20 Most Recent Icom IC-M505 - VHF/DSC Marine Transciever - Page 3 Questions & Answers

Have you checked your settings on your receiver to see if they match the repeater you can't receive? CTCSS, DCS, and the digital radio settings can all affect this.

I take it that you are sharing your ICOM's antenna with other equipment. It would also help to know what ICOM you are using. However, it could well be that the multiplexer is preventing the GPS signal from getting to the radio. This is assuming that the GPS receiver actually uses the external antenna. Also, if the radio is in the basement and the GPS antenna is internal to the radio, you may not have enough signal getting to the receiver.

Yes, it can be. Check out MODS.DK and there will be information in there as to how to do it. Go to the MODS section, then ICOM, and you will find it in there.

Try finding some older or newer software for the radio. Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu and Motorola are constantly updating their software and it is not always compatible with older models. Often the serial number range that the software will work with is in the documentation. We see this problem all the time at work. We have several different computers with different versions of software on them so that we can continue to support our older customers, and still work with the newer radios. I have heard that Motorola has decided to stop supporting radios after being released for 5 years. In fact, the software will expire and will not work again. The new Motorola software goes to their website to make sure that it is licensed before it can be used, each and every time. It basically means if your radio dies after 5 years, you won't be able to change anything in it. I am sure other manufacturers will follow this trend if this actually happens.

If you can do a master reset, then the radio should be able to be programmed. Unfortunately, it is possible to BRICK a radio by doing something wrong when in the process of loading info into it from a computer. Bricking a radio basically means that the radio is useless. You may have to send it to ICOM and see if they can get it operational. I don't recommend that anyone updates the firmware in anything unless there is a real need for it. The chances of making the item completely useless when doing this is real. There are a lot of bricked radios on EBAY or being used as door stops because of this.

I am certainly not an expert on such things but from your description it seems like a modulation issue as the carrier is reaching the repeater. Lack of modulation could be a microphone problem or a matter of the audio gain needing to be adjusted or it could be a modulation amplifier fault. I notice the radio has a very comprehensive battery of tools and facilities. Among these is a scope and I am guessing the scope is there as an aid to adjusting and checking the modulation envelope. I suggest some light reading and experimentation... Good luck!

The IC-V8000 is a high power (75 watts) 2 metre radio, it will draw about 15 amps on transmit. Also you might want to make sure your antenna SWR is low about 1.5:1. If you are not receiving anything at all I suspect you may have an antenna issue and this will also effect your transmit as well as the radio will protect its self by reducing the output to almost nothing if the antenna has a high SWR. If you don't have an antenna analyzer check with another amateur radio operator they may know someone who does. Your local amateur radio club most likely will have someone who help you solving your antenna problem.

Reduced power may be due to high SWR.

https://www.icom.co.jp/world/support/download/manual/disp_down.php?GNR=Receiver&TYPE=Base%20Station&PDNM=IC-R71A/IC-R71E/IC-R71D

http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/amateur/mobile/id880h/default.aspx

Can you please provide the actual model that you are using so that I can check up on how it works.

No. Each radio is designed for the country of use and built at the factory that way. Cheaper to buy a new radio.

I am not ham radio savy But this guy on the you tube video below seems to be computer and ham radio savy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6xfsfpWIUw

If the radio is made to be sold only in the US then the phase lock loop is disabled when your are trying to transmit out of the US band edges. Try looking up a MARS circuit mod for this model and it amounts to only clipping one end of a diode to enable the transmitter on all frequencies.

If it can receive some signals that are close to you, then the RF front end protection diodes are likely shorted. This would require someone with expertise in surface mount components to repair. Take it to a dealer and have them look at it.

It could be that you have a power supply problem as it seems to be that way with both radios. Linear power supply pass transistors fail quite often. Switch mode power supplies aren't much better. Their electrolytic capacitors are quite often defective.

I suggest you post this question on a Ham Radio web site.