject: Re: Request: rig; Topic: icom_ic_w2 Status: OR Thanks For The IC W2A Mods. The extended receive that HRO Oakland gave me differs slightly from the posted version...my display (sensitivity is another matter) indicated RX from DC to somewhere just below IR after: turn off simultaneously press-funct-3-B-# keys turn on (end of mod) It has been pointed out that only the funct is different from previously posted version, but I wonder. I get the feeling that there are many more hidden tricks to this rig that only ICOM knows about. I'd really be curious about any kind of data transfer/ cloning capabilities it may have, etc. -73 de Michael Dahl KC6UFR e-mail: admitq@violet.berkeley.edu A couple of weeks ago I posted an inquiry about bad transmit audio in a IC-W2 handheld. I would like to thank everybody who sent in their response. Some said their radios work well, one said his doesn't and one told Icom America had repaired similar symptoms in his friend's radio. A later comparison with a healthy unit confirmed that the fault wasn't between the operator's ears...:-) However, Jukka, OH2BUA, a good friend of mine happened to work me with his brand new IC-2SRE. He had audio characteristics astonishingly similar to my radio. As a result to my complaints he opened his radio and cured the problem. Last Monday I did the same job and here it comes: ---------------------------- W A R N I N G ------------------------------- Servicing your radio by yourself may void the warranty. The author takes no responsibility whatsoever of the possible hassles with warranty codes intended for technically non-experienced radio users. If you are not a qualified radio service technician on if you are not accustomed to work with extremely miniature surface-mount components, return your radio to the dealer with the following instructions. ---------------------------- W A R N I N G -------------------------------- Radio: IC-W2A/E, IC-2SRA/E, IC-4SRA/E Trouble: Weak transmit audio, deviation below the specifications, high end of the speech spectrum missing. Tools needed: A good soldering iron with a sharp tip, desoldering braid, solder, sharp-nosed pliers, small cross-point screwdrivers. Cure: 1. Open the radio case following the instructions in the owner's manual (p. 45). 2. In radios fitted with the UT-63 board, pull out the board. 3. Unscrew the two small screws holding the tin plate against the bottom ends of the band modules. Pull out the plate. 4. Pull out the band modules. 5. Now you see the microfone fitted to the mother board. It should fit neatly against the inside of the fascia panel. If it doesn't, carry on. 6. Unsolder the microphone leads from the mother board. BE CAREFUL not to overheat the board and the wire insulation. 7. Pull out the microphone and the rubber gasket. 8. Re-install the gasket. Pull in the microphone so that it fits inside the gasket well and press it firmly to the end. 9. Re-solder the mic wires. 10. Install the band modules, the tin plate and don't forget the screws. 11. Replace the rear panel. 12. Tighten the 7 screws. 13. Test the audio response. (c) OH2BUA and OH3BK, 1991. Unlimited reproduction allowed. -- Richard Crisp crisp@mips.com MIPS Computer Systems !decwrl!mips!crisp 928 Arques MS 5-07 (408) 524-7250 Sunnyvale, Ca 94086 Copied from the QRZ! Windows Ham Radio CDROM ************************************************************************ Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc From: bryan@edgar.mn.org (Bryan Halvorson) Subject: Re: W2A receiver modification Message-ID: <1993May02.043741.25872@edgar.mn.org> Reply-To: bryan@edgar.mn.org Organization: Electronics 101. Apple Valley MN References: <1993May1.155436.1@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu> Date: Sun, 02 May 1993 04:37:41 GMT Lines: 54 In article <1993May1.155436.1@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu> u95_dgold@vaxc.stevens-tech.edu writes: > I've heard of a mod to increase the UHF out of band receive sensitivity of the > W2A. Could anyone please send me or post more information about this. I've got a diagram that shows how to do it but it's not real good at labeling pin numbers so I'll try to describe it. One word of warning. The parts involved here are surface mount and are very tiny. It's very easy to screw something up and loose UHF receive. You need to open up the the UHF unit inside the radio and look at the component side of the board. Q7 is a 5 pin surface mount IC that is near the edge of the board, about a half an inch from the URF unit. There are 2 pins on the side nearest the URF unit. You must lift the one nearest the edge of the board. Most of the people that I know who've tried this have broken off the IC leg or lifted the pad from the circuit board. I don't see Q7 in the schematic, I think it's D7 in there. Q3 is a surface mount transistor thats near the center of the board about three quarters of an inch from the URF unit. Once you've lifted the pin on Q7 you attach the cathode end of a 1N34 diode to it. The anode end