Problem with Programming Icom IC-F80DS

[lezion]

Hi guys, I am new here so welcome everybody.
and sorry to ask for a help straight after registration but I struggle with this a lot.

I purchased used icom-f80ds p25 radio from ebay for almost nothing. It seems like a nice radio, durable and biger than other radios I have, but I cannot get it talking to my pc. I got the cable also from ebay, I belive it`s Chinese knock off but it should still do the job. The model number is RPC-1966-U, its based on prolific chip and it has 3 pin on the connector. Once I got it I connected everything, installed right drivers, radio turned on, cs-70 opened, and... Nothing! I keep getting No answer from transceiver. I tried trick with pushing p0 button but it didnt work. I tried it running on different pc, changing com ports, speeds etc. Nothing. Any suggestions? I asked the guy who sold me the radio that he used the ribless cable with rs232 serial, the cable he have has 4 pins so maybe that is the problem?

Best
Bartosz

 

[lezion]

Bytheway my firmware is rev.2.1 for analog and digital.

 

[rapidcharger]

I got the cable also from ebay, I belive it`s Chinese knock off but it should still do the job.)))

If it's a knockoff / counterfeit, it might not do the job. That's the problem. It might not even be programmable with the same software or cable. You might be able to verify the validity of the serial number with Icom America. That's a phone call. I wouldn't assume just because you got it for a song, that it's automatically counterfeit. Icoms don't hold their value too well even though it's good stuff. Someone else on here recently bought a new 3261D that fell off a truck for $43.

((( The model number is RPC-1966-U, its based on prolific chip and it has 3 pin on the connector. Once I got it I connected everything, installed right drivers, radio turned on, cs-70 opened, and... Nothing! I keep getting No answer from transceiver. I tried trick with pushing p0 button but it didnt work. I tried it running on different pc, changing com ports, speeds etc. Nothing. Any suggestions? I asked the guy who sold me the radio that he used the ribless cable with rs232 serial, the cable he have has 4 pins so maybe that is the problem?

Sometimes it takes a firmware update. I would try that and if it still doesn't work would try another cable.
And if that doesn't work and if nobody else has any ideas what could be wrong, I would ask for your money back.

 

[lezion]

Thanks Rapidcharger for your reply.

What is interesting, the radio reacts somewhat to firmware update. When I click flash on my pc, radio turns it self-off and program still says no answer from transceiver.
Anyway I already ordered new serial cable from US. Lets hope the customs are not going to charge me ridiculous amounts of money for that. I live in uk so it is a bit problematic with those cables and overall stuff for that radio. There is absolutely no support, because its a product designed for American and Australian market, but no European. Instead in here we have TETRA, DMR, and other dPMR systems. The reason I choose that radio because it was cheap and wanted to have something good in analog.

 

[wkm]

Test continuity on the transmit pin out to one of the usb pins. Though the prolific might need to be powered.

 

[lezion]

OK I received a new cable, now with broken pin ahh this quality cables. Anyway I manage to fix and now cable is able to read the radio so this problem is solved. But it seems like a I have an old firmware and it shows me that my radio is mdc not compatible. Does anybody have a new firmware for this radio?

 

[ElroyJetson]

Icom will probably send you the firmware. Or they may send you to an icom dealer that will do the job.

NEVER buy Chinese knockoff cables. They're garbage. Icom's cables don't cost all that much anyway.