Using the Icom IC-W2A
Informal Comments by James L. Paul N6SIW

   I've had my IC-W2A for a few weeks now, and have been using it for
casual portable use. The W2A feature set is good for most types of
common HT operation. I will comment on various features from my point
of view as a new user of the W2A.

   The W2A is a dual-band VHF/UHF HT that covers the 2m and 70cm
amateur bands. Each band is controlled independently. A variety of
options and accessories are available.

Display:
   The display is a multi-function LCD positioned at the top front
panel. It's actually two displays in one. The VHF band is on the left,
and the UHF band is on the right. The display for each band is
complete, and they are both the same size. Some other dual-band HTs
show only partial information about the "sub-band", but the W2A favors
both sides of the display equally. Contrast is good from a wide range
of viewing angles, and best from above. Viewing from an extreme angle
below, the display becomes fuzzy but still readable.
   The frequency displays are about a quarter of an inch tall, and
show five full digits. The sixth digit is a small "50" next to the
fifth digit. This has become common in modern HTs, but I'd personally
rather have a normal sixth digit.
   Under each frequency display is a twelve segment strength meter
display. However, only seven segments are active, unlike the S-meters
in Icom's SAT series HTs. Segments are active for 1db, 3db, 5db, 7db,
9db, and then two more, presumably for +10db and +20db. During
transmit, the meter shows the transmit power setting, of which there
are four. It would have been nicer to have a display of battery
strength during transmit instead, since the power setting can be
easily checked and there is no method provided for checking the
remaining battery life.
   Indicators are available for duplex, tone encode/decode settings,
memory channel, memory mode, and channel skipping. I find the
indicators adequate and useful for common use.
   The display may be lighted by pressing the "3" button on the
keypad. The display remains lit for five seconds after pressing a
button. Holding down the function button while turning on the light
causes it to remain on continuously until it is explicitly turned off.
The light is emitted from two green LEDs, one at each end of the
display. The amount of light is sufficient for very dark places, but
the display is very hard to see in dim lighting or dusk conditions.
Contrast is reduced when the light is required to view the display.
   A "MAIN" indicator appears above the band currently selected. This
indicator is bold and easily seen, and is the only way to visually
differentiate between the "main" band and the "sub" band. All control
functions affect the "main" band, so this indicator is at the center
of the W2A's operation.

Analog Controls:
   The W2A has five analog controls, mounted on the top of the case.
Each band has audio level and squelch controls, which are each
coaxially mounted with the audio level on top. To match the VHF
display on the left, the VHF band audio and squelch controls are at
the far left. The UHF band controls are identical, and to the right of
the VHF controls. The fifth analog control is rotary digital switch,
located at the far right. This is available for rotary frequency
input, and selecting configuration values.
   These controls work well, but can be awkward for large fingers. The
rotary switch is easy to use, but the VHF controls are very close to
the antenna connector, and can be difficult to manipulate. The UHF
controls are slightly easier to reach. Also, the lines molded into the
controls to indicate settings are hard to see, making it difficult to
check the settings of these controls at a glance. I find it impossible
to see the squelch and audio settings in dim light.

