Quick-Start Guide for the IC-7100

A. On/Off/Volume/Squelch

The knob at the top left of the front panel (① in Figure 1) is the volume control. Press it to turn the radio on. Press and hold to turn the radio off.

The ring around the volume control knob (② in Figure 1) serves as the squelch control on 2 m / 70 cm FM, and as the RF gain control on HF and 6 m. The manual describes a number of special functions that this control can perform based on menu settings. To avoid confusion, it would be best to stick with the default behavior. For a radio that must be used by a number of different operators, it's really important to keep things simple and consistent.

Figure 1: Front panel of the Icom IC-7100 transceiver, showing the main display, tuning dial, and various buttons and knobs. Key controls are labeled with numbers ① and ② for reference.

B. Menu Selection

The radio features a touch screen with five soft keys (virtual buttons) across the bottom, providing access to menus and special functions. The function of these keys changes depending on the current menu or sub-menu. Figure 2 displays Menu-1, indicated by "M-1" above the left-most soft key.

To cycle through menus, press the MENU button repeatedly. This button is a physical control located just below the left corner of the display, as seen in Figure 1.

Figure 2: The IC-7100 display showing a frequency of 14.100.000 MHz in VFO mode. It indicates the current band, operating mode (USB), memory channel (A01), and displays five soft keys at the bottom of the screen, labeled M-1, SCAN, SPLIT, A/B, V/M, MW.

C. Frequency Selection

The primary frequency display (Figure 2) shows frequency down to 1 Hz resolution. A menu option allows hiding the least significant digit to display frequency to the nearest 10 Hz.

Panel Lock

To prevent accidental frequency changes, locate the SPEECH/LOCK button under the tuning dial. Press and hold for 1 second to unlock the front panel. Locking the panel serves the same purpose.

Tuning using the tuning dial

The tuning dial has three touch zones: MHz digits, kHz digits, and Hz digits.

• MHz digits: Touch to select the band of operation. A popup screen offers choices. Touch and hold for 1 second to set the tuning rate to 1 MHz/step for quick band tuning.
• kHz digits: Touch to enable coarse tuning mode. Touch and hold to select the coarse tuning step size, ranging from 1 kHz to 100 kHz. Common steps are 5 kHz on 2m and 25 kHz on 70 cm. For HF, choose a convenient step size.
• Hz digits: On HF, touch to access fine tuning. Touch and hold to select the fine tuning step size, either 1 Hz or 10 Hz per step.

Direct frequency entry

Direct frequency entry is available but not immediately obvious.

• Touch the MHz digits to select the band. While the popup screen is active, press the "F-INP" button to access the direct entry screen.
• On the virtual keypad, enter the desired frequency in MHz, using a decimal point between MHz and kHz digits, or by adding trailing zeros to position the digits correctly.

D. Operating Mode

The current operating mode (e.g., FM, LSB, USB) is displayed at the top edge of the screen. Touch the mode indicator to access a popup screen for changing modes.

• Pressing the SSB button toggles between USB and LSB.
• Press FM for operation on 2m or 70 cm.
• For Winlink operation, pressing the DATA button on the mode select popup screen cycles through four data modes. For 2m or 70 cm RMS Gateway access, use FM DATA mode (FM-D). For HF Winlink, use USB DATA mode. Note: HF Winlink operation is not intended at Holy Cross-Germantown due to antenna limitations.

The difference between "regular" FM and FM-DATA mode is that microphone audio is muted in FM DATA mode. If you cannot get through on a voice channel and hear a report of an "unmodulated carrier," touch the mode indicator and the data button to exit FM DATA mode. Running Winlink using "regular" FM mode may result in background noise corrupting the audio from the TNC.

E. VFOs and Memories; Repeater Operations

The radio has two VFOs (A and B) and 495 "regular" memories organized into five banks (A-E), each containing 99 memories (e.g., A00-A99). There are also two 2m Call Channels (144C1, 144C2) and two 70cm Call Channels (430C1, 430C2).

VFO Operation

Access Menu-1 by repeatedly pressing the MENU button. Touch the V/M soft key to switch between VFO and Memory mode. The mode is displayed above the channel number. You can also toggle between VFO/MEMO modes by touching the channel number or icon.

While in VFO mode, touch the A/B button to switch between VFO-A and VFO-B. Touch and hold the A/B button to equalize both VFOs to the current frequency.

Memory Operation

In memory mode, use the memory channel selector knob (below the volume knob) to select a memory. The ring around this knob selects one of the five memory banks.

Selecting a memory channel loads the saved frequency, repeater shift, operating mode, transmit power, tone/digital squelch parameters, and HF filter settings. Reselecting a memory restores its original saved settings.

Figure 3: Illustrations showing the IC-7100 display in VFO mode (top) and Memory mode (bottom). The top image shows 'VFO mode icon' and 'VFOA A01', while the bottom shows 'Memory mode icon' and 'A01'.

Repeater Shift

The radio automatically selects the correct repeater shift according to the ARRL Band Plan when tuned to a repeater output frequency. This can be overridden using the DUP (duplex) soft key in Menu-2.

Listen on the Input

To temporarily reverse repeater input and output frequencies, press and hold the XFC (Xmit Frequency Check) button below the tuning dial. This is useful for checking simplex range.

Preamp

The radio has a receiver preamp and attenuator on HF bands (160-15m). Bands 17m, 10m, and 6m offer two preamps. 2m and 70cm have one switchable preamp. Use the least amount of pre-amplification necessary to avoid interference from strong signals. The PREAMP/ATTEN switch cycles through options.

