Icom IC-V86 walkie talkie: specs and licensing

The Icom IC-V86 is a compact VHF handheld radio, often sold in Indonesia as the HT Icom V86, with up to 7 W of transmit power, a loud 1.5 W speaker and an IP54 rating. It suits yard and site coordination over short distances. Before you buy, check the frequency version and the radio licence your use needs.

This guide is for fleet and workshop managers. It covers the Icom V86 specifications, IP54 and licensing.

What the Icom IC-V86 is

Icom describes the IC-V86 as the next generation of its IC-V80, with 7 W output power and 1500 mW of audio (Icom IC-V86 product page). It is a single-band 2 m VHF FM radio, so it talks to other radios on the same VHF frequencies, not to UHF radios.

The loud speaker is the main reason crews choose it. Icom says the 1.5 W receive audio is meant to help users hear calls in loud, noisy places, such as a workshop with compressors and impact tools running (Icom America IC-V86 page). Icom also lists it as tested to MIL-STD 810G for durability.

Typical uses in a fleet or plant setting are:

• Guiding a driver while reversing or coupling a trailer in the yard.
• Coordinating loading, unloading and tipping at a site.
• Calling between the workshop, the store and the gate.
• Keeping contact during a lift or a recovery job.

Reading the IC-V86 specifications

Icom publishes these values for the IC-V86 (Icom IC-V86 specifications):

• Output power: 7.0, 5.5, 2.5 or 0.5 W (EX Hi, Hi, Mid and Low).
• Frequency range, export amateur version: transmit 144 to 148 MHz, receive 136 to 174 MHz.
• Channels: 207 (200 memory channels, 1 call channel and 6 scan edges).
• Battery: BP-298 lithium-ion, 2250 mAh. Icom quotes up to 19 hours at EX Hi power with a 5:5:90 transmit, receive and standby cycle and power save switched on.
• Operating temperature: minus 20 to plus 60 °C.
• Size and weight: 58.6 x 112 x 30.5 mm and about 300 g with the BP-298 and antenna.
• Supplied items: battery pack, BC-240 desktop charger, BC-242 AC adapter, MB-124 belt clip and antenna. Icom notes these may differ by version.

Icom also lists a land mobile version of the IC-V86 that receives 136 to 174 MHz and transmits at EX Hi power from 144 to 160 MHz (Icom IC-V86 land mobile version). The two versions look the same, so confirm the version and frequency range with your supplier before ordering.

FDA lists the HT Icom V86 walkie talkie 7 watt with the 144 to 148 MHz transmit range, 7 W output, BP-298 battery and IP54 rating.

Power and range

More power gives more range, but it also drains the battery faster. Icom quotes a typical transmit current of 1.6 A at EX Hi and 0.5 A at Low. Icom says the 7 W output and new antenna give about 1.5 times the distance of the IC-V80 in wide open space, and that real range depends on the environment and weather. Steel buildings, containers and hills cut range, so test the radios on your own site before relying on them.

A simple rule is to use the lowest power that still gives a clear signal. On a compact yard, Low or Mid is often enough, and the battery lasts longer.

What IP54 means on a dusty site

An IP code from IEC 60529 has two digits. The first is for dust and solid objects, and the second is for water.

• 5 for dust means dust protected. Some dust may get in, but not enough to stop the radio working safely.
• 4 for water means protection against splashing water from any direction.

So the IC-V86 handles dust, rain and splashes, but it is not rated for water jets or for being dropped in water. Keep it out of wash bays and do not leave it lying in a puddle. Our guide to the adaptable box explains IP ratings in more detail.

Licensing in Indonesia

Radio frequencies in Indonesia are licensed. The right licence depends on who uses the radio and why.

• Amateur radio: an IAR (Izin Amatir Radio) is for individuals who pass the UNAR exam. The service page describes it as a licence for hobby, community, radio experiment and disaster communication use (IAR and IKRAP service page).
• Company radios: for a business using HTs for its own operations, the licensing service lists a radio station licence (ISR) for land mobile private use. It covers bands such as VHF 137 to 150 MHz and 150 to 174 MHz, and it requires certified equipment used for its intended purpose (ISR land mobile private service page).

Before you buy radios for a crew, check that the frequencies you will use are on your licence and that the radio version can transmit on them. If you are unsure, ask the licensing service or your radio installer first.

Batteries, antennas and other radios at FDA

Most problems with an older HT come from a tired battery or a damaged antenna, not from the radio itself. Keep a charged spare battery for long shifts, check the antenna for cracks and bends, and keep the charger contacts clean.

FDA also lists other Icom and Motorola radio items, such as the Icom V80 VHF radio, the Icom BP252 7.4 V battery, the Icom IC-M-36 antenna and the Motorola CP1660 radio. Batteries and antennas are model specific, so send the radio model and the part number on the old item so we can match it. You can search any number on the parts page, browse the electrical parts category or see the trailer and truck spare parts page. If a label is worn, our guide on finding the part number on an old trailer part helps.

How to get a quotation

Send the radio model, the quantity, the frequency version you need, any spare batteries, antennas or chargers, and your delivery location. Use the quotation form and FDA will reply with availability.