The new Icom IC-905 Sample has arrived in the UK. We take a look at the main features, and how it could transform ham rafdo operation for many UHF and SHF enthusiasts
This is a big achievement in radio technology. with hf bands become more noisy it opens a new world for a lot of hams. sadly it isn't for me. iam an old school big yagi on a tower ham. Nice to know that icom doesn't think ham radio is dying. thank you icom for investing time and money and producing equipment for hams.
Icom dropped the ball on this one. The reason for doing s-band and higher is the greater bandwidth afforded. This may well be an acceptable trade to limit only to line of sight scenarios, qrp ops with a vengeance, dependency on third-party infrastructure like GNSS, etc. That may all well be acceptable if Icom makes full rate IQ samples available. I’d be willing to bet the radio will instead be constrained by their marketing department to the few kHz of digital data we’ve been trained to accept. In this price range, the ic905 bumps into territory occupied by lab and research grade SDRs. For example, the Ettus (National Instruments) N210 outperforms this on metrics that matter. Specfically, the 56MHZ and 14bit deep IQ samples to/from the digitizer. I expect the ic905 will have very limited appeal.
@@watersstanton , rereading the post, it came off a bit harsher than intended. Maybe it’s just PTSD from dealing with similar for work :- ) It’s a shame though. Icom could have enabled and enriched the amateur community so much more; I bet Icom engineering were gnawing at the leash.
Also Now in the US, this Year, going to be very Popular in the Large Metropolitan Cities, this is a Control Head and Main Body set up, The RF Module is the Main body of the Radio, This is Why I like the Japanese Brands Radios,
It's a shame that only full ticket holders will be able to take full advantage from this radio, I'm sure that it's going to be a great bit of kit that performs and is really stable on 23cms and above, maybe it's about time intermediate licence holders can operate above 70cms.
A nice pitch Peter, I think its true that there will be folks who will be keen to try bands using commercial products rather than the traditional approach of transverters and kits. As with all gear though, you need people to communicate with. There is some interesting experimentation in the USA, where rain scatter information enables contacts in the 10 GHz band, often over 500-800 miles.
I don't get it, many of the negative comments in here seem to have missed the blatantly obvious? Surely you can site the RF head right at the antenna feed point with 10cm of coax or you can sit it on your desk and run 20m of coax from your SSPA, Antenna switch etc. etc? Or is it just a matter of whiny old hams again?
one antenna connector for 144, 432 and 1200 is useless, this means that a waterproof remote 3-way antenna switching system will need to be installed up the tower to switch between those antennas. Also not considered are those who already run 400W on 432 and 1296 using SSPAs in the shack, great when the RF head is to be installed up the tower! Not to be too negative, it's a great starting point using technology which has been around for many years but it's only a starting point and those who subsequently want to add RF amplifiers, pre-amps etc. will probably have to find an alternative system set-up.
@@watersstanton I've had it confirmed that the antennas are vertically polarised (to fit with the novice license in Japan), horizontal polarisation is the norm in USA and Europe so as I see it these are a total waste of time and money. It will be interesting to understand W&S sales strategy for these units that are not compatible with operation on the existing spectrum?
I don't operate at those frequencies either but I would imagine TV and high speed digital modes are the main interests. I can't imagine anyone paying for SHF equipment just to use the available bandwidth on voice modes.
I have a technical question which will dictate whether I shall buy a couple of these or not...can the RF unit be remotely installed over an ethernet network? I ask as I will need to install the RF unit and 10GHz transverter on a remote site (I can provide PoE for it) and will need to have the display/control unit on my bench in the workshop/shack, connecting the two over my private ethernet network.
