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Reviews For: Kenwood TM-D700A

Category: Transceivers: VHF/UHF+ Amateur Base/Mobile (non hand-held)

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TM-D700A
Reviews: 95MSRP: 780 USD
Description:
Kenwood remote head data radio for VHF/UHF
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.kenwood.net/indexKenwood.cfm?do=ProductDetails&ProdID=5017&Group=5
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00954.3
KE4GOV Rating: 2005-10-20
2 meter receive dead for the 3rd time Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My TM-D700A has been in the shop 2 times for the same problem, RF amp FET on the VHF side (Q205). Now it's out again! The radio is out of warrantee now and I don't want to send it back just to have them replace the same FET and then have it go out again in just a few months. I'm really getting frustrated with this problem.

Here's the response from Kenwood:

Dear Kenwood Customer:

Our head technician think that a STRONG RF signal perhaps a station or
antenna close to you is the cause of the situation. This is not a common
problem on the TM-D700A.

If you need further assistance, please e-mail us again.

Sincerely,

Kenwood Amateur Radio Customer Support

It worked fine on the way to work and when I turned it on for the drive home the 2 meter receive side was dead. This is the only radio I have in my car and there is no other STRONG RF signals or stations near by.

I will get this fixed and unload it as fast as I can and will never recommend or buy another Kenwood again!

By the way, the 440 side works good....
N5TEV Rating: 2005-08-31
Awesome Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got mine last week, after giving up trying to keep my old TM-742 alive (another story).

This is a great rig, especially for APRS, which I would have never ventured into had this radio not been designed to work APRS so easily.

I seemed to have got mine at just the right time, as I beleive I have the very first of a new run (Serial Number 61000001 !), with some new features announced in seperate additional addendum sheets to the manual: new MC-58DM mic, DX Packet cluster tuning for a TS-570/870/2000, and NMEA0183 version 3.0 data format compatability for APRS. 73, N5TEV
M0NKD Rating: 2005-08-01
The only APRS radio way to go Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm still suprised when I meet someone with a TMD-700 who doesn't use it for APRS work. That said, those folk seem to like the rig as well. However, when APRS is used in the shack or with a GPS plugged-in when mobile, this rig is is the leader of the pack.

Unfortunately I'm now on my second as the first got water logged in my motorhome over many months without me realising I had a vehicle problem. The fact I have replaced it with an identical but newer model sums-up my enjoyment of this particular radio.

The latest European version has the G2 firmware. This handles correctly NMEA v3.0 data and is backward compatible with older GPS's and the new firmware allows the transceiver to be used as a remote packet cluster source and controller for a number of Kenwood HF transceivers.

I also note the latest version substains far less interference from pager sites etc, but that said I still use mine with the excellent DCI dual band cavity filter.

My only gripe is the automatic repeater shift only works on 2m. Bah humbug! Yaesu seem to have licked this problem and I'm amazed that Kenwood haven't, even their radios that have user upgradeable firmware, like the TS2000, only have auto repeater shift for 2 metres.

Overall though, there's simply nothing else to touch-it for what it does and what it does, it does well.
VK4VP Rating: 2005-05-15
Excellent Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I am primarily using the D700 at home for APRS and 2m/70cm operation. I love the built in TNC and it works flawlessly with UI View.
The ease of use of this prompted me to buy a Kenwood TS-480 SAT to replace my other HF/VHF/UH rig.
The APRS functions are great and it is intuitive to use.

Very happy

Regards Gordon
W7RJR Rating: 2005-03-15
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am using this rig in the shack with UI-View 32 software and it works great for APRS and vanilla packet using terminal software. I was impressed with the fact that it even includes a mailbox. The cross band repeat function works great and apparently since mine is a later serial number the audio is fine. I use it to switch my Echolink node around to different frequencies and repeaters at will. There is a bit of a learning curve as with all modern transceivers. The free software from Kenwood is nice and works great. No problems with the cooling fan yet.

