ID-800H Flakey Squelch in DV Mode

[ab0re]

Hello,

I just purchased an Icom ID-800H D-Star radio.  (I previously owned an IC-2200H with the UT-118 chip.)

The Digital (DV) channels I've programmed in require the squelch to be set very high (12 o'clock or higher), otherwise the ID-800H's display will show "BUSY", as if the radio thinks there is a digital signal there.  The radio will stop momentarily on the digital channels if scanning and the squelch is set to less than 12 o'clock.  The normal squelch threshold for analog signals is just past 9 o'clock. My IC-2200H did not have this same problem.

I've called Icom Tech Support and described the problem.  Icom denied ever hearing of this problem before.  He suggested trying some ferrites on the power cord and trying a different power supply.  I've run 4-turns of the power cable through a Type-43 ferrite donut.  I also tried hooking the radio to a deep cycle battery, and the problem still persists..... I have to set the squelch considerably higher than I'd prefer so the radio doesn't constantly stop on the digital channels I've programmed into memory.  The vendor I purchased the radio from suggested I check this forum for a solution.

Has anybody else had this problem with their ID-800H?  Any suggestions for how the problem can be remedied?

Thanks & 73,
Dan / ab0re

[n5ebw]

Is the squelch problem unique to the digital channels, or does it happen on analog as well?

[ab0re]

It only happens on the digital channels.  On the digital channels I need to have the squelch set past 12 o'clock or the radio will keep stopping on the channels, displaying "busy" on the display.  On the analog channels I can set the squelch just past 9 o'clock.

The interesting part is that if I am stopped on a digital channel that says "Busy" (say, if the squelch is set at 10 o'clock or so).... then switch from "DV" to "Analog" mode.... the squelch will not be open on the analog frequency.  In other words, I've confirmed there is nothing there on the digital channels.

I've tested with frequencies both in the 146MHz and 147MHz simplex ranges.

73,
Dan / ab0re

[n5ebw]

Hmmm, I have never heard of that problem before.  Hopefully, someone else has.

[w0wfx]

I, too just recently purchased a ID-800H and have experienced the "busy" indication on some digital channels where it takes turning the squelch up to 12:00 before it goes out. In my case there was a large amount of QRM on the xmit freq and it was causing the busy indication. During the day when the QRM was at is highest on that channel I adjust the squelch until the ATT indicator comes on and then back it down to get the ATT to turn off. Most of the time the "busy"  indicator then stay off for a while. As far as i can tell the problem is not with the radio.