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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
AB0FR Rating: 2006-05-10
Pray your microphone holds up. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this radio about two years ago to replace an old Alinco that finally gave out. In all, I liked the new replacement, and had few complaints. However, a few months ago, I noticed that the numerical keys on the microphone were getting harder and harder to press, until finally they no longer worked. I finally got around to asking about repair or replacement options and was told that my only option was to replace the microphone.

Price of radio new: $160-170
Price of replacement microphone (MC-58DM): $75-80



Now I have to decide if I want to spend half the radio's original price to have a keypad back. Maybe I'll go see what Icom or Yaesu has to offer.
K3JLS Rating: 2006-04-23
Infant Mortality Failure Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just bought a brand new TM-271A from HRO and set out to program my frequently used repeaters this morning. I was able to program just one repeater freq, name, etc into the flash memory, and that was it. I followed the instructions carefully and reset the radio three times to the factory defaults.

Don't these folks check the radios before they leave the factory. I've been a licensed ham since 1959 and have bought / built many rigs, but never had a problem like this one.........3 hours wasted because someone didn't do their job!
KB1KIX Rating: 2006-04-16
Very satisfied with this radio Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I agree with all the points stated earlier.

Would be nice to be able to adjust mic volume somehow - since the audio is a bit low and you do have to creep up on the mic.

But, I don't find that enough of a reason for me to reduce my review rating to a 4. All the other features far outweigh that issue.

It's quite, rock solid, perfoms well.

Although, I must admit, I have a programming cable - so I'm not doing the finger dancing some of the others have mentioned.

I like it enough that I'm buying a couple more for a few other uses/locations.

Guess, I do like this radio!!!
KC9FRX Rating: 2006-03-12
One great radio! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I just love this radio! After reading about and comparing with other 2 meter mobiles, I finally setteled on the TM-271A. The size is a perfect fit for my limited space. Programming is simple and straight forward. The menu is easy to navigate. Let's not forget about the audio output, LOUD AND CLEAR! Hard to believe from such a little speaker.
The only draw back I can see is you are limited to either 25 watts or 60 watts output. I'd like to have an option for 5 watts when running off a battery to conserve power.
I currently use this radio as a base hooked up to a power supply and home-built ground plane antenna in the attic. I am able to hit repeaters as far away as 40 miles on low power, and some 50 miles away on high power, with good signal reports.
If you are looking for a compact, simple to operate, rugged, dependable 2 meter radio, I'd recommend the TM-271A.
KC9HFB Rating: 2006-02-04
GREAT RADIO PACKS A GOOD PUNCH! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Nice rugged rig! Nice load clear audio from front fire speaker, easy menu options.

Pros:
*65w output option
*Great receive on simplex!
*Minimal RF issues in downtown areas (CHICAGO)
*Rugged
*Good all around package

Cons:
*Loss in tx audio during long QSO's @ 65w (only had this a few times dont run simplex often however when operating @ 25w simplex problem is minimal) *GOOD repeater coverage were I'm at so 25w output is usually MORE than enough.
*Would like 3rd power option maybe 5-10 watts also.

Yup these are the only cons I have. I've read that there may be a fix for the audio problem, so Im not to concerned about it. Thats why I rated it a "5".

I run this rig mobile @ 25w 90% of the time w/ an NMO mount 1/4 wave. I'll rarely use 65w into a machine (obviously), however at times in fringe areas I will for short periods until Im just to far away. 25w on this radio is plenty for my area for day to day run around repeater play. Simplex 25/65w are 2 nice options and probably the only 2 I'd run mobile on simplex. However with a nice choice of 2m machines to run on in my area a 5-10/25/65w options would be a nice addtion.

73's
JJ
KC9HFB
KD8CPP Rating: 2006-01-23
Great Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the TM-271A from HRO for my birthday with help from my Grandpa, as my first radio to use now that I have my radio. I can hit all the local repeaters and I can even hit (In the hills of West Virginia)a repeater 45 miles away on a Hustler 3.4 db gain mobile antenna. I like the features, although I would have liked a sql knob on the front. The RX of the radio is great, I can hear all kinds of repeaters arround here, some that I cannot transmit on because I am too far away. I liked the price, and LOVE the radio. This is a good one to buy.

