Icom America Inc.

August 2005, Volume 1, Issue 8

Road Show Pays Off for Florida Icom Dealer

In this issue:
Check out the IA Road Shows! IA Radios Used for Rocket Launch Facility in Alaska IAS on the Cayman Islands TECH CORNER: Battery Recharging Tips Meet: Dave Parson

Only Two Shows Left, So Hurry and Sign Up!

Larry Montesi, who owns TWI Communications in St. Cloud, Florida, is no newbie to the communications field and hes been an Icom dealer for at least seven years. But he still found the Icom America Inc. Road Show in Atlanta, which he attended last October, helpful and inspiring. It was very hands-on, says Montesi. We had training on the software and overview of repair issues, plus we got to see new products. The Icom Road Show is in its second year, and aims to bring Icom dealers together with IA top management and engineering staff for training and previews of new equipment. These free sessions offer dealers a chance to learn about product features and programming, sales techniques and digital market awareness. Attendees walk away from the event with a new, updated sales binder. Those who attend the technical and programming sessions also receive a technical binder including extensive digital programming and spec guides. Dates and locations for the next tours, include: Richmond, VA on Sept. 13-15; and Minneapolis, MN on Oct. 11-13. Help is also available for hotel expenses. Contact Erin Sunday to sign up or get more information at erinsunday@icomamerica.com

Transition to digital technology and maximize your business opportunity!

Blast Off! IA Radios Used at Rocket Launch

On remote Kodiak Island, when the U.S. government launches rockets to test the missile defense shields being developed by the Department of Defense, they use Icom equipment to keep in touch. Located 275 miles from Anchorage, Alaska, the island hosts the only civilian owned rocket-launch space port in the country, reports Icom dealer Curt Law, of Aksala Electronics. Though managers of the Kodiak Launch Complex originally used Kenwood equipment, Law has convinced them to use Icoms aviation base stations, land mobile base stations, mobile and portable radios, including the Icom F3GS and F30GT. The displays on these radios are what sell them. Very visible in the long winter nights on Kodiak, says Law. Law says four things helped him sell the Icom products to this unique client: o Face time -- Law made the long drive out to the KLC (Kodiak is the size of the state of Connecticut) and spent the day with him;

2005 Icom America Inc. The Icom logo is a registered trademark of Icom Inc. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. All information and specifications subject to change without notice or obligation.

Continued on page 3

For People Who Make Smart Choices

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Icoms P25 and Military Bundle radios are featured attractions at upcoming tradeshows:
APCO International Denver, CO Aug 22-25, 2005 DOIM/AKM Conference Ft. Lauderdale, FL Aug 23-25, 2005 National Guard Association of the U.S Honolulu, HI. Sept 16-19, 2005 APCO Kentucky Owensboro, KY Sept. 6-8, 2005.

Cayman Island Business Owner Uses IAS Trunked Radio System To Replace Costly Cell Phone Bills
When the owner of a hotel, security company, marina, ferry landing and salvage company on a small island in the Cayman archipelago wanted his employees to communicate with each other, cell phones turned out to be a losing proposition. It cost him roughly $72,000 per year to cover the monthly phone bills for the hundreds of employees under his direction. The cost-effective solution was a 3channel Icom UHF trunked radio system from Icom America Systems (IAS). With a one-time price-tag of $125,000, including 120 portable units, hell recoup his costs in less than two years. owner from airtime pirates that have plagued some wireless communications systems using the LTR trunking protocol. Lloyd Graham, IAS systems program manager, said IAS first assembled the equipment in the United States, where it was tuned and aligned. The contractor shipped the system to the customers location, met the shipment there, and installed it. The systems business is the backbone of growth of a communications company, says Graham. If you can put in systems, customers depend on you for service. When they need subscriber units, you are the vendor of choice. If you dont have the system, you have to fight for every radio sale. On an island with an indigenous population of about 50,000, with roughly 10,000 people arriving daily by sea and air, the business owner is enjoying a capability that cellular telephones cant offer. The three-island chain is located in the Caribbean Sea, halfway between Cuba and Honduras. If you want to talk with someone and you dont know where they are, you have to call everyone, explains Graham. On a trunked system, you ask, Is someone near 5th and Broadway? or Has anyone seen John? The PassPort trunked system can make one-to-one calls, but the normal call is one-to-many. If someone calls in, everyone hears it.

Meet Your Icom Team

Dave Parson, Radio Technician As a radio technician for Icom America for just over nine years, David Parson has worked on a variety of products from radios in the land mobile division to avionics portables and marine radios. The 53-yearold says he relishes the challenge of keeping up with radio technology, and particularly enjoys working on Icoms new P25 compatible radios.

With a cell phone, every time you use it you pay money, says IAS Systems Richard Varbero. With a trunked communication system, you can talk as much as you want with no extra charge. The only thing that costs is the equipment itself. The system includes three Icom FR 4000 repeaters and Trident Raider Extreme control panels. It uses PassPort trunking protocol that, among other advantages, protects the

Systems For People Who Make Smart Choices!

Call Icom America today: 800.USA.ICOM Open 7:00 AM 5:00 PM Pacific time, unless stated otherwise http://www.icomamerica.com

For People Who Make Smart Choices

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Page 2 of 4 Did You Know?

Recent F14 advertisements appearing in Wildfire and National Wildland Firefighter Magazines:

TECH CORNER

Recharging Your Batteries

Icom America Inc. sell three different types of batteries: Nickel Cadnium (NiCd); Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH); and Lithium Ion (Li-ion). Each battery must be recharged in a particular way, though in all cases, if the radio is attached to the battery while charging, the radio must be turned off during the charging. Voltage spikes may ruin the radio and also the radio draws more current when turned on than the battery charger delivers, depleting the battery if the radio is left on. NiCd The average capacity of this battery is higher than alkaline. Charge until full indicator goes on, then leave in for another two hours. Remember to charge the battery when it is nearly depleted. It can be charged or discharged many times, and has more "cycles" than Lithium or NiMH. Important tips: Dont leave this battery in the charger for more than two days, as it affects the memory, the chemistry of the battery deteriorates, and its costly. Instead, once a month, completely discharge the battery and then recharge it. Improper charging habits cause the battery to lose ability to store charge (memory). NiMH This battery operates at a 30% higher capacity than the NiCd. Charge using the same procedure as the NiCd. Important tips: Unlike the NiCd, this battery should be discharged completely every three months (rather than one month, like the NiCd). It costs slightly more than the NiCd but it also comes with a higher memory capacity. Li-ion This battery operates at a very high capacity. Charge as often as necessary. Partial small charges are fine. Important tips: This battery has the most stable memory and is lightweight, which makes it the costliest of the three options. Its capable of fewer charge/discharge cycles.

Accessory of the Month

NEW HM158L Speaker

Microphone

Continued from page 1: Blast Off! Icom Radios Used at Rocket Launch Facility o o Local service for equipment repair; Aksala Electronics provides loaner equipment if a radio has to go back to Icom; The F30GT handheld radio, which is field programmable using the keyboard only.

o
The HM158L is a speaker microphone with a metal spring clip. It has an "L" connector that allows the user to screw the microphone connector to the radio for a firm connection. It fits the F11/21, F14/24, F43TR, and F33G/43G radios.

Call your Icom dealer for pricing and availability.

They like Icom products very much, says Law. Icom products are easily integrated into new systems. Internal wiring

jumpers make this a snap. You can get control of the radio either through the microphone or the accessory jack. Plus the products use the same accessories and connector wiring. This translates into savings for KLC.