of the diode goes to the pin on Q3 that only has one pin on that side. It sounds easy but Q7 is in a very tight corner. Here's an attempt at diagramming the locations. The "<-" mark where the connections should be. ----------------------------------------------------------- Q3 _ ___ |_|<- |L1 | ----------- |___| ---------------- | | VCO | Q7 | UNIT | _ | URF unit | | | | | | | | ----------- |_|<- ---------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- -- Bryan Halvorson bryan@edgar.mn.org N0BUU bryan@n0buu.tcman.ampr.org Copied from the QRZ! Windows Ham Radio CDROM ************************************************************************ From riku@juha.fi Fri Jul 2 05:43:39 1993 To: Fred.Lloyd@West Subject: Updated version of IC-W2 extended xmit mod From: Riku Kalinen Content-Length: 4992 I finally updated my copy of those mod instructions. Here it is. If You like to distribute this, please do so. -- Extended Transmit Mod Call the ICOM parts department ((206) 454-8155) and order a pair of MA133 diodes (P/N 1790000860). These are the three terminal surface mount diode packages (possibly SOT-22). It is probably not advisable to substitute conventional leaded glass diodes here due to size restraints. The diodes are connected as follows: 3 ! +--------+--------+ ! ! ! ! +-->!--+-->!--+ ! ! ! ! ! +-+-------------+-+ ! ! 1 2 The modification involves removing one surface mount component and installing two others. The working parts are extremely small and the mod should not be performed unless you are comfortable with working while using a loop eyepiece or other magnifying device. This is a "surgical" operation. Take all the usual precautions with respect to static electricity, etc. Remove 5 screws holding back on, and two screws on side of case below the PTT switch. Gently pry the unit apart. Inside the unit are two RF "stack" units. The complete RF "stack" is composed of two enclosed sheet metal boxes sandwiched together, about 1.5" wide, 2" tall and .5" thick. Each RF stack unit (one per band) is totally self contained, is about .25" thick, and plugs into the "motherboard" using connectors mounted on one end. First, remove the stack units. To do this, remove one screw from each side of the stack. Remove the single screw off the bottom end of the stack and gently remove the metal spring clip holding the stack together. Carefully lift each stack unit out by pulling it back and down. They should easily unplug from the upper motherboard. Set them aside for now. At this time the back side of the front panel is clearly accessible and the two CPU's are visible side-by-side across the top. Now refer to the following illustration: Top of Radio, Back side of Front Panel _____________________________________________________ | -------- -------- | | | | | |--- | CPU-1 | | CPU-2 | | | | | | | | P | -------- -------- | T | | T | -------- | | -------- |--- .<: <-D20 ---------- | .. | |fuse | | | D22-> V ---------- | .. | D19-> V | .. | V <-D? | | D19, D20 and D22 are locations on the board. Only D22 is installed at the factory. To perform the mod, you must do the following: Remove D22 Install D19 Install D20 The locations of D19 and D20 are clearly silk screened onto the circuit board and are easy to locate. Don't attempt to re-use D22 since it is of wrong type. The periods (..) show the approximate location of the solder pads for the 2-legged sides of the diodes. D19 and D20 are not mentioned in any way in the service manual part list. They are drawn in the picture of the logic board, though. Diode D22 may be removed by carefully heating the leads and prying it up using a sharp tool. Be very careful since it's easy to lift the solder pads. One method of installing diodes D19 and D20 is to use a very small drop of super glue to mount the part, and then use a soldering iron to tack down the pins. After the parts are installed, reassemble the radio. Although the manufacturer recommends that the microprocessor be reset after this mod, I have found it to be unnecessary. All memories retained their settings after the mod. Tests using a dummy load and a frequency counter showed TX ability on UHF from under 400MHz to over 490MHz. TX on VHF covers from 136MHz to 174MHz. The effect to the initial matrix goes as follows: - D22 sits between D3 and 11. It is removed. - D19 connects D0 and 11. - D20 connects D1 and 11. These connections are totally undocumented by service manual. Note that D19 and D20 are two-diode devices but it is actually possible to make the modification using two single diodes by connecting them between pins 1 and 2 in the place of SMD diode-pair. The space available is small, so consider this possibility only when You cannot get the SMD devices. -- -- Riku "the bit" Kalinen, Suomen Tietoverkkopalvelu Oy -- Ham: OH2LWO (>= 50MHz) -- X.400: G=Riku;S=Kalinen;O=juha;P=juha;A=mailnet;C=fi -- "Welcome to the party, pal!" -- Bruce Willis in "Die Hard" Copied from the QRZ! Windows Ham Radio CDROM ********************************************************************