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Reviews For: Kenwood TM-742AD

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

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TM-742AD
Reviews: 28MSRP: 660.00
Description:
Dual-Band FM Transceiver with optional 3rd band capability
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.kenwooa_mob=open
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00284.5
PU1KIT Rating: 2021-01-17
This is a special rig, absolutely. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My first experience operating a rig! The display is fixed by a electrical tape, but everything is good. I only have VHF and UHF modules and I really enjoy the crossband mode.

I will write again soon as possible.
AF4KK Rating: 2018-09-20
Super SWEEEEEET! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
In almost 25 years, it's only been repaired once! It's a real trooper of a radio that just keeps going and going! Mine's configured as a 942A with three bands: 2 meters, 440 and 1.2 gHz. It's a pleasure to use and sounds great on the air! What more can I say? It works as it should time after time! THANK YOU, Kenwood!!

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Earlier 4-star review posted by AF4KK on 2003-10-20

I have a Kenwood TH-942A which is actually a tri-band version of the 742A. The third band includes 1.2 gHz. I can recieve all three bands at the same time and even scan through them, searching for activity! Both thr rx and tx audio are great and with 100 memories per band, there is plenty of room for your favorite repeater and simplex frequencies! The manual, also, is very well put out! The only reason I didn't give this radio of "5" is due to the lack of alphanumerics.
I've had my 942A since it first came out in 1993 and it's only been in the shop once. Kenwood's turn-around time was great!
Since Kenwood only now markets the 742AD with two bands, I would easilly reccommend the radio with the optional 3'rd band installed. It can be either 6 meters, 220 mHz or 1.2 gHz.

Scott (AF4KK)
K4HOS Rating: 2015-01-23
oldie but goodie Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Original (20 years+) owner of mine (dual band only: 2M/440). It's a great unit that I'm STILL enjoying - currently as a base with an equally old power supply and an even older Comet GP-9 antenna! My signal gets reported as 'extremely clear' - with no crack or hiss and no mic / PTT noise.

This radio has got a nice remote head with individual controls for each band (including separate volumes & squelches). It even has two audio jacks for separate speakers for each band.

I didn't buy the 3rd band option (my '3rd' is a clock, still runs great) cause I really never thought I'd need it - and I was right. With two bands (+100 stored frequencies on each band) it's more than enough radio for me - just as it is.
OE1TRB Rating: 2013-08-22
Super transceiver Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
i bought a used TS-742 with 2m/70cm/23cm modules. Wonderful unit, a real 3 band machine. Absolutly unreachable and very rare to get one as no OM is willing to sell normally. Mine Looks nice , the usage is absolutly OK and easy. Also to work with 28MHz shift in 23cm is easy to add within the Memories ! great stuff.
Can recomment that unit to all OMs who look for a stable 23cm unit.
all the best and 73 de Thomas
KC9AXZ Rating: 2012-05-01
Very good radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this at a hamfest for WAY under value. I have the 2m/1.25m/70cm mods installed. This radio is a great radio. Too bad Kenwood discontinued this radio years ago with no real replacement. I have now pullded the VHF/UHF antennas from my TS2K and use the 742 exclusively for VHF/UHF work.
KO6KL Rating: 2011-07-30
tm-742 no power up Time Owned: more than 12 months.
i have had the 742 ( 2m/440/6m ) for many years.
run it in the car for a few years.
it was a great radio to work mobile , great audio reports , and you could hear the radio on 3 speakers one for each band.
display on the dash board and radio in the trunk , duplxer to a 2m 5/8 wave that doubled as a 6m 1/4 wave , and also used a hygain 440 antenna.
this was back when you could hear cordless phones on 46mhz for half a mile down the road....
I left it on the shelf for 5 years and next time i used it I found that
it would shut off on it's own when receiving ...
so i sent it in for repair and battery replacement. ( $179 )
less then a year has passed and today I hooked it
up and it will not power up again.... ARRRGGG
I really like my kenwood's the ts-690 is great for digital HF but im leaning towards a Icom or yesae for next time.

the 742 did get some intermod , but the squelch modes help get it under control... thank god the pager signals have gone away on vhf/uhf...

one more funny thing , i found that when i was
talking on uhf it would set off car alarms on other drivers cars .. even when they were driving...


KK9H Rating: 2010-09-19
Still love mine too! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I recently discovered that my 742AD wouldn't retain anything in memory after turning it off for a while. Time for a new internal battery. I ordered one from Kenwood parts and when it arrived I installed it. The replacement of this battery is not for the timid! You basically have to take the radio completely apart to get to the circuit board with the battery on it. Once replaced, everything was back to normal. I still love having the three bands I use (2M, 220 and 440) all in one rig. Other than replacing the internal battery, the rig has been problem free for over ten years.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KK9H on 2004-12-22

I have had one of these for several years and love it. I use mine as a base station and have the 220 band installed as my third band. As most of us add to our operating capabilities, it is really nice to have three radios wrapped up in one box. It sure makes for less clutter in the shack. The radio's performance has been flawless from the first day I bought it. When our village recently decided to add amateur radio capability to its emergency services command center it bought one of these and it now sits right next to the police and fire radios. Both my home station and the one at village hall use a single tri-band antenna, a single feedline and a triplexer at the radio. This arrangement makes for a simple, neat installation. I think these rigs are easy to operate and are wonderful performers. It is a shame that Kenwood discontinued them.
W8FLC Rating: 2009-06-21
Still LOVE this radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my 742A in March of 1995 from R&L. Of course it only came with the 144MHz and 440MHz module's. I also bought the UT 220MHz module at the time. I used the cross band feature a lot when I first bought the unit. I also liked being able to listen to and scan the other bands at the same time.

I only had one problem with it. In November, 1999, 2m would only go up to 144.999MHz and would just stop there. R&L sent it back to Kenwood for me and R&L called me about 3 weeks later and I picked it up. They also put a new memory back-up battery in. No problems since then.

This past April I sent it up to Dave Gravel N2EE in NJ. to install a battery holder for the memory back-up battery. Good idea so if the battery does fail it will not leak on the circuit board and it's a lot easier to change.

I have never had any wattage problems with it. I never used more watts than I have to anyway. It was the only radio I had for several years as a Tech, so it went from the house to the car many many times. Still looks like new.

I wouldn't sell this radio as it's like a part of me. I still like the looks of it. Just like my old 270 57 Chevy Belair that I wish I still had. In other words, I still LOVE this old radio.

W8FLC(FRED)




W6DTW Rating: 2007-09-16
Great radio, couple of flaws to be aware of.. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my first 742 from a guy in Southern California, and it's a good radio. I love the tri-band capability, wish to God that Kenwood sees the light and starts making something like this again. My rig does have the 146.520 birdie, but this is (from what I've learned, and confirmed by the Kenwood repair depot) a side-effect of the MARS/CAP expanded range mod.

There have been a few eHam reviews talking about avoiding the high-power mode in 2m, and I can attest that this is true. The problem is caused by an assembly process oversight on the part of Kenwood. It can be resolved by the judicious application of thermal paste; the same type you'd use to install a CPU on a motherboard. A full explanation of the problem and the process for resolution can be found on my blog at:

http://sparqi.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-not-to-build-transceiver.html

David W6DTW
K1GMG Rating: 2005-11-14
Lots of features, looks great, not too reliable for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this radio since 1994 and I am pleased with it's operation and features, including crossband repeat. It works well in areas prone to intermod. The users manual has clear instructions and the display is nice and bright. But it's been in the Kenwood shop four times over the years for repairs of different problems.