Steve...try this reference...it should help you out. Nearly drove me crazy till I got this page!!
M-802 Programming

 

12359.0 kHz is one of the factory-programmed channels in the M802. I don't recall what it is, but it is listed in the separate manual that has all the channel programming in it.

 

12359 is Channel 119 on the Icom pre-programmed list BUT many radios are modified by installation companies as well as PO's and of course ICOM can change the list from time to time as well.
I have a PDF of the actual complete station list if anyone would like it. Just send me a PM with your E-mail address.

 

Thanks cam. I don't think I'm in open dial mode. Maybe that will allow me to program a frequency.

SVAuspicious - You are right, I missed it before, but 12359.0 is user channel 46. I guess my real frustration is that I wasn't able to custom program channels. I think maybe I'm on the right track now. Thanks.

 

On mine, 119 is 14325.0 So it depends on which version of the channel user channel package you have loaded. I know that the Icom dealer can bring a laptop on board and load the latest channel package. I don't suppose anyone would care to share the software and channel package data so I could do this myself?

 

Gordon West has been working with ICOM to standardize the stored channels on SSB radios. Boy, wouldn't that make it easier for everyone! And there is a new "FULL LOAD" of frequencies that Gordon put together for downloading into the newer ICOM M802's. I bought my radio in March of this year, and of course ICOM still is downloading the old list. I was lucky as I took a Gordon West radio class and he graciously checked out my radio and uploaded the new list (12359 is on Ch119 on the new list). Let me know if you would like a copy of the list.<O</O
<O</O
ICOM has not allowed the software to be distributed at this time. Guess it makes money for service calls for the technicians. <O</O

 

Windward-

I'd love to see the new list.

 

Sailingdog, the system does not allow for pdf files and when I converted the page to jpeg, it was too big for the system. I opened up my e-mail to receive e-mails from members. Just shoot me an e-mail through this site and I'll send the pdf file to you.

 

Windward-

Good enough... and I'll post it where others can download it if you'd like me to. Just sent you an email.

 

I'd like a copy.

BTW - camaraderie gave the the answer. Once I put my radio in "open dial mode" it's much easier to program.

I have another question. Should I expect to have good reception and transmission capabilities while sitting in my slip, or do the other masts, etc which are close by cause interference?

Also, would anyone be interested in a brief chat via SSB so I can test my radio operation? I'm near Annapolis, - I'd be looking to chat with someone within a few hundred miles.

 

Sailingdog, you should have it by now. There is no problem sharing it.

And SteveInMD, I seem to get better performance away from the dock. However, on the 20 meter ham band, I have had contacts and good signal reports from a couple of thousand miles away, even though conditions are not the best right now. And this while tied up at the dock. If you don't have your general license, I would encourage you to get it. There are a lot more hams out there than there are boats equipped with SSB. They all love to talk and most get a kick out of talking to a ham on a boat.

 

At work, will check when I get home... and will post a link to it when I get a chance. Thanks windward.

Here's the LIST.

 

Windward - I just have my restricted op. license now, but I think I will pursue the ham license. Thanks.

 

No problem. If you want to give a shout out to the west coast some time, let me know. The call signs are WDE4472 and KI6CZP.

 

Steve...my experience is that sitting in a marina greatly diminishes TX and somewhat diminishes RX. Maybe Trayfors or one of the other gurus can explain it...all I have is my experience.

 

Both transmission and reception are usually adversely affected when operating in a marina. This is due to several factors, including all the other boats and structures which can deflect and/or absorb signals, and to the profusion of radio frequency interference (RFI) sources nearby.

The structures nearby (mainly other boats, particularly sailboats with metal masts and standing rigging, but also bridges, gangplanks, docks, pilings, shoreline features, etc.) will affect both the transmission of signals from your boat and the reception of incoming signals.

However, by far the worst problem in regard to reception of HF signals in a marina are the hundreds of RFI sources nearby, including those on your own boat, on the docks, and on other nearby boats. From a HF radio's point of view, marinas are very noisy locations!

Biggest offenders are digital devices (digital voltmeters, inverters, chargers) but also refrigerators, alternators, leakages from poor electrical connections, electric motors, computers, etc., etc. Tracking these down can be a real bear. And, often as not, the interference from other boats and from the docks...which you can't do much if anything about...is the real problem.

