Icom: IC-208H stuck on low power

[Yipyip46]

Hi I have an Icom IC-208H that is only TXing at 5.7 watts. It appears to start on high power but then clamps back to low power. I broke my cardinal rule and did not read the radio before resetting it and created the file without reading the radio. Does anyone have a basic .icf file from a working unit? I noticed a previous question similar to this but there was no answer to the problem. Also Icom Australia's comment was the same "We have not had much to do with the IC-208H so we cannot give you any advice". Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards Ian

 

[K4EET]

Hi Ian (@Yipyip46),

Welcome to Radio Reference! This is a great website with tons of information.

I have an Icom IC-208H but I did not know you could "read" the radio's contents. I thought this older radio could only be programmed from the front panel using the "Set Lock" button. If you can tell me how to get an *.icf file out of it, I'd be glad to help you out. I have not changed the programming on this since I got it back in 2005. I'll take a look at the manual and see if there is something in there that I didn't know about back then. Maybe I'll learn something that I did not know...

73 my friend, Dave K4EET

 

[Yipyip46]

Hi Ian (@Yipyip46),

Welcome to Radio Reference! This is a great website with tons of information.

I have an Icom IC-208H but I did not know you could "read" the radio's contents. I thought this older radio could only be programmed from the front panel using the "Set Lock" button. If you can tell me how to get an *.icf file out of it, I'd be glad to help you out. I have not changed the programming on this since I got it back in 2005. I'll take a look at the manual and see if there is something in there that I didn't know about back then. Maybe I'll learn something that I did not know...

73 my friend, Dave K4EET

Hi Dave, Thank you for your reply. You can download the radio program using the program CS-208 and a lead OPC-478U. This lead plugs into the extension speaker socket (Stereo socket). When you download the data from the radio, when you save it, it is saved as an .icf file. I suspect this file contains parameters that controls certain settings like power levels for the channel data. I know from previous experience from that radios like GME require a read from a radio before creating the data file. I look forward your answer.
Regards
Ian
VK4YIP.

 

[K4EET]

Hi Ian,

That is all very interesting. I will look into getting the .icf file you need. Stay tuned mate.

Cheers and 73, Dave K4EET

 

[Yipyip46]

Hi Dave, Have you looked into the software to download. Regards Ian VK4YIP

 

[ShawnInPaso]

Hi I have an Icom IC-208H that is only TXing at 5.7 watts. It appears to start on high power but then clamps back to low power. I broke my cardinal rule and did not read the radio before resetting it and created the file without reading the radio. Does anyone have a basic .icf file from a working unit? I noticed a previous question similar to this but there was no answer to the problem. Also Icom Australia's comment was the same "We have not had much to do with the IC-208H so we cannot give you any advice". Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards Ian

Just curious to know what happens when you push the hi/lo power switch?

 

[Yipyip46]

Good Morning Shawn. The power switch changes the power settings on the radio but does not change the output power. In the alignment mode the high, medium and low power are adjustable to the correct levels but when you return to normal mode the power reverts to low power setting. When switching to transmit, if you watch the current meter on the power supply it will flick up as if the radio is in high power but then pulls back to as if it is in low power mode.
Regards
Ian
VK4YIP

 

[K4EET]

Hi Ian,

My apologies. I have been having some health issues, had a rather invasive surgery and my almost 99 year old father (WA4TCS) died of COVID-19. What do they say… When it rains, it pours! As executor of my father’s Will, now I’m tied up in those details.

I have not forgotten about you. I’ll admit that I never have done a data dump like you described. I was not even able to find the procedure in my owner’s manual. Where did you learn of that capability?

I’m really sorry that I have kept you waiting so long. If anybody reading this can help out with the data dump, please chime in. It would be much appreciated!

If nobody can help out, I’ll see if I can manage to read up on the procedure and get the requested file saved in the next week or two. Again, my apologies for keeping you waiting for so long.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[MTS2000des]

sounds more like an APC (automatic power control) circuit kicking in, due to high SWR or something wrong with the circuit itself.

 

[Yipyip46]

Good Morning Dave, No problems I lost my father 12 months ago. I know how busy it gets.
The data dump info came with the program CS-208H and the lead as I mentioned in my early post. The software is not usually sold to they public and is normally only available to Dealers.

 

[Yipyip46]

Good Morning Czar, I got a response from Icom Japan stating the "Protection Setting" should be reset in the alignment mode. The unit is being tested on a service monitor with an input impedance of 50 Ohms. I will put the unit back on the bench and step through the alignment procedure again
Regards
Ian

 

[K4EET]

Hi Ian (@Yipyip46),

Things are a little calmer around here so I had some time to search out the items that you mentioned earlier. The CS-208 programming software and the OPC-478 programming cable I found at DX Engineering for about USD $60 plus Shipping & Handling (S&H):

ICOM OPC-478UC ICOM PC Control Programming Cables | DX Engineering

Free Shipping - ICOM PC Control Programming Cables with qualifying orders of $99. Shop Computer Radio Interface Cables at DX Engineering.

www.dxengineering.com

That kit is complete with the driver and all. Unfortunately, I am not in the position to spend about USD $75+/- for this kit to dump the data file that you need. I could not build the cable due to my disability and the software appears to be copyrighted so it would need to be purchased anyway. I did not realize that the cost of this effort would be so high. I am afraid, therefore, that I am not going to be able to get you the data file that you need. What I would do is start a new thread with a title of "In Search Of (ISO) RR Member with Icom IC-208H Radio and Programming Software" to locate a ham with both. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[Yipyip46]

