Icom IC-A6 manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL iA6 iA24 VHF AIR BAND TRANSCEIVER This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the condition that this device does not cause harmful inter- ference. IC-A24 IC-A6[...]

i SAFETY TRAINING INFORMA TION Y our Icom radio generates RF electromagnetic energy during transmit mode. This radio is designed for and classified as “Occupational Use Only”, meaning it must be used only dur- ing the course of employment by individuals aware of the haz- ards, and the ways to minimize such hazards. This radio is NOT intended fo[...]

ii FOREWORD Thank you for purchasing this Icom product. The IC-A24/A6 VHF AIR BAND TRANSCEIVER is designed and built with Icom’s state of the art technology and craftsmanship. With proper care this product should provide you with years of trouble-free operation. IMPOR T ANT READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully and completely before using the transceiv[...]

iii PRECAUTION R W ARNING! NEVER hold the transceiver so that the antenna is very close to, or touching exposed parts of the body , especially the face or eyes, while transmitting. The transceiver will perform best if the microphone is 5 to 10 cm away from the lips and the transceiver is vertical. R W ARNING! NEVER operate the transceiver with a he[...]

iv SAFETY TRAINING INFORMA TION ............................................... i FOREWORD ................................................................................... ii IMPORT ANT .................................................................................... ii EXPLICIT DEFINITIONS ....................................................[...]

1 1 P ANEL DESCRIPTION ■ Panel description e rt u y i o Microphone Speaker !6 !5 !7 q w !1 !0 !2 !3 !4 WX-ALERT IC-A24 !7 WX-ALERT !7 IC-A6[...]

2 1 q BACKLIGHT SWITCH [LIGHT] (p. 1 1) T urns the backlight for display and keypad ON or OFF . w PTT SWITCH [PTT] (p. 9) Push and hold to transmit; release to receive. •“ ” appears on the function display while transmitting. e VOLUME [VOL] (p. 9) Adjusts the audio level. r TUNING DIAL [DIAL] (pgs. 8 – 12) ➥ Rotate [DIAL] to select the de[...]

3 1 P ANEL DESCRIPTION !1 CLEAR KEY [CLR • DEL ] (pgs. 8 – 17) ➥ Push to turn to the frequency mode, when mem- ory channel, WX channel, 121.5 MHz, squelch level setting or beep tone setting is selected. ➥ Push , then push and hold [CLR • DEL ]t o delete a recall frequency data. ➥ Push to clear the entered comment of memory name while pr[...]

4 1 P ANEL DESCRIPTION 1 !7 DIGIT KEYS ➥ Input the speci fi ed digit during frequency input, memory channel selection, etc. ➥ In addition, each key has one or more secondary func- tion after pushing as follows: Push , then push [0 • BANK ] to select the mem- ory BANK number to rotate [DIAL] on the memory operation. (p. 12) Push , then push [[...]

5 1 P ANEL DESCRIPTION ■ Function display q FUNCTION INDICA TOR (p. 2) Appears when is pushed. w TX INDICA TOR (p. 9) Appears while transmitting. e RX INDICA TOR (p. 9) Appears when receiving a signal or when the squelch opens. r DUPLEX INDICA TOR (IC-A24 only) (p. 24) ➥ “ DUP ” appears when the duplex function is activated in NA V mode. ?[...]

6 1 P ANEL DESCRIPTION 1 i T AG CHANNEL INDICA TOR (p. 17) “” appears when the memory channel is set as a T AG channel. o MEMOR Y CHANNEL INDICA TOR (pgs. 12 – 15) Shows the memory channel number . !0 MEMOR Y BANK NUMBER INDICA TOR (p. 12) Shows the selected memory bank number . !1 OVERFLOW INDICA TOR (IC-A24 only) (pgs. 18 – 22) Appears wh[...]

7 D Antenna CAUTION: DO NOT transmit without an antenna. Other- wise the transceiver may be damaged. Insert the supplied antenna into the antenna connector and screw down the antenna as shown below . D Belt clip Conveniently attaches to your belt. Attach the belt clip with the supplied screws as below . NOTE: Use the supplied screws only . D Batter[...]

8 3 BASIC OPERA TION ■ Setting a frequency ï Using keypad q Push [PWR] for 2 sec. to turn power ON, then push [CLR • DEL ] to select the frequency mode when memory CH number or WX CH number appears on the function dis- play . w Push 5 appropriate digit keys to input the frequency . • Push [1]* as the 1st digit. • When a wrong digit is inpu[...]

