After working on many events it seems like it would be nice to be able to step away from my vehicle and still monitor net control traffic. I certainly would enjoy helping for events more often! So I purchased the ICOM 2820H and just knew it was suppose to do crossband repeating. The dilemma I had was the radio manual does not mention how to activate the cross band repeater function. I had to do some research.
Here is how you do it.
ACTIVATE CROSSBAND REPEATER:
- Select a (2M) frequency on the left side (VFO or memory channel)
- Select a (70cm) frequency on the right side (VFO or memory channel)
- Push AND Hold Both RIGHT and LEFT Band Knobs until you hear a BEEP
- WHILE STILL HOLDING KNOBS, Press the “F” button (between the right vol/sql knob and band knob) until it BEEPS and you see the “Key” Icon Flash on the upper right side of the display
- Crossband is ready to use. You can not change settings freq. until deactivated.
TO DEACTIVATE:
- Press “F” until you hear beep and/or key icon disappears.
Following these simple instructions will allow you to use your radio as a crossband repeater. It does not have an automatic IDer so to stay legal you must announce you are operating on the frequencies with your FCC call sign. You should not set this up without the ability to monitor the frequency either. One other thing is you should be able to get to the repeater easily in case you need to turn it off or interfearance starts to happen, so it is not recommended to leave the unit at some remote location without an operator.
After a little testing on multiple 2820’s the 2M is required on the left and 70CM on the right.
Good luck and enjoy your radio.
73’s
KI6MPA 