Nevertheless, if you track down the worst offenders on your own boat AND if you have a good installation AND if you are a competent radio operator you most certainly CAN make good radio contacts from your marina. This is true regardless of your location in the water or hauled out.

Hams like to pride themselves on being able to make successful contacts using low power under adverse conditions. Some low-power fanciers, "QRP enthusiasts", regularly make transAtlantic contacts using only 5 watts or less and wire antennas. I have done so for many years both from my boat and from land-based locations. This takes a bit more skill, but is something worth practicing against the time when you really might need to make a SSB contact under less than ideal conditions.

Bill

 

Ham license

I took a few online practice test for my technical level ham license. I (just barely) passed the tests, but feel it would be smart to actually study first. Can anyone recommend a good book, or website to study from? The website I was using didn't tell me the correct answer when I got one wrong.

Do I need to aim high than the technical level to get started?

 

To use almost all of the HF capacity on the ICOM M802, you'll need to get your General ticket. A tech license only gives you access to a little part of the 10 meter band. Regardless, you need to pass the Tech test first, as the FCC won't allow you to just take the General test. Gordon West sells books and test prep materials on his website. It is funny, but you will find that the prep books have all the questions and answers. The test will be 35 questions taken from the pool of about 600 questions. And no more Morse code test anymore. But don't underestimate the value of taking a class. I could have passed the test without it, but wouldn't have learned anything.

 

Well, it took me a while to get around to it but I did get my general ham license (KB3SVB). I also set up a IC-718 at home to help me learn the ropes. I have a few more questions about the IC-M802 on my boat. Does the M802 have an SWR meter? Do I need to be concerned about SWR on my boat radio just as on my 718 rig? Can I adjust the mic gain on the M802? I do have the manual but the M802 manual seems very poorly written to me.

 

Steve,

Congratulations on your new license! You'll really enjoy using it both afloat and ashore.

I believe that all SSB installations should have a good cross-needle PWR/SWR meter located near the transceiver to give continuous monitoring of power output and performance of the antenna system. The Daiwa CN-101L is a good one ($99 online price from Chuck Martin RF Shop). I nearly always include one on my installs.

Don't believe you can adjust the mic gain on the 802. The 802 does have a speech compression "feature", but it's turned off by default and can only be turned on with the proper software. However, the 802 is likely no longer compliant with the FCC type-acceptance requirements with its compression turned on...that's why they leave it off by default.

The net result of this is that the 802, on average, seems to have less "talk power" than other marine SSBs in it's class. Gordon West has noted this, as have others.

I agree with you re: the 802 Instructions. Badly written. Marty Brown (the IdiYacht series author) was working on a rewrite last year; don't know if it's surfaced yet.

As a matter of fact, there lots of things to dislike about this rig, including the inability of even an experienced radio person to puzzle out even simple operations -- like programming in new frequencies -- without a cheat sheet. Intuitive it is NOT! One would expect better from Icom, especially for their flagship SSB. Truth is, you'll probably have much more fun with the 718 at home

Invite you to join us on the Waterway Net mornings beginning at 0745 EDT on 7268 LSB. Runs for almost an hour, with position reports from boats beginning at 0815.

Best,

Bill
WA6CCA

 

Steve,

Congratulations on your new license! You'll really enjoy using it both afloat and ashore.

I believe that all SSB installations should have a good cross-needle PWR/SWR meter located near the transceiver to give continuous monitoring of power output and performance of the antenna system. The Daiwa CN-101L is a good one ($99 online price from Chuck Martin RF Shop). I nearly always include one on my installs.

Don't believe you can adjust the mic gain on the 802. The 802 does have a speech compression "feature", but it's turned off by default and can only be turned on with the proper software. However, the 802 is likely no longer compliant with the FCC type-acceptance requirements with its compression turned on...that's why they leave it off by default.

The net result of this is that the 802, on average, seems to have less "talk power" than other marine SSBs in it's class. Gordon West has noted this, as have others.

I agree with you re: the 802 Instructions. Badly written. Marty Brown (the IdiYacht series author) was working on a rewrite last year; don't know if it's surfaced yet.

