Icom F70 Series Installation guide

ia March 2011
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Icom Wins New York City Transit Order
for Nearly 9,000 F70 Series Radios
• System Provider in Baltimore Gains
More Channels and Customers
with IDAS
• Meet Your Icom Team:
Aaron Slagle - Advertising Manager
• College Campuses in Manhattan
use IDAS to Interconnect
• Icom P25 Radios Receive CAP
Compliance
• Icom Summits Mt. Everest Thanks to
Red Dog Radios
• Post IWCE 2011 Roundup
• Accessory of the Month:
RedHawk SA Speaker Mic with
GPS and LCD
ianews, your connection to
Icom America’s Land Mobile
Division! Keep up with the
latest products, news and
technical information in
this newsletter.
©2011 Icom America Inc.
The Icom logo is a registered
trademark of Icom Inc.
The IDAS logo and name are
trademarks of Icom Inc. All other
trademarks remain the property
of their respective owners. All
information and specifications
subject to change without
notice or obligation. 50276
Icom Wins NYC Transit Order for Nearly 9,000
F70 Series Radios
As part of their goal to
build a “state-of-the-art
communication-based
signal system to replace
the mechanical signals
dating to 1904,” NYC
Transit is now using a
custom system of more
than 8,800 Icom F70 ra-
dios to manage fleet-wide
communications across
their train, subway and
bus system.
With 47,000 employ-
ees working a network
that covers more than
5,000 square miles, and
using 734 train stations,
efficient communication
is the lifeblood of a system that 8 million
passengers in all five New York boroughs
and surrounding counties each day.
The RFP went out last year, and the
competition was tough, but the require-
ments were even tougher.
“NYC Transit needed
nearly 9,000 radios,
each customized for the
operator who was using
it,” reports Chris Lougee,
Vice President of Icom
America Inc. “Beyond
that, they needed
things like
custom
firmware, custom circuit boards that
could be swapped, a database allow-
ing them to track every radio and even
engraving on the hardware itself. All of
which they wanted to be able to maintain
themselves and train people on, which
meant the winning bid would also be
creating training manuals and teaching
NYC Transit’s own technicians how to
physically maintain the hardware.”
In December 2010, Icom delivered
8,825 of these highly customized pack-
ages to NYC Transit. Each pack-
age contained: an engraved
radio, belt clip, antenna,
charger, extra extended life
battery, noise cancelling
speaker microphone,
adjustable shoul-
der strap, and a
user manual. All
the equipment
is intrinsically
safe, each serial
number is part of
For People Who Make Smart Choices
Continued on page 2

For People Who Make Smart Choices
ianews / March 2011 / Page 2
NYC Transit (continued)
a customized database enabling them to
track each radio and all of them include
safety features like a man-down function.
And, as requested, Icom will be training
NYC Transit’s technicians to repair the ra-
dios, as well as providing spare parts and
300 printed circuit boards for swapping.
“This is what we do, it’s what makes
Icom special,” explains Lougee. “We are a
big enough company that we can deliver
top-of-the-line equipment at a competi-
tive price. But we’re also nimble enough
that we can customize any aspect of an
order to meet a client’s unique needs.
Further, because so many of our opera-
tions are domestic, we have relationships
with vendors who can do everything from
engraving to custom leather carrying
cases. That’s what makes us different.”
Indeed, as big as this project was, it
is right in line with what Icom has done
for clients all over the world, in both the
public and the pri-
vate sector. Icom
has put together
similar packages
for the public and
private sector
alike: The US
Army and Marine
Corps, the Afghan
National Police,
Iraqi Minister of
the Interior, the US
National Park Service and JC Penney,
among others.
The NYC Transit project, as many
of Icom’s projects have been lately, is
geared towards migrating existing com-
munication systems to meet or exceeds
the FCCs narrowband regulations that
go into effect in 2013. These new radios
not only meet the narrowband standards,
but are interoperable with existing legacy
systems and upgradable to P25 digital
in the future. This makes it possible for
organizations of all sizes to upgrade at
a pace that is feasible while building a
system that will last well into the digital
future.
Interoperability with an eye to the
future is a hallmark of Icom equipment,
which is also used by Amtrak and other
AAR carriers like BNSF, CSX and other
major transport companies.
“This is a great time for all of
us,” says Lougee. “The switch to
greater efficiency is an obvious
win for operators, and because
of our relationships and atten-
tion to detail, we’ve seen clients
create systems that seemed
out of their reach just a short
time ago. It’s very rewarding for
us to be able to do this.”
Each radio was customized
for the operator who was
assigned to use it. That
included custom engraving
on each radio, each radio
leather case, and custom
package ID stickers.
Above: Taking the A train
under the streets
of Manhattan.
Center: Inside Manhattan’s
Grand Central Terminal.
Below: A typical MTA bus
makes its way thru the city.

