Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihu1h.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass From: parnass@ihu1h.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) Newsgroups: net.ham-radio Subject: dead backup battery in ICOM => reprogram the RAM Message-ID: <491@ihu1h.UUCP> Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 23:02:47 EST Article-I.D.: ihu1h.491 Posted: Tue Feb 26 23:02:47 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 28-Feb-85 20:25:31 EST Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 42 x LOSS OF ICOM BACKUP BATTERY FORCES REPROGRAMMING OF RAM A friend from Wheaton (MD) asked me to post this war- ning: If you own an ICOM R71, 751, 271, or 471, don't disconnect the lithium battery on the memory board! All these models use a common $17 memory plug-in board which contains 2 IC's (one a Japanese 2114 RAM) and a lithium battery. This fellow wanted to experiment with the memory cir- cuit, so he disconnected the battery in order to install a socket for the RAM. His radio didn't work when he reconnected everything, and a call to ICOM confirmed that the RAM contains the microcode which gives each model radio its own per- sonality. His board is on its way back to ICOM for reprogramming, which can't be done at the dealer's. For ICOM owners, this means that when the lithium bat- tery runs down (7 year life), the memory board must be sent in for reprogramming. For those interested in the R71A service manual, a disappointing note: the manual does not contain schema- tics for the speech synthesizer or IR remote control. This fellow is contemplating using his home computer, which uses 2114s to determine the contents of the ICOM RAM, and is looking for other suggestions. It would be useful to modify the contents of the RAM to permit out of band reception. -- =============================================================================== Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-5414