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Kenwood TK5210

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SirJ

SirJ

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Thinking about getting a tk5210, but I have to ask how do you compare it to the xts5000?

There are zero videos on YouTube of this portable which seems strange.
I'd love to see one in use, maybe the menus and how it functions. Maybe fpp while video taping.

I'm thinking this will be next purchase because I already own: Motorola xts, apx, ef Johnson 5100 and ascend series, icom f70dt, Tait p9100 series, Midland stp105b, last radios I see trying or keeping are the bk p150 and kenwood tk5210.

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RK3AAG

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After Astro25 radios it feels like a bit simpler radio and you can notice some missed features (small, but useful). But it's pretty sweet!

Anyway, pay your attention to radio version (VER) on the back. In any case stay away of VER1! They have some HW issues that affects encryption and might affect RX performance. The best option is VER3. I am talking about hardware, but not firmware.

But it's definitely better than F70DT and EFJ 5100. After Kenwood you might want to sell the rest radios excluding Motorola.
 
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mmckenna

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I've got one at work and I'm pretty happy with it.

The limitation I found on the TK-5210 was that it would only do one MDC1200 personality. Kind of a pain for our use at work, but we were able to work with the limitation.

Nice thing about it is the price. You'll pay less for a TK-5210 than you will for a XTS-5000.

I'm a bit of a Kenwood fan, for several reasons, so people would say I'm biased. I like Motorola gear, but when I'm having to do competitive bid contracts at work, Motorola loses out.

I use mine as a "shop" radio. I carry it mostly when testing our various VHF systems. I've also set it up with a few zones for amateur radio use. Works very well. FPP is handy and I'm happy with it's function. Programming software is easy to use.

Personally, if I was in the market for a new VHF radio, I'd save up my pennies for an NX-5200. It'll do everything the TK-5210 will, plus NXDN, and in the near future, DMR. There's an option for a 4000 channel upgrade. Not many on the used market right now, so that would be a drawback.
 
SirJ

SirJ

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mmckenna said:
I've got one at work and I'm pretty happy with it.

The limitation I found on the TK-5210 was that it would only do one MDC1200 personality. Kind of a pain for our use at work, but we were able to work with the limitation.

Nice thing about it is the price. You'll pay less for a TK-5210 than you will for a XTS-5000.

I'm a bit of a Kenwood fan, for several reasons, so people would say I'm biased. I like Motorola gear, but when I'm having to do competitive bid contracts at work, Motorola loses out.

I use mine as a "shop" radio. I carry it mostly when testing our various VHF systems. I've also set it up with a few zones for amateur radio use. Works very well. FPP is handy and I'm happy with it's function. Programming software is easy to use.

Personally, if I was in the market for a new VHF radio, I'd save up my pennies for an NX-5200. It'll do everything the TK-5210 will, plus NXDN, and in the near future, DMR. There's an option for a 4000 channel upgrade. Not many on the used market right now, so that would be a drawback.
Click to expand...
I forgot to put in my writing, p25 is the only other mode besides FM that I use. Nxdn is useless for me. I'm leaning torwards just saving for the bk king p150s. That radio seems to be a high tier radio. The tk5210 doesn't sound pleasing as far as features go. The Fpp is nothing like xts series and fpp Is something that is a 90% must have. Just like my newly acquired f70dt-31, fpp is not technically fpp to my standards. Sure it helps if I need to change some channel parameters or add another channel to a zone, but I can fpp faster with a xts5000. Analog is so much nicer sounding on my icom then xts but I still have some dsp analog settings to play with on the xts.

Yes some of this is off topic and probably this thread should go to the Tavern.

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morganAL

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We have a couple hundred of the TK-5410 (700/800 MHz) in use on our P-25 system and they basically hold their own versus a XTS-2500. The Good: Scan list is easier to program for the user, more buttons for functions, good audio. The bad: Doesn't roam as well as XTS radios in multi-site P-25 trunking, lacks some of the same features as XTS (Call Alert - but if you ask Kenwood real nice...). Generally it is about the same size and weight as an XTS2500 and it generally gets the same job done. We also have a couple hundred of the new TK-5430. Lots of things you can do with it. If you get one, be sure to adjust the audio setting based on the speaker-mic you use. The only downside... There is no Scan Nuisance Delete function available. The Mobile - TK-5930 is about the same size as a TK7180/8180 and can be split mounted. I recommend an external speaker with it. The audio from the internal speaker isn't very pleasant to listen to.
 
SirJ

SirJ

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Does anyone have a video of the tk5210 in action? Example using functions, fpp?

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C

ces911

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Apr 20, 2011
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Speaker mic

Will the Kmc 41 speaker mic work on this portable. I have a tk2180 and the speaker mic works great but when attached to this nx5210 portable it only lets you key up and all audio is routed to front of radio is there a setting I need to change in software?
 
SVFC462

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Check to make sure the noise canceling box isn't check ok the 5210

You have a TK-5210 (large version) or a TK-5220 (small version) or the NX/TK-5230 (newest model - medium size)


BOUD

Farmington Communications Unit
Simsbury Fire Dispatch
Bloomfield Fire Fighter
Bloomfield Fire Communications
 
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