SCS Pactor Modem Settings for Icom IC-7200

[@alexanderhahn9587]

I bought an used IC-7200 a while ago and without your Video, I would never have understood the filter business. My DR 7400 just did'nt want to work with 1200 Hz bandwidth! Thank you very much!!!

[@Commsprepper]

Thank you. Glad the video helped.

[@genebodenberger]

Thanks for the info on resetting the radio to the factory settings.

[@Commsprepper]

+Gene B Thanks - I thought that would be easier than undoing all the changes in the settings I have done over the last three weeks.

[@kcarmical]

Excellent as usual, CP. This isn't really comm related, but could you talk a bit sometime about how/why you chose your retreat location and any problems you ran into ?

[@Commsprepper]

+Kevin Carmical Thank you. Funny you mention the retreat location. We have it listed for sale right now. Kids are complaining that it's too small and too far away. The goal is to use the proceeds from the sale to buy a new piece of land and start retreat v2.0. Hank

[@TMAFitness]

Great video. What would your recommend as a cheaper alternative to the Pactor-4? Thank you.

[@Commsprepper]

+David DiBella Kantronics modems with Pactor I. I don't recommend any of the sound card modes for operational/prepping digital communications.

[@TMAFitness]

Thank you. Your channel is an incredible resource. Appreciate all the time you put into your videos...

[@Commsprepper]

Thank you for taking the time to comment, be supportive, and watching.

[@californiakayaker]

@@Commsprepper I have one of those. Haven't seen a video yet, but , I'm really surprised at how much Pactor-1 is still listed as being used !

[@mikemalloy1681]

I have been following your post on the SCS Pactor MODEM. I will be making a purchase of a SCS P4, Dragon, to be used in P3 mode on amateur radio. I am running two ICOM 718's, and went into the set up . To the best of my knowledge these radios do not have a Date Mode as the newer ICOM's. I think that the only adjustment for them is my DSP filter and also an installed filter. One radio has a SSB (wide) and the other radio has a 500hz CW filter. The radio with the SSB filter is used for PSK-31, with a USB Signal Link, so that one will not be used for the P4 MODEM. The work will shift over to the ICOM 718 used for CW with the CW filter. However in USB for P3, the CW filter will be off and the receiver should be wide open except for the DSP filter. That should give me enough band width???? What do you think? WD5GYG

[@Commsprepper]

I have a video showing the IC-718 and Pactor. Look in my radio email playlist.

[@aldskanser7880]

Hi, great video. I've connected a DR7800 to my ICOM 7200 and did your settings. Modem and computer are connected via Bluetooth. It all works, but I cannot connect to Airmail stations. Somewhere on the Airmail website it is advised to change the FSK and PSK levels. But what settings would you advise / did you use for the 7200? I'm a total lee on these things..... (Have Marcom A, but no ham-related training or education). I've looked for an answer in the comments below, couldn't find it. Peter Martinsen reports the ALC setting. Could you explain and advise any settings? Thanks, Henk

[@Commsprepper]

Are you running the Airmail program? I have not used that program in 15 years. I would recommend RMSExpress.

[@aldskanser7880]

Yep. It's Airmail.

[@RESlusher]

Great video, Hank! Those 7200s are pretty nice radios!

[@Commsprepper]

+Richard Slusher Thanks Rich. Hank

[@jimpiper5297]

Just an FYI on a conversation I had very recently with on of the principal Winlink developers re running a 7200 at 100W for Pactor. He is credible as he had been running five 7200s as gateway radios for several years. I had heard that the 7200 could be run at full power with no problems (e.g., phase distortion) for Pactor. He has verified this fact. He did indicate that on a couple of the nodes he runs them at 50W afor primary power management only because they are solar powered.

[@Commsprepper]

I believe the IC-7200 can handle the full power - but why? Amateur principles call for only the power needed for communications. Pactor is robust enough that full power should never be needed. I don't see the need to push the radio so hard.

[@jimpiper5297]

@@Commsprepper My question to Mike Burton (Winlink devel. Team) was more technical & capability of 7200s r/t phase distortion v. should/should not. Of course derating power out to 75W would likely make little difference for a Pactor signal.

[@hzilla5550]

did you upgrade your Pactor modem? Do they now allow the faster transmission rates?

[@Commsprepper]

+Hubb Zilla I did upgrade to the Pactor 4 modem but run it at Pactor 3 rates until the FCC approves Pactor 4 speeds.

[@jimpiper5297]

I'm a bit confused with USB connectivity to the modem. RMS Express is perfectly happy controlling xmt/rcv audio and keying/unkeying the radio thru the USB. But, what's happening with the SCS PACTOR USB's? Are TWO cable required, one USB and another to the ACC DIN connector? What is going thru which port? Thanks!

[@Commsprepper]

I'm confused with your question. Yes at least two cables are needed. The USB connection is made between the modem and computer. The 8 pin DIN is connected between the modem and radio's data or mic port (port with PTT, RX audio, and TX audio lines). There is an option for a third cable if you want RMSExpress to also control the channel changing.

