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Icom IC-F320s fixed audio out

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thesavo

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Hi. I have just picked up and programmed an IC-F320s per recommendations here on a post I started in the Rail forum. The following question seemed pertinent to this forum. As a side-note, I think I prefer the LED display over LCD for a feed radio.

I have programmed two rail frequencies as receive only and set it to scan on start. I learned that I need to join pin 7-8 on mic to replicate the hanger in a mobile configuration. Presumably setting the TX frequency to 0.0MHz will inhibit transmit,

I want to get fixed level audio out and believe that is AFO from my earlier thread. I was going to use an OPC-617 cable, however they are rather costly. So until I can source the header plug and terminals I will try to get that audio out from the front.(these have a 34Week lead at digi-key) Thread on that here. Datasheet for the OPC-617 connector here.


I have seen on many Motorola threads that grounding either side of the audio out is bad news and should not be done. Do have the same worries with this ICOM radio? I have crimped an 8P8C connector on some scrap cat5 cable. This loops pin 7-8 at the connector plug and pins 1-6 are hanging out the other end. Can I use pin 3 for AFO + and Pin 5 for AFO +? I plan to take to feed through an isolation transformer before connecting to my feed appliance. Thanks for any help .

Thoughts?

1631216813442.png


Also, for those interested. Amazon sells them in bulk
- 100-pack of the ZHR-11 header connector for $76
- 50 Pack of terminals
 
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dcr_inc

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If memory serves me correctly, The AFO is discriminator audio, not squelched or de emphasized like the speaker audio
 

mmckenna

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Yeah, I'm not sure if that's filtered/squelched audio or not, but you can give it a try and see what you get out of it. I'm having trouble finding my old files on those radios.

But I did find my old programming software.
If you want to skip the mic pin 7-8 jumper, you can go into the "Expert" tab and set the Mic Hanger Hook function to On or Off, (opposite of what it is now) and that should let you run power on scan without the mic hooked up. We ran a few of these in a dispatch center for many years listening to local agencies. They were set up for RX only, and didn't have mics hooked up to them. I still had them scanning.
 

thesavo

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I found the old files from our dispatch receivers.
Looks like if you set Mic Hanger Hook function to "ON", it'll let you scan without the mic hooked up.

OK. I found that hook scan option in the expert menu like you first suggested. Thanks. Now it scans without pins 7/8 joined.
For fixed audio, I want to lower the speaker level and be able to raise it during routine checks. Will afo and mic ground be what I need to give fixed audio to the feed?

I have added wx 162.55 mhz as a third channel but skipped from scanning. It will scan the two AAR frequencies and if I want audio to test with, I manually move to ch 3.
 

mmckenna

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Will afo and mic ground be what I need to give fixed audio to the feed?

You can try it. It might be filtered audio, or not.
If you hook up and just hear static, then you know it's unsquelched audio. That won't do what you want. It's intended for doing data communications. But if you hook up and just hear the audio you want, with no static, then you're good to go. Since it's not an amplified audio output, it doesn't have the BTL amplifier that doesn't like being grounded.
 

mmckenna

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You CAN use ground.

The only time you cannot use ground as part of the audio circuit is if it's a BTL type amplifier. That's the speaker output. If you are just taking the AFO output, that's before the amplifier.
 

thesavo

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You CAN use ground.

The only time you cannot use ground as part of the audio circuit is if it's a BTL type amplifier. That's the speaker output. If you are just taking the AFO output, that's before the amplifier.
OK. I do get audio this way, but it is also adjusted with the main volume.
 

mmckenna

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OK. I do get audio this way, but it is also adjusted with the main volume.

OK. Well, you've got the connectors on order, so you can try the internal connections and see if it does what you want. I don't appear to have any manuals for those radios, so I can confirm what the output is. Usually the internal audio outputs are intended for interfacing with other equipment that wouldn't want a variable audio level, so they are pulled off before the amplifier.

I'm guessing this output on the RJ-45 was intended for a handset with adjustable audio.
 

thesavo

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OK. Well, you've got the connectors on order, so you can try the internal connections and see if it does what you want. I don't appear to have any manuals for those radios, so I can confirm what the output is. Usually the internal audio outputs are intended for interfacing with other equipment that wouldn't want a variable audio level, so they are pulled off before the amplifier.

I'm guessing this output on the RJ-45 was intended for a handset with adjustable audio.
That sounds like the most reasonable. I'll see if I can find a new source of terminals and connectors for opc-617. Digi-key has no stock and Newark has a minimum order of 100 for the connector housing. Thanks for your input. I found it helpful. I have a bid on another f320s. It has a cutoff accessory lead. I'll see what I can do with that.
 

12dbsinad

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The short answer is you're not going to get fixed audio very easily. There is nothing out of the OPC cable that will give what you're looking for either, that is just unfiltered audio only. You will also strike out at the front panel. They are good radio's, just not very user friendly when it comes to connecting common accessories. To say it can't be done wouldn't be accurate, but it takes enough mods that it would be easier and probably cheaper to find another radio to do what you want to do. This model is about 20 years old, so even for myself, I don't mess with them anymore.

To the OP, I see you PM'ed me, but figured I'd answer here for anyone looking at this post.
 

thesavo

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The short answer is you're not going to get fixed audio very easily. There is nothing out of the OPC cable that will give what you're looking for either, that is just unfiltered audio only. You will also strike out at the front panel. They are good radio's, just not very user friendly when it comes to connecting common accessories. To say it can't be done wouldn't be accurate, but it takes enough mods that it would be easier and probably cheaper to find another radio to do what you want to do.

To the OP, I see you PM'ed me, but figured I'd answer here for anyone looking at this post.
Thank you for clearing that up. This is fine. I have an alternative so that I can have a local monitor and not disturb the feed. I appreciate the help. This seems to be a solid radio and I already nabbed a second one.
I'll diagram my solution once it's completed.
 

thesavo

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I am still waiting on a few components but this is what I can do to have local monitoring. It will only have one channel at a time, but it archives the net effect of monitoring a radio and not changing the volume on the feeds.

For the ham repeater radios, the mono out is split to stereo and fed through an audio isolator. This is to eliminate the crackling of connecting a stereo plug in a mono jack. It doesn't matter if the right channel has audio or not.
The headphone out of each of instreamer is fed to a headphone switch and a set of PC speakers is connected to the output.

The rail radios are a little different. That feed is setup in stereo with distinct left and right channels. The locomotive and dispatch scan radio is separated from the switch-yard radio. The audio feed cable is slightly customized as dual mono 1/8th to Stereo 1/8 is harder to find.

This method uses more commodity aux cables opposed to customized or specialty cables, hopefully reducing cost.
 

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