Instruction manual

QST – Devoted Entirely to Amateur Radio www.arrl.org April 2012 57
http://youtu.be/tVgSFn2nV04
ICOM IC-9100 Video
If you own a tablet or smartphone with the appropriate applica-
tion, scan this QR Code to see a video overview of the
ICOM IC-9100 transceiver. You can also watch this video
on your computer by going to (case sensitive):
band is excellent, which helps pull out
the weak-ish signals emanating from
low powered satellites.
Terrestrial V/UHF Operation
The ARRL January VHF
Sweepstakes offered another oppor-
tunity to put the ’9100 to the test. My
own all band transceiver does all
right with the help of external pre-
amps, although at times it’s prone to
overload and other unwanted effects
from several local strong stations,
especially on 2 meter SSB.
I normally run a 150 W brick ampli-
fier on 2 meters, but the ’9100’s 100 W
out represented only about a 1.8 dB
gain reduction. On the other hand the
nearly 75 W output on 432 MHz was
an improvement over my usual 20 W,
yielding a 5.7 dB boost. A temporary
14 element loop Yagi served as my very
first 23 cm antenna for SSB opera-
tion, providing a calculated 100 W ERP.
My high hopes of beating my own
previous best score were dashed
somewhat, as the very cold weather
made my rotators sluggish or freeze
up altogether. I got a good idea of
strong adjacent signal receive perfor-
mance when big gun and fellow HQ
staffer Dave Patton, NN1N, aimed his
6 meter array at me, with a booming
40 dB over S9 signal. I listened care-
fully about 2 kHz away and found only
a small amount of reciprocal mixing
noise adding to the noise floor.
I had quite a thrill making my first
23 cm SSB contacts. The IC-9100
with the UX-9100 operated as
expected, with clear audio from the
speaker. A local contester who knows
my voice listened with a critical ear
and reported clean, smooth sounding
transmitted audio.
In Summary
Overall, I found my operating expe-
rience with the ’9100 very pleasing
and the performance superb, but I did
find one thing that would cause minor
issue in my shack. Granted, having a
separate antenna jack for each VHF/
UHF band is great for contesting
and satellite operation, but it might
hamper FM operation a bit with my
multiband 2 meter/70 cm antenna. I’d
need a diplexer to monitor both bands
at once. A minor footnote: AM mode
is not available above 50 MHz. Also,
seasoned VHF and UHF contesters
often pair HF transceivers with high
performance, single band transverters.
The IC-9100 does not include provi-
sions to accommodate transverters for
222 MHz, 2304 MHz or other bands of
interest to some VHF/UHF operators.
Two things could use improvement.
First, I would like to see individual RF
output settings for each RF output port.
This would make operation “Ooops!
proof” while using external amplifiers,
each needing a specific drive level.
Operating full output at 70 cm then
switching to 2 meters without reducing
the ’9100’s RF power output control
would send 100 W into the brick amp
and damage it. Second, the optional
narrow first IF filters are not available
above 6 meters. For a more serious
contester with a lot of aluminum in
the air, having a narrow roofing filter
could make a huge difference in bands
crowded with strong signals.
All told, I would consider the
IC-9100 an ideal choice for the
single radio shack. — Bob Allison,
WB1GCM, ARRL Test Engineer
server PC in the shack greatly attenuated, but
did not eliminate, this noise. Some users
have complained about “hiss” in their audio,
and this may be what I heard.
The most fun I had with the RS-BA1 software
was connecting to another radio amateur’s
IC-7410 in another part of the world. While
there was a fair amount of latency (delay) on
the connection, I was able to hear my own
station’s signal on 160 meters, which offered
an opportunity to check different antennas
and power levels. All told, this ICOM pack-
age can and does work, although there are
more elegant solutions to remotely control-
ling your station — some of them free.
Miscellany
The IC-9100 includes provisions for using
VHF/UHF mast mounted preamps. The
manual points out that ICOM AG-25, AG-35
or AG-1200 preamplifier units are compat-
ible for the 2 meter, 70 cm and 23 cm bands,
respectively. If you want to use one of these
OEM preamps, however, you’ll have to find
it on the used market. As a footnote points
out, they’ve been discontinued. The menu
includes an EXT-P.AMP selection for each
affected band.
A potentially ear saving touch: The IC-9100
has a CW sidetone level limit in the menu, so
the sidetone does not get louder beyond a
specified level as you advance the AF control.
(I sure wish my current transceiver had this!)
The sidetone level is a separate adjustment in
the SET menu.
As with the IC-7410, you can monitor SWR
and relative power output at the same time.
The ’9100 has an LCD bar-graph style meter,
which can be set up to hold peaks for 0.5
second. The radio also retains the really slick
SWR plotting feature, letting you read and
graph your antenna system’s SWR curve,
right on the screen. This is available on all
bands except 1.2 GHz. You can plot up to
13 points in various steps. Transmit briefly to
plot the SWR on each step, and when you’re
done, the screen will graphically display the
SWR profile of the antenna system under test.
The ’9100 has an automatic frequency
control feature with settable limits. This
feature, especially useful for satellite work,
automatically compensates for a drifting
received signal.
The transceiver draws 54 mA when it’s turned
off. This may only be of concern if running
the radio from a battery power source; leaving
the transceiver hooked up to the battery will
consume 1.3 Ah per day. The Instruction
Manual recommends disconnecting the
battery from the transceiver if you don’t plan
to use it for a while.
The Verdict?
All told, the IC-9100’s multimode capability
and ample feature set get the job done, and,
if equipped for 1.2 GHz operation — on 14
MF, HF, VHF and UHF bands! Throw in the
RS-BA1 remote package, and you’re on the air
from any place you can connect to the Internet.
Manufacturer: ICOM America, 2380 116th
Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004; tel 800-872-
4266; www.icomamerica.com.