• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Popping Noise in F-5061

Status
Not open for further replies.

Metrofire31

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Auburn-Opelika, AL
I have a new Icom F-5061 which I've had professionally installed. I programmed it myself with the appropriate software from Icom and have it loaded with all conventional frequencies. The radio works beautifully except for two issues I'm having:

1. When there is voice traffic, there is a frequent popping sound that happens throughout the conversation. It only happens when there is a transmission and it happens on all frequencies. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we might look at to stop this popping? I don't know if it is a setting I need to adjust in the software or a hardware issue.

2. I've programmed my frequencies in 8 different banks (zones). However, so far, I've only been able to get the radio to scan Bank (Zone) 1. Anyone have a clue as to how to scan a different bank(zone)? I'm not even sure I have the necessary soft keys programmed to accomplish this. Here's how I have the soft keys programmed:

P0 - Zone Up
P1 - Zone Down
P2 - Talk Around
P3 - Scan A
P4 - Scan B

Would greatly appreciate any help. You won't believe the advice I received from Tech Support at Icom. For the popping noise issue, they said they didn't know what might cause it and suggested I discuss the problem with the people who installed the radio. DUH!!! I've already got them working on it.
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
1,946
It sounds to me that you are hearing this on RX. By your description, it sounds like you are hearing ignition or more commonly called "spark plug noise". This makes that "popping" sound you describe. Any Two Way shop should be able to tell you right off by listening too it. If it is the case, usually a good tune-up on your vehicle with new sheilded plug wires will help this problem. Buy the best wires possible. I have had this problem before myself.

As far as not being able to scan banks, I dont see anywhere where there is a Tag add and delete button programmed. Do you have any channels on other banks in the scan list? This radio is def able to scan channels in all banks...

Hope this helps!
 

Metrofire31

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Auburn-Opelika, AL
Popping Noise/Scan Issue

Thanks 12DBSINAD!!

1. I'm not sure what kind of spark plug wires I have but the vehicle is a 2008 Mercedes ML-320 Diesel so I'm guessing it has a standard MB spark plug wire, which shouldn't be causing this problem, I would think.

2. Can you tell me alittle more about the TAG and DELETE buttons that you mention. Is that two separate buttons? What do they have to do with being able to change banks/zones?

Thanks for your help, my friend.
Mike
"Metrofire31"
 

Avery93

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
560
Location
AL
The Scan Add/Del button is used to add or remove channels from your selected scan list. It only takes up one soft key.

When you say you can only get it to scan one bank, do you mean scan list? The radio doesn't scan zones, but scan lists. You have to add individual channels to any of 10(?) scan lists. To change scan lists, press and hold Scan A or B for a second and then use the CH Up/Down buttons to select the one you want. Also, I can't think of why you would need both the Scan A and B buttons programmed, either one or the other, but not both (unless I'm missing something).
 

stevelton

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
359
The Scan Add/Del button is used to add or remove channels from your selected scan list. It only takes up one soft key.

When you say you can only get it to scan one bank, do you mean scan list? The radio doesn't scan zones, but scan lists. You have to add individual channels to any of 10(?) scan lists. To change scan lists, press and hold Scan A or B for a second and then use the CH Up/Down buttons to select the one you want. Also, I can't think of why you would need both the Scan A and B buttons programmed, either one or the other, but not both (unless I'm missing something).

I just wanted to elaborate a little more on this post.
Most Icom radios have a Bank (zone) and a scan list. They are 2 different groups.

Most people will program them like the following:

Bank 1 : only local Police channels
Bank 2: Ham repeaters
Bank 3: Only frequencies in use in your county
ect.

You can name each bank to make it easier to find the channel you are looking for.

Then you have your scan lists.
You would name these whatever you want also.

Heres how I have my radio set up.
All my public safety receive only frequencies are in a bank I named "PS"
Then, since I am a ham operator also, I have a second bank named "HAM"

Then I have 4 different scan lists set up.
1 so I can just scan the ham and PS channels that I would be interested in listening to as I drive to work.
2 so I can scan just the PS channels in use around my home
3 so I can just scan the Ham channels
4 so I can just scan a few of m y most favorite ham and PS channels.

