Anyone using ICOM 7/800 public safety radios?

[70cutlass442]

I don't know if I want to get into listing a bunch of stuff out. All first gen radios in this class have kinks that need to be worked out with FW releases, especially from a company dipping their toes in the P25 700/800 trunking arena. Most are minor, and the major stuff I found have largely been addressed in updates. I will say the good far outweighs the bad if that helps. The software is super easy like all Icom stuff. The most important issue to me right now is trying to find the sweet spot with trunking parameters, how they hunt sites, etc., and a few more minor issues.

I do anticipate being in a position to recommend them to some of the folks I support soon. They just aren't quite there yet. Just my opinion. Hope that helps a bit.

We are using a conventional P25 system so It sounds like the bugs you've identified will not be of worry to us. One item that drives me nuts and I will mention to the Icom engineering team (we are an Icom dealer) is the inability to TX while remaining on the RSSI/BER screen. This is vital so taking signal strength samples. The moment I TX, that screen reverts to the home screen. I find this unacceptable as this is the best way to get a real world synopsis of the performance of a system.

 

[mmckenna]

The moment I TX, that screen reverts to the home screen. I find this unacceptable as this is the best way to get a real world synopsis of the performance of a system.

Sounds like someone writing code and they have zero understanding of what the end use is. I hate products like that.

 

[70cutlass442]

Sounds like someone writing code and they have zero understanding of what the end use is. I hate products like that.

Ergonomically and programming wise, I found the new Icom P25 to be very nice. This is my only complaint as of now. One minor annoyance is the RTT tone seems kind of cheezy. I wish manufactures would just to the nextel chirp and call it good.

 

[mikegilbert]

Ergonomically and programming wise, I found the new Icom P25 to be very nice. This is my only complaint as of now. One minor annoyance is the RTT tone seems kind of cheezy. I wish manufactures would just to the nextel chirp and call it good.

I'm pretty sure you can make custom PTT tones in the programming software.

 

[mmckenna]

Ergonomically and programming wise, I found the new Icom P25 to be very nice. This is my only complaint as of now. One minor annoyance is the RTT tone seems kind of cheezy. I wish manufactures would just to the nextel chirp and call it good.

I did like the ergonomics. Icom seems to do that pretty well.

 

[RodStrong]

We are using a conventional P25 system so It sounds like the bugs you've identified will not be of worry to us. One item that drives me nuts and I will mention to the Icom engineering team (we are an Icom dealer) is the inability to TX while remaining on the RSSI/BER screen. This is vital so taking signal strength samples. The moment I TX, that screen reverts to the home screen. I find this unacceptable as this is the best way to get a real world synopsis of the performance of a system.

Funny you mentioned that.....one of the notes I had is the RSSI info won't time out....however, RX traffic will cause a reset back to normal. Same goes for menu, which takes a long time to reset if RX traffic doesn't reset it. But again, IMO these are growing pain issues that will be taken care of with updates. More annoyances that need to be fine tuned versus deal killers. Many have already been fixed.

 

[12dbsinad]

I don't know if I want to get into listing a bunch of stuff out. All first gen radios in this class have kinks that need to be worked out with FW releases, especially from a company dipping their toes in the P25 700/800 trunking arena. Most are minor, and the major stuff I found have largely been addressed in updates. I will say the good far outweighs the bad if that helps. The software is super easy like all Icom stuff. The most important issue to me right now is trying to find the sweet spot with trunking parameters, how they hunt sites, etc., and a few more minor issues.

I do anticipate being in a position to recommend them to some of the folks I support soon. They just aren't quite there yet. Just my opinion. Hope that helps a bit.

What Firmware are you running?

 

[RodStrong]

What Firmware are you running?

I think 3.98, but I believe a newer version is coming.

 

[12dbsinad]

I think 3.98, but I believe a newer version is coming.

V4.04 is out and has been out since the beginning of June. I'd reach out about it and ask for the release notes.

 

[charliee]

They just got approved for the LWIN system in Louisiana. I am getting one in the next few days to put on the system. Right now I am waiting on the radio and the state to send me my programming key back.

 

[wa8pyr]

They just got approved for the LWIN system in Louisiana. I am getting one in the next few days to put on the system. Right now I am waiting on the radio and the state to send me my programming key back.

Has Icom implemented Link Layer Authentication as a feature yet?

 

[charliee]

Has Icom implemented Link Layer Authentication as a feature yet?

I do not know the answer to that yet. It looks like the post office will be delivering my key tomorrow. So then I will try and learn how to program it. I hope there is a way to import date from a spreadsheet because I do not cherish typing in hundreds of talkgrooups.

 

[wa8pyr]

I do not know the answer to that yet. It looks like the post office will be delivering my key tomorrow. So then I will try and learn how to program it. I hope there is a way to import date from a spreadsheet because I do not cherish typing in hundreds of talkgrooups.

Good luck. If Icom's programming software for that is anything like the stuff for their other commercial products, you're going to be doing a lot of typing.

 

[charliee]

Good luck. If Icom's programming software for that is anything like the stuff for their other commercial products, you're going to be doing a lot of typing.

Yep I did a lot of typing for sure but now I can clone that into other radios and configure fairly easily. I do have the radio up an running on the LWIN system and it seems to work very well. I have reported a few bugs that I found to ICOM and I hope they get them fixed. There are some things I wish would work easier and I will keep after them about those items..

 

[MTS2000des]

Been waiting since APCO after spending a few minutes with the Icom "P25" lead guy. Gave him all my agency info, he scanned my QR code...crickets. No problem getting JVC Kenwood, L3 Harris and Tait to respond. Guess they aren't in a hurry to get these to us. No problem. Less work for me.

 

[dispatchgeek]

Been waiting since APCO after spending a few minutes with the Icom "P25" lead guy. Gave him all my agency info, he scanned my QR code...crickets. No problem getting JVC Kenwood, L3 Harris and Tait to respond. Guess they aren't in a hurry to get these to us. No problem. Less work for me.

I had the same experience a few years back with Icom. Shame, we were in the market for a batch of admin portables.

 

[flametamer]

I've been told the Icom radios have been approved for our state-wide system finally. I'm waiting on a demo portable now.

Dt

 

[MTS2000des]

I had the same experience a few years back with Icom. Shame, we were in the market for a batch of admin portables.

Yep, here we are in November and crickets. The guy was very informative at APCO and took my card, said would be getting a follow up. Crickets. Guess the state's largest single county P25 system with over 7.000 subscribers and 15,000 active mutual aid IDs, 340+ talkgroups and ISSI to four other systems isn't big enough.

L3 Harris and JVC Kenwood have subs on our system. They are also easy to work with, provided us with master system keys, and software and trained us. As I explained to the Icom MR, until we can test, certify, program and authorize said subscribers in house, not a single one will be put on our network. Guess they just aren't interested. Would have loved to hear one on the system, they look like quality radios. I own several amateur Icoms, and we use the A25s at our airport.

 

[wa8pyr]

Would have loved to hear one on the system, they look like quality radios. I own several amateur Icoms, and we use the A25s at our airport.

That’s too bad; from what I’ve been told it’s the same radio as the 3400DT NXDN radio, which is excellent. I have one and love it.

 

[MTS2000des]

Yep, but as I explained to their MR, unless we can vet it, confirm it can be inhibited, regrouped, and programmed the way other P25 subscribers can, it will never see the light of day on our system.
Wish they were a little more responsive, but they aren't and I am not going to chase them down.