9 3 BASIC OPERA TION ■ Receiving q Push [PWR] to turn the power ON. w Push [SQL • WX-ALERT ], then rotate [DIAL] counterclock- wise to select the squelch level 0. e Rotate [VOL] to adjust the audio level. r Push [SQL • WX-ALERT ], then rotate [DIAL] clockwise until the noise is muted. •“ ” indicator disappears. t Set the desired frequen[...]

10 3 BASIC OPERA TION ■ Low battery indicator Low battery indicator appears when the battery power has de- creased to a speci fi ed level. The attached battery pack requires recharging. ■ Recall function The recall function stores the last 10 frequencies used. The function stores frequencies when the frequency is pro- grammed and transmitted o[...]

11 3 BASIC OPERA TION ■ Setting weather alert function An NOAA broadcast station transmits a weather alert tone be- fore any important weather announcements. When the weather alert function is turned ON, the transceiver detects the alert, and sounds a beep tone until the transceiver is op- erated. The previously selected (used) weather channel is[...]

12 4 MEMOR Y OPERA TION ■ Memory channel selection The transceiver has 200 memory channels for storage of often-used frequencies along with 6-character notes. q Push [MR • MW ] to select memory mode. • Memory BANK number and memory CH. number appears. Using [DIAL]: w Push [0 • BANK ], then rotate [DIAL] to select the desired memory BANK num[...]

13 4 MEMORY OPERA TION ■ Programming a memory channel The transceiver has 200 (20 CH. × 10 BANK) memory chan- nels for storage of often-used frequencies. q Push [CLR • DEL ] to select the frequency mode, if neces- sary . w Select the desired frequency . • Push , then push [ENT • WX ] to select a weather channel.* • Set the desired freque[...]

14 4 MEMORY OPERA TION ■ Memory names ï Programming memory names The memory channel can display a 6-character names in- stead of the programmed frequency . q Rotate [DIAL] to select the desired frequency in the fre- quency mode. w Push , then push [MR • MW ] to program the contents into the selected memory channel. e Rotate [DIAL] to select th[...]

15 4 MEMORY OPERA TION Push Push Push Push Push Push Push Push Push Push • EXAMPLE: Programming 125.000 MHz into memory BANK 1/ memory channel 17 with “ AIR-23 ” as a comment. NOTE: Push [0 • BANK ], then rotate [DIAL] to select the BANK number , if desired. Push [CLR • DEL ] to continue memory name programming.[...]

16 5 SCAN OPERA TION ■ Scan types The U.S.A. version has 3 scan types to suit your needs. The non-U.S.A. versions have 2 scan types. ■ COM band scan q Push [CLR • DEL] to select the frequency mode. w Push [SQL • WX-ALERT ] to set the squelch level to the point where noise is just muted. e Push , then push [ANL • SCAN ] to start the scan. [...]

17 5 SCAN OPERA TION ■ W eather channel scan (U.S.A. version only) q Push , then push [ENT • WX ] to select a weather chan- nel. w Set squelch to the point where noise is just muted. e Push , then push [ANL • SCAN ] to start the scan. • When a signal is received, the scan pauses until it disappears. • T o change the scanning direction, ro[...]

18 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) ■ VOR indicators 214 34 FROM COM BAND (118.00 136.975 MHz) NAV BAND (108.00 117.975 MHz) DVOR MODE Function display of the IC-A24 General VOR equipment To-from flag indicator CDI MODE Course indicator Course indicator Course deviation needles Overflow indicator Push [F] then [4 CDI ]. Push [F] then [1 DVOR ]. [...]

19 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) ■ VOR functions D T o select the CDI mode T o show the deviation between your fl ying course and the de- sired course, push , then push [4 • CDI ] to select the CDI mode. D T o select the DVOR mode When entering the NA V band, 108.000 – 1 17.975 MHz, the IC-A24 selects the DVOR mode automatically . T o sh[...]

20 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) ■ Flying to a VOR station The IC-A24 shows the deviation from a VOR station. q Select a VOR station on your aeronautical chart and push the keypad or rotate [DIAL] to set the frequency of the sta- tion. • The course indicator indicates where you are located on a radial from the VOR station. • The course in[...]

21 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) VOR station 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 N Magnetic north Desired course Aircraft heading 40 123.65 VORTAC SEATTLE 116.8 Ch 115 SEA THE AIRCRAFT IS ON COURSE VOR station 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 12[...]

22 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) ■ Entering a desired course The IC-A24 shows not only the deviation from the VOR sta- tion but the deviation from the desired course. q Push the keypad or rotate [DIAL] to set the frequency for the desired VOR station. • Push , then push [2 • TO ] or [3 • FROM ] to change the to-from fl ag. w Push , the[...]

