Kenwood TK-370 programming - please help!

[micket]

Hi,

I recently got a Kenwood TK-370G(N) from ebay that powers up ok and appears to have belonged to a local council at some stage. Once the start-up message has shown, the display shows 'LINK'. Initially I tried to programme the radio by front panel but the key allocations seem to be different. The 'Lamp' key - that is the button below the PTT key - does not activate the lamp. Could this the reason I can't get into front panel programming mode???? The only other key combination that seems to work is the button below the 'LAMP' button and the '>' key giving adjustable squelch. The radio seems to have been programmed with not many options to the user.

After this, I bought an aftermarket programming cable and also bought different versions of the KPG56D software, including v.4 . There is some communication going on between the computer and the radio. For example, serial number and check sum value are sending and '-PC-' displays.

Within the software v.4 , the closest match to the model I have - 'TK-370g(N)' with and subscript '-1' below on the label is Model TK-370G(N)'E'!!?

When I try to transfer any data, a message displays 'Check Radio Type' and I can go no further?????? It's like the radio is locked up. Can this happen? Do you know of any way to unlock it or reset it??


Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated as I have spent a lot of time and money on this radio and I can't get it to work.




Michael Johnston

 

[nmfire10]

What aftermarket cable is it?? The plugs on the side of the radio can be screwy somestimes, especially if it is one of the common junk cables.

The radio does not need to be in any kind of programming mode and you don't need to set the model type in the software before reading. All you need to do is go to Program> Read and it will decide what kind of radio it is on it's own.

 

[micket]

I've tried reading the radio without specifiying the model - no joy.

The Cable is from a seller on ebay called kawacam. The cable itself looks ok and has a Kenwood imprint on the radio side.

Is it possible that the radio has been programmed to lock out any interference in the future?


thanks for your prompt reply



michael

 

[nmfire10]

No, there is no feature to do that. Push on the connector that is plugged into the radio when you try to read it. If that doesn't work, then there might be something wrong with the radio.

 

[micket]

Just tried that - no joy again

Is it fairly simple to make a KPG cable?? Is it just wires and connectors?

 

[WayneH]

Is it fairly simple to make a KPG cable?? Is it just wires and connectors?

Plus some transistors and resistors. If you are handy with a soldering iron it's simple work.

And for everyone else, don't buy aftermarket built programming cables for Kenwoods on eBay. They're junk and if they don't work you can't generally get your full monies back as the meat of the price is S/H which they state is non-refundable.

Either pay the cash for a Kenwood built one or build it.

-Wayne

 

[SCPD]

micket,
How are you accessing the software? If you are trying to run a command prompt from Windows, it will not work. When I first tried to program my Kenwood, I learned the hard way. You must boot your computer into DOS, and not run the command prompt from Windows.
Also, is the a RIB cable (does it have a 9V battery). I know when the battery get low, you will also get that same error message.
Hope this helps,
dw

 

[micket]

Hi, and thanks for your time

I have tried many versions of the software, first v1 then 2.1 then 3.1. I booted them in Windows by simply unzipping the folder, and double clicking on the .exe file. How do you boot in DOS? by the way, I'm using a P4 laptop with Windows XP Pro.

I have tried the Windows V.4 of the KPG56D software but I get the same message as before 'Please check Radio Type'. An interesting point to note is that when you try to read from the radio in v.4, '-PC-' appears in the screen of the radio - as with the other versions when doing this - but with version 3.1 for example, the red led on the top of the radio illuminates momentarerly when you execute the 'Read' or 'Write' command. With Version 4, this does not happen????

The cable has no battery. It is one of those combination cables

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4671&item=5758196433&rd=1

There's the link to the seller and spec.



This is starting to drive me nuts

 

[nmfire10]

That's a good cable. I have one and use it all the time. It isn't the cheap junk that Ed's 2-Way and some others hack together.

Bring the radio to a kenwood shop and have them look at it.

 

[micket]

Just got it sorted. It wasn't the KPG56D software I needed, it was the KPG67D - works perfect, through windows XP and everything!

So, the moral of this is - if you buy a Kenwood TK-370 - try to find out what software was used to originally programme it.


Thank you all for your help


Michael

 

[VE6JNT]

some kenwood commercial radios can be program with those front keys on the front panel disabled. Here in Canada, It is prohibited to use a commercial radio on the commercial band that are users programable.I am a communications technician of an Authorized Kenwood dealer here in Canada. Your radio seems to be ok, check the key assignment on the programming software after reading the radio. That "LINK" word is the power on TEXT when it was programmed before. you can still change it for whatever word you like. I've been programming kenwood radios, icom, motorola, tait, vertex for almost everyday. almost 50 radios a day at work. email me if you need more information.

 

[Mustafa63]

programming radios

I ve problem with programming radio(kenwood TK-7102) and software for this radio is KPG-70D,so here i tried to setup but it wasnt open and i saw massege (invalide user name and company) and i put correct serial number but it couldnt open ,so i need some help in this case.

 

[ohiodesperado]

I am thinking that a 370 is a hand held. If the cable was fro the same source that I got mine, then you need to make a modification to it. The shell at the serial port end will pop apart and reveal the insides.

Make sure that wires from the dual stereo mike plug connector are on the M side, and wired as follows
Black to M TX
Red to M RX
White to GND and the blue should not be connected.

The second part of the mod requires that you take a 10K ohm 1/4 watt resistor and solder it between the M V+ and the M RX solder landings. Once you do that the cable will work properly.

I bought mine to program a TK-3170 and it did similar odd things, but I did some searching on the web for cable diagrams and found that they needed to be wired different for hand held radios.

BTW, by the time you screw with sending it back and getting another from some one else, know this. There is one manufacture of these cables that are being sold on eBay, and it's out of China. The cables are a simple MAX232 circuit that is all over the web. What I am getting at is if you buy it someplace else, it's still probably not going to work right so just fix the one you have. I ahve bought several of these for both Kenwood and motorola and then had to workon the one so I opened them all, and they are all the same. It's the reason that there are cables abound for Kenwood and Motorola, because they use the same circuit. Vertex, Midland, Maxon and the others use a different setup (MAX 236 based) and no one is mass producing the cables yet. I sort of wish they wood, I need one for a Maxon I have. Looks like I am building one from scratch.

 

[ohiodesperado]

I ve problem with programming radio(kenwood TK-7102) and software for this radio is KPG-70D,so here i tried to setup but it wasnt open and i saw massege (invalide user name and company) and i put correct serial number but it couldnt open ,so i need some help in this case.

You are going to just need to over write your config without reading it first. I know this is a no no, but unless you know the name and address of the unit came from and the password, you are stuck.

Kenwood software will allow you to over write the config without knowing the previous programming, just make sure that you have your model type set right.