Can't Communicate with VM5000

[cja1987]

First go around with Kenwood/Viking after many years with Motorola

KPG-46X Programming VM 5000 remote head configuration so plugging programming cable into the microphone jack on the head

Armada 1.40.21, laptop running windows 10. Used constantly for all sorts of Motorola and Ham gear.

Virtual Driver shows as installed correctly, changed com port to com 2. Went through all troubleshooting steps that came with the driver software from Kenwood.

When I plug into the radio and power it up, I get no radios listed in the fleet window, the option to read a radio is grayed out (probably because no radios appear). Im using the UART side of the switch on the programming cable vs USB but have tried both ways and installed both drivers.

Any ideas here would be great, just finally fired one of these up on the bench tonight and not critical enough to bother my Kenwood Dealer over the weekend.

Thank You!

 

[kd4efm]

Does it have a USB port on the rf deck?

 

[cja1987]

Does it have a USB port on the rf deck?

If by RF deck you mean the "brick" vs the remote head/display... yes. It has a pigtail with a micro usb female hanging out.

Our Kenwood Dealer Sold us the KPG-46X and the only place that plugs in is the mic jack on the head. My understanding is that should work.

I did, for fun, plug a micro usb I had laying around into the rf deck. Nothing changed...

 

[DeoVindice]

I run into this issue occasionally. Pulling and reseating the programming cable fixes it.

Make sure the micro USB cable is data-capable, there are a lot of cheap charge-only cables out there.

Also, use the USB side of the cable. Viking radios are native USB devices.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

On the 46X, you need to make sure the switch on the mid-enclosure is set to USB and not UART. The key is you set a COM port...Armada doesn't do COM ports. For NX radios, you use UART mode but you use USB mode for Viking radios (unless you are trying to get in to the underlying Linux system via console). Easiest way is honestly to use the micro-USB on the brick especially since there are still VM6000's deployed with the old EFJ Viking control heads.

 

[LTR]

All remote mount Viking 5000, 6000, 7000 radios use the micro USB cable on the deck for programming and firmware upgrades. The KPG-46X can only be used for dash mount VM5000's.

 

[cja1987]

All remote mount Viking 5000, 6000, 7000 radios use the micro USB cable on the deck for programming and firmware upgrades. The KPG-46X can only be used for dash mount VM5000's.

Hmm

Wonder why the heck a reputable kenwood dealer sold us the KPG-46X then? Not doubting you at all, what you are saying sounds correct per my experience so far.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

So when I finally get some time, hopefully early this week to fire this up again, I should use any decent micro usb that is data capable? Or should I buy something specific? Admittedly, the only micro usb I tried was a just out of desperation and it fit but it was one of those dual pigtail ones that on further thought, is definitely "charge only".

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Hmm

Wonder why the heck a reputable kenwood dealer sold us the KPG-46X then? Not doubting you at all, what you are saying sounds correct per my experience so far.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

So when I finally get some time, hopefully early this week to fire this up again, I should use any decent micro usb that is data capable? Or should I buy something specific? Admittedly, the only micro usb I tried was a just out of desperation and it fit but it was one of those dual pigtail ones that on further thought, is definitely "charge only".

You may have found the gotcha between Kenwood and EF Johnson. The VM/VP solutions are EF Johnson solutions even though everything says Kenwood (well the info stickers on the bottom/back of the radios do actually say EF Johnson). Just because a dealer is a Kenwood dealer doesn't always mean they are always that familiar with the Johnson products. In fact, you even see this on the technical side from the system admins. I was asking one of our zone core admins where the EFJ ESK's are because we have several dozen Viking radios deployed and the admin was of the opinion we haven't deployed EFJ radios since the 5100's in 2007 and there shouldn't be any EFJ radios on the system right now. It later got pointed out to me (someone who within the last year worked at EFJ) that the ESK may have been presented to the zone core admins as a Kenwood key and not an EFJ key even though it is specific to the EF Johnson Viking series of radios that program in Armada.

 

[LTR]

Hmm

Wonder why the heck a reputable kenwood dealer sold us the KPG-46X then? Not doubting you at all, what you are saying sounds correct per my experience so far.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

So when I finally get some time, hopefully early this week to fire this up again, I should use any decent micro usb that is data capable? Or should I buy something specific? Admittedly, the only micro usb I tried was a just out of desperation and it fit but it was one of those dual pigtail ones that on further thought, is definitely "charge only".

The micro usb cable that I use is a braided, data capable one I bought on Amazon, and it has never failed me. The brand name on it is Fasgear.

 

[cja1987]

Read just fine this morning with a micro USB!!!

Thanks all for the insight, much appreciated! Wish the dealer had known and told me vs just selling me the programming cable but no harm, no foul, not my money .

Now on to playing with/learning Armada. Everyone seems to like it, completely different animal coming from APX and Astro CPS but looking forward to getting into it.

 

[wd8chl]

If by RF deck you mean the "brick" vs the remote head/display... yes. It has a pigtail with a micro usb female hanging out.

Our Kenwood Dealer Sold us the KPG-46X and the only place that plugs in is the mic jack on the head. My understanding is that should work.

I did, for fun, plug a micro usb I had laying around into the rf deck. Nothing changed...

When you say "brick" do you mean the drawer unit, as in the RF deck? Cause that's what it's called. No one calls it a "brick"...
And yes, programming a remote mount VM requires you to plug into the USB pigtail on the front of the radio. The mic jack on the head can be used for P25 trunking authentication keyloading though. Probably encryption keyloading as well.
As to the dealer selling you the 46X, it's probably because you asked for one, not knowing it programmed through the USB jack. Understandable.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

No one calls it a "brick"...

A lot of people call it a brick....

 

[wd8chl]

A lot of people call it a brick....

No one does. It's just going to confuse people.

 

[DeoVindice]

No one does. It's just going to confuse people.

No one calls it a "drawer unit", that's some European Motospeak. RF deck or brick are the terms I hear most often.

 

[wd8chl]

No one calls it a "drawer unit", that's some European Motospeak. RF deck or brick are the terms I hear most often.

Wrong. They have ALWAYS been called drawer units. 50-60 years that's been the terminology. No one says "brick". And it's stupid.

 

[mmckenna]

I'm really thankful that my brain allows me to hear new terms and figure out what people are talking about.

 

[WB5UOM]

It is the thingy in the back that the cables go to

 

[DeoVindice]

Wrong. They have ALWAYS been called drawer units. 50-60 years that's been the terminology. No one says "brick". And it's stupid.

I don't expect to change your mind, but here's a manual screenshot referring to it as an RF deck - not a drawer unit. I've worked with virtually every flavor of EFJ mobile from the X platform to current products and never encountered the term "drawer unit" in official literature.

 

[AK9R]

I'm really thankful that my brain allows me to hear new terms and figure out what people are talking about.

Wearing my moderator's hat, I'm going to suggest that the participants in this thread find something else to argue about.

 

[wd8chl]

View attachment 158669

I don't expect to change your mind, but here's a manual screenshot referring to it as an RF deck - not a drawer unit. I've worked with virtually every flavor of EFJ mobile from the X platform to current products and never encountered the term "drawer unit" in official literature.

RF deck yes. "Brick" no.