23 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) EXAMPLE: Entering the desired course bearing 65 ° to a VOR station. VOR station 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 N Magnetic north VOR station 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 2[...]

24 6 VOR NA VIGA TION (IC-A24 ONL Y) ■ Duplex operation (U.S.A. version only) The duplex function allows you to call a fl ight service station while receiving a VOR station. The duplex function requires frequency programming for the flight service station in ad- vance. D Programming a duplex frequency q Push [CLR • DEL ] to select the frequenc[...]

25 7 BA TTER Y P ACKS ■ Battery charging Prior to using the transceiver for the first time, the battery pack must be fully charged for optimum life and operation. CAUTION: T o avoid damage to the transceiver , turn the power OFF while charging. • Recommended temperature range for charging: +10 ° C to +40 ° C (+50 ° F to +104 ° F) - The Li-I[...]

26 7 BA TTERY P ACKS D Regular charging q Attach the battery pack to the transceiver . w Be sure to turn the transceiver power OFF . e Connect the W all charger or optional cable (CP-20) as shown below . r Charging the battery pack approx. 8 hours, depending on the remaining power condition. DO NOT charge BP-210N more than 12 hours. Otherwise, BP-2[...]

27 7 BA TTERY P ACKS ■ Optional battery chargers D Rapid charging with the BC-1 19N+AD-101 The optional BC-1 19N provides rapid charging of battery packs. The following are additionally required. • AD-101 charger adapter. • An AC adapter (may be supplied with BC-1 19N depending on ver- sions). NOTE : Attach the spacer (Spacer B / C ) to the a[...]

28 8 CLONING Cloning allows you to quickly and easily transfer the programmed data from one transceiver to another transceiver , or , data from PC to a transceiver using the optional CS-A24 cloning software. D T ransceiver to transceiver cloning q Connect the OPC-474 CLONING CABLE with adapter plugs to [SP/MIC] jack of the master and slave transcei[...]

29 9 TROUBLESHOOTING If your transceiver seems to be malfunctioning, please check the following points before sending it to a service center . PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE SOLUTION REF . No power comes on. • The battery is exhausted. • Recharge the battery pack. pgs. 7, • Bad connection for the battery pack. • Check the connection to the transcei[...]

30 10 SPECIFICA TIONS D General • Frequency coverage (MHz): TX 1 18.000 to 136.975 RX 108.000 to 136.975* 1 WX 161.650 to 163.275* 2 * 1 : IC-A24 only , IC-A6; 1 18.000 to 136.975 MHz * 2 : U.S.A. version only . • Mode : 6K00A3E 16K0G3E (161.65 to 163.275 MHz) • Channel spacing : 2 5 k H z • Number of memory channels : 200 (20 CH. × 10 BAN[...]

31 11 OPTIONS D BA TTERY CASE AND P ACKS • BP-208N BA TTERY CASE Battery case for 6 × AA (R6) Alkaline cells. • BP-209N Ni-Cd BA TTERY P ACK 7.2 V/1 100 mAh Ni-Cd battery pack. • BP-210N Ni-MH BA TTERY P ACK 7.2 V/1650 mAh Ni-MH battery pack. • BP-21 1N Li-Ion BA TTERY P ACK 7.4 V/1800 mAh Li-Ion battery pack. D CHARGERS • BC-1 10AR/DR W[...]

OPERA TION GUIDE iA24/A6 VOR NA VIGA TION (p. 20) VOR NA VIGA TION (p. 22) Flying to a VOR station Entering a desired course. q w e q w Push keypad or rotate [DIAL] to set the frequency for the de- sired VOR station. Push , then push [2 TO ] or [3 FROM ] to change the to- from flag. Push , then push [4 CDI ] to select CDI mode. ' Ω ' or[...]

33 12 QUICK REFERENCE T ransferring memory contents MEMOR Y OPERA TION (p. 13) MEMOR Y OPERA TION (p. 12) q w e r t Push [CLR DEL ] to select the fre- quency mode or push , then push [ENT WX ] to select WX CH* mode. Select the desired frequency or WX CH.* Push , then push [MR MW ] to enter memory programming mode. “ M ” , BANK and memory number[...]

34 13 OPTIONAL HEADSET CONNECTION D OPC-499 ( HEADSET ADAPTER) connection When using a headset, such as those from the David Clark Co. via the OPC-499 HEADSET ADAPTOR adapter , the transceiver out- puts your transmitted voice to the headset for monitoring. See “ ■ Side tone function “ (p. 1 1) when setting the side tone level. PTT OPC-499 IC-[...]

1-1-32 Kamiminami, Hirano-ku, Osaka 547-0003, Japan A-6403D-1EX Printed in Japan © 2004 Icom Inc.[...]