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Icom LMR - MDC 1200 programming help?

Posted: Sun May 02, 2021 1:52 pm
by johncanfield
This is a bit of an odd post but I'm hoping there is someone here that has experience programming Icom analog LMR radios (public safety & commercial Land Mobil Radio.) I set up a repeater for a friend's business and I have a talkie and a mobile radio programmed for the basic stuff - IC-F1000 series and IC-F5022 series units. I'm a bit confused about some of the MDC1200 features the Icom can use. I have extensively researched MDC1200 but most of what I've found isn't specific to the Icom MDC1200 feature set.

I found a couple of useful topics at RadioReference forums but Icom isn't the 500 pound gorilla like Motorola is.

(MDC 1200 is sub audible data protocol at 1200 bps on the transmitted or received signal that can cause a radio to honk the horn, radios can self-ID themselves, one radio can 'page' another radio, etc. Most public safety has moved on to trunked digital except for small departments.)

Re: Icom LMR - MDC 1200 programming help?

Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 10:31 am
by Owens
MDC1200...
Can do a lot. What exactly are you looking to accomplish? ID the radio?
Thats easy.
Under MDC GENERAL enter the ID number you want to assign. You can assign up to 5 IDs.
Under MDC PTTID enter the characteristics yo want each to have. ID at key down? Id at key up? Both? Delays...I suggest leaving at default.

For each channel you want to utilize the Id, select the system you want to link to that channel.

Thats about the extent of my knowledge and utilization.

MDC can stun, kill and revive a radio...in case it gets into the wrong hands. It can send an emergency alert.

Re: Icom LMR - MDC 1200 programming help?

Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 5:38 pm
by johncanfield
Thanks for the assistance, I was hoping that someone here has recent programming experience and knowledge about the Icom implementation of MDC functions. I'm aware of the features but not exactly sure about the programming specifics.

I do appreciate your time.

Re: Icom LMR - MDC 1200 programming help?

Posted: Wed May 05, 2021 6:07 pm
by Owens
No problem. Glad to help. I might mention that the ID that you put in is numeric only.
There is a provision for aliases where you can enter a name that goes with the ID though. If you do that the name will show, not the ID number.

Re: Icom LMR - MDC 1200 programming help?

Posted: Thu May 06, 2021 7:54 am
by johncanfield
The actual ID has to be entered as a hexadecimal 'number', the 5020 series only has 5 alias entries available which I didn't realize. To step up to a bunch of alias IDs, the next series is almost twice as much as this one.