P.S. Those that say this radio has low mike gain and you have to shout, make sure the FM bandwidth is set to wide.
W2TB Rating: 2006-01-15
A good radio, but... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned this radio for 1 1/2 years, and just sold it recently. I honestly wanted to keep it, but no matter what I did with the menu, I could not get the radio to deviate more than 2.5 kHz. I wanted more deviation/more audio. I tried everything I could with the 8 pg. PDF file to improve performance, but my audio was always woefully low compared to my other 2m radios.
Other than the low audio, (which also haunts other 271a owners) the radio is made brutally tough! It was a great addition to my F-150 and served me well on the road. Very easy to program, very easy to use, great look/simple front panel. The memories can be arranged to suit anyone. I used to love putting my favorite freqs. in a bank of 20 channels and just scan those. The PTT mic is tough and has a great switch. The keypad is simple to use and I reprogrammed the "Call" button to be "Squelch", so it was even easier to adjust. I think Kenwood should have added a cooling fan like the newer Icoms (V-8000, 208H), since the heatsink can really get hot at 65 watts on simplex. One long transmission and you are cooking the radio.
I switched to the new Icom IC-2200.
LZ1NDI Rating: 2005-04-29
very good one! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got mine for 3 months, so far no issues. Heatsink is ok at 25 watts - in normal conversation goes up to 45 degrees celsius or so. At high power it does get hot but I barely use it - low power is enough for most occasions. Audio is superb, TX is superb, everything works as advertised. My only complaint is that the two dials on the front panel (VOL and MENU) are a bit flimsy.
Grat rig, I'm gonna keep it till it fails(50 years?)
P.S> I have experimented with fans attached to the heatsink - it's easy to mount one, but I figured I don't need them.
KD5LDW Rating: 2005-04-07
Good Job Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
so far this radio is impressive as stated by other reviewers radio is menu driven with that being said the menus are easy to navigate don't waste your money on the interface cable to program the radio can be programmed with minimal effort . I knock the radio on only two power settings & a Small display along with NO fan the radio does get a tad bit warm ! I own a Icom 8000 along with a Yaesu ft 2800 between the three it is a tough choice Icom or Kenwood, the 271 seems better built bottom line you will not go wrong with this 2 meter powerhouse!
KB1LTC Rating: 2005-02-16
Way to go Kenwood! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well there’s not a whole bunch more I can say about this rig that hasn’t already been said, but I just can’t keep from giving my two-cents worth anyway!
I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 only because a 5 would indicate a “perfect” radio, and to me, there is no one “perfect” radio.

Positives:

Construction-
It’s nice to see a product intended for the “Consumer” market that’s built like it’s intended for the “Commercial” market. I’ve used several commercial radios at work in my company vehicle (most of them Kenwood), and the TM-271A is every bit as rugged. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, even after a long look, one wouldn’t think that it’s a ham rig! Holding this radio in your hands and working the knobs and buttons, it feels tough, even for it’s smallish size. Even the microphone and its cable are tough. The mic cable is thin, long, and flexible and seems to hold its elasticity very well.

Audio-
RX: When I first powered up my TM-271A I was shocked at the sound coming from that teeny tiny little front-firing speaker! Now, everyone knows that small speakers don’t move much air and therefore produce poor and/or low audio. So, I was skeptical about the claims of great RX audio, even though I liked the versatility that a front-firing speaker provided in the form of radio mounting options. As long as the face of the rig isn’t obstructed, you can hear it! Well, needless to say, my skepticism was soon drowned out by the quality and level of audio coming from this thing!
TX: Although I haven’t yet listened to my own TX audio on a separate receiver, those that I’ve made contact with so far, have said that my audio was loud and clear.

WX-
Not a necessity by any means, but having a weather receiver built in sure is a nice added feature, especially when mobile.

Power Output-
It’s nice to have the “High” output of 65w for those “fringe” repeater areas or even working a distant simplex station.

Front Panel / Display-
The front panel is clean and uncluttered. As I mentioned earlier, the controls feel fairly solid to me. The display is plenty bright enough with all of the necessary info right there at a glance. Even though it’s a little bit on small side due to the front-firing speaker, it’s still big enough to read easily. Also, the green backlighting is easy on the eyes as well.


User-Selectable Options-
The TM-271A seems to have all of the features and options one would expect from a modern mono-band ham rig. Standard features like CTCSS and repeater tones to luxuries such as an alphanumeric display giving you the ability to “name” stored frequencies, and squelch hang time!

Negatives (don’t worry, there aren’t many):

Microphone-
Even though it’s built tougher than most, I wish that Kenwood went the extra mile and included the real “commercial” type mic that they include with their business band radios. Not that the TM-271A’s microphone is sub-par by any means. It just would’ve been nice if it matched ruggedness of the radio, that’s all.

Menus-
Since this rig has so many features, in order to keep the front panel clean almost all of TM-271A’s options are menu driven. The menus aren’t too terribly difficult to navigate, but I do have to keep the instruction manual close by for reference for even the simpler tasks such as adjusting the squelch and so forth. But then again, once you have the rig set up the way you like it, you can just forget about it and not worry about accidentally bumping a button or knob and messing up your adjustments.

Power Output-
Although the “High” power position gives you a plentiful 65w, the “Low” power position is still a somewhat beefy 25w. It would be nice if there was a third power position making “Low” 5 or 10w, “Med” 25w and leaving “High” at 65w. Again, not really that big of a deal

All in all, I think that Kenwood really came through with the TM-271A!
In my opinion, it’s got everything you would want or expect from a low priced 2 meter rig, along with a couple of extra bells and whistles.
Speaking of low price! I managed to pick mine up as an open-box special from HRO for only $161.00, shipped! Even the standard $180-$200 price tag for this performer is worth every penny, and then some!
I would highly recommend this rig to anyone looking for solid, good-looking, good-sounding mono-bander, beginners and seasoned veterans alike!