IC-R8600 Receiving: Modes, Tuning & Squelch

Summary: How to receive on the IC-R8600: VFO and Memory modes, receive modes, entering frequencies, tuning steps, and RF gain, squelch and monitor.

Volume

Rotate DIAL B; the level shows in percent. The receiver remembers each key’s and dial’s status and restores it at power-on.

VFO and Memory Modes

Push V/M to toggle. In VFO mode set the frequency with the MAIN DIAL or the keypad. In Memory mode you choose a stored channel (see IC-R8600 Memory Channels: Groups, Writing & Editing).

Receive Modes

Touch the mode icon and choose:

• FM, WFM, AM, SSB/CW, FSK, DIGITAL.
• Touch a mode key for 1 second to reach the others: AM cycles AM, S-AM(D), S-AM(U), S-AM(L); SSB/CW toggles USB and LSB (CW and CW-R); FSK toggles FSK and FSK-R.
• DIGITAL cycles D-STAR, P25, dPMR, NXDN-vn, NXDN-n, DCR. Choose which appear in SET, Digital Set, Digital Mode Select.

Synchronous AM (S-AM) mixes the signal with a pure carrier and extracts one sideband (D, U or L), reducing distortion from fading and interference from adjacent stations. When “D-STAR” and “FM” blink alternately, an FM signal is being received while in D-STAR mode.

Entering a Frequency

1. Touch the MHz digits of the frequency readout.
2. Key in the MHz digits, [.] then the rest. Examples: 14.025000 MHz is 1, 4, ., 0, 2, 5, ENT; 14 MHz is 1, 4, ENT; 150 kHz is 0, ., 1, 5, ENT. You can enter just the changing digits (from 21.240 to 21.360: ., 3, 6, ENT).
3. Touch [ENT]; unentered digits below 100 kHz become zero. [CE] clears the entry; EXIT cancels.

Tuning Step

Touch the TS indicator and choose a step, or the programmable tuning step (0.1 to 999.9 kHz in 100 Hz steps). The TS function can be switched off: touch the kHz digit to tune in 10 Hz steps (or enter the frequency directly for 1 Hz), and touch the MHz digit for 1 second to tune in MHz steps. MAIN DIAL Auto TS (Set, Function) speeds the tuning up when you spin the dial (Off, Low about twice as fast, High up to five times).

RF Gain, Squelch and Audio Tone

Push DIAL B, touch an item and rotate:

• RF GAIN 0-100% (leave at 100%; reduce it if OVF appears)
• SQL 0-100%: the noise squelch (30-50% in FM, AM, S-AM and DIGITAL) opens when the signal has less noise than the set level; the S-meter squelch (50-100%, any mode) opens when the signal is stronger than the “v” marker.
• TREBLE and BASS -15 to +15

Monitor: hold DIAL B to force the squelch open (MONI shows, RECEIVE lights). In digital modes the behaviour follows Digital Monitor (Auto, Digital or Analog).

Fine Tuning

In FM, WFM and DIGITAL, centre the marker on the tuning indicator. In FSK, tune until both “<” and “>” show. With AFC on in WFM the marker may not settle in the centre.

Speech

Push SPEECH to hear the frequency and mode (and S-meter level, if S-Level SPEECH is on). See IC-R8600 Set Mode Reference.