Using the F-1 and F-2 keys on the IC-2200.

Some details on use of the F-1 and F-2 keys on the Icom IC-2200.

1) To change the radio to use the F-1 or F-2 settings, press the FUNC key on the mic then the F1 or F2 key. You will see the display of the radio change for an instant indicating AllF-1 or AllF-2. We saw the most dramatic change playing with color to indicate that the change was made.

2) When you get into F-1 or F-2 mode, you are in VFO mode. The VFO programmed through the VFO tab of the programmer is displayed when the F-1 or F-2 mode is first accessed. The number display to the right of the VFO is strange. Mine showed 10 on F-1 and 0 in F-2. No logical correlation between that number and the frequency shown. Turning the knob or pressing the up and down arrows showed by the frequency change that I was definitely in VFO mode. I could press MR on the mic and see the memory channels. They are the same in F-1 or F-2.

3) BEWARE...the only way you can return to the "Common" settings (i.e., the third group as shown in the programmer or those set when you first received the radio), is to do a partial reset (hold Scan/V-MHz button while turning on the radio) or to send your file to the radio again from the programmer. Doing the reset resets all the Set functions and the VFO so anything you have programmed into the "Main" VFO from the programmer is lost through this partial reset. In other words...while this radio appears to have three configurations, it really has only two, F-1 and F-2..once you ever access them once. I even called Icom and they explained it as the "functionality of the radio". It is expected that you want to use those settings in that configuration from now on without a need to "back-out" to what you had before.