Subject: Icom R8500 Mod
From: Jack Albert <jwa@tellabs.com>

Here's a modification that I developed for the Icom R8500 shortwave
receiver.


Operating the Icom R8500 in other contries.

Caution:  Monitoring Cellular frequencies is illegal in the U.S. 

If your traveling abroad and you want to re-program your R8500 to match 
the version in that country.  Use the table below.

           Version   |     |      | #03  | #05 | #02
       Programming   |     |      |      |     |
          Resistor   | AUS | DEN  | EUR  | FRA | USA
              R516   |     |      |  X   |  X  |
              R517   |     |  X   |      |  X  |  X
              R518   |  X  |      |  X   |  X  |  X
              R455   |  Z  |  Z   |  Z   |  Z  |                

X = populate the position with a 3.3k ohm 603 size surface mounted
resistor
Z = populate the position with a 1k ohm 603 size surface mounted
resistor

+-----------+--------------------------+
| Version   | Frequency Coverage (MHz) |
|-----------|--------------------------|
|           |  0.10000 -  823.99999    |
| U.S.A     |849.00001 -  869.99999    |
|           |894.00001 - 1999.99999    |
|-----------|--------------------------|
| Europe    |  0.10000 - 1999.99999    |
| Australia |                          |
|-----------|--------------------------|
| France    |  0.10000 -   87.50000    |
|           |108.00000 - 1999.99999    |
+-----------+--------------------------+

Remove the top cover and locate the main PC board (it's to the rear or
the
chassis and holds the speech option, see the operators manual).  R516,
R517
and R518  is located in the right hand corner inside the small metal
can. 
There will be 4 adjacent resistor positions with 2 positions populated 
(R517 & R518)the top position is unknown.  The small metal can is
located  
on the right hand side of the main board.  R455 is located below and to
the
left of J12 (the speech module connector).  R455 is also unpopulated and
it's to the left of R140.  

If you can't find a 603 size surface mounted resistor, carefully
unsolder 
an exsisting resistor and re-populate it in another position.  R455 can
be 
replaced  with a zero Ohm resistor by shorting the position with a fine 
stran of wire that was taken from a ribbon cable.  

After the modification, the radio will lose it's memories and will
require 
reprogramming.

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