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Reviews For: Kenwood TM-D710A

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

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TM-D710A
Reviews: 73MSRP: 599.95
Description:
The TM-D710 Data Communicator 144/440 MHz Dual Bander has the following features:
• APRS Ready
• APRS Weather Station ready
• KSS II+ (kenwood Skycommand II+)
• NMEA 0183 GPS I/O port
• Built-in 1200/9600 bps TNC
• Echolink Ready
• High RF Power Output (V/U: 50 watt)
• 1000 multifunction Memory Channels
• Dual Receive on same band (V+V, U+U)
• NOAA Weather Alert/RX (US Only)
• Voice Guidance & Storage option (VGS-1)
• MCP Compatible with ARRL "TravelPlus"

Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00734.2
VK3JME Rating: 2008-05-13
TM-D710...I love it Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I love this radio!
I purchased it about 3 months ago.
Originally I was going to buy a TM-D700, then I realised that the 700a had been superseded.

This is the first brand new radio that I have ever owned. I'm so glad I chose the TM-D710 as it has lived up to all expectations.

Considering it's multi-band receive, it rejects alot of interference like pagers and alike.
It has a huge amount of memories that are banked in 10 groups, so it also doubles as a brilliant RF scanner.

My current interest is Echolink and APRS, so to have a mobile radio that has features built in for both of these is fantastic.

To get this radio working with APRS is too easy.
Just solder the right type of plug onto the supplied cable to suit your GPS and you are working!
Echolink and IRLP.
You don't need to remember the node number while you are mobile.
If you have programmed the node numbers into the memory with the call sign, just hold down the PTT and press the VFO, dial the node number you want and press it again. The DM-710 then sings out the correct DTMF tones.
This is all to easy!

There are too many good things to write about this radio, so I will answer the common complaints:

Building the programming cable:
If you buy a generic mini 8 pin din plug to program this radio, you will find it hard to build, even if you good with a soldering iron.
The quick fix is to buy a mini 8 pin din extension lead, cut off one end of the lead and solder on a DB-9 plug.
This will end up cheaper than to build it from scratch!

The supplied manual is too small and the rest of it is provided on the CD.
There is so many cool tricks that this radio can do.
To learn all of them in one reading would be even too much for Einstein!
When you buy your TM-D710, learn the basics from the supplied manual. When you find yourself asking, can it do this? Then print off the appropriate page from the CD and learn a new trick for the day. Three months later, I am still learning new tricks with this radio!

Why can't it do this function? / the programming software is clumsy!
I will admit that there are a few faults with some aspects of the internal software and the programming software.
But, for the brilliant fact that the firmware can be easily upgraded as Kenwood release updates, faults are getting fixed and new features are getting added to this radio.
If you consider the interest groups that exist on the internet that discuss this radio, When the final software is released in years to come, it will be the most perfect radio ever made!

The software update ability of this radio makes it a radio with a future.
I'm sure in 10 years time when Kenwood nolonger support it because they have packed all the features into it they could have ever dreamed of, someone will have made up their own software and it will become the first opensource Ham radio.

I am extremely happy with my TM-710 and I am considering purchasing a second one for my other car!

VK3JME
G6XCJ Rating: 2008-04-27
D710E (EU) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
IF you buy this rig do not write to the TNC only the rig. It does not do what it says on the book! I enlisted the kind help of a Kenwood rep and it now beeps all the time when im being digi'd. Its an excellent rig and worth the 400GBP paid for it. Its been under bench tests now for over a week talking to its brother TS-2000E and how. Very impressive!
N4LS Rating: 2008-03-08
Outstanding radio, needs a new manual Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought the Kenwood TS480SAT 2 years ago and have loved it compared to the Icom706 and Yaesu 897 for mobile ops. I've worked almost 150 DXCC countries at the bottom of the sunspot cycle with cheap hamsticks. It has a long mic cord, a great speaker in the control head that I can hear while cruising down the highway with road noise, and it's user friendly with a manual that's easy to use. The audio is great.

When I bought the TM-D710A, I was expecting the same features but I was wrong. The 12v power cord uses a smaller gauge wire and feels cheap and is short, the speaker sucks and is on the main unit (which means I can't put it under the seat), the speaker's sound quality is poor, the mic cord is really short (again, can't mount it anywhere far away), plus the manual is a CD which means you've got to burn a few trees or carry your laptop in the car. However, I get great audio reports from other stations, the built in APRS is nice and easy, I like the control head and how everything is laid out, it looks nice with my 480. And, the ISS uses this radio so it can't all be bad.

I love Kenwood radios but they need to consult the TS480 department before they build another mobile radio. I would have paid $50 more to have a paper manual that was useful, a speaker in the control head and a longer mic cord.

