[PCR-1000] Input for Icom at Dayton

Sat, 27 Apr 2002 21:01:56 -0400

RIGHT ON !!!

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of A10382
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2002 6:09 PM
To: PCR - list
Subject: [PCR-1000] Input for Icom at Dayton

A few days ago someone suggested collecting input for the Icom folks at
Dayton....

I won't be going, but would happily contribute my dos centavos....  updates
prior to May 17th as I think of them.

HARDWARE/CABINETRY
1) Add a USB connector IN ADDITION to the RS-232 one - virtually all new
desktops
        have USB.  Many new laptops do not have any serial ports at all.
2) Provide an audio output that does not disable the internal speaker or an
option to
        have both on.  Would be nice to listen to the data stream while the
soundcard
        does it's 'DSP' thing without using the PC speaker.  Most laptop
speakers are
        pitiful.
3) Use a 'three prong' power cube so power-line ground can be brought to the
box
        without a separate ground wire ( this may be open to some discussion
from the group).
4) Taller rubber 'feet' for the unit.  Would help it run cooler if placed on
top of something
        else.  Mine rests atop my external Zip drive and although the Zip
drive is very cool,
        the bottom left rear of the PCR-1000 gets a tad warm after a few
hours - just
        now adding bigger rubber feet I got from RadioSchlok last night.

SOFTWARE FEATURES
1)  Would it be possible to have audio enabled concurrently with the
bandscope during
        CW, and SSB ?  Or is this a function conflict of the audio filters
within the radio ?
2)  Wider bandscope view.  Would like to see about 500kHz with a tuning step
as small as
        1kHz.  This could be an optional setting - many older systems are
still 800x600.
        However, newer systems -since 1999 - are generally 1024x768 or
higher.
 2) Built a repeater plus/minus offset function into the database and have
an on-screen +/- offset
        button.  TalkPcr's one is nice.  Would need to save these settings
in the database.
3) Save all the other settings in the database (Squelch, Volume, IF shift,
Bandscope
        settings, NB, AGC, and AFC for FM, etc).  Again, I like the way
TalkPcr does this.
4) Link bands together for scanning (or make bands larger - like 200 or more
freqs).
5) Official support for Operating Systems beyond Win'95.  While I've kept a
Win'95
        system around for running a lot of old Basic apps, many users have
only an
        XP system.  I have run the Icom s/w on NT and '98 OK.  And then
there are the
        Linux users....
6)  A full function PalmOS and WinCE controller.  The PCRPilot software,
although
        simplistic is GREAT.
7) Provide a 'development kit', kinda' like WinRadio's RadioBasic modules
( see
         www.rbasic.com or the RBASIC section of www.winradio.com .  It's
inane to
        have Icom keep their product 'proprietary'.  After looking at all
the commercial
        and freeware products, ICOM's would have very little standalone
sales potential.
8)  Distribute the software and manual on CD in lieu of diskettes.  Diskette
only users
        (definitely in the minority today) could download.  This would allow
ICOM to
        replace the manual with the CD and add more ICOM product literature.

ACCESSORIES
1) Provide a longer standard collapsible whip with a tuning guide (i.e. for
10M extend
        the top x section, for 40M extend the top x sections....).  Could
add more sections
        and still have it remain no longer than the radio itself.  Although
many of us
        do use another -or multiple - antennas, I take my original whip
along for portable
        use.  My new 'travel' package is the radio, 12V (110/240 50/60)
power cube, the
        original whip, and my PalmPilot/sync-cable/DB9 Null modem.  All
together, It's pretty
        compact.  The PCR-1000 has passed muster in customs a few times as a
'computer
         peripheral' -- if packed very separately from the antenna
2) Brand an amplified antenna (must be very compact for travel), much like
Sony has done
        with their wide-band amplified collapsible loop.  The PCR-1000 is
generally a
        sensitive receiver and it is easy to overload the front end, but
sometimes, you need
        a bit more to pull in some sigs on 160 or 80M.  I may try the Sony
one - I believe it's
        about $50USD...

73
Frank

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