• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

TK-280 default squelch and sensitivity settings

Status
Not open for further replies.

wwhitby

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
1,280
Location
Autauga County, Alabama
I've got a TK-280 that has had the squelch and sensitivity settings "played" with. I know it needs to go back to the Kenwood service center for a proper tuning, but thanks to my health insurance changing and some extra bills I had to pay, I don't have much spare cash available right now.

So, can anyone share the factory default sensitivity and squelch settings on their TK-280? I know it won't be the best option, but it will get me in the ball park and get me by until I can save up the money to send it to the Kenwood service center.

Thanks!

Warren
 

ramal121

Lots and lots of watts
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
2,105
Location
Calif Whine Country
On a 280 you state two parameters.

Squelch is easy. In user programming you can set the default squelch setting the radio will take after a "hard" reset. This is when the power is removed or recovering from a re-program. If the tuning was diddled with, the way I set this is to enter squelch in tuning mode and run the slider down until the speaker blows open squelch. Then reverse to close the squelch and then move the slider five points up. Of course this needs the program software to accomplish.

Now receiver sensitivity is a little more complicated and I stay away from it as much as I can. In a nutshell, the 280 has a varactor tuned front end and you need to set the voltage swing to the varactor across the bandspread of the receiver. To do this you'll need a signal generator, a way to measure sensitivity (-12dB sinad) and go through all the individual tuning frequencies to insure the receiver is at max sensitivity from one end of the freq spread to the other. Not for the faint of heart and again requires the program software and the necessary test equipment.

There are no "default" settings, only those that each individual radio has as tested.
 

wwhitby

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
1,280
Location
Autauga County, Alabama
Now receiver sensitivity is a little more complicated and I stay away from it as much as I can. In a nutshell, the 280 has a varactor tuned front end and you need to set the voltage swing to the varactor across the bandspread of the receiver. To do this you'll need a signal generator, a way to measure sensitivity (-12dB sinad) and go through all the individual tuning frequencies to insure the receiver is at max sensitivity from one end of the freq spread to the other. Not for the faint of heart and again requires the program software and the necessary test equipment.

There are no "default" settings, only those that each individual radio has as tested.

I understand completely. I guess what i'm asking is that if anyone can provide the narrow band sensitivity settings on their TK-280, it will at least get me in the "ballpark" so I can use the radio until I can save up to have it retuned. I know it won't be perfect, and may be slightly out of tune, but it will be better than i've currently got.
 

ramal121

Lots and lots of watts
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
2,105
Location
Calif Whine Country
Understood. From my TK-280:

Squelch wide =174
Squelch narrow = 190

Sensitivity done as wide or narrow, doesn't matter.
Sensitivity test = 54 (160.0500)
Sensitivity low = 84
Sensitivity center = 54 (same as test)
Sensitivity high = 53

Good luck.
 

Colton25

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
776
Why does my 280 always seem like it's receiving a signal? The receive light is always green on every channel and when i use OST it turns to static like the squelch is open, it also makes this static noise on channels that don't have a decode QT/DQT.

Understood. From my TK-280:

Squelch wide =174
Squelch narrow = 190

Sensitivity done as wide or narrow, doesn't matter.
Sensitivity test = 54 (160.0500)
Sensitivity low = 84
Sensitivity center = 54 (same as test)
Sensitivity high = 53

Good luck.
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
137
Location
Muhlenberg County, KY
Trial and Error

Why does my 280 always seem like it's receiving a signal? The receive light is always green on every channel and when i use OST it turns to static like the squelch is open, it also makes this static noise on channels that don't have a decode QT/DQT.

Squelch setting may not be just right. I've had to adjust through trial and error myself with just the computer. Not all radios are equal in how the adjustment settings are set. You may have to play a little with the adjustments to get it right so that it doesn't receive unwanted interference and show a signal all the time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top