Hi guys . I am slightly dubious as there is a lot of relying on this masthead RF module . It is a nice radio and I have several Icoms myself ...I completely are definitely up there with breakthrough technologies. However , I feel there is too much dependent on an unpractical out of reach unit at the top of the mast. Its OK if we have some issue with ethernet or T/OCXO when the unit is in the shack we can make amends . But consider lack of connection or communication with the RF module during a blizzard or torrential rain ?Just saying
Yes. At these frequencies you're not running multiple tens of meters of even lmr600. At most you're connecting equipment inside the same cabinet with half meter if semirigid.
hi peter my fan as gone in my power i bought a g90 off you will your 7amp power suplly run it 10watts only im the half square chap from a few months ago thanks
Great...put the electronics at the top of the mast where it will be exposed to lightening damage. The money saved on coax will be spent on radio repairs.
@@watersstanton Well, but this device isn't just a simple and much more cheaper mast head amplifier... On the other hand: A lightning stroke should be covered by your insurance - if you got one. The more important question from my point of view: How do these devices resist the radiation of nearby HF antennas, when operating short wave bands with full legal power at the same time you operate QO100? However, the IC-905 sounds interesting. Let's wait for the first "real life researches"... 73 de DL1WTE
@@watersstanton They are welcome to test this at my QTH, at the top of a 120' tower. It can be hit several times each year. I'll even install it for free hihi.
Because there's no other choice. Loss for cable like LMR400 is 11dB per 100ft for 5.8GHz. It's not even rated for 10GHz. Treat any electronics sited outside as disposable, wear items.
This is a big achievement in radio technology. with hf bands become more noisy it opens a new world for a lot of hams. sadly it isn't for me. iam an old school big yagi on a tower ham. Nice to know that icom doesn't think ham radio is dying. thank you icom for investing time and money and producing equipment for hams.
Icom dropped the ball on this one. The reason for doing s-band and higher is the greater bandwidth afforded. This may well be an acceptable trade to limit only to line of sight scenarios, qrp ops with a vengeance, dependency on third-party infrastructure like GNSS, etc.
That may all well be acceptable if Icom makes full rate IQ samples available. I’d be willing to bet the radio will instead be constrained by their marketing department to the few kHz of digital data we’ve been trained to accept.
In this price range, the ic905 bumps into territory occupied by lab and research grade SDRs. For example, the Ettus (National Instruments) N210 outperforms this on metrics that matter. Specfically, the 56MHZ and 14bit deep IQ samples to/from the digitizer.
I expect the ic905 will have very limited appeal.
Sounds like you are not an SHF operator!
@@watersstanton , rereading the post, it came off a bit harsher than intended. Maybe it’s just PTSD from dealing with similar for work :- )
It’s a shame though. Icom could have enabled and enriched the amateur community so much more; I bet Icom engineering were gnawing at the leash.
Also Now in the US, this Year, going to be very Popular in the Large Metropolitan Cities, this is a Control Head and Main Body set up,
The RF Module is the Main body of the Radio,
This is Why I like the Japanese Brands Radios,
I guess that mobile phone and WiFi technology has brought down the price of SHF components. It's a good design.
Yep. That’s the way to do it at UHF and SHF… perfect for rover operation. Time to start saving up :)
It's a shame that only full ticket holders will be able to take full advantage from this radio, I'm sure that it's going to be a great bit of kit that performs and is really stable on 23cms and above, maybe it's about time intermediate licence holders can operate above 70cms.
Go for the full license - it isn't difficult! M0hff.
No, it's not a shame and it isn't 'time'.
@@scopehitmyeye2019 why isn't it time, can only a certain type of person be privileged to operate above 70cms.
@Radio that's it. That's why I suggested intermediate licence holders being given the chance to use the higher bands.
Maybe it's time you re-read your licence terms?
A nice pitch Peter, I think its true that there will be folks who will be keen to try bands using commercial products rather than the traditional approach of transverters and kits. As with all gear though, you need people to communicate with. There is some interesting experimentation in the USA, where rain scatter information enables contacts in the 10 GHz band, often over 500-800 miles.
Sounds very interesting
Hopefully something like this will increase use of vhf and above as its dead around here. It'll be interesting to see how popular it is!
I don't get it, many of the negative comments in here seem to have missed the blatantly obvious?