[@jimpiper5297]

Sorry for my lack of clarity and mentioned that my HF is a 7200 (n6med on QRZ; you can go direct to my email if need be to further this conversation). I use my 7200 with RMSE and fldigi both of which work great through the USB connection to control the radio for xmt/rcv & radio channel and pass audio to and fro'. But, from what I understand you said above, I would need THREE cable to interconnect my 7200 with a PACTOR modem.

[@jimpiper5297]

How do you set your ALC for data/Pactor?

[@Commsprepper]

Slowly increase the audio drive until you see the ALC activate - then back off the audio level until the ALC stops responding. No two radios are the same.

[@mmiller867]

Can you take full advantage of the P4 speeds in the USA?

[@Commsprepper]

+M Miller Not yet. However, there is a proposal before the FCC to permit Pactor 4 in the US (www.pactor.com/). Amateurs overseas are using it so I am hopeful that the FCC will approve it. The link provide is tracking the progress of the proposal.

[@mmiller867]

Thank you! So I guess you set it to a lower speed.. Does the P4 running at P3 speeds provide other benefits over the P3 unit, such as error handling etc? Also, given the price of these modems, are there other functions you can perform with it other than email? I guess SCS removed the other modes awhile back such as PSK31 etc. I'd like the speed advantage over the SignaLink but would like more functions besides email since I moved back into the USA form oveseas.

[@Commsprepper]

The RMS software has a setting to set max Pactor level (in the US you select 3). Pactor 4 is better! Signalink Winmor can't hold a candle to Pactor 1, 2, or 3. You can read an email over the air faster than Winmor can send it. By the time you send one email you can cook eggs on your radio.

[@mmiller867]

LOL! Thanks and 73s

[@georgeriedel9357]

yes

[@AppalachianFreedom]

That's some fancy business right there Sir! ;)

[@Commsprepper]

+Appalachian Freedom Outdoors Thanks. email over radio really helps close the gap between family and friends who do not have radios or licenses. Being able to send messages to their computers and phones - and then they can respond is power tool for emergency planning.

[@dalemyers9265]

just how low will the power setting go. can it do the limbo. lol. qrp on a hi-power radio.

[@Commsprepper]

+dale myers Dale the radio can be adjusted between 2 to 100 watts for SSB, CW, RTTY (ref page 31 of user's manual).

[@dalemyers9265]

ok, cool. i know you also have the ft817nd. i started to buy one but the store i had sent off for was out of stock. so now i'm opting for the ft857d. few manufactures seem to want to make a mobile. this makes me so irritated, irritated to the point that wished baofeng made an all mode hf mobile rig. i think they could do it for high 200's to mid 400's dollars. it doesn't need to be full featured. as long as it is true all mode, unlike a few out there. and it comes with sub-audible tones. i can see it using mechanical filters from rockwell-collins.

[@FixAllFixer62]

how do find how places that can email out

[@Commsprepper]

+donald laisure (73SuperGlide62) The system is called Winlink. You can learn about it at www.winlink.org

[@FixAllFixer62]

Ok

[@wes4139]

Another outstanding video. Even I can understand it. Thank you for your videos!

[@Commsprepper]

+Wes41 Wes - glad they are helping. Thanks for watching - Hank

[@VK2AHB]

Thanks, good info! I'll get a cable and give it a go. Used to use P3 at sea.

[@Commsprepper]

Thanks for the channel support.

[@bubba1984]

good work on showing how to adjust filter skirt. thanks

[@VanPrepper]

very nice my friend.

[@Commsprepper]

+VP Prepping&Survival Thanks VP! Hoping to take the radio to the field next weekend at the retreat and getting it dirty.

[@johnlord8337]

CP, whats your grid? Me: CM94an KJ6YYC/Extra/VE/FE

[@Commsprepper]

+John Lord FM18js - looked up your grid - off the coast of California?

[@johnlord8337]

Well if we have the Big One, with earthquake, dam breaking and flooding, and whole West Coast from Vancouver Island down to San Diego shakes free .... Typo. CM97an.

[@Commsprepper]

Found you. We are on opposite sides of the country.

[@johnlord8337]

+Commsprepper At ARRL field day, we great circle 40 and 60 meter to Ontario, Quebec, PA, NY, VA, East Coast, so you should get a hit from us then.

[@Commsprepper]

+John Lord Do you have Pactor? Perhaps we could try a peer-to-peer connection with RMS Express? I still need to do a video on that. Hank

[@TheRedneckprepper]

I'll have to save this until I can afford ! very nice rig thou ! ty

[@Commsprepper]

+Theredneck Prepper Thanks. I will be doing allot more videos with this rig.

[@Barty.Crowell]

I suddenly remembered I have a 1.9khz ssn filter in my 706...... That explains a lot.....

[@Commsprepper]

Is it working?

[@ac2fv]

Just an FYI, It's against FCC Part 97 rules to use Pactor 4 on the Ham bands in the good ol' USA. You can Google the issue to see the situation with the ARRL and FCC.

[@Commsprepper]

Thank you - I should have clarified that in the video. The pactor level in this video is restricted to pactor 3 in the RMS Express program and at the RMS. However, I will mention your point in the next video. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment ! Respectfully Hank

[@ac2fv]

+Commsprepper Love your videos! I bought the backpack you use after watching your videos. They are always very interesting, keep 'em coming!