[ICOM] Voice & CW Memory Control For The IC-756 Pro II & Pro III

[Woody]

I have a new project idea that I would like to share with the Icom List.  The IC-756 Pro II, and the Pro III have a little known capability to control the four-channel voice/memory keyer from the microphone jack.  This may also work with the IC-756 Pro and possibly the IC-7800, but since I do not have manuals for these radios, I can not check it out.

At the top of page 75 of the Pro II's operator's manual (page 103 of the Pro III manual) is a diagram showing how to build an external key pad to control the playback of one of the four memory/voice keyer channels.  It is a simple circuit using 4 push button switches and 4 resistors connected to pins 3 and 7 of the mic connector.  You could also easily add a couple of switches to provide "VFO UP-Down" capability.

If you are a CW op, you could also build the keypad into a small low-profile case and plug it into that EMPTY mic connector on the front of your rig. :-)

This would be great during contests, making it very easy to select one of four voice or CW memories to transmit common phrases.

I am going to build this circuit into the mic stand base that I use with my Heil HM-10 and probably a new HM-5 soon.  The desk stand will have 4 push button switches for use as the keypad for the memory/voice keyer, a PTT switch, a short pigtail with the XLR connector for the microphone, and a six-foot mic cable with the 8-pin connector for my IC-756 Pro II.

There are a lot of IC-756 Pro IIs & Pro IIIs in use around the world.  I think that this would be a very useful homebrew project.  I had heard that there is someone advertising something like this in one of the Ham magazines, but I have not seen it.  If someone has the info on this, please post the URL to the list if it is available.

73,

Woody
KJ4SO