How to turn your PRM8020(10703) into a Ham Radio for 2m.

This manual gives you an idea how to reprogram the PRM8020 type 9525 001 10703 into
a Ham Radio for 2m without going into all the possibilities of this fine radio. With the
settings in this manual you can program the radio and use it as a standard 2-way radio on
a simplex frequency or via a repeater that uses a CTCSS and 1750Hz tone to activate.
The software I used for the HW an SW configuration was the FPP PRM80 V4.0

Please keep in mind that I’m not responsible for any damages to your radio if something
goes wrong. I programmed 100 PRM8020 type 10703 without any problems but you
never know.
Before reprogramming please make a back-up of the original settings, see further down
this manual point 4.1.
Keeping all this in mind and enjoy our hobby and your new reprogrammed PRM8020.

1. How to determine the type of PRM8020 you have.

Turn your radio upside down en check the label on the radio.

The 10703 series are programmed in de range of 146MHz to 174MHz so it should

by fairly easy to program a couple of MHz down without having to change al lot on the
main board. The radio’s I used reprogrammed were used in the 148MHz., so the RX / TX
settings are acceptable for our Ham Frequencies 144 to 146MHz.
The PRM8020 is a radio with 64 channels to program so quit useful for our
hobby.

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 2. How to setup the new hardware configuration for the PRM8020
Start the Hardware program by clicking on the following icon if you created an

icon for the PRM80HW.exe otherwise click on the executable file in the software
folder from your FPP software.
The startup screen looks something like this

Fill in all the fields one by one, you can find all the options for each field by
tapping the return button on your keyboard, and navigation between the different
field by using de up and down & left & right arrows.

The next screenshots give you an idea of all the possible options for each field
and the ones I used to program the PRM8020
If you want more information about the field you’re about to modify just click the
F1 Help button and you will get more info.

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 For this last option it is very important that you chose variable mute. This way
you can select the squelch level as sensitive as you wish. If chosen fixed the
standard squelch level is very high and you could miss important QSO’s.

If every field is filled it should look like this:

If you try to write this info to your PRM8020 you’ll get this message:

As you can see there is no valid Simoco 12NC number. You can alter this by
clicking on the F2 (code) button and you’ll get the possibility to fill in a new
NC12 code.

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 The NC12 code that works fine for me are:

9525 001 10224 (my preference)

9525 001 10604
9525 001 10504

By using the 9525 001 10504 you cannot use the selcall. Selcall Hardware is not
fitted as you can see in the screenshot bellow

Code 9525 001 10604 is identical to the 9525 001 10224 as far as hardware is
concerned

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 3. How to Wipe/Reprogram the new hardware configuration into the PRM8020

Once your hardware setup is ok, you can wipe the existing settings by
reprogramming your radio with the new hardware settings.
This you can do by clicking on the F4 (EEPROM) programming button. During
the programming you’ll get a little pop up screen “please wait”

If the little pop up screen has disappeared, your radio hardware has been
programmed successfully and you’ll get this screen again:

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 You can save these setting by clicking on the F5 FILE button and giving a name
for this job.

Now you can close this application by clicking on the ESC-EXIT button on your
keyboard and chose Yes.

4. How to setup the new software settings for 2m

Start the Software program by clicking on the following icon if you created one

for of the PRM80SW.exe otherwise click on the executable file in the software
folder from your FPP software.

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 4.1 Back-up Instructions

This is the startup screen:

With this program you can make a back-up of the existing software / hardware
configuration. This you can do by selecting the first option displayed on the
screen.
“Read EEPROM data from Mobile”

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Once the data has been read you get this screen:

Now save these original settings by clicking the F5 – File button and give a name
to this JOB.
Once this is done, you can reprogram the hardware settings and if something gets
wrong you can always reprogram your radio with the old settings and start again.
Remember to take your time to discover and learn how your radio has been
programmed before starting to reprogram and ending up with a non functional
radio.

4.2 Nice to know

You can navigate between the different programming pages by using

the Page UP and Page Down buttons of your keyboard.