For People Who Make Smart Choices
ianews / March 2011 / Page 3
Icom America Inc.
2380 116th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Customer Service: [phone]
Icom America Systems
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
Baltimore Dealer & System Owner Gains
Channels, Functionality and Clients with IDAS™
In December 2010, Bruce Pellicot of
Howard Communications built the first
IDAS trunking system in Baltimore, to
serve his clients communication needs.
Though he has built and maintained
complex communication systems for the
past 25 years, this system, using Icom
FR6000 repeaters, is literally a bridge to
the future of communication. And for at
least one client, the future couldn’t come
soon enough.
“I got a frantic call from a client,” Bruce
explains, “saying ‘we need a 2-way sys-
tem now.’ So we talked about everything
from efficiency to reach to security, and
it was clear that we needed to get digital
and start trunking, and that’s what we
did.”
Like many people, Bruce’s client,
Veolia Transportation in Baltimore, had
pieced together a system using Nextels
and mobile phones. As a company that
operates fleets of both taxicabs and
paratransit vehicles, efficiency can
literally be a matter of life and death for
Veolia. As such, dealing with dead spots,
lost calls, dead batteries, talk-time fees
and static on the line is more than just an
inconvenience.
However, just getting new analog
devices seemed pointless, as Bruce
points out that the digital transition is both
inevitable and a smart business decision.
“I have talked to other dealers, and it is
clear that we’re headed all digital. The
FCC is making everyone go narrowband
anyway, but digital takes it another step.
Continued on page 4
Beyond just spectral ef-
ficiency, this IDAS trunked
digital system offers features
like complete privacy, GPS
functionality, limitless talk
time, text, and nearly infinite
scalability.

ianews / March 2011 / Page 4
For People Who Make Smart Choices
Baltimore IDAS (continued)
At 6.25 kHz, this is way beyond the FCC
requirements that everyone be narrow-
band by 2013.”
Beyond just spectral efficiency, this
trunked digital system offers features
like complete privacy, GPS functionality,
limitless talk time, text, and nearly infinite
scalability. In fact, Veolia is preparing
to add data terminals to all the mobiles,
which will work through the IDAS system.
More than that, it’s simple.
“It took us a week to get it up and run-
ning,” reports Bruce. “And with that, our
client got a F6061D base station, 29 ve-
hicles set up, and the portables that they
needed, all working on a digital system
that I can grow for them as they need it.”
With 3 channels up and running now,
Bruce’s system covers Baltimore and a
25-mile radius around the city. However,
he is licensed for 8 channels using his
new IDAS system, and is quickly bring-
ing on both new and existing clients. The
same efficiency that serves Veolia will
enhance business operations for delivery
fleets, first-responders, campus manag-
ers and any other organization needing
flawless communication between many
units and over a wide geographic area.
Additionally, it’s the only system of
its kind in Baltimore, and a giant leap
forward for everyone in the area. As
fleet-managers scramble to meet FCC
requirements, Bruce will be able to not
only add users, but is already planning to
expand his coverage area with additional
stations.
“This is precisely what the IDAS
system is designed to do,” says Mark
Behrends, National Sales Manager for
Icom America. “The IDAS system was
created to help migrate from analog to
digital, and increase features as needed,
without getting trapped in an outdated
system that can be hard and expensive
to maintain. With handheld, mobiles,
repeaters and accessories, this system
can meet the needs of a variety of us-
ers, from local delivery services to first
responders and anyone else.”
The radios in the IDAS system are
backwards compatible, so something as
simple as replacing a handset is a step
towards building a future system. While
the analog functionality will work with
existing repeaters, the digital capabilities
open up all the possibilities of a digital
network, allowing users to grow at their
own pace.
“It’s where we’re heading,” confirms
Bruce. This is what Icom has been build-
ing for years; a simple and efficient digital
system that brings clients to the future,
without missing a beat.
Icom’s FR6000 is the
heart of the new Howard
Communication’s system.

