KK4ELO
Member
I have the memory channels programmed in and somehow a problem was discovered. I was scanning and decided i wanted to lock out channel 3 and 19. It wouldnt let me. It also wont let me delete these channels to reprogram them. Any ideas?
problem with kenwood thf6a
- Thread starter KK4ELO
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KK4ELO
Member
Really????? No one has any idea whats up here?
AC2OY
Member
What I would do is overwrite those channels with software. If you don't have the software or the cable I can whip out my owners manual and read up on how to do it using the keypad. I swear I have done it dozens of times by accident...LOL let me know how you do David!!
KK4ELO
Member
Well ive been thru my manual front to back and see that issue nowhere. I dont have the software or the money to get it. Im out of work on an injury and blew my money buying this piece of junk. And i seriously mean junk. It dont recieve anywhere near as good as any of my other radios. And not to mention i dropped today breaking the sma. I dropped my vx-150 directly onto the antenna numerous times, got it drenched in water, literally beat it to death.... and a bad battery fried it somehow. I was just thinking today about selling the kenwood to buy a vx8d. Guess thats out now. Thanks anyway fuzy
N8IAA
Member
WB4CS
Member
Did the radio give some sort of error when you tried to lock out the channel? On both of my Kenwood mobile/handheld radios you go into the menu and select "yes" to lock out a channel. Did you confirm that the menu setting changed when you tried to lockout a memory channel? I don't have the same radio as you, but the Kenwood menu is pretty standard across all of their radios. What happened when you tried to delete the memory channels? If given some specifics we may be able to help you out better, unless your post was simply to rant about the radio?
One thing to keep in mind is that radios are controlled by a CPU, much like a cell phone or any other modern electronic device. Sometimes the CPU does weird things in radios and requires a reset. Try following the directions in the manual to do a full reset on the radio and reprogram from scratch. It's possible something in the CPU has become corrupted causing this issue.
Also, as mentioned above, Kenwood provides the programming software online for free. All you need is the correct cable which isn't very expensive on Amazon or from ham radio dealers.
Good luck on getting your issue resolved.
Nicholas440
Member
I just bought a TH F6A a week ago, and learning to program it from the key pad and I do have the software but for the small amount of channels I need I want to put them in manually.
As far as the memory channels go, I have overwritten many trying to learn to do it... I put it in VFO mode, I then select the Band I want with the Band Key... I then press ENTER and it gives me a row of blank lines to punch in my frequency numbers on, so I enter my numbers, for example 146.760 for my local repeater. I then press TONE until I see the T displayed , then I press Function then TONE and the tones show up and I select the CTCSS tone I need and I press the MNU which is also an ENTER button to confirm that CTCSS Tone. I select the shift as "minus" - I have it set to Auto offset so I just double check the offset, then I test it to make sure it is working, then I press FUNCTION button and a number blinks in the window, if I have something in memory 10 lets say, normally I would advance the knob to # 11 and press MR and it would ut the frequency into memory channel 11, but if I set it on 10 where I have an unwanted freq then I press MR it will put it there usually. Thats the hard way....
Now for the easy way as the manual has it. Select your memory channel. Turn the radio OFF... press and HOLD DOWN the MR button and turn the power ON, it will ask if you want to delete that channel, simply press MR key and it will delete that memory for you...
I hope that helps you.... I also agree that this TH F6A is not all that the reviews say it is. I put a new JTH2 triband antenna on mine, as it got almost all 5 stars on reviews, and I own 6 Chinese hand helds and I tried to bring up a local 2 meter repeater and could not. I then took one of the Chinese hand held radios hit the PTT on the same channel and it comes right up full signal and the Kenwood sitting right next to it didnt even light up or hear that repeater until I picked it up and waved it in the air. The Chinese "Puxing" radio heard it and keyed it up anywhere I set it on my table. So I then put the JTH2 triband antenna I bought onto my Wouxun KG UV6X dual band hand held, and almost same situation but it did bring up the repeater however very very noisy so partly it's the JTH2 antenna but I'm not convinced this TH 6A is all the rave that people give it. I can't call it junk, but if I had known it was already a 12 year old radio, it came out 12 years ago I would not have bought it. Todays technology is way far ahead of what it was 12 years ago. Yes the radio works, and works well, however not as well as an $88 dollar Chinese radio. I'm not sure I'm going to keep mine, it's a week old, and has a spare 2000 mah battery and a Jetstream tri band antenna but it was on sale for $275 so it was a good price, they used to sell them for $469 back in the day when they came out 12 years ago.
As far as the memory channels go, I have overwritten many trying to learn to do it... I put it in VFO mode, I then select the Band I want with the Band Key... I then press ENTER and it gives me a row of blank lines to punch in my frequency numbers on, so I enter my numbers, for example 146.760 for my local repeater. I then press TONE until I see the T displayed , then I press Function then TONE and the tones show up and I select the CTCSS tone I need and I press the MNU which is also an ENTER button to confirm that CTCSS Tone. I select the shift as "minus" - I have it set to Auto offset so I just double check the offset, then I test it to make sure it is working, then I press FUNCTION button and a number blinks in the window, if I have something in memory 10 lets say, normally I would advance the knob to # 11 and press MR and it would ut the frequency into memory channel 11, but if I set it on 10 where I have an unwanted freq then I press MR it will put it there usually. Thats the hard way....
