Icom F2821 Programming Help

[aaronh116]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a little assistance in relation to programming my f-2821, it was given to me for my birthday and I've only ever had experience with Tait so this is a whole new programming world for me!!

I've set up the zones and channels as I wanted them but i'm having issues with the scan settings, within the software I've allocated the channels to a scan list that I want and changed it to enable.

In the scan list settings it's currently set to M1 (Normal) then the Display Text to the scan title i've put in, I've set one of the buttons to

What i'm trying to achieve is selecting the scan list and starting the scan from a button (don't want a hook scan)

It doesn't need anything fancy like being overridden by another channel or anything like that just so it can scan multiple channels and select the strongest.

 

[CCHLLM]

For scanning, the buttons you'll need to create will be:

a "Zone" button to enter the Zone Select mode (short press, use Up/Down arrows to select the zone, then short press "Zone"),

a "ScanA" button to toggle Scan Start/Stop (short press), and to select a Scan List (long press, use Up/Down arrows, then short press "ScanA"),

a "Tag" button to add/delete (short press) scan list members in manual mode, and Nuisance Delete (short press) when the radio stops on a channel while scanning.

The 11th Scan List is the Zone Scan list and automatically follows the zone selection. Channels selected for the Zone Scan list only apply to the Selected Zone. You can have 10 special scan lists (1-10) that can be selected from any zone, and a Zone Scan list for each zone.

Channels in Scan Lists 1-10 apply only to the zone from which you selected them. In other words, if Scan List 1 has channels selected from Zone 1 and you have elected to operate in Zone 2 and have Scan List 1 selected, the channels scanned will be from Zone 1 and you won't have access to them in Zone 2.

Hope this helps.

 

[aaronh116]

Thanks so much for your help on this, part of my first post didn't come up for some reason, what I'm trying to achieve is this:

In my first zone I have 140 channels allocated which encompasses all the repeaters for the entire state. I'm trying to set up the radio so I can select which channels are put in a scan group and select that cities scan group.

For example channels below are all in zone 1.

1, 14, 57 all belong to city A
7, 80, 130 all belong to city B

I'm trying to set up a scan group for city A and a seperate one for city B.

How do I set this up in the programming on the PC?

 

[aaronh116]

For scanning, the buttons you'll need to create will be:

a "Zone" button to enter the Zone Select mode (short press, use Up/Down arrows to select the zone, then short press "Zone"),

a "ScanA" button to toggle Scan Start/Stop (short press), and to select a Scan List (long press, use Up/Down arrows, then short press "ScanA"),

a "Tag" button to add/delete (short press) scan list members in manual mode, and Nuisance Delete (short press) when the radio stops on a channel while scanning.

The 11th Scan List is the Zone Scan list and automatically follows the zone selection. Channels selected for the Zone Scan list only apply to the Selected Zone. You can have 10 special scan lists (1-10) that can be selected from any zone, and a Zone Scan list for each zone.

Channels in Scan Lists 1-10 apply only to the zone from which you selected them. In other words, if Scan List 1 has channels selected from Zone 1 and you have elected to operate in Zone 2 and have Scan List 1 selected, the channels scanned will be from Zone 1 and you won't have access to them in Zone 2.

Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for your help on this, part of my first post didn't come up for some reason, what I'm trying to achieve is this:

In my first zone I have 140 channels allocated which encompasses all the repeaters for the entire state. I'm trying to set up the radio so I can select which channels are put in a scan group and select that cities scan group.

For example channels below are all in zone 1.

1, 14, 57 all belong to city A
7, 80, 130 all belong to city B

I'm trying to set up a scan group for city A and a seperate one for city B.

How do I set this up in the programming on the PC?

 

[CCHLLM]

Well, there are a couple of ways to accomplish the task. Let's say I have only a few zones and don't have many scan lists, I generally would select Scan List 1, label it "City A", and select the desired "City A" channels from the zone channel list and put them in Scan List 1. Repeat the process for List 2 and City B. Then you can call up the desired scan list that corresponds to your location and reserve the Zone Scan list for those quick on-the-fly scan lists you may sometimes need.

Remember, if you make multiple scan lists in the same zone, you will have access to any channel you place in any of those scan lists so long as all the channels in all the scan lists comes from the one zone. If some do not reside in that zone, you can scan them, but the non-resident channels will not be accessible as you scroll through that zone's channels.

Since each zone gives you a Zone Scan List, you could alternatively use that list for whichever of those cities is your home location and label it as "City A" and use only 1 of the numbered scan lists for "City B". That conserves the use of the numbered scan zones since there are only 10 of those available.

When I'm at the computer creating zones, I always put things in alphabetical order or some other defined order so I know where channels will be located in reference to where I am in the zone. That way, it's easier to find a given channel in the zone as you scroll through them.

 

[aaronh116]

Well, if I have only a few zones and don't have many scan lists, I generally would select Scan List 1, label it "City A", and select the desired "City A" channels from the zone channel list and put them in Scan List 1. Repeat the process for List 2 and City B. Then you can call up the desired scan list that corresponds to your location and reserve the Zone Scan list for those quick on-the-fly scan lists you may sometimes need.

Since each zone gives you a Zone Scan List, you could alternatively use that for whichever of those cities is your home location and label it as "City A" and use only 1 of the numbered scan lists for "City B". That conserves the use of the numbered scan zones since there are only 10 of those available.

