Anyone tried any digital 446 sets yet?

Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 119

Just out of interest, anybody else gone digital yet, or do I have that chunk of the spectrum all to myself?

Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 157 Location: Shetland

Interesting Ducat. We are still looking forward to a full review when you are ready.

The antenna on the IC-F4029SDR looks roughtly the same length as that of the tti TX-1446 and if so we can assume roughtly the same efficiency.

A full quarterwave on the TX-1446 makes it unsurpassible on receive and normal power TX (see other threads and the review). Wonder what that would do to the Icom?

Ian Anderson
SIBC

Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 119

The antenna on the icom is a quarter inch shorter than a tx-1446, but as the radio is basically sending very fast CW efficiency doesn't seem to be the problem it is on analog.

I got my radios from Dale and Andy at tti, who gave me a very very good deal indeed. Perhaps dale could let us know if the antenna can be swapped out as it can on the 1446?

Over to you, Dale

Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 211 Location: France

Just found a studdy (from march 2006) about DMR market in France
source (in french obviously):
http://www.ficome.fr/portail/partenaires/Snir/09_03_06/index_html
then click on the pdf link "le marche PMR"

Licence free DMR should be legal here in 2009

Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 119

Had a long chat with my wife last Saturday on digital. She was indoors and I was a mile away across our valley in my friends house.
Nothing special, you might think, but at the time, I was underground in his cellar!!

And it STILL sounded like she was standing next to me.

These things rock!

P.S. antenna cannot be swapped out easily, but it really doesn't need to be.

Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 157 Location: Shetland

Ducat

Any more tests or feelings on the Icom?

(See your personal messages).

Ian
SIBC

Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 254

Ducat, I too am very interested in the Icoms. I already have one that I bought for a bargain £150 new. I am thinking of getting a second, but I need to know more. I would be interested in anyone comparing them directly with Motorola's DTR range. Wonder how they compare?

Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 119

Ian, go on, buy a pair, you know you want to! I'm certain Dale and Andy would do you a good deal.
My personal message thing appears to be broken, everytime i check it its empty.

I'm still very happy with them. The only clue you get when moving out of range is the loss of definition of words, the word "study" might be heard as "suddy"
None of the irritating burbling you get on DAB, or the hissing and crackle of analog.
Range is certainly greater than analog, at least 10% better, possibly because of the lack of need for a squelch, the radio either recieves the data stream or it doesn't.
No such thing as "In the back of the box" with these babies!

I know they are more expensive than "ordinary" 446 radios but you do get both analog and digital in one unit, so its two radios in one and will combine seamlessly with your current set up, but its amazing how quick the analog modes get left on the shelf once you use digital.

Sorry, Spig, not used the Motorola DTR system, but your already half way to a digital setup. The Icoms can be obtained for just over the price of a high end analog radio, so keep your eyes peeled for another!

Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 157 Location: Shetland

Ducat

Thanks for that. The PM system appears to be intermittent.

As a company we use VHF business radio and PMR446, and I know the range advantage of VHF over UHF in analogue, so we used them for different purposes.

I am also aware from your experience that digtal PMR446 has a range advantage over analogue PMR446 but I am not sure that it would have such an advantage over analogue VHF.

That is my quandary. The obvious answer is digital VHF business radio, which doesn't appear to exist yet (I stand to be corrected).

Ian
SIBC

Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 119

no 446 system will ever be able to compete with a vhf business radio system. I've not heard of a business digital system yet, apart from TETRA of course, but I'm sure one will be along shortly. OFCOM wont miss the opportunity to fleece the business user!

Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 157 Location: Shetland

Ducat

That was my feeling too, that the mode will (almost) never be an advantage over the wavelength.

Ofcom is very digital inclined and it will almost certainly be going down that road for the various business radio areas it has total control over (obviously not marine or air band radio etc, which have international dimensions and licensing).

Ian
SIBC

Joined: 23 Feb 2006 Posts: 119

I think power also plays a part. in the open a digital 446 running at five watts would give a severe spanking to an analog vhf PMR also running at the same power. I think a lot of it is to do with signal compression, shoving all the power into a narrower bandwidth.

A digital vhf PMR would be awesome!

Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 157 Location: Shetland

My thoughts too!

Ian
SIBC

Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 1373

Well, it's one year later and we now have digital VHF and digital UHF (at least licensed amateurs do...) in the form of Icoms D-Star system. The current mobile kit available gives a whopping 50W output at 145MHz and even the handheld kit is 5W.

The jury is still out on the range benefits, there are reported increases in distances but most people seem to agree that the range benefits of digital aren't massive over analogue gear and most comments I've read are concentrating on the data and repeater linking facilities, not increased range claims.

It's interesting to note that only Icom seem to have entered the digital arena in both PMR446/Commercial and amateur kit. The other manufacturers seem to be waiting...