Now for the easy way as the manual has it. Select your memory channel. Turn the radio OFF... press and HOLD DOWN the MR button and turn the power ON, it will ask if you want to delete that channel, simply press MR key and it will delete that memory for you...
I hope that helps you.... I also agree that this TH F6A is not all that the reviews say it is. I put a new JTH2 triband antenna on mine, as it got almost all 5 stars on reviews, and I own 6 Chinese hand helds and I tried to bring up a local 2 meter repeater and could not. I then took one of the Chinese hand held radios hit the PTT on the same channel and it comes right up full signal and the Kenwood sitting right next to it didnt even light up or hear that repeater until I picked it up and waved it in the air. The Chinese "Puxing" radio heard it and keyed it up anywhere I set it on my table. So I then put the JTH2 triband antenna I bought onto my Wouxun KG UV6X dual band hand held, and almost same situation but it did bring up the repeater however very very noisy so partly it's the JTH2 antenna but I'm not convinced this TH 6A is all the rave that people give it. I can't call it junk, but if I had known it was already a 12 year old radio, it came out 12 years ago I would not have bought it. Todays technology is way far ahead of what it was 12 years ago. Yes the radio works, and works well, however not as well as an $88 dollar Chinese radio. I'm not sure I'm going to keep mine, it's a week old, and has a spare 2000 mah battery and a Jetstream tri band antenna but it was on sale for $275 so it was a good price, they used to sell them for $469 back in the day when they came out 12 years ago.
A 5-watt transmitter is a 5-watt transmitter. Given the same antenna, two 5-watt transmitters will have the same range. Rubber duck antennas don't count because there are too many variables. Connect both radios to a stationary antenna and they should work the same.
Yes, the TH-F6 is an older design. Yes, the buttons are small. But, how many other radios on the market have 5 watts of output on 2m, 222 MHz, and 440 MHz?
I use the Diamond SRH-320A on my TH-F6. It works great.
Yes, the TH-F6 is an older design. Yes, the buttons are small. But, how many other radios on the market have 5 watts of output on 2m, 222 MHz, and 440 MHz?
I use the Diamond SRH-320A on my TH-F6. It works great.
Nicholas440
Member
I think I may try the Diamond tri band antenna that most are saying works well with the TH F6A. I've tinkered with mine a little more, and I really want to like this little ht . I do like all the features that are packed into such a small radio, and the button size doesn't affect me any I manage to work them with my finger tips just fine. I worked a few repeaters with the Kenwood and audio reports are excellent, and I have an MC 34 speaker mic and it has 3 buttons on the top that you can program to do different things such as switch the A/B band, and more, thats kind of neat since other speaker mic's have no control buttons on them other than perhaps a volume control which the MC 34 has also. This Kenwood has 2000 mah batteries but it will use the battery up fast when talking on high power. Low power doesnt quite get it unless the repeater is reasonably close and I have a vhf repeater very close, that I can use on low power. The lowest power setting comes in handy if I am cross band repeating with my TM V71 A .... The lowest power setting is only 50 milliwatts but it's enough when I cross band, and the battery will last for hours.
KK4ELO
Member
Talked to a guy at kenwood. He has never heard of this. Even tried the kenwood and rt systems software at a friends. Cant do anything with 3 or 19. Guess ill have to do the hard reset when i figure out what i want to do about fixing the antenna. Kenwood wants around $100 to fix it. Guess ill just leave it on the table with a piece of wire for a while.
KK4ELO, have a look at eastcoasttransistor.com or pacparts.com for the sma.
Changing the ant connector should be easy and you'll get under $100
As for the channels problem, I suggest a full reset, a diy cable : Connection Cable for Kenwood TH-F6A/TH-F7E and free MCP-F6F7 software from Kenwood.
I don't agree with "It dont recieve anywhere near as good as any of my other radios.". I might be biased but have a look at this : https://www.dropbox.com/s/8p9nwqc3wb85tnp/20130407_015731.mp4
Changing the ant connector should be easy and you'll get under $100
As for the channels problem, I suggest a full reset, a diy cable : Connection Cable for Kenwood TH-F6A/TH-F7E and free MCP-F6F7 software from Kenwood.
I don't agree with "It dont recieve anywhere near as good as any of my other radios.". I might be biased but have a look at this : https://www.dropbox.com/s/8p9nwqc3wb85tnp/20130407_015731.mp4
KK4ELO
Member
Ok. For information if anyone else runs into this problem. This happens when the radio is in dual watch mode, with one band parked on a memory channel, and scanning on the other with the parked mem channel locked out.
To fix this, put either A or B band in vfo mode with the other in memory mode. Then you can unlock the channel.
Now if i can just get around to replacing the sma.
To fix this, put either A or B band in vfo mode with the other in memory mode. Then you can unlock the channel.
Now if i can just get around to replacing the sma.
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