1. Quick History of ICOM Radio Inc,
BY Ben Smith

2. The Beginnings
• One of the largest manufactures on two way
communication devices, including portable,
repeaters and mobiles is ICOM Inc. Established
in 1954 in post-World War 2 Japan, the
companies original name was Inoue
Seisakusyo.

3. D-Star
• One of ICOMS’s biggest accomplishments was
its development of technology that could
make use of the D-STAR open radio system.
This radio system is based on digital radio
protocols. This was a huge improvement for
amateur users and all ICOM equipment users.

4. 1999 for ICOM
• One of ICOM’s biggest accomplishments
began in 1999 when they looked at how to
bring gap the divide between amateur radio
and digital technology. Thanks to the help of
the Japanese government in the form of
funding, D-Star was created and ICOM was
able to produce the hardware necessary to get
the digital to amateur radio.

5. New Hardware
• Five years after the Japanese started to look
into bring digital technology to amateur
radios, ICOM released the first hardware that
was D-Star optimal, name IC-2200H. However
for this model and one that followed, the user
needed a special card in order for them to be
D-Sat capable.

6. Icom Equipment of Today
• Soon after ICOM started selling hardware that
already included the components to be D-Star
capable and know there are thousands of user
of D-Star repeaters in the world. Even after 50
years ICOM radios continues to be a driving
force in bringing radios to the next
technological age.

7. What it means for you
• So if you are looking for a great radio an ICOM
radio is a great product to choose from. They are
reliable and they are a product of years worth of
experience. They also have a ton of different
radios that can fulfill very different needs. They
also have a lot of different suppliers and you can
probably find the best products online as well as
product reviews that can let you know what will
probably be the best product for you.

8. Note From Author
• There are also a lot of different businesses that
can repair ICOM radios in case they break so you
never have to worry about not being able to use
it if there ever is an issue with it. So get the best
radio equipment that Japan has to offer.
• TBS electronics Inc. offers the best variety and
prices on 2 way communication devices. Please
check out their website for all your electronic
needs.