When I'm at the computer creating zones, I always put things in alphabetical order so I know where channels will be located in reference to where I am in the zone. That way, it's easier to find a given channel in the zone.

Cool, I've done exactly that so far,

I've added those three channels to scan list 1 and selected inc. in the programming software.

In the scan settings I've renamed the scan list so now it reads with the city title and it's set to m1 normal.

But when I'm in zone 1, I press scan start A, select the title, then press scan A again, nothing happens?

I know there's activity on the channel but it won't scan the channels I've selected?

I tried adding the channels using the tag/add button but same result, it won't scan?

Any ideas??

 

[CCHLLM]

Is the mic holder grounded and is the mic in it? If the answer to either is no, then the radio will not scan. The scan function requires the mic hanger button on the back of the mic to have contact with ground. That's done by grounding the mic hanger.

The Set Menu > Key & Display Assign > Hanger Action > Hook on Scan in the software allows you to choose whether or not the radio begins scanning automatically when the mic is placed in the hanger.

If the radio is already in the Scan mode, it will stop scanning when you remove the mic from the hanger, and will resume scanning when you place the mic back in the hanger. If the radio is not in Scan mode and the mic is not in the hanger and you press ScanA, the radio will not begin scanning until you place the mic in the hanger.

Hook off Monitor lets you choose whether or not the radio disables PL/DPL/NAC when Off Hook. That is OFF on my radios.

There is a sequence to the long press/short press ScanA thing. If the radio is not in scan mode and you long press ScanA to enter the scan menu, then up/down scroll and short press ScanA to choose a scan list and exit the scan menu, then you have to short press ScanA again to start the scanning unless you chose "Hook on Scan" in the Key & Display menu. In that case, it should begin scanning immediately if the mic is in the hanger.

 

[aaronh116]

Is the mic holder grounded and is the mic in it? If the answer to either is no, then the radio will not scan. The scan function requires the mic hanger button on the back of the mic to have contact with ground. That's done by grounding the mic hanger.

The Set Menu > Key & Display Assign > Hanger Action > Hook on Scan in the software allows you to choose whether or not the radio begins scanning automatically when the mic is placed in the hanger.

If the radio is already in the Scan mode, it will stop scanning when you remove the mic from the hanger, and will resume scanning when you place the mic back in the hanger. If the radio is not in Scan mode and the mic is not in the hanger and you press ScanA, the radio will not begin scanning until you place the mic in the hanger.

Hook off Monitor lets you choose whether or not the radio disables PL/DPL/NAC when Off Hook. That is OFF on my radios.

There is a sequence to the long press/short press ScanA thing. If the radio is not in scan mode and you long press ScanA to enter the scan menu, then up/down scroll and short press ScanA to choose a scan list and exit the scan menu, then you have to short press ScanA again to start the scanning unless you chose "Hook on Scan" in the Key & Display menu. In that case, it should begin scanning immediately if the mic is in the hanger.

And........it all makes sense haha. I'm tipping there is no configuration for off hook scanning?

 

[CCHLLM]

No real provision for that in the software, but you can go into the control head and place a small gauge jumper from the appropriate terminal in the mic receptacle to a ground point in the control head. That of course eliminates the ability to lift the mic to stop scan and disable the subtone or NAC.

 

[W6XPA]

Does anyone know how to program frequencies into the radio? I know that using the computer software is only an option, so I assume that there is some way to get into a programming mode.

 

[Cognomen]

You can use the CS to enable FPP, but if you have the CS, it's easier to use it to program the radio than using the front panel. Plus the CS gives you access to all of the options and settings.

 

[W6XPA]

You can use the CS to enable FPP, but if you have the CS, it's easier to use it to program the radio than using the front panel. Plus the CS gives you access to all of the options and settings.

So it WILL program everything from the front panel? The software and cable is not required?

I wanted to know how people are doing that.

 

[Cognomen]

Yes, once FPP is enabled via the software and cable, you can then use the front panel keypad to program freqs and tones without the software and cable. It's just easier with the software and cable, since you already have them (because you had to have them to enable FPP in the first place).

I feel I should post the following in this thread:

WARNING! In order to do the FPP mod, your radio must have frequencies and squelch settings already programmed. Once you run CS, you must READ the radio - do NOT skip this step! Then you can follow the FPP instructions and write to the radio.

If you just run CS, then follow the FPP instructions WITHOUT reading the radio, then write to the radio, your radio WILL lose its tuning.

The mod is easy to do, but if you are not familiar with the process or are at all unsure, get a buddy who knows it to do it. Only you are responsible if your radio gets screwed up.

These radios have so many memory channels, it's pretty easy to pre-program them for wherever you're planning on going. However, FPP is useful if you get into a town and find you've forgotten to program a particular frequency, or there's a new repeater, or an existing repeater now requires a tone, and you don't have your computer and cable with you.

 

[shillson]

As I do a lot of traveling, I'm interested in doing the FPP mod. Where can I find the instructions?. Thanks.

 

[Cognomen]

As I do a lot of traveling, I'm interested in doing the FPP mod. Where can I find the instructions?. Thanks.

Don't think we're allowed to post a public link to another site; I'll send you a PM.

 

[shillson]

Ok, thanks.