For each field there is a very good help function integrated in the FPP 4.0
software. Just highlight the field and click on the F1 Help button. A green pop
up help screen will appear and gives you the information you need.

If it is a multi page help file, you can go to the next help screen by using the
page up and page down buttons of the keyboard.

Expl.:

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 4.3 Setting up the new software parameters

4.3.1 Programming the 4 Function Keys

What I wanted is the possibility to scan, add and remove scan channels and
remove the squelch value to 0 and no beeps
The first screen is the “Key Function Selection” you can program the 4 function
buttons under the display.
These are my settings for the Key Function Seletion:

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 If you select a field, click the ENTER button from your Keyboard you get all
the possible settings for the selected field. By using the up & down arrow you can
scroll trough the menu

If you want an explanation for the selected field just click the F1 Help button.

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 4.3.2 Programming the Frequency Table

You can navigate between the different windows by using the page up and page
down buttons of your keyboard the “Channel Tabel.” window.

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 In this screen you have the possibility to put in all channel and frequency data you
like.
These are the columns we need:
CH 1 = channel 1
Valid Yes or No = activate the channel or delete channel settings
Frequency = Frequency
Lockout Yes / No = Yes deactivate channel without loss of data
CTCSS = selects the sub tone you want to use.
SelCall Yes / No = Yes to activate the 1750 Hz tone on this channel
Power High or Low = High or Low power output for this channel
Valid Scan Ch. Yes / No = Yes so we can select this channel to be scanned
Rx = receive data
Tx = transmit data

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 The PRM 8020 has up to 64 channels you can use.

As you can see in the window above I programmed a few repeater frequencies.
Unfortunately in a standard PRM8020 there is no 1750 Hz tone but fortunately
the radio I use has the selcall option witch I use for 1750Hz see point 9.
Most of our repeaters can be activated by using a CTCSS tone.
We need the CTCSS tone on our transmit signal so we must apply this in the Tx
line.
Each letter stands for a specific CTCSS sub tone. To find out what each letter
stands for use the F1 Help function and you’ll get this:

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 Once you have found the sub tone you need, close the help window by using the
ESC button of your keyboard.
Put the right symbol in the CTCSS column of the Tx line.
There is no more to it then this.

4.3.3 Programming the scan function

There are 2 ways of programming the scan function:

- Input in the software

- Using the Scan Add / Delete Function Key.

You can program up to 10 channels to be scanned

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 - Programming the 10 channels using the Scan Group selection window:

Fill in the channel number(s) you want to be scanned just as shown in the above
window.

- Using the Scan Add / Delete function key ( the easy way)

If a channel is already programmed to be scanned, you will be able to see a

“V”-marker appear above the Scan Add / Delete function key (3rd key from the
left)

The “V”-marker above the 2nd function key, MONITOR indicates that the
squelch level is at 0 (zero) and you monitor this channel

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 To remove channel 64 from the scan list just push the Scan Ad / Delete function
key once and the “V”-marker disappears

4.3.4 General channel settings

The only parameter I changed was the default Power-on channel or Home
channels as it is called on other radio’s.
In the above window it is Channel 7.

The next screen is not of use to use at this time.

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 This is the last of the software settings windows.

5. How to program your PRM8020 with the new software settings

Go back to the first window. ( Key Function Selection)

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 To program you PRM8020 with the new software settings click on the F5-File
button to save you new software settings into a job.
Once you’ve made de back-up click on the F4-EEPROM button.

Chose Write EEPROM data and push the RETURN button of the keyboard and
wait.

Once the “Please Wait” pop up screen has disappeared, you radio is programmed
and ready to use.

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 6. How to program other PRM8020 with the same Hardware and Software

It is very easy, just connect your programming cable to the 2nd radio and repeat
the steps in point 5.

Chose Write EEPROM data and push the RETURN button of the keyboard and
wait.

Once the “Please Wait” pop up screen has disappeared, you radio is programmed
and ready to use.

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 7. Buttons on the PRM8020

2 3 4 5
6
1 7

1. Power ON / OFF – Volume – Squelch button

2. 1st Function Key : Scan
3. 2nd Function Key : Monitor (Squelch on / off)
4. 3rd Function Key : Scan Add / Delete
5. 4th Function Key : 1750Hz tone
6. Channel up & down buttons
7. RJ45 Microphone / Programming connector

8. Scan problem

When you have the original microphone from Philips connected, it is possible that
the scanning isn’t working.

Check if scanning works if you disconnect the microphone or if the microphone

hangs in the original microphone holder.

If so the problem will be solved in 10 minutes.

In some original hand microphones one has build in a safety to prevent the radio
from scanning if the microphone is in use (read of the hook). This is done by
building a very little magnetic switch in the microphone at the back.

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 Magnet

At the back of the original microphone holder you can find a little round magnet
that closes the scan switch in the microphone if it hangs in the microphone holder.

Little switch that controls the scan options.

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 There are at least 3 possible solutions:

1. Put the microphone in the original holder before you start scanning

2. Remove or close the little switch in the microphone, this has no

influence on the audio of the microphone

3. Connect another microphone to the radio.

When the radio is scanning the display looks like this:

This indicates that the radio is scanning.

This indicates that the scanning function is activated by push the first Function Key.

9. Setting Up the 1750Hz tone

First of all I need a Function Key to be programmed for the activation of the 1750Hz
tone. I still have the 4th function key and I program it to run the send-1 option.

Because I will be using the selcall option to generate the 1750Hz tone I will need to
program the right options.

The following windows will give you an idea on how I did that.

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 Open Selcall Required = Yes
Unmute Selcall = Yes
Individual Identity =1

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 Individual Identity = 8
Lead in Delay = 1000msec
Lead in tone Required = yes
Lead in Tone =8
Lead out Delay = 20

Nothing to change

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 Nothing to change

Nothing to change

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 Nothing to change

Nothing to change

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 The only thing that you need to change is the Selcall option needs to be on Yes if you
want the 1750Hz tone to be activated. This you can see in the above screenshot for
channel 61

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 10. Frequency list (ON4HP & ON6NU)

PHILIPS PRM 8020

Frequentie Chan Frequentie Chan

144,500 1 145,400 33
144,525 2 145,4125 34
144,550 3 145,425 35
144,575 4 145,4375 36
144,600 5 145,450 37
144,625 6 145,4625 38
144,700 7 145,475 39
144,725 8 145,4875 40
144,750 9 145,500 41
144,775 10 145,5125 42
144,800 11 145,525 43
144,825 12 145,5375 44
144,850 13 145,550 45
144,875 14 145,5625 46
144.900 15 145,575 47
144,9125 16 145,5875 48
144.950 17 145,600 49
145,2125 18 145,6125 79,7 ON0GB 50
145,225 19 145,625 51
145,2375 20 145,6375 131,8 ON0ZK 52
145,250 21 145,650 74,4 ON0LG 53
145,2625 22 145,6625 (1750) ON0NL 54
145,275 23 145,675 131,8 ON0BT 55
145,2875 24 145,6875 74,4 ON0LTV 56
145,300 25 145,700 ON0OV 57
145,3125 26 145,7125 131,8 ON0DST 58
145,325 27 145,725 71,9 PI3ZLB 59
145,3375 28 145,7375 79,7 ON0KTK 60
145,350 29 145,750 ON0LU 61
145,3625 30 145,7625 67,0 ON0AN 62
145,375 31 145,775 131,8 ON0LB 63
145,3875 32 145,7875 DB0WA 64
Versie 2

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 11. Display Lay-out

CHANNEL
STATUS
SCAN MONITOR SCAN A/D 1750

12. Final

I hope this manual is of use to you and lets you enjoy this radio on our 2m band.
I know that this radio has a lot more options than can be used but the purpose of this
manual was to reprogram this radio as simple as possible for simplex and repeater
communications.
Feel free to experiment with the other options but please before changing anything,
make a back-up of the existing configuration you never know.
Best to be at the safe side.

73
Erwin (ON3BWE)

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