Icom Inc. (アイコム株式会社, Aikomu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese manufacturer of radio transmitting and receiving equipment, founded in 1954 by Tokuzo Inoue with the company's original name being "Inoue".[2][3][4] Its products now include equipment for radio amateurs, pilots, maritime applications, land mobile professional applications, and radio scanner enthusiasts.

ICOM Inc.
Native name
アイコム株式会社
Company typePublic KK
TYO: 6820
ISINJP3101400004
IndustryElectronics
FoundedApril 1954; 70 years ago (1954-04)
FounderTokuzo Inoue
Headquarters
Hirano-ku, Osaka, 547-0003
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Tokuzo Inoue
(Chairman and CEO)
Masataka Harima
(President)
Products
  • Radio communications equipment
  • Wireless LAN and SIP telephone equipment
RevenueIncrease JPY 24.8 billion (FY 2017) (US$ 234 million) (FY 2017)
Increase JPY 626 million (FY 2017) (US$ 5.8 million) (FY 2017)
Number of employees
1,080 (consolidated, as of March 31, 2018)
WebsiteOfficial website
Footnotes / references
[1]

Its headquarters are in Osaka, Japan.[4] It has branch offices in the United States (in Kirkland, Washington), Canada (in Delta, British Columbia), Australia (Melbourne, Victoria), New Zealand (Auckland), the United Kingdom (Kent, England), France (Toulouse), Germany (Bad Soden), Spain (Barcelona) and the People's Republic of China (Beijing).

Protocols

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IDAS

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IDAS is Icom's implementation of the NXDN protocol[5] for two-way digital radio products intended for commercial Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) and low-end public safety communications systems. NXDN is a Common Air Interface (CAI) technical standard for mobile communications. It was developed jointly by Icom and Kenwood Corporation.

D-STAR

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An amateur radio station comprising three Icom radios.

The D-STAR open radio system was developed by Icom based on digital radio protocols developed by the Japan Amateur Radio League and funded by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.[6] This system is designed to provide advanced voice and data communications over amateur radio using open standards.

Products

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Icom manufactures two way radios and receivers for use in marine applications, Airband, amateur radio applications, land mobile applications,[7] and FRS / GMRS applications. Some radios made by Icom are compatible with Motorola and SmarTrunk trunking systems.

IC-V82

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The Icom IC-V82 is a VHF handheld transceiver with coverage in the two-meter band (144–146 MHz) and a maximum output power of 7 watts.[8] It was manufactured and sold by Icom from 2004 to 2014.[9][10][11] Following its discontinuation, Icom issued an advisory warning about counterfeit radios, including the IC-V82.[12][13] In October 2018, the company issued a cease-and-desist order against a Chinese manufacturer suspected of producing counterfeit Icom products; it also noted that this was not the first time it had taken such steps.[14]

In June 2022, United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S. advocacy organization, identified the Icom IC-V82 as being used by Hezbollah, a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. It sent a letter to Icom outlining its concerns about the radios' dual-use capability (analog+digital[15]) and regarding Icom's business ties to Power Group (Icom's representatives in Lebanon) and Faza Gostrar, which claims to be the "Official ICOM representative in Iran".[16][17]

Many of the devices purchased by Hezbollah that subsequently exploded in the 2024 Lebanon radio device explosions, killing at least 25 people and wounding over 708, were reported as being IC-V82s.[17][18] Icom opened an investigation into the case on 19 September 2024,[19][11] while a sales executive at the company's U.S. subsidiary said the radios involved appeared to be counterfeit units.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Company outline". ICOM Inc. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  2. ^ "FIS - Suppliers - Company Details". Archived from the original on May 18, 2011.
  3. ^ "About us".
  4. ^ a b Vigil, Sam (August 2001). ""Mr. ICOM," Tokuzo Inoue, JA3FA". CQ Amateur Radio. CQ Communications, Inc.: 22–26. ISSN 0007-893X.
  5. ^ Progri, Ilir (January 15, 2011). Geolocation of RF Signals: Principles and Simulations. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-4419-7952-0.
  6. ^ Ford, Steve (2008). ARRL's VHF Digital Handbook. American Radio Relay League. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-87259-122-6.
  7. ^ "Land Mobile".
  8. ^ "Icom IC-V82". rigpix.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Bassam, Laila; Gebeily, Maya (September 18, 2024). "Hezbollah hand-held radios detonate across Lebanon in second day of explosions". Reuters. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  10. ^ "Japan firm says it stopped making walkie-talkies used in Lebanon blasts". BBC News. September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Regarding Current Media Reports (follow-up)". Icom Japan. September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  12. ^ Madani, Doha (September 18, 2024). "A wave of deadly walkie-talkie explosions sweeps Lebanon day after widespread pager attack". NBC News. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Countermeasures against Counterfeit Products". Icom Japan. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  14. ^ "Icom Incorporated Actions Regarding Counterfeit Product Manufacturers". Icom Japan. October 10, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  15. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). icomuk.co.uk. September 22, 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "Risky Business: Icom's Two-Way Radios Landing In The Hands Of Hezbollah", United Against Nuclear Iran, 11 July 2022.
  17. ^ a b Christiaan Triebert and Aric Toler (18 September 2024. "The device blasts on Wednesday may have involved more explosives than Tuesday's, a Times analysis suggests", The New York Times.
  18. ^ Chao-Fong, Léonie; Sedghi, Amy; Belam, Martin; Yerushalmy, Jonathan; Sedghi, Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Amy; Yerushalmy (earlier), Jonathan (September 18, 2024). "Dozens reported injured as new wave of explosions across Lebanon targets Hezbollah walkie-talkies – Middle East live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 18, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Japan's Icom investigating radio devices carrying its logo after Lebanon blasts". Reuters. September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  20. ^ O'Brien, Matt (September 18, 2024). "Walkie-talkie maker says exploded devices appear to have been knockoffs". Associated Press News. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
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