There seems to be a small issue with intermod, but I use a PAR filter and engage the AIP or attenuation which helps a lot. There is a lot of functionality to this small package and I enjoy using it. The programmable memory feature is nice. At the push of a button you can change many parameters. I only wish there were more than 5.

This is a great radio with many features in a small, convenient package.
W2RDS Rating: 2005-02-22
Great Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned my D700 for about 2 years and I have not had a single problem with it. It has performed flawlessy. I use it mobile for APRS and it works perfectly. I find the display to be more than bright enough with sufficient contrast for here in New Jersey. The transmit audio was a little low, but it is simple to adjust via the service menu. This radio has logged 70K miles, in two vehicles over the two years I have had it, without fail. I recommend this radio and I am looking to buy another for my pickup truck. If you are looking for a way to run APRS in your vehicle, including messaging, this is the way to go.
KC0GLA Rating: 2005-01-01
Good for APRS Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had this radio over a year. Have not had any problems. I do have a few gripes, the first is the fan which started to rattle after a few months of dust. Another problem is that the interval for transmitting your position is not speed variable. I ended up seting the time a 10 miniuts on low power. Even this is enough to kill a battery in the winter if the radio is acidently is left on. The only other gripe is the radio is very suceptable to noise and out of band interference. The local hospitals pager system is heard when within a 1/4 mile.

The radio is nice since the radio seperates and works with only the adition of a GPS for APRS. Also I use 25 wats to talk and the radio does not get unusaly warm. Also the software to program the radio is free which is nice.

I probaly would not buy another one but would buy a dual/dual band radio and a tiny track.
KB3FGL Rating: 2004-10-17
Good overall Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have two of these radios. One in the car, one in the house. The one in the house is hooked up to a computer for WINAPRS usage almost full time. Thanks Kenwood for the free programming software. My newer TMD700, which I bought new at Dayton May 2004 has a loud fan problem. It is intermittent, but annoying, in my otherwise quiet shack. Does anyone else have this problem? Any fixes? I would appreciate it. It is not loose, there is nothing in the fan housing interefering with it or anything. Never had this problem w/ any radio. I have owned many. Don't want to send it back for this problem.
But, it is my second one. How about putting 1.2Ghz in the next version? How about 220? Hmm. WIshful thinking.
www.angelfire.com/pa5/kb3fgl2
VE3NM Rating: 2004-09-16
Nice, but costly to repair Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Purchased the unit "used" and it worked flawlessly for the better part of a year ... that is, until for some unknown reason, the CPU lost it's mind. To repair (replace) the microprocessor board would cost almost the same price as a new radio ... currently looking at other options,like finding the right person to check and / or replace just the microprocessor, which is the fraction of the entire board.
YEPSURE Rating: 2004-09-09
Cross Band Repeat Audio Issue Fixed Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I performed the retrofit outlined in the Kenwood Service Bulletin (ATB-0029) as mentioned by W7SAZ. This improves cross band repeat audio quality in the TM-D700A. Repleced parts were one SMT resistor and one SMT diode. Both parts had a slightly different value from their original parts. After the retrofit was complete my D700 sounded perfect while in cross band repeat

Most people don't notice this issue because they don't use cross band repeat in the D700. Poor cross band repeat audio was my only issue with the D700. The D700 is the perfecet radio in every aspect now that Kenwood has finally addressed this issue.

Under the service bulletin, Kenwwod states all new D700's have these updated parts installed, so new units should sound fine using cross band repeat. However, if you decide to order the parts for your older D700 it should be noted these parts are extremely small and requires specialized SMT solder equipment. It would have been impossible for me to perform this retrofit had I not had this specialized equipment, and past experience with SMT work.

I'm extremely thrilled Kenwood addressed this issue. However, if it's something you want fixed you'll have to have it professionally done unless your skilled in SMT rework.

This made ALL the difference in the world in my D700, and gave it the fix needed to be a usable cross band repeat system that sounds darn good!