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ICOM F3101D Question!

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jacobsmith

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Our EMS service just went to a new digital radio system using ICOM F3101D portable radios. They did not purchase mobiles; suprisingly as they said the portables had almost a 98% coverage! Wow! Anyways, they use a frequency of 450.xxxxx... I know they're using 6.25 KHz spacing! or something, not sure; anyways! So, to program their system I would just need the frequnecy of course and the radio access number? Is that all? Thanks.
 

mmckenna

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You need to double check on your info. Icom F3101D is a VHF radio, but you are saying they use 450.XXXMHz, UHF.

Those radios will run either NXDN digital or Analog. The repeaters can adapt to whatever input they get, so double check on exactly what mode they are using. If it's 6.25KHz, then it IS digital. Also, 6.25 is the channel bandwidth, not the spacing.

If it is digital:
You will need the input and output frequencies for the repeater, the RAN and the NAC (network access codes, sort of like PL/DPL on analog systems). I hope it goes without saying that you will need to get the OK from the system manager.

If it's analog, you will need the repeater in/out frequencies as well as the PL or DPL tones, and also the system managers OK.

Usually UHF frequency pairs are offset by 5MHz up, so if the repeater output is on, say, 450.000MHz, the repeater input is likely 455.000MHz. There are variations to the rule, but it's usually a good place to start.
 

jacobsmith

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Chicago, Illinois, USA
You need to double check on your info. Icom F3101D is a VHF radio, but you are saying they use 450.XXXMHz, UHF.

Those radios will run either NXDN digital or Analog. The repeaters can adapt to whatever input they get, so double check on exactly what mode they are using. If it's 6.25KHz, then it IS digital. Also, 6.25 is the channel bandwidth, not the spacing.

If it is digital:
You will need the input and output frequencies for the repeater, the RAN and the NAC (network access codes, sort of like PL/DPL on analog systems). I hope it goes without saying that you will need to get the OK from the system manager.

If it's analog, you will need the repeater in/out frequencies as well as the PL or DPL tones, and also the system managers OK.

Usually UHF frequency pairs are offset by 5MHz up, so if the repeater output is on, say, 450.000MHz, the repeater input is likely 455.000MHz. There are variations to the rule, but it's usually a good place to start.

OK, thanks I am not going to TX on the system; I just want to RX it! So, what is the difference between a RAN and The NAC? And sorry it IS UHF. Just used the VHF for reference... I thought NAC was just P25.
 

radioman2001

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Fortunately ICOM is not Motorola, you don't need any bodies permission to program or monitor. Their software is easily obtained and there is no system key unless it's a trunked system. RANS's are similar to PL or DPL codes, you can program the radio for "0" which is comparable to CSQ.
 

jacobsmith

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Fortunately ICOM is not Motorola, you don't need any bodies permission to program or monitor. Their software is easily obtained and there is no system key unless it's a trunked system. RANS's are similar to PL or DPL codes, you can program the radio for "0" which is comparable to CSQ.

thank you so much for the reply. yes, i am not a fan of motorola! and i buy non-motorola products as much as i can ;) they're a very stingy company, over pricing their radios, code plugs are an annoyance to me... that other companies dont use... ect.
 

stevelton

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Being EMS, and the nature of their radio traffic may be sesitive, they might be encrypted.
The Icom line of IDAS radios come standard with 15 bit encryption, which comes out to over 32,000 possible encryption keys.
The system builder could have turned this feature on and there would be no way for you to know without buying the radio, programming it, and seeing if you can receive anything.

If you know someone in the EMS unit, you might try to ask them to see if they would know. Otherwise, buy at your own risk, and dont be suprised if you end up only being able to use the IDAS digital on ham frequencies.

As a rule of thumb, all of my customers that have bought NXDN, gets encryption turned on, and the radio locked so it cant be read by another radio, or anyone else who might try to read someone elses radio to see how its programmed.

Steven
 
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