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| Reviews Summary for Kenwood TH-K2AT |
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Reviews: 48
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Average rating: 4.1/5
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MSRP: $179.95
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Description: Even at first glance, it's obvious that Kenwood's stylish new TH-K2AT is in a class of its own. Though compact enough to fit snugly in either pocket or palm, it offers all the features necessary to make operation simple and sure. And despite its smart looks, this144MHz FM transceiver is tough enough to survive the rigors of outdoor use, while delivering superb performance. So roam freely while enjoying the clear, reliable communications for which Kenwood is renowned.
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More info: http://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/th_k2at/
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KC2OCU
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Rating: 3/5
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Sep 30, 2007 11:44
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Trult an "Amateur" Radio
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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The features are fine, but the audio output is typical of "Amateur" radios. Just lousy. It sounds like I am listening to a cheap 15 year old radio shack scanner. Tinny, and high pitched. This seems typical of all Amateur grade radios, wether Kenwood, Icom, or Yaesu.AMATEUR often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials. Buy a Kenwood, yaesu, or an Icom and you get just that, A lousy AMATEUR QUALITY RADIO!!!
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KE5JKJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 17, 2007 20:18
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Exceeded my expectations!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Purahcased this radio in July because of price, feature set and the reviews I read here. I mostly use the radio when commuting to and from work and I decided on a handheld since it could be easily concealed when the vehicle is parked in unattended lots where I work. Frankly, I did not expect good results operating from inside a moving vehicle in a large city with a high density of noise sources. I have been very pleased with its performance so far. Early on I was told I should get an outside antenna but I replaced the stock duck with a Smiley Stubby Duck (and KC2BHO's custom SMA-to-BNC adapter)and the worst report I have had was that my signal was 5% noisy. All of the repeaters I monitor are at least 10 miles away and if I can hear a station, they generally hear me loud and clear. At night, I can usually get by with the 1.5 watt setting. My only complaint is the positioning of the volume control on the bottom. If the radio is kept in its leather case, as mine is, the knob is a bit hard to turn without changing the frequency as well. But, that is a minor issue overall since I usually keep the volume at a high setting to overcome road noise. I listen more than I talk so I get about a week out of the battery pack that came with the radio. I also purchased the DC vehicle adapter. At $36, It is a bit pricey but it has saved me more than once when I got into a long QSO on a half-charged battery. If you don't add any other accessory, get the DC adapter. I also recommend the leather case. It fits well and protects the radio from normal dings associated with HT use. Although this is the only HT I have owned, I gave it a 5 because it cleary exceeded my expectations.
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KC2QVS
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 4, 2007 04:19
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A solid transciever.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This was my first radio and it is performing well in two weeks. THE BATTERY HOLDS ITS CHARGE NOW! The stock atenna is good but I plan to replace it. The radio can be backlighted, and I keep that feature on all of the time. If you plan to name your cahnnels, you have 50. You need to get the hang of programing memory channels, but it is VERY easy after that. Large LCD Screen. Can be operated with very little light and has great audio. The only minus on the radio is sometimes the PTT button gets caught for a few seconds, but that is rare. Great radio!
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KD4KWQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 18, 2007 19:50
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Great little transceiver
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I can't imagine getting a better radio for $89 (I got the version with the AA battery holder). With 6 2500mah NiMH batteries, the radio works for a long time on a charge. I put a dab of Loctite on the screws that attach the belt clip. The main thing that prompted me to write a review was that the radio still works fine after dropping off the roof of my truck and bouncing across an asphalt parking lot. The batteries flew everywhere but aside from a few gouges, nothing seems damaged. I do plan on replacing the stock antenna ASAP. Too bad I can't get one to match the blue radio! Things I would add? How about a "LOW BATT" warning?
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KE4HKQ
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 15, 2007 07:25
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Good HT for the price,looks great, hefty!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I gave this HT a good. It has served me well for 10 months. I purchased for the looks and price and feel. It doesnt feel light and "plasticky" like a lot of HTs. I did break the battery case by dropping it, and the rubber duck on a hiking trip. Best use is out of the woods. Stock antenna receives poorly. Replaced mine with a comet. Works great now. Easy to use/program. I dont really know if any other HT would outperform it or not. It seems to perform as well as any I've seen since I replaced the stock antenna.
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N0OKS
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 24, 2006 08:07
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Works Well
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I bought my HT with the AA battery pack. In fact, that was the buying decision maker for me. I have lots of 2300maH Nimh AAs and they work well. I didn't want to get a radio that requires expensive, proprietary battery packs. This HT has everyting you need for reliable 2mtr FM communication. Price was $109 at AES.