Connectors:
   The antenna connector is a standard BNC, at the top left rear of
the case. This single connector is internally duplexed and connects
easily to a dual-band antenna.
   The external power connector is a two conductor coaxial type
located next to the antenna connector. I have never seen this type of
connector before. It resembles a standard coaxial power plug, but has
a confusing gender. Each side of this connector is both male and
female, and is hard to describe. It's sort of like one gender of a
standard coaxial connector inside the other. I have no idea why Icom
chose this connector, and I can't see any advantages over a standard
coaxial power connector. Up to 16 volts DC can be applied to this
connector, which can be used for full power operation and to charge a
connected battery. When a power connector is plugged in, any connected
battery is disconnected from powering the radio and charged as long as
the power is supplied. It's possible to overcharge a battery by
leaving external power connected for over 15 hours. If the external
power is turned off without removing the connector, the radio will be
without power. (You must disconnect the plug for the battery to work.)
   There are two audio connectors, located next to the power
connector, which are standard mini phone jacks. The left one is for
VHF audio and the right one is for UHF audio. The microphone audio is
on the VHF connector. The audio connectors function somewhat
independently of each other, and can be used seperately. If the UHF
audio connector is used, the internal dual-band audio mixing is
disabled. The user manual has a chart describing the various
combinations possible.
   The bottom of the W2A has a battery connector that accepts Icom's
SAT series batteries. A BP-84 is supplied with the USA version, which
supplies 1000mAH at 7.2 volts. I've been using the 600mAH BP-83 and
BC-72 charger with very good results. This connector can accept up to
12 volts for full power operation. I've heard comments from other
users that the "lips" that attach the battery to the bottom of the
radio break easily if the rig is dropped. This slide connector system
is used by the S,W, and SRA series Icom radios, and is simply a
plastic railing that keeps the battery mechanically joined to the
radio chassis. I haven't broken any of my batteries, but can see how
it might be likely even in a light fall. Some of the "louder"
commenters of this problem have had their damaged batteries replaced
free by Icom. I doubt this is standard policy at Icom, but shows
excellent support and service on their end.

Button Controls:
   All the buttons on the W2A are on the front panel, except for the
PTT and Function. (The Function button acts like a shift key.) The
button arrangement on the front panel might take some getting used to.
The most interesting thing here is that the Power switch is a front
panel button. The radio is turned on and off by pressing this button
for approximately one second. Most HTs have the power switch built
into the audio level control, which makes it necessary to set the
audio level each time you turn the radio on. I think the W2A power
button is a nice feature.
   The A,B,C, and D buttons are to the left of the numeric buttons,
instead of to the right.
   The two buttons that control band switching are enlarged and well
placed. Nearly all the buttons are multi-purpose, and have secondary
functions in conjunction with the Function button located just above
the PTT button on the upper left side of the case. The buttons are
small, but are spaced well and slightly recessed to prevent accidental
presses. None of the buttons are lighted.
   Other Icom HTs allow selecting the memory channel by pressing a
numeric button. The W2A does not do this. Memories must be stepped
through with the rotary control or Up/Down buttons. This makes the
numeric buttons available for other operations without requiring use
of the Function button. This results in more flexibility with one
handed operation, and I think it's an improvement.

Ergonomics:
   The W2A case is sculpted on the sides for easy gripping. The top
mounted controls are a bit crowded, but functional. A wriststrap mount
is on the upper right side of the case, but I can't imagine anyone
dangling $600 worth of radio from their wrist. The LC-72 softcase is
acceptable for preventing scratches that might accumulate during
normal use. My softcase was poorly sewn, and "poofs" up around the top
of the case, but I doubt this is a widespread problem.
   The display area is slightly convex, which makes it extremely prone
to scratches. The softcase helps, but it's difficult to get the case
to slide over the display as the clear protective plastic tends to
stick to the convex display. The display should have been made flat.
   The supplied belt clip is small, but works well for me. The
optional MB-22 alligator clip is less sturdy and very hard to open
without pressing hard on the front panel. The MB-22 also moves the
clip point too close to the W2A's center of gravity, making it easier
for the radio to pivot sideways while on a belt. This can be either an
advantage or disadvantage, depending on where you clip your rig.
   The optional HS-60 headset is an interesting contraption. It's
unwieldy, but very functional once it's set up. It's not something I
can imagine being used casually, but is great for planned situations.
The headset folds in two places and has two earphones, one for audio
from each band. The earphones are the little walkman "earbud" type and
fit like little foam hearing aids into the ears. They dangle on thin
cables which tend to get tangled easily or caught on things unless you
tape them up and out of the way. The microphone is a little foam ball
on a really great boom. The boom is easy to move, and holds any
position very well. Between the radio connector and the headset is a
small control box with a swiveling lapel clip. This box has a VOX
circuit, PTT switch, mode switch, and mic gain control. The whole
setup isn't especially weatherproof, but shouldn't be hard to protect
if needed.
   The optional BC-72 fast charger is necessary for active use. I
can't imagine getting along without it. (Waiting 15 hours to charge a
single battery is, well, inconvenient at best.) This charger tops off
the BP-82,83,84 batteries easily and fast. It's an intelligent charger
and senses when the battery is fully charged. A fully discharged pack
takes about an hour to charge, depending on the battery capacity. I've
been using the same 3 batteries for 2 years with no significant loss
of performance. The BC-72 can also operate from a cigarette lighter or
other 12vdc source. I heartily recommend it to every W2A user.