If you get this radio, you'll need to join the Yahoo users group to learn how to use your radio.
N5RWH Rating: 2008-01-22
Great unit, worth the money! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got my unit in November 2007, put the voice module in, played in the house some then installed in my truck (3 days). I am running it with a Garmin 276C and all works well. I got a new data cable for the speaker/cig. lighter power unit so I could add a stereo plug for the data connection to the display head. The unit is a dream and works well. I have only found three oddities. Kenwood does not have the TM-D710A on their web site for product registration, email sent no update no response. On the MCP2A program as soon as I type any charactor in the text field to name a memory channel the program aborts. I uploaded from my TH-D7A(G) (via MCP2A) transfered to the TM-D710A and manually entered all the names sitting in the truck then re-saved to computer, no problem. Problem was reported to Kenwood no response. The oddest one is trying EchoLink I turned off the unit incorrectly, PF2/off, and ended up with the unit resetting every two minutes. Reloading last load from MCP2A fixed the problem. I have not retried since I fixed parameters in my router, using laptop on 802.11B for link & 710A as repeater. I am looking at ARES ECOMM capabilities. Still happy in spite of oddities. However I wish Kenwood actually checked their Tech. support email and responded to paying customers.
G1BYY Rating: 2008-01-06
Best I've tried, but a few niggles Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I used to use an Alinco with its TNC add-on for APRS, and this is vastly better in every way (and I got it at a bargain "Show Offer" so the price is comparable), and I'm really glad I did!
It seems to be picked up by more Digipeaters than the Alinco, it's easier to use and the screen display is excellent. Including the remote cables and head-unit mounting is a welcome freebie.

I'm very happy with it, but I'm an awkward customer and to have rated it "5" I would have done these things differently:

A D9 serial connector instead of the Mini-DIN needing the expensive cable or fiddly soldering.
The Mic socket on the head unit (where the user is!) instead of on the base - the latter makes no sense.
The GPS socket on the base (or duplicated) instead of on the head unit - while a temporary install may have the GPS in the front of the car with the head unit, a permanent install would have the base and GPS in a remote/inaccessible position.
The "packet monitor" screen seems to show the incoming GPS data as well as packets received over the air - I would have made this at least optional, and I would have made the screen scroll rather than clear and refresh when it fills - it's virtually useless as it is.
There seems to be more space available on the screen than is used when viewing APRS data - I think more could be shown on each view, with hopefully fewer views to choose from - or best of all, allow the user to configure what's shown.
There seems to be a lot that the manual doesn't explain about the details of operation - some sort of spec. of the way things work would be useful.
And finally, something that nobody seems to make: a quick-release mechanism for the head unit with all the electrical connections and the mechanical attachment released with a single button-press (like a removable-front car radio), so that the unit can be removed from the car and reinstalled as quickly and easily as possible, so it doesn't make an attractive item for theft.
But as I say, I'm an awkward customer! :-)
WA4D Rating: 2008-01-02
Works as advertised Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm a new APRS explorer, with no previous reference point on which to compare this rig.

Still it is easy to use, with a rich feature set. The VGS-1 Audio recorder/player offers the user som fun options. (Record your ID and APRS status for playback, record off air, etc.)

After having the 710's APRS tactical information available in a mobile configuration it difficult to imagine ever going back to a standalone voice only vhf/uhf radio.

Programming/Echolink and TNC system are as "plug n play" as you can get.
KD7JNY Rating: 2008-01-02
Solid Replacement For D700 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Overall, I have to rate this unit as being pretty solid.

As a few other reviews have pointed out, I'm also not too happy with the new Serial connector. I really do miss having a standard DB9 connector. I'm not thrilled with the GPS connector being on the control head. Seems to be out of place. If anything, having the a MIC connector on the control head might have made a bit more sense or at the very least have two connectors, one on the head and one and the body.

On the plus side, I did find the display much easier to read. I like that both the radio and control head firmware can be upgraded in via the programming cable and software patches you can download. I radio menu, is a bit odd to access as first, but has a better layout and seems to be easier to deal with then my old D700. I like the fact that programming a path is a bit easier.

As a side note, I really like that the new MCP software can import the memory channels from the D7 or D700 MCP data file. That feature of the software made it painless to load up all my old memory channels.


N4UED Rating: 2007-12-29
A BETTER DESIGNED RADIO THAN THE D-700A Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I love my d710. It is so easy to operate compared to the D-700. I ordered the AV MAP5 along with it. I thin k that this transceiver has taken APRS to another level. A great thing is that Kenwood included a mount for the home as well as the vehicle if you must move it back and forth. I own two D700'S and I am going to sell those on E-BAY and get two more of these. I love the green read out. It is easy to read and does not wash out. The microphone is better laied out also. I think the AV 5 MAP and the D 710 are perfect together. If you dont want that high dollar GPS go for the GARMIN GPS-18.
N0OQA Rating: 2007-12-21
GREAT RADIO !!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got the TM-D710A after my good old TM-733's backlight finaly failed... The 733 still works great, but I can't see it at night without a flashlight...

I attempted to use the RC-710 did not work out very well, once you get the extras needed to make it work it was better to go with the TM-D710A...

I have had the TM-D710A up and running with APRS in short order and I am very happy with all aspects of the radio...

- I like the design and layout...
- I like the display...
- I like the remote head...
- I like the way it works with the GPS...
- I like the APRS features...

The only time I think could be inmproved is that the knobs feel very delicate...

Summary: I like the radio, it is impressive technology...
KQ4KK Rating: 2007-11-24
Many improvements over the D700 Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Much improved over the D700. However, doing away with the DB9 kind of connector for the serial port is a mixed blessing. Now you need a minidin serial cable, but the connector is on the control head, easire to get to. Also the GPS port is on the control head, some like it some dont.

The ability to transmitt and receive the Band B freq of everyone is worth the price to update/upgrade. Receive a Band B freq of one of your APRS buddies, then hit the send button and your radio will QSY to his freq. Neat.

Could Kenwood have done more? yea. but they did not. Still a step up from the 700. Can't wait till the 720.