1. DL manuals
  2. Icom
  3. Transceiver
  4. IC-78
  5. Instruction Manual

Icom IC-78 Instruction Manual

Manual is about: HF Transceiver

Summary of IC-78

  • Page 1

    Instruction manual hf transceiver i78 this device complies with part 15 of the fcc rules. Operation is sub- ject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undes...

  • Page 2

    Important read this instruction manual carefully before attempting to operate the transceiver. Save this instruction manual. This manual contains important safety and operating in- structions for the ic-78. Explicit definitions i precautions r warning high voltage! Never at- tach an antenna or inter...

  • Page 3: Table of Contents

    1 1 table of contents q w e r important .............................................................. I explicit definitions ............................................ I precautions .......................................................... I 1 table of contents .....................................

  • Page 4: Front Panel

    N front panel q power switch [pwr] ➥ push momentarily to turn power on. • turn the optional dc power supply on in advance. ➥ push for 1 sec. To turn power off. ➥ while pushing and holding [set], push [pwr] to enter the initial set mode . (p. 28) w microphone connector [mic] accepts supplied or optio...

  • Page 5

    3 2 panel description !3 attenuator switch [att] (p. 19) push to turn the 20 db attenuator function on and off. !4 tuner switch [tuner] (p. 18) ➥ push to turn the antenna tuner function on and off. ➥ push for 1 sec. To manually tune the tuner. • an optional antenna tuner must be connected. • when th...

  • Page 6: Function Display

    4 2 panel description n function display q lock indicator (p. 14) appears when the dial lock function is in use. W receive indicator appears while receiving a signal or when the squelch is open. E tune indicator ➥ appears or disappears when the connected au- tomatic tuner is tuned completely, depend...

  • Page 7: Rear Panel

    5 2 panel description n rear panel q antenna terminal [ant] (p. 9) connects a 50 Ω antenna with a pl-259 connector and a 50 Ω coaxial cable. W dc power socket [dc 13.8v] (p. 10) accepts 13.8 v dc through the supplied dc power cable. E tuner control socket [tuner] (p. 11) accepts the control cable fr...

  • Page 8

    6 2 panel description d acc socket information • acc socket • when connecting the acc conversion cable (opc-599) acc pin # name description specifications acc 1 acc 2 fskk af gnd sqls send 13.8 v mod alc 8 v alc gnd nc send 13.8 v band 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 9 ...

  • Page 9: Microphone (Hm-36)

    7 2 panel description n microphone (hm-36) • description q up/down switches [up]/[dn] change the selected readout frequency or memory channel. • continuous pushing changes the frequency or memory channel number continuously. • the [up]/[dn] switch can simulate a key paddle. Preset in the cw paddl in...

  • Page 10: Installation and Connections

    3 8 installation and connections n antenna connection for radio communications, the antenna is of critical im- portance, along with output power and sensitivity. Select antenna(s), such as a well-matched 50 Ω antenna, and feed line. 1.5:1 or better of voltage standing wave ratio (vswr) is recommende...

  • Page 11: Required Connections

    9 3 installation and connections n required connections pwr microphones (p. 45) sm-20 or sm-6 hm-36 ground (p. 8) use the heaviest gauge wire or strap available and make the connection as short as possible. Grounding prevents electrical shocks, tvi and other prob- lems. Antenna [example]: 1.8–30 mhz...

  • Page 12: Power Supply Connections

    10 3 installation and connections n power supply connections use an optional ps-125 dc power supply w hen oper- ating the ic-78 with ac power. Refer to the diagrams below. Caution: before connecting the dc power cable, check the following important items. Make sure: • the [pwr] switch is off. • outp...

  • Page 13: Advanced Connections

    3 installation and connections 11 n advanced connections pwr mic the afsk modulation signal can be input from [mic]. (p. 25) headphones • front panel antenna connects a linear amplifier, etc. [remote] (pgs. 41, 42) used for computer control and transceive operation, and cloning operation between tra...

  • Page 14: External Antenna Tuners

    3 installation and connections 12 n external antenna tuners connecting an antenna tuner (p. 44) coaxial cable (from the tuner) long wire or optional ah-2b ground ic-78 at-120/at-130/ah-4 control cable ground.

  • Page 15: Operation

    4 operation 13 n selecting a channel the transceiver has 99 memory channels. However, the number of channels can be restricted in initial set mode (p. 32) depending on your needs. A total of 3 ways of channel selections are available to suit your operating style. D using the channel selector rotate ...

  • Page 16: Frequency Indication

    4 operation 14 n frequency indication by pushing the [fc], channel comment indication or frequency indication can be selected. D transmit frequency indication by pushing the [txf], transmit frequency is indicat- ed, regardless channel comment or frequency indi- cation. While transmit frequency is in...

  • Page 17: Mode Selection

    15 4 operation n mode selection the [rf/sql] control adjusts either the rf gain or the squelch. The action depends on the operating mode and the condition of the rf/sql item in initial set mode (p. 31). • [rf/sql] control priority * the rf gain is set to maximum level when the [rf/sql] is set as [sq...

