Icom 400 pro help needed.

[fnqcairns]

New to UHF and I just fitted one of these, I have read the manual at least 60 times in the last 5 days (there will be a ritual burning later ) and can now navigate, change little things like squelch, beep etc in common settings and do basic open scans but that is about it.

Can I get some help with how to find/set my selcall ID and set/s to be called codes in on this, I tried inputing but there is 5 digits? my mates gme only has a 4 digit code? and there is no option to leave the last digit totally blank only a star which can go anywhere or nowhere, It would be easier cracking a digital bank vault than this bloody thing

And what is a station (to be called ID)?

This set really gets out there but the manual really sucks!!!

Any help appreciated, I have a list of Q as long as my arm but just these will help for now.

cheers fnq

[pongo]

get on ebay and buy a programming cable, then find the software off the net somewhere. the should be plenty of info on them as well.

This is by far the easiest way to program the suckers.


cheers

[Jeeps]

I also have a cable and software it's MUCH easier to use.

Selcal memories:
The 400 pro has 32 selcal memories. This means that you can program 32 different selcal tones into those channels. Memory number 28 is your icom's selcal ident. That is, when someone calls you your radios knows it's being called by comparing the incoming indent to what's in location 28. Whatever you want your selcall ident to be should go into 28.

Selcal form:
The 400 pro has about 12 or so different formats. I found only 1 or 2 will work with uniden radios. You'll need to selcall the other radio and vice versa to see if the format is compatible.

4 or 5 digit selcall ident:
I have found that when a mate has a 4 digit selcal and i have a 5 digit selcal by putting a 1 in FRONT of their ident it works well. So, if their ident is say 2345 i will tell me radio to call 12345 and it usually works. And vice versa. For example, my ident on my pro is 15555 and some of my mates who only have a 4 digit selcall ability will call me as 5555 but if my mate's selcall is 4444 i will call 14444. Put the '1' in front.

Try this advice and see if you have any luck.

[fnqcairns]

Jeeps thanks for that info, the manual has no mention of where the selcall ident hides . Big thanks for explaining how to deal with 4 digit idents - how abstract is that! I would never have stumbled across the idea.

Software here I come, bit of a bugger but worth it in the end I spose.

cheers fnq

[Jeeps]

software can be easily found and the prog cable is about $70 delivered

[Rum 79]

you know you can get 40 watts out of these.

[dogbreath_48]

you know you can get 40 watts out of these.

Do you just need the software, or is it a hardware mod?

And how/how badly would you get busted?

[Rum 79]

software.

dont get caught

[Jeeps]

you know you can get 40 watts out of these.

Do you just need the software, or is it a hardware mod?

And how/how badly would you get busted?

I've cranked a couple of mine (purely for interest) and i've gotten 35-38 watts out of them but they get very hot.

It's illegal to do anymore than the 5 watts.

[familybus]

im doin 110watts outa mine!















ok not straight out but i am doin 10watts outa my pro into a linear wich is doin the 110watts! and any more than 25watts straight out of the back of your pro is plain suicide! 25watts is the only safe bet!

[84ZOOKSTA]

Rum 79 wrote:
you know you can get 40 watts out of these.

Yeah you can but The Final Stage RF amp does not last long.

And voids your warrenty.


Simon...

[Bush65]

Some info on programming here http://www.icom.net.au/Service/Top.htm

[81 rangie]

so how do you crank them up, and how can you get cought, and what are the consequences as i have just bought one

[Jeeps]

In the last few years i know of a few guys who were getting into/out of their car and were approached by men in black suits. They stated that they were from the communications authority and "it had come to their attention" that the power output was exceeding the maximum legal limit.

Anyway, after getting their test gear out and testing the radios they either nicely tell you to fix it, or (if you're nasty to them) give you a fine and or confiscate your gear.

They will only start looking/tracking for you if
1) someone who knows you dobs you in or
3) you're a pest on a repeater and get dobbed by the 'regulars' or
4) you transmit out of band and get dobbed by the lisenced user of that freq.

