Kenwood NX-5000 problems, lacks, suggestions and improvements

[mmckenna]

I have multiple dealers in my area and I've purchased from all of them. Never had an issue with territories.

I guess I'm also a large enough customer that I have an excellent relationship with the local Kenwood factory representative.

 

[otobmark]

First, all the UTAC, Vtac, and 7/8TAC channels are analog.

You're going to have your die hard i want to sleep in motorola's bed, Tait, Harris, Hytera, Kenwood, RITRON <blah>, and even as far as Beaufong..... (shot your self now) because funding is at a stand still.

Kenwood NXDN, Conventional, has better a receive ability at 6.25 than DMR. By 7-10 miles. (repeater use)
Kenwood Trunking Gen 1 or Gen 2, I could go on and on here but, multi-site, multi agency, pros and cons.
DMR (1), repeaters are 12.5 Digital repeaters. No 6.25 about that, not today.
DMR (2), ETSI standards are used with all vendors in conventional mode only. You talk about CapPlus, and all that crap, that is NOT A DMR STANDARD. That is called Vendor Locking.
DMR (3), Has a ton more id's then NXDN, so what. Show me an agency 1 agency that has 65,000+ radios
for single department on a single fleet. Are you giving radios out to all the residents of Montana? not that many people out there, and you still have room for more (HA HA HA)

FPP, This is really for techs and those who have a need for it's use, like a LT or SGT on a task force who
jumps from agency to agency in a wide area and needs to dial in conventional information on the fly.
For Trunking purposes, CPS ONLY. and for a good reason too. FPP is only a conventional tool.

Encryption, pros, cons, Kenwood has 4 key DES built in others you have to order it or the board. moot point.

dependability, every one will say I got the best brick in the wall! yeah, you have not met me then. I tear up stuff like it's chump change, I am a field service tech, my NX5300 gets the worst abuse you might even commit me for saying it... so far I think I have a slightly concave shaped radio cause if I touch it just right, the battery beeps at me.... the xpr6550 I have with no display, I leave it in the box, broke the case
twice, battery does not hold up.... yeah, little abuse, and my kenwood laughs at it like a sand box bully.

Talk to the hard core users of the radios. I am glad I got weaned off Mother M 15 years ago to KWD. Cheaper in several areas like cables, software, and dependability.
My two cents, Look at the Kenwood NX-5000 website. Plenty of information there for you to see.
Go to a dealer, look at it. Ask to see the mobile. Heck I can, in a bit, do a video on the who kit.
I have the 3 deck with single advanced head. (photos in the forum too).
I
You CAN SPEND BIGGER, but you can't buy BETTER.
50 watts of any brand will only talk as far as 50 watts of anything else.
It's all about how well your technical group / shop built the system or site.

Evans

I'm a volunteer in several organizations which involves me directly or indirectly with comms (voice, data, sats etc.). I like owning as much of my own gear as practical and as one captain told me "I'm a good guinea pig". I don't have to provide my own but most agency issued radios are per incident unless obsolete crap. All my p25 and dmr gear is mostly Motorola. My analog stuff is varied but my favorite portables are tk290/390. Rich non fatiguing sound and excellent noise cancellation on transmit (built in mic). I am hoping that the best qualities of the older Kenwood's will carry over to new radios. In the short term I will not have much opportunity to use nxdn except for testing. Almost a year ago some associates were talking about subscribing to nexedge fleet network but at time I didn't pay attention being geared up for trbo. The first New Kenwood radio ordered by me is a nx5300K6 (overdue but not here yet) since I wanted to retire xts5000 uhf. Because of band mostly used analog & dmr. Hardly any p25 uhf except ham and Feds which in theory we might end up doing p25 interop but as far as I know it's never happened so far. If I'm happy with uhf nx then would next get nx5400 for statewide trs (I'm told they already have system keys for Kenwood so somebody in the state must be using them) with only p25 & analog needed. Last will be vhf since my newest radios are apx vhf. In the middle I'd hoped to go Kenwood in my personal vehicle for vhf uhf & 800. I'll still be stuck with M trbo because of capacity plus in use by healthcare system here. I wish we would use more digital conventional because I find analog noise very annoying and fatiguing if there is much traffic--something I never noticed before really using digital.

I will not pay new Motorola prices for personal radios and at the heafty price of used apx I'm no longer comfortable with unknown pedigree used Motorola. I almost bought an apx8000 but at $5k without knowing it was legitimate in every way was a bridge too far. I hate idea that if I need advanced system key removed it will cost at least $400! So, that is why I hope to go Kenwood. Local USAR comm leader is also looking for options and in fact suggested Kenwood to me just based on what he saw at a trade show (some kind of firefighter event). My local dealer has some big projects underway and admitted he won't be much help to me anytime soon so I'm on my own for now. My 5 radio purchase I guess is small potatoes. He is well respected as a 'good guy' so I'll accept excuse of bad timing since for me this project is not an actual need but me screwing around looking for a better mousetrap.

