Icom 2200H questions

[Carl]

anyone have some experence with this radio. im interested in scanning speed (vs a standard police scanner) and ease of programming, along with reciver quality.

im thinking long and hard about getting a 2m radio for the house, i will probablly build a j pole for an antenna to try to access the repeaters 15-25 miles away.

to be honest i dont think i will talk on it to much other than skywarn use. i do want to use it as a police scanner and the alpha tagging is very nice. figuring a cheap scanner with alpha is over $400 getting one of these for under $180 is a bargan. is it hard to set up alpha labels with the stock mic? i think icom charges for the software for programing so i dont want to go that route.

i have used the kenwood tm 271a and it works very nice for what i want to use it for, fast scanning and easy to program with the computer as its freeware. i hear the icom has better audio than the kenwood.

 

[CDX8412]

I can't answer your questions specifically about the IC-2200H, but I will offer some thoughts on some of your questions in general.

I have an Icom IC-207 dual band radio and it is laid out similar to the 2200. The scanning speed on that is pretty fast. The receiver quality is good and has extended recieve for public safety radio. However, I regret programming in the public safety band because I realized that ham radio and public safety monitoring are not necessarily compatible in the same radio. If I want to monitor repeaters in use, obviously I can't scan public safety because the repeater is in use and the radio is not scanning. Sometimes, locking out memory channels is a pain on ham mobile radios.
Also, if the public safety freqs get real active, then I can't monitor the repeaters or simplex freqs, and spend a lot of time hitting the 'scan' button to not stop on an active channel.

Some mobile rigs don't have memory banks, so you are scanning all the channels in memory all the time. My Yaesu FT-8500 has 5 banks of 10 channels (or something like that) which allows me to program some public safety stuff in a bank, and lock it out or scan it.

Prgramming is the other issue. Typically a time consuming task when done from the front panel or microphone key pad. The software makes it much easier, but usually costs a bit and then you often have to buy a cable ( or make your own and search some russian websites for illegal copies of the software).

The J pole antenna should work well enough, but as you know, height will be the biggest advantage you can get when putting up the antenna. VHF likes line of sight.

Obviously, I think a scanner is a better way to monitor public safety, but what you are looking to do will work. I am just pointing out some things that I realized I didn't care for when I programmed PS freqs in my amateur mobiles.

Good luck.

 

[2M Guy]

Go for it. You can hit repeaters alot farther away with it. Don't use a Jpole, use a 1/4 wave groundplane. I have used both, and the groundplane is better, cheaper and lighter.

My 2200 scans superfast. It has different banks of memory channels. You can use six alpha characters per memory channel.

The V8000 is similar, just not digital ready and no air band.

 

[Sonwatcher]

What is the difference in a stock without software 2200 and 2100 besides power ?

 

[2M Guy]

RX is good, progamming isn't hard, after you do it a few times. I use the mic for all programming.

Look at Universal Radio, I think the end cost is 160 after a mail in rebate, free shipping.

 

[2M Guy]

The power is no real differnece. Never had a 2100, but I think the difference is digital ready and air band AM RX.

 

[Sonwatcher]

Ok, I didn't realize it had airband. I have the 2100h and really like it a lot.

 

[Carl]

great, i think i will have to pick one up within the next month or so. i seen the $20 rebate at universial-radio and figured that is where i was going to get it. i am in no real hurry to pick one up but as long as the funds are there whats the hurt.

any guides on building a 1/4 2m groundplane antenna? the j-pole appealed to me as i am proficent at c0pper pipe work and sweating/ soldering. i do like the idea of a standard verticle as it is small and easier to hide/ (can't have to many antennas hanging off the house).

its to bad the digital unit for that radio cost so much, cost as much as the radio does. if digital was more widly accepted it would be nice to use, untill than i will stick with good old fm.

 

[Sonwatcher]

i am proficent at ****** pipe work

LOL ! Gotta love the forum word filter !
copper pipe is easy to get and copper pipe is easy to work with. If I was going to make a J-Pole I would use copper pipe ! LOL !

 

[Carl]

lol dagnabit

 

[2M Guy]

I used his idea to make a single one. Instead of brass rod, a solid core wire will work fro the verticle. I used 1/4 copper tubing, but it was hard to heat without damage to the SO

Here.

 

[2M Guy]

C-opper lol

 

[2M Guy]

Whatta joke. :roll: