Icom A6 radio clipping at regular intervals every few seconds

On several Icom A6 radios I have owned, the audio has dropped out every few seconds on a repeating basis.  The sound is similar to someone pushing the transmit button for a quick moment, and it blocks whatever was being received.  Although quick, this audio dropout is very annoying when trying to receive frequencies, altimeter settings, tail numbers, phone numbers, and anything else that favors hearing the complete information.

I found the cause and the solution years ago but have had to go find it over again as I have picked up other A6s showing the same bad behavior.  The cause of this annoyance is a feature in the radio that scans for NOAA weather alerts.  Sounds like a great idea, but apparently it comes at the cost of dropping your audio reception about every 5 seconds.  I think that for some crazy reason, this has been the default configuration for these radios when new.

If you are experiencing this annoyance and want to end it, press the green F button, release it, and then press the Squelch (SQL) button.  Written in green above the Squelch (SQL) button is “WX Alert”.  On the screen you will see “ALT-OFF” which means you have turned the Alert Off and can now regain your sanity.

If your Icom A6 is not doing this annoying thing, and your curiosity compels you to hear just how annoying it is, press the green F button, release it, and then press the SQL button.  On the screen you will see “ALT-ON” which means you have turned the Alert On.  Adjust the Squelch so that you hear constant static.  Listen to the audio go silent every 5 seconds.  Imagine trying to hear an important message while having that silence every five seconds.  Crazy!  Ok to turn it off, press and release F, then press SQL.

FROM THE ICOM A6 MANUAL:

Setting weather alert function

An NOAA broadcast station transmits a weather alert tone before any important weather announcements. When the weather alert function is turned ON, the transceiver detects the alert, and sounds a beep tone until the transceiver is op-erated. The previously selected (used) weather channel ischecked any time during standby, or while scanning.•Push , then push [SQL•WX-ALERT] to turns the weatheralert function ON (Indicates “”)/OFF (Indicates“”