Features:
   Simultaneous Receive. This allows the reception of both bands at
the same time. To turn this off, one band can be deactivated, making
the W2A effectively a single-band radio.
   Full Duplex. This allows transmitting on one band while receiving
on the other. You can manually repeat one band to the other using this
feature. If you are monitoring one band while talking on another,
anything received on the sub band will be transmitted along with your
voice, which can be very confusing to others. Also, between
transmissions you may miss something during a QSO because of sudden
activity on the other band, so try not to forget you have the other
band on during a QSO. In the case where you are using a crossband
repeater, you will experience serious feedback due to your transmitted
audio being received on the other band simultaneously. This problem
could have been avoided by adding a semi-duplex or half-duplex feature
that would automatically mute the sub band receive audio during
transmission. Icom acknowledges this problem, but says there will not
be a fix for the W2A.
   Extended Receive Range. This is an undocumented feature. By holding
down the "3", "#", and "B" buttons while turning on the power, the
radio is set to allow entry of any frequency. After doing this, it's
important to use the "Set" mode from both bands to change the number
of digits used for keypad entry. (Use the SET mode for each band to
set the "PL" value to 100.) This will allow any frequency to be
directly entered. Not all frequencies are receivable, but each band
retains reasonable sensitivity over a respectable range. This is
something to be tried and experimented with by each W2A owner.
   CrossBand Repeat. This is an undocumented feature. First enable the
Extended Receive function mentioned above. Then set both bands the way
you want them and make the VHF band the main band. Press Function-"2"
and Function-"#" without releasing the Function button in between.
This will lock the radio in an automatic crossband repeat mode. Again,
something for each W2A owner to experiment with. To deactivate, press
Function-"#".
   Extended Transmit. This is an undocumented hardware modification,
and beyond the scope of these comments.
   Control Locking. The keypad and PTT can each be locked easily.
   Tone Encoding. CTCSS (subaudible) (PL) and DTMF (TouchTone)
available.
   Tone Decoding. Uses CTCSS or DTMF tones to code lock the squelch.
You can select a standard EIA CTCSS subaudible tone for locking your
squelch, which is commonly referred to as "PLing" your HT. You can
also use a DTMF sequence to lock your squelch, which means that the
you only hear transmissions that begin with the proper 3 or 6 digit
sequence. This feature is broken into two functions called paging and
code squelch. It's possible to set up codes allowing flexible group
and individual code sequences. These features seem identical to and
compatible with the ones provided in the SAT series radios.
   Memory. 33 memories per band total, including call channels.
   Autodialer Memory. 4 DTMF memories up to 15 digits each. This
feature is easy to use once you take the time to study it. It works
best when you commonly use it for dialing only one sequence. Otherwise
it might be easier to just dial manually if you remember the sequence.
As a control operator, I'd like a lot more DTMF memories to store
repeater control sequences. With only 4 memories, it's good for
autopatch dialing but not much else in my case. The 2SAT and 4SAT
ed to. In the 1:4 mode
it's common to miss the first syllable or two of somebody's call sign.
In the 1:16 mode it's possible to miss an entire call or transmission.
On the repeater I monitor there's another active ham with a callsign
ending in "W" and I'm  repeater controller
or autopatch to decode properly.
   Scanning. Lots of scan options. Even does programmable band edge
scans like a regular scanner. Decent scan rate, but not fast.
   Clock. Automatically turns the radio on or off at preset times. I
really don't find this function useful.
   Power Settings. 4 settings, but only 3 effective with a 7.2v
battery. (The manual says only 2 with the battery, but my brief tests
show otherwise.)
   Power Saver. This feature has 3 modes. Off, 1:4, and 1:16. For use
with packet you need to turn this off. The 1:4 mode has the receiver
off for half a second at a time, and in the 1:16 mode it's off for 2
seconds at a time. This works well, but if you haven't used this type
of feature before it may take some getting used to. In the 1:4 mode
it's common to miss the first syllable or two of somebody's call sign.
In the 1:16 mode it's possible to miss an entire call or transmission.
On the repeater I monitor there's another active ham with a callsign
ending in "W" and I'm often left wondering if the call I just heard
was directed to him or me. Fortunately, I'm already used to this. Lots
of hams have become familiar with this type of energy saving feature
and have learned to wait a moment before speaking. It's important to
note that the frequency must be quiet for a short time before this
mode kicks in. Once you've started a QSO the receiver stays on as long
as there's activity on the frequency, so you don't miss syllables.
Also, for obvious reasons, the power saver is disabled while scanning
or using a coded squelch lock.