  • Page 18: Meter Function

    16 4 operation ï meter function the bar meter in the function display acts as an s- meter (for relative signal strength) during receive and can be selected for one of three functions dur- ing transmit. • push [set] to select the po, alc and swr meter mode. • measuring swr q confirm that the output p...

  • Page 19: Microphone Compressor

    17 4 operation ï microphone compressor ic-78 has a built-in, low distortion mic compressor cir- cuit. This circuit increases your average talk power in ssb mode and is especially useful when the receiv- ing station is having difficulty copying your signal. Q select usb or lsb mode. W push [comp] swi...

  • Page 20: Warning: High Voltage!

    The at-120, at-130 or ah-4 matches the ic-78 to a long wire antenna more than 7 m (23 ft) long (3.5 mhz and above). • see p. 11 for connection. • see the connected antenna tuner’s instruction manual for installation and antenna connection details. • setting example: never operate the at-120, at-130 ...

  • Page 21: Functions For Receive

    4 operation 19 n functions for receive ï rit function the rit (receive incremental tuning) function com- pensates for off-frequencies of communicating sta- tions. The function shifts the receive frequency up to 1.2 khz without moving the transmit frequency. Q rotate the rit control to cancel the off...

  • Page 22: Meter Peak Hold

    20 ï meter peak hold the meter peak hold function freezes the highest dis- played bar segment in any meter function for about 0.5 sec. So that you can more easily read the meter. This function can be turned on and off in initial set mode . (p. 31) initial reception of a signal results in an s-meter ...

  • Page 23: Filter Selection

    21 4 operation n filter selection the filter selection switches the if passband width as shown in the table at right. The filter selection is for temporal setting. Q select the desired mode programmed channel. (p. 13) w push [set] for 1 sec. To enter quick set mode . E push [ z dn] or [up y ] severa...

  • Page 24: Filter Setting

    22 4 operation when an optional filter is installed, set the optional fil- ters in initial set mode . Optional filters are not select- ed by default. (p. 33) d optional filter setting q while pushing and holding [set], push [pwr] to enter initial set mode . W push [ z dn] or [up y ] several times un...

  • Page 25: Function For Cw

    23 4 operation n function for cw ï connection for cw 1 2 3 4 8 7 6 5 9 10 11 12 13 paddle [elec key] [microphone] see p. 25 for connection details: paddle operation from front panel mic connector. Straight key microphone initial set mode setting (p. 32) 4 8 12 [acc] 1 2 3 7 6 5 9 10 11 13 for no bre...

  • Page 26: Cw Pitch Control

    4 operation 24 ï cw pitch control the received cw audio pitch and monitored cw audio pitch can be adjusted to suit your preferences (300 to 900 hz) without changing the operating fre- quency. Q push [set] for 1 sec. To enter quick set mode. W push [ √ dn]/[up ∫ ] one or more times until “cw pitch” a...

  • Page 27: Function For Rtty

    4 operation 25 n function for rtty ï connection for rtty (fsk) rear panel tu or tnc personal computer rear panel view use either the acc or one of the two 1 ⁄ 8 ″ plugs. * 1 connect sql line when required. Sql* 1 af out send gnd fskk gnd af 2-conductor 1 ⁄ 8 ″ plug [a cc] [ext sp] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ...

  • Page 28: Rtty (Fsk) Operation

    4 operation 26 ï rtty (fsk) operation q connect a terminal unit as at p. 25. W select rtty (or rtty-r) mode with [mode]. E select the desired fsk tone and shift frequencies as below. R set the desired frequency with the channel se- lector. T operate the connected pc or tnc (to). Presetting for rtty ...

  • Page 29: Channel Comment Programming

    27 4 operation n channel comment programming the ic-78 has a capability to assign up to 8-character channel comments for each operating channel. This provides easy recognition of channel usage, or station names, etc. Q select the desired channel by pushing [ √ dn]/ [up ∫ ], rotating the channel sele...

  • Page 30: Set Mode

    5 28 set mode n general set mode is used for programming infrequently changed values or conditions of functions. The ic-78 has 2 separate set modes: quick set mode and initial set mode . D quick set mode operation q while power is on, push [set] for 1 sec. • quick set mode is selected and one of its...

  • Page 31: Quick Set Mode Items

    29 5 set mode • rf power this item adjusts the rf output power. The rf output power can be adjusted from l, 1 to 99 and h by indication, however, it can be adjusted continuously. •the default is h (maximum power). Note that while adjusting the output power, the power meter is displayed auto- matical...

  • Page 32: Quick Set Mode Items

    30 5 set mode • bk-in this item selects break-in type for cw operation. There are three selectable values: of : no break-in operation available (default). Se : semi break-in operation available. Fl : full break-in operation available . • bk-in delay this item adjusts break-in delay time for cw semi ...

