High Stability Kit for ICOM-9700

Price: $197.79






IN STOCK

Includes:

1 x LBE-1420 GPS locked clock source (includes antenna, and USB-C cable)
1 x ICOM-9700 injection board
1 x SMA/M - SMA/M 0.3m cable

This kit allows locking of ICOM IC-9700 ham radio transceiver to external 49.152MHz signal generated by included LBE-1420 GPS locked clock source. IC-9700 stability in both receive and transmit modes becomes better than 1Hz on all bands.

Installing the injection board module inside ICOM IC-9700 does not require any soldering or modification to internal circuitry. This modification is completely reversible and should not affect your warranty.

Installation Instructions

  • Disconnect all external cables and wires from IC-9700
  • Place a soft cloth or clean towel on your working surface to avoid scratching IC-9700
  • Remove 12 cross-head JIS #2 screws holding the bottom cover - three on each side and six on the bottom. Use correct screwdriver to avoid stripping screw heads. We recommend P2x150 screwdriver that we stock
  • Turn IC-9700 upside down, remove the bottom cover and put it aside
  • Unscrew the nut holding SMA connector marked "REF IN 10MHZ" on the back of IC-9700. Disconnect small U.FL connector, remove and save the cable. Alternatively, leave U.FL connector attached and place SMA connector, nut and washer in a small plastic bag and securely tape it inside the IC-9700
  • Remove black airflow protection sponge and stick it elsewhere inside the IC-9700
  • Remove two screws on the main PCB, marked "10" and "11". Put them aside
  • Install injection board using two supplied longer screws
  • Place old screws into two holes on the injection board for storage
  • Install supplied SMA extension cable between the injection board and the connector hole previously used by "REF IN 10MHZ"
  • Install bottom cover and fix it with twelve screws

ICOM IC-9700 Setup Instruction

  • Configure your GPS clock to output 49152000Hz signal with full power (32mA setting)
  • Connect the clock source to SMA connector on the back of IC-9700 using the SMA/SMA cable provided.
  • Turn IC-9700 on and let it warm up for 5-10 minutes
  • Switch to a SSB mode and tune to a reasonably stable CW signal you can hear and see on the waterfall
  • Press MENU button then tap (1), SET, Function, REF Adjust
  • Turn on external 49.152MHz reference and observe CW signal frequency shift. Adjust sliders so that frequency shift is within 10Hz on 2m band (30Hz on 70cm band or 100Hz on 1200MHz band.)
  • Exit the menu and test IC-9700 operation.

Troubleshooting - if IC-9700 does not lock

  • Make sure external reference is switched on, has correct 49.152MHz frequency and 10-20dBm power level
  • Verify that REF Adjust is set correctly. Coarse scale should be roughly in 40-50% range. Follow fine adjustment procedure above.
  • Lock range for proper set up is wider than 100Hz (2m band), 300Hz (70cm band), 800Hz (1200MHz band) in both direction. This is about two times wider than extreme excursion during continuous transmit and receive periods.


You may find this You Tube video helpful: GPS Lock Your Icom IC-9700 with the Leo Bodnar Injection Board! Simple Installation & Setup!