Testing:
   I had the opportunity to test my W2A briefly with a service
monitor. The VHF stack was only 100Hz off frequency at 146.55. The UHF
was 300Hz off at 446.0. The DTMF deviation was 4KHz on both bands, and
the microphone deviation with my voice peaked at 3 to 5KHz with my
mouth right up against the radio. The output power was 0.3W, 0.6W,
1.5W, and 1.5W on settings of Lo1, Lo2, Lo3, and Hi, respectively on
both bands. Receive sensitivity was very good, off the scale of the
service monitor on both bands, with full quieting somewhere around
0.15uV. Sensitivity outside the amateur bands was also fairly good.
Icom provided me with charts detailing the sensitivity of the W2A, and
I'll provide estimates of their data points below:

Icom considers the VHF stack to be deaf above 1uV sensitivity.
Here are my estimates from examining the chart:

MHz  uV
60   0.8
65   0.5
80   0.5
100  0.4
108  0.02
125  0.0
145  0.0
165  0.0
170  0.0
175  0.5
185  0.5
195  0.4
205  1.0
215  1.6
235  0.9
255  1.9
265  0.2
275  0.05
285  0.05
295  0.03
305  0.03
315  0.18
325  0.16
335  0.5
345  0.5
355  0.3
375  0.4
385  0.8

Icom considers the UHF stack to be deaf above 2uV sensitivity.
Here are my estimates from examining the chart:

MHz  uV
326  0.4
370  0.8
410  1.5
440  0.2
451  1.8
465  1.8
500  2.3
690  1.5
730  1.5
770  1.7
810  1.8
850  0.6
890  0.4
930  0.6
970  3.0

   Keep in mind that these values are just my visual estimates of the
charts, and don't give an accurate accounting. The charts weren't
completely linear in all places, so don't use this data for anything
more than a quick ballpark estimate. My own testing showed different
results, specifically that my UHF sensitivity in the 440 area was
better than the chart shows. Your own mileage may vary!

   I haven't had the opportunity to check selectivity, but haven't
noticed any problems at all. I've heard comments from others about the
Icom R1 receiver having poor selectivity, and some of the comments
have said that the W2A is significantly more selective that the R1.
This is the only comparison I've heard. I've heard a comment from one
person who said his W2A had significant intermod problems on UHF and
received cellular transmissions in the 450MHz band. I don't know the
cause or outcome of his experience, but haven't heard of any similar
occurances from others.

   The flexible antenna provided with my USA version seems to work
adequately, but I haven't tested the efficiency. In my experience all
"rubber ducks" are about the same, but a few are exceptionally bad.
Since this one isn't in the "exceptionally bad" category, I haven't
bothered to quantitatively test it.

These comments are my personal statements and observations, and are in
no way connected with Icom America, Inc. The accuracy of my comments
is not gospel, and much of what I've said is personal opinion. These
comments are an honest attempt to convey reasonably objective remarks
and impressions, and are directed to other W2A users and prospective
users.

-- 
James L. Paul

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