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Reviews For: Kenwood TK-7102

Category: Transmitters: non-amateur adaptable for ham use

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TK-7102
Reviews: 3MSRP: 327.00USD
Description:
Kenwood’s TK-7102/8102 VHF/UHF FM transceivers offer clear, reliable mobile communications and such features as QT/DQT signaling, phone/repeater access, and PC programming.
Product is in production
More Info: http://kenwoodusa.com/Communications/Land_Mobile_Radio/Business_n_Industry/TK-7102H-8102H
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0034.7
ZS6VLT Rating: 2022-01-27
Simply Rugged Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 4 of these rigs now.

One in each car, one in the shack and one in the camping trailer.

They were secondhand from some mine or farm so they had seem ALOT of hours before I got them.
I spent less than 200 USD for the 4 with antennas and power cables.

One had a dirty volume up button cleaned with spirit alcohol and back to new. These things are indestructible.

The best thing about the rigs is the current draw. With squelch on it needs around 0.25amps while scanning the whopping 4 channels.

Now my VHF life is standardized.I know exactly how the rig works and it just works day in day out and they all work the same.

No more user interface changes between rigs.

Performance is indistinguishable able from ham rig in terms of signal quality and the hidden bonus is that the cheapest kenwood mic has a windnoise blocker which is very useful on those hot days with the window open. But you need to speak into he mic not past it like sensitive Ham mics.

And if they get stolen, or the car get stolen it is not a big loss, as in the end TIA.

This is Afrika.


KD8MSS Rating: 2014-11-19
Chirp works NOW! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Still only four channels, Still tough as nails.

You need not bum, beg, buy programing for this rig anymore. Chirp works.
5+++

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KD8MSS on 2010-10-09

Tough as nails. 50W (146-174 MHz) VHF LMR that works on the upper part of the 2m Ham Band. The mike I have is made for the high noise environment as you must literally hold it to your mustache. Crystal clear audio and great signal reports when I remember to hold the mike quite close. While this is a bit annoying you never get the wind noise reports that others get with amateur mikes if the window is down.

It only has 4 channels. I set it up with two repeaters and 2 Simplex Frequencies 146.52 and a club Simplex Frequency.

Side by side with my TM271a Kenwood Ham 2m Radio they are essentially the same chassis.

An Elmer gave me this radio that he got at a pick a part junkyard for ten bucks. (Thanks WB8LAP)
VK2BEN Rating: 2013-07-30
A Hardy Performer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this little radio deployed in a solar-powered APRS digipeater situation for over a year now.
It has been housed with batteries in an enclosure that sustains internal temperatures in the range of +5C to +50C (+40F to +130F) - never missed a beat (however, it does require a solid 12VDC power supply, which can be a challenge in some smaller, battery-operated deployments).

The VK APRS frequency is 145.175MHz, but I had no trouble programming this sub-146MHz frequency into the '7102. (I think mine is a 136-174MHz version anyway).

If you are a little short on space, this radio might help in that department as it is significantly less deep (front-to-back) than other commercial rigs such as the Vertex VX-3000/2000 series.

There are only 4 memories, so it is not the most versatile radio for hams. Also, the complete lack of VFO tuning means it really is a set-and-forget radio for a primary or secondary vehicle which only requires a basic radio link to the outside world.

Physically, the Kenwood is quite ruggedly built and is FANLESS - meaning that there is no cooling fan to fail under load.

Keep in mind, however, that this is a COMMERCIAL radio. This means that the it is not designed for long-winded overs on HIGH power settings. Land Mobile band users do NOT chat for hours like hams who engage in their local Medical Infirmity Nets. So the tiny heatsink - as failure-free as it is - will not support gasbagging (on high power).

As a digital mode/APRS radio, it is working very well indeed. The microphone input is an RJ45 connector and the mic circuitry is not overly de-emphasized or anything, which might otherwise hinder APRS operation.