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N1UMJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 6, 2006 11:55
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Nice little radio
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I bought this THK2AT on Ebay this summer and it got here just before I left on vacation, like 10 minutes before. I took it out of the box, put the belt clip on, put it in a bag and we left, when I got where we were going, I put the AA's in it since it's the one that comes with the AA pack and was instantly impressed. I see complaints about the stock duck, but as those who know me well know, I've had a ton of HT's and this has 1 of the best stock rubber ducks I've had. The audio out of the radio is great, I had great reports from it every time I've used it and it's simple to use. The only thing I ever had to look up in the manual was how to adjust the power level. I get good reports from what people hear from the radio, and I like the receive audio as well a lot. It feels very solid in my hand and really performs. Battery life on AA's is great too. I mostly got it for a spare, go kit radio or what ever and actually have found myself grabbing it for a few other things as well a lot more than I thought when I first bought it. Intermod rejection on it is great, much better than most newer HT's I've had, this one will stay in my HT collection for a while. The only one that I can say comes close in performance was my HTX-202 and I'd love to see another one of those for a side by side because this just might beat it in everything except receive audio. It makes me want to drop a lot of my Other 5 ratings on HT's down to a 4.
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KA5OID
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 19, 2006 08:48
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Nice Beginner Radio
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought my Kenwood TH-K2AT as a new radio in August 2004 at the Ham Summerfest in Austin, TX. My HT came with the NiMH battery pack, which I do recommend over the BT-14 battery case (provided with the "K2" version). However, for anyone interested in using the BT-14 battery case, I recommend using rechargeable NiMH AA batteries as these will hold up much better than any alkaline AA batteries.
For the price, the Kenwood TH-K2AT is a nice bargain especially, if like me, you want to try out 2 meters on a budget. I also wanted maximum flexibility and of course an HT can go anywhere, at home, in the car, or on foot (such as camping, hiking, or shopping with the wife). When on cub scout campouts (and out of cell phone coverage), I am able to hit nearby repeaters for access to the phone patch using the TH-K2AT's nifty key pad and DTMF encode support. While the stubby antenna is nice for portability, you will probably want a larger antenna to improve the performance. The NiMH battery lasts long enough for a few hours of QSOs using maximum power before needing to recharge.
For car use, I recommend an external magnet mount antenna along with the PG-3J filtered cigarette lighter cord (as this lets me run the HT off car power and also serves to recharge). The SMC-33 speaker mic with remote or the regular SMC-32 speaker mic are also recommended for ease of use. Compared to larger mobile radios, an HT can be a little more prone to trouble with intermodulation from police or other sources of radio interference, but I have found this problem to be very minimal for the Kenwood TH-K2AT. Seems to be a good front end design for an HT.
For home use (as a mini base station), it should be noted that the BC-21 AC wall adapter provides sufficient power to run the receiver portion of the radio, but you cannot transmit this way. An external power supply (13.8 V, 1.8 Amps) allows me to transmit and works great. The PG-2W DC fused cord is good option if a power supply does not have a cigarette lighter connection. Outside antennas are an improvement, but then you will need to consider an antenna tuner (especially when experimenting like I have).
I've had a lot of fun playing around with the Kenwood TH-K2AT in a variety of configurations. Generally all reports have been good, but because of the parking garage where I work, the external antenna on my SUV is just a quarter wave. If you can get a half-wave antenna, performance will be much improved.
I did consider a dual bander for access to both the 2 meter and 70cm bands, but I think going with the single bander provides for a little better protection from intermodulation issues that are often associated with HTs.
I want to also recommend the PG-4Y PC programming cable, as this really makes inputing repeater settings a breeze. I can save alternate configurations and then load them in whenever needed, such as for travelling outside my normal stomping grounds. Of course, I can also change repeater settings directly from the radio, but the programming interface is just much more convenient.
After 2 years, I still love my Kenwood TH-K2AT. The rugged design and mil-spec resistance to water/dust/vibration makes for a sturdy, long-lasting radio. I also like the solid feel of the metal case.
73 from KA5OID
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BDR529
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 25, 2006 09:40
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Solid HT at a great price!
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I recently bought this radio as I was looking for a 2m HT that I could use with AA batteries that had a SMA connector so I could use my existing antennas. After reading the reviews here and checking it out at HRO, I felt this model offered what I needed and I am pleased. It lasts a long time on a set of NiMH batteries and I can easily hit the area repeaters. I also like the user interface and I especially enjoy the fact that I can easily set the backlight to stay on (without going into a menu). All in all, this radio is perfect for me.
Also, for those of you looking to learn more, there is a Yahoo group on this HT at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/THK2AT/
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KD7YHF
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 6, 2006 10:07
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Great 2 Meter Rig
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Great radio. I have not had any problems with this radio. The battery life seems to last forever compared to the older handheld HTs.
Each time I have used it, it performs well. Hits repeaters just fine. No one tells me my signal is not coming through clearly.
The audio is tremendous,just as good or better than the VX-5r, HTX-202. Having some extended receive is a plus too. I think you would be pleased with it.
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