As a matter of fact, there lots of things to dislike about this rig, including the inability of even an experienced radio person to puzzle out even simple operations -- like programming in new frequencies -- without a cheat sheet. Intuitive it is NOT! One would expect better from Icom, especially for their flagship SSB. Truth is, you'll probably have much more fun with the 718 at home

Invite you to join us on the Waterway Net mornings beginning at 0745 EDT on 7268 LSB. Runs for almost an hour, with position reports from boats beginning at 0815.

Best,

Bill
WA6CCA

Bill,

The knowledge availble from SailNet members never ceases to amaze me!!

If you are not especially keen on the Icom 802, which SSB/Ham radio model would you recommend for a marine installation?

Apologies if you answered that question earlier in this thread -- it's been a while since I read it "cover to cover".

 

Hi, John...

That's always a tough one, 'cuz there's no perfect solution.

IF you can live without HF/DSC (i.e., the 802)...

AND you have room enough to install a full-size radio (and don't need a removable control panel like the 802)...

THEN IMHO the best buy on the market is the Icom M700Pro. It costs a lot less than the 802, it's built like a tank (same architecture as the M710), is easy to program, works well on both ham and marine bands, works fine with HF email (Pactor III), and is extremely robust and reliable.

The slightly more costly M710 has more memories, but isn't as easy to program and use on the ham bands. However, it's still a great radio.

NOW, IF you can live without HF email...

THEN, there are some great buys in older used marine radios. Among these my favorites are the old M700 and the smaller M600. Both very fine radios. Not well suited to ham operation, though, but you can program in net frequencies and use them on the ham bands just fine for net operations.

Other great little radios are the Kenwood TKM-707 (my personal favorite..I have two), but it's hard to find; and, the Yaesu System 600 (also known as the FT-600)....fine little marine radio -- I have one on my boat. See pic next to my Yaesu FT-900 ham rig. NavStn_0140

Although the Furuno 1503 is a fine little radio, I'm not real fond of it and it's damned expensive to repair if something goes wrong.

There are probably a few others I've missed, but these are the "usual suspects" )

Bill

 

MAny thanks, Bill.

 

On the M802 the indicator that says "TUNE" or "THRU" depending on the antenna tuner state--if you use an Icom tuner--will flash "SWR" when the internally measured SWR is high enough to cause the final protection circuit to start reducing power.

I will add my voice to Bill's that a good cross-needle SWR meter is a valuable and inexpensive addition to any installation.

In addition to the brands noted above Sailor makes some very nice marine SSB radios.

I differ from Bill on the usability of the M802. I enjoy using mine on marine SSB channels and ham radio frequencies alike. Different brains work in different ways, and the 802 controls seem quite natural to me. I can give you a long list of people who are likely to say there is something odd about me, so try to spend some time in front of one before making a choice. I'm definitely happy when I get on a boat to do a delivery to have an 802 aboard.

 

This is quite interesting to me, because of the propaganda out there that the ICOM M-802 is the "cruiser's SSB of choice". I had an opportunity to get a Kenwood TS-50S for "cheap" a while back, but as the SSB installation is about the last thing I need to do before we leave in 2011 (along with the radar, and yes, I'm waiting for a fuller suite of broadband radars), I thought I would wait.

Because we will be teaching a child offshore, and will need some form of SailMail/Winlink, etc. I liked the M-802/AT-140 tuner/Pactor III modem combo because it seemed to promise some automation of the process, so we could take advantage of propagation windows to send "bursts" of e-mail and get GRIB files, etc.

So I would love to hear alternatives, because I may be letting the crowd sway me. I just got my ROC(M) licence, by the way (not a HAM licence, just SSB and I get an MMSI number for my DSC radios), and I would like to learn more.

 

Don't get me wrong - I like the M802. I wish it were more like the Icom-718 in some ways, but if I were buying another marine HF radio it's likely I'd buy another one.

 

Hi Bill and all

I'm in the process of buying an SSB setup and all of your posts have been a tremendous help......thanks alot! We're on a tight budget, and casting off for unknown lands in 1 month, so "research" time is almost up I'd like to find the radio, tuner, and pactor modem for around $1,000.....if that's not possible then I'll hold off on the pactor modem for now.

Is it possible to send/recieve e-mail and weather files with the M700 or the kenwood/Yaesu models you mention? When looking at used radios on ebay what tells me if it can be used with a pactor modem?

cheers!

~morgan