Kenwood Multi Band Radios.

[APX6000]

Do you think that Kenwood will come out with a MultiBand Radio? Both Mobile & Portable? Motorola Has one, Thales has one, & Harris has one? I like that with The 5210/5310 that the Kmc 25 mic can be used. What are your opinions on a multi band from kenwood? What I would like to see is a top display handheld that used the exixting accessorys. P25& multi band.

 

[code3cowboy]

Kenwood: 144/430MHz FM DUAL BANDER TH-F7E
Kenwood: TM-V7A/E FM Mobile Transceiver

Google gave me a few. Kenwood just came out with a 2 pin GPS mic (not that anyone will use it) and a new 800mhz radio pair (7/800). They come out with radios when the demand arises. I dont really see the need for them to start cramming more into a handheld. I am happy with the dozen or so Kenwood portables I have, each works quite well in band. Plus, it is not like I can be using two bands at the same time.

Motorola has a few, Harris and Thales both make many, and Vertex offers dual band receive in some of their mobiles. If someone were to ask/pay Kenwood to develop one, you would see it on the market.

 

[APX6000]

Ok thanks.

 

[BigEd1314]

Hate to revive an old thread, but I'm curious, now that it's 2014, if anyone has heard of Kenwood coming out with something to compete with the APX multi-band radios (and Harris, etc)?

Thanks.

 

[n5ims]

Hate to revive an old thread, but I'm curious, now that it's 2014, if anyone has heard of Kenwood coming out with something to compete with the APX multi-band radios (and Harris, etc)?

Thanks.

Hopefully the answers are restricted to commercial radios, not the ham dual bands that have been out for a long time. This is, after all, the Commercial and Professional Radio forum, not the Amateur Radio forum.

 

[mmckenna]

I haven't heard anything official, but I asked our Kenwood factory representative about a multi band commercial radio. He said one was in the works, but didn't/couldn't supply any specifics. I'm meeting with him again this week, and I'll ask.
He did sort of suggest that the likely path would be for a rebanded model first, then a "real" Kenwood later. Not sure if that is the way it will pan out. Also not sure if it's a dual band (like the APX, or a tri-band, like the Thales)

I know I'd like to see one. I've got a TK-5210 and I like it. I'd also think that like the current crop of Kenwood radios, it'll be less expensive than the Motorola's.

 

[BigEd1314]

Thats good to know. I have a TK-5820 and the TK-5320 p-25 radios, but it would be really nice to have dual band so I don't have to buy the 5720/5220 to match, plus it would help the install in my truck. I don't really have room for two control heads since I got a manual shift. When they do come out, I know I'll be buying one for sure. Thanks for the info!

Ed

 

[mmckenna]

Talked to the Kenwood factory rep today and asked him about this. He said Kenwood is talking about it, but last he heard they had not decided if they were going to rebadge a multi band hand held from a "friendly" competitor and then design their own, or just wait and design a 100% Kenwood unit. He did say they know they are losing sales because they don't have one. He also said they know they can roll out a good product cheaper than the other current multi band hand held's and get a good chunk of market. Should be interesting to see which way this goes.

The mobile would be a question though. Kenwood already does multi RF deck mobile radios, so not sure if a true multi band mobile is needed.

Seeing that I have both VHF analog and 800 NexEdge at work, I'd love it if they'd do a radio that does P25 and NexEdge that'd solve a few issues for us. The Vocoder is the same for P25 and NexEdge, so it sounds like it would be a software/memory "challenge" rather than a hardware one. Not sure there is much of a market for this though.

 

[KG4INW]

Apparently, Kenwood is buying EF Johnson (who has multi band radios): JVCKENWOOD Corporation to Acquire EF Johnson Technologies, Inc. - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee