Kenwood TK 3100 Puzzle

[alfredriddle]

Hello,
We have 6 TK-3100 radios we have used for years at our school. I recently bought 6 additional used TK-3100's. They have the identical model numbers, etc... After ensuring that I had programmed Channel 1 with the identical Channel Frequency and QT Tone setting, the new radios will not communicate with old radios. However, having set the two sets up identically, the original radios do communicate with each other. Similarly the new radios I set to the same Channel Frequency and QT tone also communicate with each other.

The interesting thing about the new radios is that when I press the monitor button, I do not hear any squelch noise as I do when I press the monitor button on the old radios.

I cannot find any other settings that would be different between the two sets of radios. Does anyone have any ideas what would keep these radios from communicating with each other?

 

[Cognomen]

Try reading one of your original radios, and programming that exact profile into a new radio.

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah, sounds like there is an error somewhere.

I agree with Congomen, if the radios are identical, read the existing radios and program that into the new radios.

If programmed correctly, they should talk together, unless there is something physically wrong with the radios.

 

[ramal121]

Tk-3100's are like chicken wings from the dollar store, not much meat on the bone. Their options were quite limited. To look at the options on its FPU, I would have to dig out my old DOS laptop from the garage and somehow get it fired up again. Not happening right now.

If you got the transmit and receive frequencies correct along with the correct QT/DQT values they should work.

I did look at the FPU for a TK-3160. A little fancier radio. In the channel information make sure the optional signaling is set to "none". Not sure if the 3100's had the capability but you don't need the extra qualifier, set it to "none". QT/DQT is all you need. Otherwise it should all work.

The monitor button can be programmed two ways, defeat QT (no noise) or open squelch (lots of noise). Check button programming.