Surely you can site the RF head right at the antenna feed point with 10cm of coax or you can sit it on your desk and run 20m of coax from your SSPA, Antenna switch etc. etc?
Or is it just a matter of whiny old hams again?
one antenna connector for 144, 432 and 1200 is useless, this means that a waterproof remote 3-way antenna switching system will need to be installed up the tower to switch between those antennas. Also not considered are those who already run 400W on 432 and 1296 using SSPAs in the shack, great when the RF head is to be installed up the tower! Not to be too negative, it's a great starting point using technology which has been around for many years but it's only a starting point and those who subsequently want to add RF amplifiers, pre-amps etc. will probably have to find an alternative system set-up.
As I said, it is not for everybody!
@@watersstanton I've had it confirmed that the antennas are vertically polarised (to fit with the novice license in Japan), horizontal polarisation is the norm in USA and Europe so as I see it these are a total waste of time and money. It will be interesting to understand W&S sales strategy for these units that are not compatible with operation on the existing spectrum?
Does the IC-905 have full duplex for use in satellite mode ????
I am new to HAM radio. What do people do at 10GHz? Is it a shorter range? Is this for point to point sharing of data, video, voice?
I have never operated up there but it is very much for advanced work with specialised dish antennas - not for beginners!
I don't operate at those frequencies either but I would imagine TV and high speed digital modes are the main interests. I can't imagine anyone paying for SHF equipment just to use the available bandwidth on voice modes.
I have a technical question which will dictate whether I shall buy a couple of these or not...can the RF unit be remotely installed over an ethernet network? I ask as I will need to install the RF unit and 10GHz transverter on a remote site (I can provide PoE for it) and will need to have the display/control unit on my bench in the workshop/shack, connecting the two over my private ethernet network.
As I have neither a sample or handbook I cannot answer that one.
Hi guys .
I am slightly dubious as there is a lot of relying on this masthead RF module .
It is a nice radio and I have several Icoms myself ...I completely are definitely up there with breakthrough technologies.
However , I feel there is too much dependent on an unpractical out of reach unit at the top of the mast.
Its OK if we have some issue with ethernet or T/OCXO when the unit is in the shack we can make amends . But consider lack of connection or communication with the RF module during a blizzard or torrential rain ?Just saying
This will be so limited in manufacture that few will ever see one.
You may be surprised how many operate on SHF.
Where do I put my amplifier? Up the tower?
Yes. At these frequencies you're not running multiple tens of meters of even lmr600. At most you're connecting equipment inside the same cabinet with half meter if semirigid.
hi peter my fan as gone in my power i bought a g90 off you will your 7amp power suplly run it 10watts only im the half square chap from a few months ago thanks
Good news. 73 Peter
@@watersstanton THANKYOU
Nice technology!!
Great...put the electronics at the top of the mast where it will be exposed to lightening damage. The money saved on coax will be spent on radio repairs.
Mast Head amplifiers seem to survive,
@@watersstanton Well, but this device isn't just a simple and much more cheaper mast head amplifier...
On the other hand: A lightning stroke should be covered by your insurance - if you got one.
The more important question from my point of view: How do these devices resist the radiation of nearby HF antennas, when operating short wave bands with full legal power at the same time you operate QO100?
However, the IC-905 sounds interesting. Let's wait for the first "real life researches"...
73 de DL1WTE
@@watersstanton They are welcome to test this at my QTH, at the top of a 120' tower. It can be hit several times each year. I'll even install it for free hihi.
Because there's no other choice. Loss for cable like LMR400 is 11dB per 100ft for 5.8GHz. It's not even rated for 10GHz.
Treat any electronics sited outside as disposable, wear items.
👍👍👍
its $3500 us,,no 70CM?a little much for this..
It said it has 430 MHz which is the 70 cm band.
@@wd8dsb i ment 1.25m 222 mhz..
You might as well just get an iPhone, and save yourself 3k, lol.
Or swap your iPhone for something cheaper and save even more money!
power supply
Another example of churnalism
who can I talk to anouther ham with money to burn