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Reviews For: Kenwood TM-271A

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

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TM-271A
Reviews: 97MSRP: 189.95
Description:
2meter mobile
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00974.3
W8MPX Rating: 2011-09-21
very good rig Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I HAD THE KENWOOD 271 I USE THIS RIG FOR ECHOLINK 24/7 GOOD AUDIO 60 WATTS 24/7 NO PROBLEM NOT BAD . IF YOU GOING TO USE IT YOU NEED TO PUT A FAN BECAUSE IT GET VERY HOT WITH A FAN IT WORKS COOL
W4DRH Rating: 2011-09-15
Very Pleased Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Bought 2 at about $140 apiece. I see they now have TM-281...love to know the difference. I have had good luck with them so far. For the price I could not resist.
NQ5F Rating: 2011-07-02
It's a winner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this rig several weeks ago to go in my new truck. I am extremely happy with it and with 60 watts into my 5/8 wave can work repeaters all over that I couldn't before. I like the display color and alpha tagging, but wish it had more channels (200) with alpha tags. When you name the memories you can only have 100. The mic is great and is lighted so you can find it when you drop it on the floor at night. I got it for $100 (used).
KG4LOV Rating: 2011-05-15
Nice simple radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've only had this radio a couple of weeks, but really love it. It replaces an Alinco DR-605 that I never really cared for. The 271 is much simpler to use and program, and the audio is good and clear and the tx reports are also good.
KB5YYX Rating: 2011-04-12
Poor Performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The 271-A is fair. It never worked out of the box, wouldn't transmit under any circumstances. I could receive NOAA broadcasts, repeaters all sounded like a burst of static. I sent it to Kenwwod for evaluation. Kenwood (FTH Group) said it worked perfectly and sent it back. I am ready it to trash it for something that works.
KC2UUX Rating: 2011-03-12
Great rig, and true narrowband as well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After 20 months of mobile use in the weather extremes of the northeast US, I will cast another vote for the rock-solid performance of this great rig. The TM-271A is also (as of this date) the only 2M rig from the big 4 (Yaesu,Kenwood,Icom,Alinco) that will truly do the 2.5khz channel step (aka frequency step), necessary to access all of the new narrowband frequencies. I will add a 2M/70CM mobile rig soon; not to replace the TM-271A, but to sit beside it. Yes, in my opinion, this Kenwood is that good.
73 de Chris
9W2FED Rating: 2011-01-02
good perfomance except receiving audio for FM Wide mode Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Anyone facing problem with receiving audio on FM wide? it's work well on narrow. There is another 2 members that facing same problem.
KD0NFF Rating: 2010-12-29
Love mine! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Rock solid little rig with plenty of power and some of the cleanest modulation I've found. I love the mic that comes with these things. So many other FM mobile manus are including crap mics that weigh nothing and have little clicky PTT switches, Not this mic.. very professional feeling. The whole rig feels more like a commercial radio than an amateur radio.
KE7SNN Rating: 2010-11-30
Nothing to be proud of Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Was a great radio at first, no problems and I could easily talk to the safety officials at the other end of the 33 mile track. Now it has problems with the digital squalch that can't be fixed without putting a lot of money into new test equipment or sending the radio to a repair facility and waiting for whatever length of time it takes to fix the radio. Total length of ownership = 18 months.
N1UMJ Rating: 2010-10-14
great radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 2 of these radios, I bought one for the mobile about 5 years ago and while I wasn't sure about so few buttong on the front pannel, I found it was actually much easier to use than I ever expected. The menu settings are all set and forget for me, low power 25 watts is all I need. I don't experience any intermod and live in the center of a city, and travel through business areas all the time but I do use tone squelch which may be what can account for that as I'm not a fan of the 2 meter band but do monitor the club repeater and am involved with ARES and RACES, and monitor local public service so the radio gets used whenever I'm in the car. I've never had any complaint with the radio, I've had it in 2 vehicles now and the second one I mentioned I have is on packet. My packet station is up and going 24/7 and I even have a couple guys who chat on packet from about 4-7 AM using me as a digipeater, especially in the winter and this radio just takes it with no complaint, other than a couple weeks while it was off the air so I could move, that radio's been running for about 4 years. I said after getting the mobile if I could find a good deal on another one I'd take it and I got that good deal on a brand new one for some strange reason someone couldn't figure out how to program it and stuff. How you can't figure out such an easy radio I don't know but it worked out for me that day as he cut the connector off the power cord so didn't want to try to return it that way. I find Kenwoods by far and away the best sounding and easiest to operate radios out there, these no exception, I may even buy a third one if I can find one for the right price and have the money.
If anyone's looking for a programming cable, the same one that works with most commercial radios, like the TK-880, TK-780, and that series and really most kenwood commercial mobiles will work with this radio and is a lot cheaper on ebay than the kenwood cable they sell for this radio. Software's free and simple to use as well.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N1UMJ on 2006-02-15

we changed vehicles recently and I decided to not put my old Icom 27H in the new car and buy somehting new. Looking at the TM-271A and liked it but thought with so few buttons on the front pannel I wondered how easy it was to use. I finally bought one a little over a month ago after talking to many people that had them and knowing the great luck I've had with Kenwood equipment over the years. I love the radio, it's simple to program as all the Kenwood radios I've ever had are, the front firing speaker for it's size sounds great! You'd never think it was so small to hear it, I might even buy another one down the road for go kit or backup for in the shack. Weather alert is nice, the nobs feel good and buttons, it's a tough little radio. I'd strongly recommend it for anyone who wants a nice 2 meter radio. You won't be disappointed. A 10 watt setting or 5 would be nice but I can live with out it.