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Reviews For: Kenwood TR-7400A

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

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TR-7400A
Reviews: 27MSRP: 399.00
Description:
Early Synthesized 2 Meter Mobile Rig
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/fm_txvrs/tr7400a.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00274.7
K8YS Rating: 2002-10-04
Solid as a brick Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the one I still use in 1978. It is currently being used on APRS, before that, it was my packet station, before that it was my only 2 meter FM radio. The helical front end was important as a mobile radio, something sadly lacking in the new radios! I did all the mods at one time or the other, the add on scanner, the "normal/reverse" mod, adding a transistor so that the RF/S meter lamp only worked while transmitting or when there was a signal, lifting pin 3 or 4 on the mic connector and making it 12v (via a 470 Ohm resistor) to power a Drake tone mic. I miss the original "peanut mic"! As for CTCSS, ComSpec makes add on boards that cost less then the original tone reeds cost.
The ONLY problem I ever encountered with the TR-7400A was a diode in the SWR protection circuit that used to open. I replaced the original 1S???? with a 1N4007 -- no more problem.
N6VI Rating: 2002-10-03
Two features make this radio unique Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned my TR-7400A for over 30 years and I echo the prior reviews. I would like to add two things:

First, this is the only radio I know of that you can set completely by touch, courtesy of the 100-KHz ands 10-KHz knobs that don't rotate past zero, the four-position MHz switch, the +5 KHz button and the up / simplex / down offset lever. I had this rig mounted behind the passenger seat of my 240-Z and could set it without taking my eyes off the road. Try that with modern rigs (okay, I know voice control is coming some day).

Second, CQ VHF columnist Steve Katz WB2WIK wrote of this radio that it has about the best adjecent-channel rejection of any vhf rig (thanks, no doubt, to those built-in helical filters). My anecdotal evidence confirms his assessment.

Over thirty years of service - and it has never failed! What more can I say?

73 de Marty Woll N6VI
W7RJR Rating: 2002-10-03
Simple and reliable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned two of these rigs, the first one I bought new in 1977 while stationed in Germany. The second I purchased used on Ebay. This rig is literally built like a tank. It is quite large and heavy by todays standards and although designed for mobile use, it is better suited now for dedication to packet or some other utilitarian purpose. There are few, if any bells or whistles. No memories, no PL tones, no automatic offset, no extended receive..just an honest to goodness, easy to operate, reliable performer on two meters. There is no need for the manual. It should be obvious how to operate this rig even to a total newcomer to ham radio. One nice feature is that if the display goes out, you still know what frequency you are on. Try that with one of the new rigs!

It uses a 4 pin microphone jack, which might be a bit difficult to find should you need to replace it. The transmitted signal, modulation and recieved audio are above reproach. It has a huge speaker on the top on the unit.

If you are looking for ruggedness, reliability, solid performance and ease of operation, this may well be the one for you.

This rig is really a classic.

KK6NJ Rating: 2001-10-29
A REAL RADIO Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I received my kenwood 7400-a from a long time
ham buddy that purchased the radio in the mid seventies,i have had the radio since 1988,which
was given to me from my buddy to get on the air!
with my new license which at that time was a
technician class.I love the 7400-a to me it is
real radio with its military looks and very
rugged,i have three of them,one in mint condition!
the oringinal 7400-a i received from an elmer
i still use and it works great the lamp finally
burned out and believe it or not it has been
dropped several times and the volume control
shaft is bent a little,but the radio works fine.
This rig has been loaned out many times,i receive
allways good audio reports on this rig,using an
cobra,148-gtl cb mike,the deviation i was told
is a bit wider than newer radios because of the
old 30khz channel spacing in the seventies.
Iam using the radio for my repeater club iam
associated with which is carrier squelch,but we
are going pl soon and i dont know how to get that
oringinal tone board?I tried an external pl
tone box it hums bad,so far i can not get rid
of the hum!This radio is excellent as long as
you dont need pl- tones there are a few carrier
squelch repeaters here in los angeles,but mostly
you need the pl-access capacity.If your operating
simplex or non pl-repeaters you will be fine
for a base station,the radio is to big and heavy
for mobile use today,unless your driving an old
jeep or older truck with an metal dash to mount to.I did mount it in my s-10 blazer but it rattled
and moved around a lot!therig is heavy.Another
good point i heard it is an excellent blind
persons radio,because of the numbered clicking
dial controls,you can operate this radio frequency
without the display.73,S DE KK6NJ:


WB4AEJ Rating: 2001-07-22
Good Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased this radio in 1978. It served me well for over fifteen years and is still in operational condition. The only reason I don't use it much any more is that it doesn't support PL very well (you can put a single reed to to support a single PL frequency in it, but I don't know where/how to get those reeds these days) and because it is a single bander.
If I get into a situation where I can set up an outside antenna, I'll probably set it up for use at home.
Considering the amount of use/abuse and the fifteen plus years I used it, four hundred dollars was a very low price to pay.
The only thing against it was that it was an ugly radio. It was designed and built like a tank. This is probably why it has such a long life.
If I had a wish to use here, I'd wish that Kenwood would bring this radio back adding only full PL capability and upgrade the transmitter power from twenty-five to fifty watts. Those are the only two changes that would make it any better than it already is.
W0LPQ Rating: 2000-08-05
Very Solid Performer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had this radio since new in 1976, had only one major problem. Had to resolder the PLL chip. Since then...not one single problem. Have not used packet, so I cannot comment on that one. I still have the tone board, but never installed it. The Mic cord shorted a couple years ago, but repaired. No lamp problems. Amazing when you look at the size of the TS-50...pretty close and this only does 38W..(measured on a Bird D/L Power Meter).
VE7BGP Rating: 2000-03-30
Oldie but Goodie Time Owned: unknown months.
I have had my TR7400A since I bought it new in 1977. Although it hasn't got all the modern convencies like tone and memories the old Kenwood has been a great and faithful old workhorse. The only trouble I had in the 23 years of owning the rig is the meter lamp burned out. I just picked up a small grain of wheat bulb from Radio Shack and soldered it to the connections and put the lamp on top of the meter and cleaned a the switches and controls and it still works like new. It even works good on packet. If you get a chance to get one of these rigs at a reasonable price grab one you wont be sorry. I have never heard intermod on this old gal yet.