Transmit Power

Adjust transmit power by pressing the MIC/RF POWER button. This opens a popup menu for adjusting microphone gain and transmit power using the Memory Select knob and outer ring. Avoid adjusting microphone gain unless using a different microphone. RF Power is shown as a percentage of maximum output (100W on HF/6m, 50W on 2m/70cm).

If adjusting microphone gain, restore it to 50% when switching back to the factory microphone.

CTCSS (PL) Tones

For repeaters requiring a sub-audible tone, access Menu-2 via the MENU button. Touch the TONE soft key to toggle CTCSS encoder on/off. Touch and hold the TONE soft key to access a submenu for selecting the tone frequency.

DTMF

To send a DTMF string, press MENU repeatedly to reach Menu-3. Touch the DTMF soft key, then SEND to open the DTMF send window. Touch "Direct Input" to access the "DTMF DIRECT INPUT" screen. Enter the sequence and touch TX to transmit.

Call Channel Operation

Access the four special call channels by selecting the 2m or 70cm band and pressing the TUNER/CALL button (lower left). Rotate the memory select knob to access other call channels. Call Channels are also accessible in Memory Channel mode with Bank A selected.

Channel Assignments

Programming a Memory Channel

Bank A is reserved for frequently-used frequencies and emergency operations. Banks B-E can be used for personal preferences. Do not overwrite Call Channels or Bank A memories.

While memory channels can be programmed in memory mode, using VFO mode may be less confusing. Select VFO A or B by touching the channel number or VFO/MEMO icon. Set the desired contents in the VFO.

When configured, press MENU repeatedly to reach Menu-1. Use the BANK (outer) and M.CH (inner) knobs to select the storage location. Touch the MW soft key for 1 second to program the channel.

Alphanumeric names can be assigned after programming; refer to the IC-7100 Advanced Instructions manual for details.

¹ There are also a handful of memories that are used to set limits for scanning, but we won't go into those. The scanning memories are labeled 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B. Just don't confuse memory A01 (a regular memory channel) with memory 1A (used only with the scanning feature).

F. Winlink VHF Operation — Hardware Setup

This section provides reference information for setting up the radio for Winlink using a Timewave PK-96 TNC. The TNC connects to the radio's DATA2 connector (Figure 4).

Configuration parameters affecting TNC performance are found in the SET mode under Connectors and Function menus.

SET Mode Parameters

G. Winlink VHF Operation — Laptop Setup (Windows)

This guide assumes a BYOL (bring your own laptop) mode of operation. Software installation and configuration on a Windows laptop or tablet is recommended as a backup.

To use Winlink VHF mode, download and install the latest version of the Winlink Express program:

https://winlink.org/WinlinkExpress

Create a user account at Winlink.org, ensuring your password and Intellicentrics login credentials are saved securely. The software is under active development and requires frequent updates.

² Intellicentrics is a credentials program used by registered volunteers at Holy Cross. If you have not signed up as a hospital volunteer, disregard.

The setup at HCGH uses a USB-to-serial converter with an FTDI chipset. Many Windows computers have this driver pre-installed. If needed, download the driver from:

https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

Identifying the correct COM port assigned to your serial port by Windows is crucial for configuring Winlink Express. Plugging the USB-to-serial converter into different USB ports can result in different COM port assignments. A utility like TWCOMDetect can help list active COM ports, simplifying this process:

http://timewave.com/support/utilities/

H. Winlink Express Operation

This section provides specific tips for Winlink Express setup and operation.

• No need to initialize COM port parameters in Windows; Winlink Express handles this, as well as TNC initialization.
• Ensure the IC-7100 operating mode is set to FM-D for packet radio on VHF/UHF. If the received packet signal is noisy, turning the receiver preamp (P.AMP) on may help. Exit FM DATA mode when returning to voice operation. Leave the radio in FM voice mode when closing the station.
• The IC-7100 Notch Filter must be turned off during digital mode operation on any band. Leaving it on can filter out the AFSK signal, making packet connections impossible.
• The IF passband filter width is fixed in FM, WFM, and FM-D modes. The noise blanker has no effect in FM mode.
• The effect of the NR (noise reduction) algorithm in FM mode is unclear; it is recommended to leave NR off for packet operation.

Initial Configuration:

Start Winlink Express and select Files .. Winlink Express Setup. Enter your callsign (without suffix) and password. Optionally, fill in contact information and grid square (hospital grid square is FM19je). Internet access will use your grid square to list local gateway stations. Leave the Service Code as PUBLIC.

TNC Setup:

Select the session type as PACKET W2K and click "Open Session." In the setup window, choose "AEA/Timewave" for TNC Type and "PK-96" for TNC Model. Select the identified COM port and set the baud rate to 9600. Other parameters can remain at default.

Making a Connection:

From Holy Cross - Germantown, common gateways are WN3R-10 (145.77 MHz) and WA3YOO-10 (145.75 MHz). Set the IC-7100's frequency accordingly. In Winlink Express, set the connection type to "Direct." Enter the callsign into the connection box and click Start. The radio should establish a connection with the gateway.

³ Note that the Winlink Express program does not tune the radio when you switch to a different gateway station. This must be done manually.

⁴ If you cannot connect to N2LEE-10 directly, try digipeating through the RESTON digipeater.

Other Stations

The hospital's location is affected by ridges, making VHF/UHF simplex communications challenging. WA3YOO-10 is the most accessible station listed.

In emergencies, packet peer-to-peer (PTP) connections or Winlink connections via RMS Gateways or conventional FM repeaters are possible. For repeater connections, increasing the TxDelay setting may be necessary. Contact WA3YOO for assistance relaying Winlink messages if the MCACS station at the Montgomery County EOC is activated.

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