For People Who Make Smart Choices
New IDAS System Connects Hunter College
Campuses across Manhattan
Icom America is pleased to announce
the sale of an IDAS 6.25 kHz digital radio
system to Hunter College, the largest
college in the City University of New
York (CUNY) system. The new system
integrates the college’s five Manhattan
campus locations and provides instant,
direct communication for increased cam-
pus safety and operational efficiency.
“Instant communication is vital to our
role on each of the campuses. We over-
see the safety of five cam-
puses and 23,000 students in
Manhattan’s crowded, urban
setting,” says Louis Mader,
Director of Public Safety for
Hunter College. “Two-way
radio provides instantaneous
communication with our
personnel, allowing us to
respond quickly during emer-
gency situations.”
The college’s administra-
tion, facilities management
and information technology
departments share the sys-
tem with the public safety department.
The new IDAS system has increased
organizational efficiency across the vari-
ous departments by allowing administra-
tors to oversee operations and directly
communicate with personnel in multiple
locations.
Hunter College’s unique hybrid system
consists of an IDAS conventional voting
system on the main campus connected
via IP to the remote campus sites. A high-
powered IAS 100DV repeater at the main
campus provides 100 watt output, easily
penetrating the heavy steel and concrete
structures of New York City to reach
the college’s remote campus locations.
The IAS 100DV repeater also features
100 percent duty cycle, battery backup
and redundant power supply to ensure
reliable communications for the public
safety department. At its smaller, remote
ianews / March 2011 / Page 5
Icom America’s pleased to
announce the promotion of
Aaron Slagle to his new position
of Advertising Manager.
No stranger to Icom, Aaron’s
already worked here nearly 13
years, the past nine as Senior
Graphic Designer.
As Advertising Manager,
Aaron is in charge of all things...
well, advertising, as well as
Icom America’s Website and
tradeshows programs. He man-
ages a staff of seven and works
with all divisions within Icom.
Aaron comments: “Though I
plan to remain ‘hands-on’ with
the creative process, the new
role will certainly be a change
from my normal day-to-day. I’m
excited for the opportunity to
lead our creative department
into the next chapter!”.
Meet Your Icom Team
Aaron Slagle
Advertising Manager
campus locations, the college installed
Icom CY-6000 digital + analog repeaters.
“The new system allows us to com-
municate directly with all five campuses,”
says Mader, whose department over-
sees all law enforcement, EMT and fire
response for Hunter College. “We can
communicate with the other campuses
from our location, and they also can com-
municate directly with each other.”
The system includes 205 IDAS IC-
F4161 digital portable radios. Built to
IP55 requirements for dust protection
and water resistance, Icom’s F3161/
F4161 Series portable ensures reli-
able operation even in severe weather
and harsh environmental conditions.
Additional radio features include a full
selection of built-in signalings, enhanced
audio and 512 memory channels.

For People Who Make Smart Choices
ianews / March 2011 / Page 6
Icom’s Newest P25 Mobiles and Portables Meet
DHS CAP Requirements
Icom is pleased to announce its IC-F9011/
F9021 portable and IC-F9511/F9521 mo-
bile P25 radios are Compliance Assess-
ment Program (CAP)-compliant. CAP is
a voluntary program that demonstrates a
supplier’s equipment meets dened P25
standards in performance, and interoper-
ability.
Public safety agencies receiving fed-
eral grant money for P25 equipment are
required to purchase CAP-compliant
equipment. Federal grants are widely
available for public safety agencies in-
terested in buying mission-critical equip-
ment.
The CAP program requires manufac-
turers to submit products to Department
of Homeland Security (DHS)recognized
test laboratories for a stringent assess-
ment process, which includes perfor-
mance and interoperability testing.
Manufacturers also are required to
provide a Supplier’s Declaration of Com-
pliance (SDoC), specifying the equip-
ment tested and the DHS-identied lab
performing the test supply pass/fail data
for each of the tests. The FEMA Re-
sponders Knowledge Base (RKB) Web-
site www.rkb.us lists the summary test
results (STR).
Icom is among a limited number of
manufacturers currently offering CAP-
compliant P25 equipment. “We are at the
cusp of the trend,” says Chris Lougee,
Vice President of Icom America.
Icom’s CAP-compliant radios meet
IP57 certication requirements and are
backwards-compatible with legacy equip-
ment. Radio power has been increased
to 6 watts. The cosmetic interoperable
layout of the switches, knobs, and dials
has been accepted as an industry stan-
dard. The radios are also easy to merge
into eets of radios. And the Icom radios
have and enhanced vocoder, which is
very important to reghters.
Lougee anticipates a strong market for
CAP-compliant P25 equipment. There
are some 3,000 counties throughout the
country with three to ve agencies each.
In the end, Lougee says, “P25 is driven
by the need of end users.”
Icom CAP documents may be viewed at
https://www.rkb.us/search.cfm?typeid=5&subtypeid=710
RedHawk SA is a new speaker
mic accessory carried exclu-
sively by Icom America Systems.
With it’s GPS on LCD display,
get total dismounted situation
awareness, right in your hand.
Available for Icom’s P25
radios as well as select IDAS
radios – even mobiles. Ideal for:
• Military
• Police
• Search and Rescue
Coming mid April 2011.
Accessory of the Month
P25CAP