  • Page 33: Initial Set Mode Items

    31 5 set mode • rf/sql control action select [rf/sql] control action from rf/squelch, automatic (acts as squelch in am modes; as rf in ssb/cw/rtty modes), or the squelch. (see p. 15) the default is sq (squelch). • beep level adjusts the confirmation beep level from 1 to 99. The default is 50. • side...

  • Page 34: Initial Set Mode Items

    32 5 set mode • key type selects the cw paddle type. Four selections are available. • n : normal (for electronic keyer use) • r : reverse (for electronic keyer use) • of : turns off the electronic keyer (for straight key use) • ud : for using the microphone’s [up]/[dn] keys instead of the paddle. Th...

  • Page 35: Initial Set Mode Items

    33 5 set mode • option filter when an optional if filer is installed, this selection is necessary, otherwise the filters cannot be selected. Selections available are fl-96, † fl-222, fl-52a, fl- 53a, fl-257 and none (default). See p. 21 for usable filters for each mode and see p. 38 for filter insta...

  • Page 36: Extra Features

    6 extra features 34 n introduction extra features, explained in this section, are available only on some versions of the ic-78. Therefore, the instructions in this section are not necessary for some versions. To enter vfo mode, push [fc] for 1 sec. • vfo indicator appears. • in the vfo mode, channel...

  • Page 37

    6 extra features 35 d channel programming the programmed frequencies, both transmit and re- ceive, in operating channel can be re-programmed from the vfo mode. • simplex channel programming q push [fc] for 1 sec. To enter vfo mode. W push [ √ dn]/[up ∫ ] to select the desired channel. • any channels...

  • Page 38: 2-Tone Alarm Operation

    36 6 extra features n 2-tone alarm operation the 2-tone alarm is used for instant emergency oper- ation. When the 2-tone alarm function is activated, the call channel (2182 khz, distress channel, is pre-pro- grammed) is selected automatically, and emits a dis- tress alarm. D operation ➥ push [tone] ...

  • Page 39: Installation and Connections

    7 37 installation and connections n opening the transceiver’s case follow the case and cover opening procedures shown here when you want to install an optional unit or adjust an internal unit, etc. Caution: disconnect the dc power cable from the ic-78 before performing any work on the transceiver. O...

  • Page 40: Cr-338

    38 7 installation and connections n cr-338 high stability crystal unit by installing the cr-338, the total frequency stability of the transceiver will be improved. Q remove the bottom cover as shown in the previous diagram. W disconnect w2 from j4401 (main unit) and w3 from j4201 (main unit). E remo...

  • Page 41: Maintenance

    Problem possible cause solution ref. Receive power transmit display 8 39 maintenance n troubleshooting the following chart is designed to help you correct problems which are equipment malfunctions. If you are not able to locate the cause of a problem or solve it through the use of this chart, contac...

  • Page 42: Fuse Replacement

    40 circuitry fuse replacement the 13.8 v dc from the dc power cable is applied to all units in the ic-78 through the circuitry fuse. This fuse is installed in the main unit. Q remove the top cover as shown on p. 48 w replace the circuitry fuse as shown in the diagram at right. E replace the top cove...

  • Page 43: Remote Jack Information

    9 remote jack information 41 • ci-v connection example the transceiver can be connected through an option- al ct-17 ci-v level converter to a personal computer equipped with an rs-232c port. The icom communi- cations interface-v (ci-v) controls the following func- tions of the transceiver. Up to 4 i...

  • Page 44

    9 control command 42 • command table command sub command description 00 — send frequency data 01 — send mode data 02 — read upper/lower frequencies 03 — read frequencies 04 — read operating mode 05 — set operating frequency 06 — set mode 08 — set memory — set memory channel 0e 00 scan stop 01 memory...

  • Page 45: Specifications

    43 specifications n general • frequency range : rx 0.030000–29.999999 mhz* 1 tx 1.600000–29.999999 mhz* 2 * 1 guaranteed range: 0.5–29.999999 mhz * 2 not guaranteed for some frequency bands • mode : usb, lsb, cw, rtty, am • no. Of memory channels : 99 (duplex) +1 call • frequency stability : less th...

  • Page 46: Options

    Fl-52a, fl-53a, fl-222 and fl-257 455 khz filters • fl-52a: 500 hz/-6 db (cw/rtty narrow) • fl-53a: 250 hz/–6 db (cw narrow) • fl-222: 1.8 khz/–6 db (ssb narrow) • fl-257: 3.3 khz/–6 db (ssb wide) cr-338 high-stability crystal unit contains a temperature-compensat- ing oven heater and crystal unit f...

  • Page 47

    11 45 options opc-420 4-conductor shield cable for the connection between transceiver and antenna tuner. Compatible with the control cable, that is supplied with the at-120, at-130 and ah-4. Cable length: 10 m (32.8 ft) opc-599 adapter cable 13-pin, acc connector to 7-pin + 8-pin acc connector. Mb-2...

  • Page 48

    1-1-32 kamiminami, hirano-ku, osaka 547-0003, japan a-5658h-1ex- e printed in japan © 2000–2008 icom inc. Printed on recycled paper with soy ink..