44 August 2023
QST
www.arrl.org
To select a memory channel as the operating fre-
quency, push the
V/M/C
key repeatedly until the mem-
ory mode comes up. Rotate the dial to select the de-
sired channel.
Scanning
Scanning is simple to accomplish. Push the
V/M/C
key
repeatedly to select the VFO mode or the memory
mode, and then hold down the
H/M/L SCAN
button until
the beep sounds to start the scan. When a signal is
detected, the signal strength is displayed. Push either
the
SCAN
or
V/M/C
button to stop the scan. Skip chan-
nels can also be programmed easily.
The priority scan function searches for a signal on the
selected memory channel or call channel. While oper-
ating on a VFO mode frequency, the priority scan
checks the selected memory or call channel every 5
seconds for activity. For example, if the operator is on
a VHF mode frequency, but wants to keep an ear out
for activity on 146.520 MHz (same band), activating the
priority scan will allow for checking for any signals
every 5 seconds. Select a channel to be scanned,
then push the
SET
button, select
PRIO
, and you can
turn
ON
or
BELL
. Then, push the
V/M/C
button to start
the priority scan. Push it again to cancel the scanning.
Operating Impressions
Overall, the radio has an admittedly subjective quality
feel to it. It’s compact and goes easy in the hand. I
enjoyed operating it. It would make a good addition to
an ARES
®
EmComm operator’s go-bag, with its in-
cluded charging cradle. And speaking of going into the
fi eld for operations at a public event emergency tent or
disaster area, it seems to be able to withstand harsh
environmental conditions. The IC-T10 has an IP67
rating, which means complete protection against dust
and airborne particles, but also waterproof up to
1 meter (39 inches).
Other fi eld-expedient features include high-level loud-
speaker audio and RF output. The promotional litera-
ture claims “a combination of a new speaker design
and a 1500 mW audio amplifi er” as the reason for the
good audio output.
Interestingly, the radio covers the FM broadcast band,
which might be handy when on a deployment and
listening for media reports involving the potentially
evolving disaster situation. The IC-T10 also has a
weather alert function and is pre-programmed with
NOAA weather alert channels.
At almost 70 years of age, I found it to be a bit chal-
lenging to read the characters on the necessarily small
display screen and the function button labels just
below the screen. A pair of readers helped. In the SET
mode, there is a
LIGHT
function that can be turned on
— the extra illumination helped me to read the screen
and button labels that are also backlit.
The audio output from the speaker is indeed loud and
undistorted. Audio quality reports from QSO partners
were all good. I also listened to my transmitted audio
and can confi rm it is of good quality. I successfully
programmed the home channel (selected by the small
gray button on the top panel) with my often-used local
repeater pair. A quick push of the button brings up the
repeater frequency.
Setting operating parameters in the SET mode was
easy to accomplish. It was easy and quick to turn on
the repeater tone function and select/set the tone itself.
There are two SET tables: the SET mode and the initial
SET mode, which sets the “set and forget” basic func-
tions such as the beep sound level, time-out timer, etc.
Battery life is prolonged with the power save function
and will give you up to 11 hours of operating time,
enough for a long day on an incident command post or
at a remote road rally checkpoint. There is an optional
dc power supply pack, a battery eliminator style, and
the AD-149H, which replaces the standard battery
pack, and that can be used to connect the optional
cigarette lighter-type dc power cables (CP-12L) or the
OPC-254L cable to connect to a dc power supply.
There is no battery tray option for AA batteries, like my
Icom V80 handheld has. If a club owns multiple Icom
IC-T10s to be used in emergencies or events, an op-
tional charger for six units is also available (BC-214
with the BC-157S). For more information, you can
download the product brochure along with the user
manual and the advanced manual on the manufac-
turer’s website (see
www.icomamerica.com/en/
downloads
).
All scanning functions and modes worked well — the
VFO scan scans all frequencies, or just the frequen-
cies in one or the other band (2 meters versus 70 cen-
timeters). The program scan scans one of three pro-
grammable sets of scan edge frequencies, and they
worked well. Skip channels and frequencies can be
programmed, too.
The CS-T10 programming software is available for
free, but you will need to purchase the optional OPC-
478UC/-1 USB programming cable.
Reprinted with permission; copyright ARRL.