Good Afternoon Dave, I have heard from Icom Japan and they advise the problem is in the alignment procedure, under the "Protecting Setting". I will put the radio back on the bench and go through the procedure again. Regards
Ian

 

[K4EET]

Good Afternoon Dave, I have heard from Icom Japan and they advise the problem is in the alignment procedure, under the "Protecting Setting". I will put the radio back on the bench and go through the procedure again. Regards
Ian

Ian, well I certainly hope you can get that issue’s cause found and corrected. Cheers my friend, Dave K4EET

 

[N7LT]

Ian, I know this is a old thread, but did you ever find a solution to fixing your ICOM IC-208H's power reduction issue? I've got the exact same thing, with TWO RADIOS! My radios were working fine except for low deviation and off frequency. I decided to download the service manual and put the radios on my bench. I went through the alignment procedure on the first radio, set all parameters per the service manual, even backing down the high power output to 50 and 45 watts respectively! Once I had one completed, I began on the second (my mistake, I should of fully tested output on the first radio before starting on the second, even if it showed full output while in service mode). I then proceeded to align the second radio, exact same results. I can see the radio output pop up above 5 watts for a microsecond, then drop to 3.5 ish watts on both radios. This sounds similar to what you had. Were you ever able to get your power output back up to full output without it folding back?

If anyone else reading this post has a ICOM-IC-208H and has built the "Jig" to get the radio into service mode, I'd love to talk directly to you. I need to get all the "working parameters" from the service mode settings to try and get mine back in working order.

Thanks es 73
Lyndel, N7LT

 

[Johnegunz]

Good Afternoon Dave, I have heard from Icom Japan and they advise the problem is in the alignment procedure, under the "Protecting Setting". I will put the radio back on the bench and go through the procedure again. Regards
Ian

Same issue with mine.did you correct it?

 

[ve7xpo]

This is most likely the final casuing this. Its very common with the Toshiba Final transistor that is in this and many other radios. If you remove the plastic cover, investigate the thin traces on the final for cracks and go over them with some fresh solder. The ceramic backing flexs when heated over time and cracks the traces. You may need a scope to even see the cracks but re-flowing the traces with solder usually fixes it

 

[N7LT]

This is most likely the final casuing this. Its very common with the Toshiba Final transistor that is in this and many other radios. If you remove the plastic cover, investigate the thin traces on the final for cracks and go over them with some fresh solder. The ceramic backing flexs when heated over time and cracks the traces. You may need a scope to even see the cracks but re-flowing the traces with solder usually fixes it

Thanks for the response. I'm very familiar with the power brick failures. I've probably repaired over 50 of them over the past 30 years. I wish this was the case in this situation. It would be a easy fix reflowing the solder on the B+ feed to the power brick.

My situation, as mentioned before, is that the output power was fine before the alignment procedure was done on both radios. It's something in the alignment procedure that is incorrect, causing the power to fold back on itself, ie. protection mode is activating when it shouldnt.

My guess is the alignment procedure in the service manual is wrong. What I need to find is someone who has an IC-208H that can put theirs into service mode, write down all the settings for each adjustment and send me the hexadecimal numbers so I can compare them to my two radios and see if they their info will give me a clue as to what is set wrong in my two radios.

So... if anyone has an ICOM IC-208H that they would be willing to put into service mode (you have to build a jig to be able to get it into service mode), I would SO like to talk with them!

73

Lyndel, N7LT

 

[ShawnInPaso]

My situation, as mentioned before, is that the output power was fine before the alignment procedure was done on both radios. It's something in the alignment procedure that is incorrect, causing the power to fold back on itself, ie. protection mode is activating when it shouldnt.

I recall seeing that there was an error / typo in the service manual for the jig setup, showing a resistor value of 22k vs 2.2 (or vice versa). While I've never had mine in the service mode, it would appear as though the exciter level is being lowered below the threshold for the final amplifier to work. Perhaps the resistor value is the culprit?

 

[N7LT]

I recall seeing that there was an error / typo in the service manual for the jig setup, showing a resistor value of 22k vs 2.2 (or vice versa). While I've never had mine in the service mode, it would appear as though the exciter level is being lowered below the threshold for the final amplifier to work. Perhaps the resistor value is the culprit?

Correct on the typo in the service manual. At the moment, I also forget the value of the resistor for the jig. I built my jig so I could still use the PTT button for alignment.

While in service mode, the radio will do the proper outputs on each segment (low, mid, and hi range) of each band and for each power level. That's all good, while in service mode. The only thing that is not working is the power output when out of service mode. In other words, while in service mode, I can get 50 watts output (or whatever I want to set it for) but when taken out of service mode, the fold-back circuit clips the output down to just 3.5 watts on each band. I can go in service mode and mess with the hex values for the protection circuit and get the power to full output but it doesn't follow the alignment procedure and I have to change the hex value by a very large amount, so I know that is defeating the protection circuit and I'd fry the radio eventually. The only way I can think of to fix this is to see if I can find someone to send me all of their alignment setting hex values or buy another radio somewhere and record all the hex values and see if I can get it re-alined to get both radios working again.

There is a thread somewhere on here that another guy had the same problem but he never had any contact info and it was about 15 yrs ago I think. He was a programmer and understood how the alignment procedure and how the hex values affected the radio so he ONLY adjusted the deviation, power level, and frequency error and steered away from the other settings and had no issues! Wish I could of had that info before I messed up BOTH my radios.....live and let learn!

If I pick up another radio, I'm going to document all the alignment procedures, generic hex values for each alignment setting and post them so somebody else doesn't have to go through the headache I'm going through!