Kenwood 3312 help

[chrisgrigg]

Hi guys, first post here.

I have business radios for a hospital and I have purchased additional radios and used the programming software and cable to program them. The radios will all work great on a Talk Around Channel but when I am on a repeater channel, it has weak transmission. The radios I didn't buy are Kenwood TK 3312-K2 and the ones I bought are Kenwood TK 3312-K. I am not sure of the difference.

I "read" the configuration of the radios and just applied them to all the radios I bought. Am I missing something to make them have better signal with the repeater?

 

[mmckenna]

The TK-3312 K model is 450MHz to 490MHz.
The TK-3312 K2 model is 470MHz to 512MHz.

If your hospital is licensed for a frequency between 470MHz and 490MHz, then either one will work.

You need to make sure that you have the Wide/Narrow settings correct on the radios.
I don't know which country you are in, but here in the USA, the FCC license will dictate what frequencies and emissions type you are allowed to use. Likely you should be using narrow on your repeater, and all your radios, depending on what frequencies you are on.

If your repeater is running wide, and your new radios are set to narrow, then that would explain the low volume. You need to set everything to match and meet the requirements of your license.

 

[n3obl]

K are 450-512
k2 are 400-470.

 

[mmckenna]

K are 450-512
k2 are 400-470.

Thanks. It's been a long day and I was looking at the 3212 manual.

 

[chrisgrigg]

I think our frequencies are lower at the 436 range. I think I will sell these and try to find the K2 model.

 

[mmckenna]

I think our frequencies are lower at the 436 range. I think I will sell these and try to find the K2 model.

You need to find out for sure. The lower end of the UHF band is only used in a few specific areas of the United States. Usually it's 450 and up.

 

[chrisgrigg]

Actually I was wrong. I just looked and it’s 452.12500.

The 450-512 should work on this, yes?

 

[03msc]

Actually I was wrong. I just looked and it’s 452.12500.

The 450-512 should work on this, yes?

Either K or K2 should work in that case - they both cover the 450 range.

 

[chrisgrigg]

Either K or K2 should work in that case - they both cover the 450 range.

I just find it interesting why the ones I bought have terrible signal versus the ones we already had and they are cloned with the same exact settings.

 

[03msc]

I just find it interesting why the ones I bought have terrible signal versus the ones we already had and they are cloned with the same exact settings.

Did you buy the radios new or used? They could easily have been damaged and that's why they were sold if they were bought used. Are you 100% sure the programming is 100% the same? Same exact file?

 

[N5XPM]

Without knowing more background, it is possible they don't have the correct antenna for 452.125. If you take the antenna off and look on the silver part underneath, it may have a model number (if it is a Kenwood antenna) that can help us figure out if it is correct.

 

[Curt34]

Instead of writing both the K and K2 radios with the same file, try making a new file for the K radios. You can use the same file you have, just go into model info and select the appropriate 450-520 frequency band. This will wipe out your frequency info so you will have to add that back in but all other settings should remain. Keep a separate file for the K and K2 radios and pay attention to which radio you are working with when you make programing changes down the road but this should fix the issue you are having with the newer K version radios.

 

[chrisgrigg]

Did you buy the radios new or used? They could easily have been damaged and that's why they were sold if they were bought used. Are you 100% sure the programming is 100% the same? Same exact file?

Yes, the programming is exactly the same. All 6 radios appear to be in great shape other than the front buttons have wear on them. Overall, housing in perfect shape.

Without knowing more background, it is possible they don't have the correct antenna for 452.125. If you take the antenna off and look on the silver part underneath, it may have a model number (if it is a Kenwood antenna) that can help us figure out if it is correct.

It currently has the stubby antenna, and I have attempted to use the other 6in antenna that the other radios have and both have same weak signal. The antennas do not directly reflect what mhz they are. The antenna does say Kenwood although. On the part that screws in, it does say "4 1"

Instead of writing both the K and K2 radios with the same file, try making a new file for the K radios. You can use the same file you have, just go into model info and select the appropriate 450-520 frequency band. This will wipe out your frequency info so you will have to add that back in but all other settings should remain. Keep a separate file for the K and K2 radios and pay attention to which radio you are working with when you make programing changes down the road but this should fix the issue you are having with the newer K version radios.

I will look and see if this is applicable and test it tomorrow at work.

 

[mmckenna]

It currently has the stubby antenna, and I have attempted to use the other 6in antenna that the other radios have and both have same weak signal. The antennas do not directly reflect what mhz they are. The antenna does say Kenwood although. On the part that screws in, it does say "4 1"

Stubby antennas don't help much.

Kenwood doesn't put frequency ranges on their antennas. They use a color code. A proper Kenwood UHF antenna should be almost 6 inches tall and have a red center insulator on the bottom of the antenna.

 

[chrisgrigg]

Stubby antennas don't help much.

Kenwood doesn't put frequency ranges on their antennas. They use a color code. A proper Kenwood UHF antenna should be almost 6 inches tall and have a red center insulator on the bottom of the antenna. View attachment 75569

The stubby one is white.
We do have the 6" ones at work but didn't help with the signal.

 

[mmckenna]

What is the full model number of the radios? From the tag under the battery.

 

[chrisgrigg]

What is the full model number of the radios?

TK-3312 019048 192011

 

[mmckenna]

TK-3312 019048 192011

OK, and just refresh our memories here:
-What's the issue exactly. I know you said "weak transmission", but describe that in detail? Is it one group of radios that doesn't transmit as far as the others? -or- Is it that the audio is quieter? -or- Is it the receive range isn't as good? Provide as much detail as you can.

There can be a number of causes, and trying to diagnose over the internet is difficult.

 

[chrisgrigg]

OK, and just refresh our memories here:
-What's the issue exactly. I know you said "weak transmission", but describe that in detail? Is it one group of radios that doesn't transmit as far as the others? -or- Is it that the audio is quieter? -or- Is it the receive range isn't as good? Provide as much detail as you can.

There can be a number of causes, and trying to diagnose over the internet is difficult.

The repeater is on the 5th floor.
The radios that I already had have 100% strong signal in my office (1st floor). The radios (6 of them) I bought all have 1 bar signal when pushing the PTT button on a repeater channel. (452.12500) The radio can sometimes maybe transmit and then it's truly a hit or a miss trying to hear anything back from someone else on the property. The radios work perfectly when on a talk around channel that does not use a repeater.

 

[mmckenna]

The repeater is on the 5th floor.
The radios that I already had have 100% strong signal in my office (1st floor). The radios (6 of them) I bought all have 1 bar signal when pushing the PTT button on a repeater channel. (452.12500) The radio can sometimes maybe transmit and then it's truly a hit or a miss trying to hear anything back from someone else on the property.

That could be a number of things.
If the programming is all the same, the only way to really know for sure is to have them put on a service monitor to see what's going on. Without having some basic test equipment, most of it would be guessing.

The radios work perfectly when on a talk around channel that does not use a repeater.

How far apart are they, and how does that distance compare to your original radios?