Fall 2002 Issue

The ICOM V8000
VHF FM Transceiver

By Peter Bertini,* K1ZJH

Photo 1. ICOM’s 2-meter powerhouse, the V8000 VHF FM transceiver.
 

The V8000 2-meter VHF FM transceiver from ICOM America is aimed squarely at the ardent 2-meter FM enthusiast. I’ll be the first to admit that I have neither explored nor needed every bell and whistle it offers. On the other hand, it is far better to have them available should the need arise. Mastering everything this radio can do requires reading and understanding the well-written, 76-page instruction manual. Thankfully, ICOM avoided using endless layered menu levels in this radio!

The V8000 styling is strongly reminiscent of some of the high-end commercial radios on the market. It uses a rugged single-piece chassis construction, and it is a handsome-looking radio. Nothing chintzy here! Finding a comfortable fit should not be difficult in most automobiles, as the radio is a scant 2 inches high and about 6 inches deep by 6 inches wide, and its weight is approximately 2.5 pounds. The rear-mounted cooling fan, which is surprisingly quiet, runs on demand; just be sure to avoid restricting the airflow when mounting the radio in the vehicle.

It took me a few minutes to figure out where the speaker was hidden. It is front-panel fired, and the audio is loud and crisp! Unfortunately, the air-conditioning in my vintage 1989 Jeep has long ceased functioning, and when I’m driving at 60 mph with all the windows open, I sometimes wish I had the optional ICOM SP-10 external speaker to provide a tad more volume. The radio is capable of 2 watts audio output into an 8-ohm speaker, which is plenty enough.

The V8000, with plenty of muscle, is rated for 75 watts output power, or the power can be stepped through four options, which are 75, 25, 10, or 5 watts. Accordingly, the operator has the choice of using only the minimum power needed to hold a QSO. Transmitting at 75 watts, the radio draws 15 amps, so the supplied heavy-duty power cable is best run directly to the vehicle battery in order to reduce voltage drop. If base-station operation is contemplated, you will also need a hefty AC power supply. I would suggest one rated at 20 amps continuous duty.

 

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