Radio transmitting but not receiving

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Max Campbell

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I've got an Icom DSC radio, about 10 years old, with an aerial on the mast. In using it recently to contact both Shotley Marina on Ch80 and Brightlingsea harbour master on Ch68 it was transmitting clearly (B'sea could hear us from 4 miles out, we learnt on arrival), but it's not receiving. Is it possible that there's a connection failure or is this indicative of a fault within the unit? I've tried adjusting volume and squelch with no positive result.

Has anyone experience of Icom repairing radios or should I bite the bullet and spend £280 on a new radio? I'm reluctant to use the boat without a functioning radio.

Anything else I should try?
 
Max Campbell said:
I've got an Icom DSC radio, about 10 years old, with an aerial on the mast. In using it recently to contact both Shotley Marina on Ch80 and Brightlingsea harbour master on Ch68 it was transmitting clearly (B'sea could hear us from 4 miles out, we learnt on arrival), but it's not receiving. Is it possible that there's a connection failure or is this indicative of a fault within the unit? I've tried adjusting volume and squelch with no positive result.

Has anyone experience of Icom repairing radios or should I bite the bullet and spend £280 on a new radio? I'm reluctant to use the boat without a functioning radio.

Anything else I should try?
Click to expand...
I've had a receive only problem on my Standard Horizon vhf and the cause was a usb phone charger plugged into a cigarette socket. An email reply from SH confirmed that, yes, this is feasible. They said "The USB adaptor is probably using a small switch mode power supply to create the 5v. This is causing a lot of RF noise which in turn is affecting the receive ceramic filters within your radio and causing the problem."

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
I had exactly the same problem some years ago when I tried to run the Marmaris VHF Cruisers net one day and heard no replies. I never did pinpoint the cause but it was probably a phone charger, because the problem went away the following day.
 
Thanks for the comments - I have recently changed my chart plotter, and my new Simrad Cruise is powered by the supplied cord plugged into the 12v socket, but no usb involved, and no voltage transformation, surely.
 
Max Campbell said:
Has anyone experience of Icom repairing radios or should I bite the bullet and spend £280 on a new radio?
Click to expand...

Yes they do repairs. My first experience was with a handheld where the repair for the known issue colind3782 is probably referring to was fixed quickly with no fuss and only cost me postage. The second instance was a repair to the mic connector of my fixed radio which had never really mated properly. It cost me more than I expected and a very rude engineer who should never have been allowed near customers called me to say it was my own stupid fault for breaking it. When it was returned it still didn’t connect properly and they’d forgotten to screw the mic back together.

Maybe one guy having a bad day but way to get a customer to go from saying how great icom are (check my posts from 10 years ago) to saying “next time I’ll give standard horizon a go”.
 
Have you tried plugging a speaker or headphones into the extension socket to see if the receiver is working. I have had the internal speaker fail on more than one radio and have a faulty one here from my brother in law that he was disposing of which is now in use with an external speaker.
 
OP does not confirm if he can get noise (hash) by opening the squelch. If this is present then speaker wetc is OK . If not then speaker of jack for extenral speaker most likely causing problem. Assuming lots of noise then as said turn of all other electronics and chargers. (MPPT controller) This may identify an interfering culprit. If not then yes bad receiver. ol'will
 
Thanks, Will H, I do indeed get noise if squelch opened. Will go back to boat (1.5 hrs away) and try radio with all other electrics switched off.
 
Known failure with that generation Icom. Asked nicely, they will repair free of charge. Really good radios otherwise, we have 7 from up to 15 years ago and that was only issue we've had.
 
Sorted my reception usb charger which plugs into a power socket to charge tablet known problem look it up on YouTube it even affected my vhf music radio
 
Known fault with Icom, both portable and fixed radios , a ceramic filter fails in the Rx side of the radio.
They may no longer be prepared to repair it FOC , some of the them must be over 2 decades old by now , but they can and will repair it unlike most of the so called "competition." frequently mentioned on these forums.
 
rightstuff said:
Sorted my reception usb charger which plugs into a power socket to charge tablet known problem look it up on YouTube it even affected my vhf music radio
Click to expand...

.................cheap rubbish ones will do this and good quality one will not...........have both in my collection.
A good one will also charge your Ipad while underway when using Navionics.
 
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