For People Who Make Smart Choices
ianews / March 2011 / Page 7
Icom’s On Top of Mt. Everest – Again!
Tom Ohlsson of Red Dog Radios in Lou-
isville, CO sent in this story regarding
Icom radios being used to once again
summit Mt Everest:
“I thought I’d share some photos I re-
ceived recently from Scott Woolums who
operates an extreme adventure program
headquartered at Mt. Hood, OR.
Everything was solar powered includ-
ing the 6-position bank charger and the
F121. They operate in the 2m amateur
band and I special ordered a 3-ele-
ment collapsible Yagi tuned to 146.52
with 1.05:1 VSWR. With the F121 run-
ning 5 watts, and the Yagi pointed at the
climbers, they had consistent full quiet-
ing communications for the duration of
the expedition. In fact, at one point they
were in contact with the Chinese climb-
ers coming up on the *other* side of the
mountain with nearly full quieting. Every-
one was very happy with the Base Camp
radio performance.
Some of the Sherpas were equipped
with full 1/4 wave 2m whip antennas and
speaker mics “just in case” they needed
the extra performance. There were no
incidents. In addition, not seen in any
of these photos, I built a heavy duty, col-
lapsible, 2m ground plane antenna, with
threaded/removable elements, with a
PVC base, that ts inside a 3” diameter,
24 in long tube, with a BNC/Icom thread-
ed adapter that they used at Camps 1
and 2, that is, a ground plane antenna
connected via coax to the F14 for a better
antenna. Again, full quieting at all times.
They are planning another expedition
this year and will be buying more Icom
gear. It’s not going to be a big sale, but,
having your name, brand and products
on top of the world is pretty exciting!”
Note: It is the responsibility of the radio
operator to ensure that the proper fre-
quency permits are secured and/or that
the local amateur radio laws are observed
before using any ham radio frequencies
– even in areas as remote as Mt. Everest.
IWCE 2011 Draws in the Crowds
Icom featured many new radios, systems
and accessories in its IWCE 2011 booth.
The show ran from March 7 – 9 in Las
Vegas. Although attendance was about
the same as last year, everyone felt as if
the show was busier overall.
Making its show debut was MultiTrunk,
aka IDAS multi-site digital trunking. (See
last month’s newsletter.) MultiTrunk was
demonstrated both in our booth and in
the lobby kiosk display. Our ads have
been running in Mission Critical Commu-
nications, Urgent Communications, UTC,
and Rural Electric magazines.
Launched in February, Icom’s two
new IDAS radios – the F5121D series
mobiles and F3101D series portables –
made their IWCE debut. Also making its
rst showing was the F5011 analog mo-
bile. All three new models have been well
received, and IWCE visitors took notice.
The P25 tables saw a preview of a
coming new handheld speaker mic ac-
cessory called RedHawk SA. See the
sidebar on this page.
Over in Systems, IAS teamed up with
Etherstack to have working P25 repeater
stacks on display. IAS offers end-to-end
P25 solutions, whether its for conven-
tional or for trunking systems – single-
site or multi-site. Of course, they’re also
analog backwards compatible.
Several third-party manufacturers
came up with displays in the Icom booth.
Telex had a dispatch station set up near
the center of the booth, and Otto show-
cased a host of new options for Icom’s
F9011 series P25 portables.