[dogbreath_48]

In the last few years i know of a few guys who were getting into/out of their car and were approached by men in black suits. They stated that they were from the communications authority and "it had come to their attention" that the power output was exceeding the maximum legal limit.

Anyway, after getting their test gear out and testing the radios they either nicely tell you to fix it, or (if you're nasty to them) give you a fine and or confiscate your gear.

They will only start looking/tracking for you if
1) someone who knows you dobs you in or
3) you're a pest on a repeater and get dobbed by the 'regulars' or
4) you transmit out of band and get dobbed by the lisenced user of that freq.

Are you serious about the black suits?

So really, you have to be maliscious, or just a dick, to get busted?

How do they track you? sounds a bit james bond!

[Shadow]

In the last few years i know of a few guys who were getting into/out of their car and were approached by men in black suits. They stated that they were from the communications authority and "it had come to their attention" that the power output was exceeding the maximum legal limit.

Anyway, after getting their test gear out and testing the radios they either nicely tell you to fix it, or (if you're nasty to them) give you a fine and or confiscate your gear.

They will only start looking/tracking for you if
1) someone who knows you dobs you in or
3) you're a pest on a repeater and get dobbed by the 'regulars' or
4) you transmit out of band and get dobbed by the lisenced user of that freq.

Are you serious about the black suits?

So really, you have to be maliscious, or just a dick, to get busted?

How do they track you? sounds a bit james bond!

very easy to track someone if you have the right antennas (directional).

Two directional antena's just triangulate your position, but i have never ever heard of someone actually being tracked or getting fined for it.

For them to track you youd have to be transmitting from the same spot quite a bit, ie, being a fuckwit over a channel. Otherwise they would have a veryt very hard time.

[Jeeps]

All you gotta do is plonk one of these on your roof:



plug a radio & a computer to it and hook it up to an LED display as such:



and drive in the direction the signal is coming from...

It's called a doppler and they're VERY effective. The one pictured above is owned by a bloke on the Gold Coast and when he's called out to do some tracking as soon as he's within a few suburbs it only takes 5-10 minutes to find the signal. He's used it a few times to track pests on CB repeaters.

Helicopters and search planes have them mounted underneath for when they're looking for EPERBs and stuff. Here's one mounted underneath:

[Bush65]

so how do you crank them up, and how can you get cought, and what are the consequences as i have just bought one

The default RF power is programmed for each channel. It can have one of 3 values 'H', L2 or L1.

If the default value is set to H, the user can toggle between H, L2 and L1 from the front panel. If default is L2, the user can toggle between L2 and L1. If L1 there are no other options.

The factory setting is L2 for the CB channels.

The 'cloning' software is needed to change the default RF power.

This is relatively easy. However it is best to program a different bank for the CB channels if you want to change the default RF power from L2 to H. You can change the default CB bank to H, but it will revert to L2, whenever you toggle the power from the front panel.

Factory nominal powers are H = 25Watt, L2 = 5W and L1 = 1 W.

The 'adjust' software is needed to change the RF power corresponding to H, L2 and L1. For example, H may be changed to 35W, L2 to 10W and L1 to 5W.

This involves setting a numerical value in the software. One problem is that the numerical value for 25W in one rig will correspond with a different power in another rig. The only way to tell is by measuring the power using appropriate test instruments. Without the test equipment, you can easily blow the rig up.

So if you use H when you need it (say in forests/mountains), and toggle to L2 when in the suburbs and don't pi$$ off the regular users on repeaters, you should have no problems.

[rockcrawler31]

radio direction finding gear is cool.

RF seeker guided missiles not so cool

Average life expectancy of a base station sig unit in the modern battlefield not so good either.

there are competitions held in the US and UK for guys using handheld DF antennas hunting signal emitter "birds". It's probably taking the trade a little far though as they all look like trainspotter types.

i miss it all