But all of the channels I am scanning are set up using the 2 banks of channels programmed in the radio.

To change this on the fly: you will need a Zone key, Tag (Add Del) key, and a Scan key.
Press your zone key to get to the bank that has the channel you want. Once you get to the channel, press and HOLD the scan key. This will get you to the scan lists available that you programmed into the radio. use the up/down key to get to the scan list you want. press the scan key momentarily to set that scan list as the one you want to work with.

Based on what the manual said about the tag key, you can use that button to add or remove that channel to that scan list.

Now, when you press the scan key, you will only scan the channels you set to that list.

Steven
 

Metrofire31

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Auburn-Opelika, AL
F-5061

Thanks for the scanning info - that helps alot and I think I now understand what I need to do

As for the popping noise, anyone have any ideas? I'm fairly certain the radio is properly grounded
 

Metrofire31

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Auburn-Opelika, AL
F-5061

Avery and Stevelton - I've already learned more about the operation of this radio from you two than I have from Icom!!! I believe I finally get what you have told me. So, I plan to reassign one of my SCAN softkeys. So, why does Icom even have a SCAN A and SCAN B?

So, once I follow your advice and get my Banks (Zones) and Scan Lists re-configured, how do I change from scanning, let's say, SCANLIST 1 to SCANLIST 3?
 

Avery93

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
560
Location
AL
The Scan A & B keys do slightly different things depending on how you have your radio set up.

When power ON scan is off, pressing the Scan A key starts and cancels scanning. When power ON scan is enabled, pressing Scan A pauses scanning, then resumes after the time period specified in Auto Reset Timer (set in the "Common" screen)

The Scan B key starts and cancels scanning regardless of the power ON scan setting. If interrupted, scan resumes after time specified in the Auto Reset Timer.

I don't really get the significance of the power ON scan, so to keep things simple I just leave it off and use the Scan B key.

To change scan lists press and hold the Scan A/B key for 1 second, after it beeps use the CH Up and Down keys to select the one you want, then press Scan A/B to set that scan list. And finally, press the Scan A/B key again to start scanning.
 

stevelton

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
359
I meant to leave my thoughts on the popping noise in my last post, but it was late and I was tired.

You will find there are a few of us on here that know a thing or 2 about Icom, only because Icom is one of the easiest companies to get started with for those of use who are Icom dealers.

Im actually suprised that the person at Icom you talked to didnt use the standard response "call your local Icom Dealer"

I have found though that most of the radio shops in my area dont want to give away ANY info about anything, they just want to sell you radios at an outragesly high price.
About the popping.

While the radio is scanning, and while it is doing the popping, look at the display. I am wondering if is set to scan as a "priority" scan. If so, then you will see the display jump to the priority channel. Some people have discribed this to me as a popping sound or cutting out, thinking something was wrong with the radio.

Only other thing I can think of is moving the antenna.

Steven
 

Milradio

Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2009
Messages
4
Location
Kamiah, Idaho
If the popping noise occurs only when scanning, then most likely the priority scan sample is what you are hearing.
Diesels don't have spark plugs, so that would not be the cause of the popping noise.

Brian
 

Metrofire31

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,002
Location
Auburn-Opelika, AL
F-5061

Thanks, Milradio.

I had totally forgotten that about diesels myself - thanks for reminding me. My radio is on the test bench at the installers' shop so I should know something this week. Like you, they were suspicious that the noise could be the "sampling" associated with the priority channel. Do you know whether you can silence "PRIORITY" somewhere in the software?
 

Milradio

Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2009
Messages
4
Location
Kamiah, Idaho
F5061

If you want Scan instead of Priority Scan, go to the menu, click scan, click scan list, click on scan type, after you have highlighted the menu item press enter for a drop down list of options, select normal scan, now the radio will scan and stop on a busy channel then scan again (depending on other settings) just like a typical scanner.
Hope this helps,

Brian
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top