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kenwood tm D710A

211inthamag

211inthamag

Active Member
Jan 12, 2008
123
15
28
Natchez, Ms
Well I've done the antenna install and I'm purchasing a Kenwood 710a dual bander with the Green labs Gps...anybody on here have this radio and can tell me how the audio sounds coming out of it compared to say a yaesu 8800 or icom 2820 or any of the other higher end dual banders? Any tips or suggestions would be great and very appreciated and I will take plenty of pictures of my install and give my 2 cents on the unit :thumbup:
 

I've heard nothing but good things about Kenwood audio. I think you will be fine to run it as is.
 
I know someone who has one of these and I talk to him just about every day and his audio is just fine, Its my Icom 706 that the audio is a little hot.
 
I have a '710 and am happy with it. I've also had a Yaesu '7800 and it wasn't bad, just I couldn't get the programming of it straight. The audio will be at -least- as good as any other radio brand. It's the 'rest' of it that will make a difference, ease of programming, simplicity, whatever. And of course, as everyone knows, if you ain't got Kenwood you got squat! Yeah, but I couldn't resist. ;)
- 'Doc

(I don't 'do' the APRS with the '710, I use a different method. And at the risk of sounding like a Kenwood fanatic, who started the APRS features built into a radio? Check for your self, all them 'others' are just tagging along... sort of. Couldn't resist that one either!)

All joking aside, it's a good radio.
 
Well its kinda like all radios out there, both good and bad things will be said...The main thing is for me to make sure it's not a total "lemon" and has a good Rx and TX sound quality. My other option was a icom 2820 but I'm not sure if I want to join the d star band Wagon just yet..Any who we shall see this weekend how all goes when I install the rig (if it gets here in time that is)!
 
I have the Kenwood TM-D710A: It's one of the finest VHF/UHF rigs I've ever owned and I use it daily. The TX and RX audio quality is excellent. All of the APRS and TNC features work flawlessly. Crossband repeat on the rig is great because there is almost no squelch tail. My only real complaint is that the auto IDer isn't a "smart ider" meaning that it will key ever 10 minutes regardless of whether or not you have transmitted recently. This is one really nice radio, for sure. BTW, I use mine with the RT Systems software and cable, which also works great.
 
I ordered The radio plus the Green light labs GPS unit...I sure forgot to get the RT software, I know kenwood has a free download for theres but not sure if I would like it or not!.....I better jump on that now since you mentioned it!!
 
I have the 710 and the 2820. Both are good radios and sound great.

The free software from Kenwood works fine with 710. However a good feature of the RT Systems software is that you can import the frequencies from another radio if it was programed with the RT software too. Sure saves allot of time.

I imported the frequencies from the 710 into the 2820. Very easy. Just had to add a few extra in the 2820 for Dstar.

Enjoy your new radio.
 
928bolo said:
The free software from Kenwood works fine with 710. However a good feature of the RT Systems software is that you can import the frequencies from another radio if it was programed with the RT software too. Sure saves allot of time.

I imported the frequencies from the 710 into the 2820. Very easy. Just had to add a few extra in the 2820 for Dstar.

Enjoy your new radio.
Click to expand...
Chirp does the same.
 
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I agree!! For this radio there is really no need to buy the RT Systems software as chirp will do a good job of programming it. I'm sure RT systems does as well, and the support/cable and software is awesome!
 
FWIW
I have three programs, the Kenwood program, the RT System's program and Chirp. I find that I use the Kenwood program the most with Chirp a close second. What's really 'neat' about Chirp is that it makes changes to the radio 'on the fly', you don't have to write it to the radio after making changes. Since the Kenwood program is free get it. You certainly don't have to use it, but hey, it's free, you know? The biggest 'gripe' I have about the RT Sytem's program is that it requires a proprietary cable, any old cable won't work with it. Oh well...
- 'Doc
 
211inthamag said:
I ordered The radio plus the Green light labs GPS unit...I sure forgot to get the RT software, I know kenwood has a free download for theres but not sure if I would like it or not!.....I better jump on that now since you mentioned it!!
Click to expand...

Personally I'd skip the green light labs gps and get the argent data cable and garmin nuvi 350. That way you get a visual of the stations around you. Plus it will cost less than the green light labs device.

(There may be other gps units but the nuvi 350 is one of the ones most people use. You can find them on eBay cheap.)

Regarding software, use chirp or the Kenwood software. You just need the cable, or you can make one. There is a popular seller on eBay that makes them, and they are of high quality.

I run mostly Kenwood gear and just input/export between the radio software Kenwood makes.
 
Just this last summer, I was on here asking about what dual band I wanted to buy. The V71a, 8800R, and D710 were on my list. I ended up with the D710, and after learning the things that work differently than with yaesu, it has worked great. Big, visible screen, can see name tags and frequencies of memory channels, the best xband repeating setup, and it was built to do aprs, packet and other digital modes. Buy the two cable bundle, get the right serial to usb adapter, and you can program the radio, use it for echolink, or use it for digital modes, with no need of a signalink, etc., that you would need with most other dual band radios. It probably works the best with APRS, and can be a digipeater as well. It is more user friendly to me, compared to icom or yaesu. Never one complaint on audio. I would say it has been the best buy I've made in ham radio thus far, with its versatility. It also comes with the remote mounting pieces, that are extra with the V71a. It's a win-win deal to me.
 

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