This thread has been extremely valuable to me thus far. Soon I'll know if this line of radios will suit me. I have access to state radio shop and their bench test equipment--limited to analog and p25 phase 1. Because of my inexperience it takes me forever to set test gear up right. It would be easier to stay with what I know (M, EFJ, BK) but I can never leave well enough alone! I'll be alone in that no one around here I know has new generation Kenwood. I did meet a ham who has nx mobile.

 

[kd4efm]

Just remember, EFJ is now kenwood.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[RK3AAG]

About EFJ. Its' very very sad, but EFJ-Kenwood radios can do ADP, but pure Kenwood NX - CAN'T!

 

[MSS-Dave]

About EFJ. Its' very very sad, but EFJ-Kenwood radios can do ADP, but pure Kenwood NX - CAN'T!

Kenwood NX 5xxx line WON'T and 99% chance never will.

The higher tiered EFJ/Kenwood is probably allowed becaused of licensing that EFJ had before the merger to produce radios capable of working on Motorola SmartZone and Astro systems.

ADP is proprietary Motorola low tier encryption. They give it away to most purchasers (especially public safety) to help insure a vendor monopoly.

There are certainly higher levels of encryption avaliable on the NX 5xxx that should be compatible with other vendors that offer it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[RK3AAG]

Issue # 9.

Windows 7 offers 8-digit Bluetooth pairing codes, but Kenwood allows only up to 6 digits. Tried 2 defferent adapters and Windows and Widcomm driver, and they are all the same. You can connect after doing some shamanism, but it takes some time.

Kenwood must allow 8-digit pairing codes.

 

[kd4efm]

Issue # 9.

Windows 7 offers 8-digit Bluetooth pairing codes, but Kenwood allows only up to 6 digits. Tried 2 defferent adapters and Windows and Widcomm driver, and they are all the same. You can connect after doing some shamanism, but it takes some time.

Kenwood must allow 8-digit pairing codes.

Why not use 4 digits then?

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[RK3AAG]

Why not use 4 digits then?

Windows generates it and there is no setting to change its lenght. All pairs are 8-digits.

Try and you will see.

 

[RK3AAG]

Issue # 3 - known issue for many many months - equalizer.

Equalizer still doesn't work at all. No changes even you add or reduce it for 10 dB. All NX5000 radios affected, including NX5200, NX5300, NX5700 and NX5800. Just tested on 2.10 firmware and most current FPU. No changes at all.

 

[RK3AAG]

issue # 10

There is no data export in KPG-D1. Imagine if you add one more digital standard, like P25 or DMR. After that FPU will wipe all your settings. Not just channels and zones data, but everything including key settings, groups and IDs, scan lists, encryption keys, etc.

You will be forced to set everything from scratch.

Data export could help to solve this issue, but export is still not here. Kenwood did Import after many claims, but not export.

 

[jim202]

Kenwood NX 5xxx line WON'T and 99% chance never will.

The higher tiered EFJ/Kenwood is probably allowed becaused of licensing that EFJ had before the merger to produce radios capable of working on Motorola SmartZone and Astro systems.

ADP is proprietary Motorola low tier encryption. They give it away to most purchasers (especially public safety) to help insure a vendor monopoly.

There are certainly higher levels of encryption avaliable on the NX 5xxx that should be compatible with other vendors that offer it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

Any agency that has a clue what they are doing when putting down the specs for radios will only allow AEP encryption. This is what the P25 commonality is all about. If a vendor tries to come in with anything else, toss them out the door. Throw their submitted quote out. They are just going to make your life that much harder and you will end up with non compatible radios with other agencies that are using encryption.

You probably should bring in a good radio consultant that has been through this before. Let them write the specs for your radios. You will be glad that you did. Just remember that not all consulting firms are the same. Check them out and ask for customer references that you can contact to ask questions.

 

[kd4efm]

Windows generates it and there is no setting to change its lenght. All pairs are 8-digits.

Try and you will see.

Tried it, 6 digits, Windows 10.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170408/d818036cf0e13e467775bbd4ff22d699.jpg

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[ohiohonda]

Any agency that has a clue what they are doing when putting down the specs for radios will only allow AEP encryption. This is what the P25 commonality is all about. If a vendor tries to come in with anything else, toss them out the door. Throw their submitted quote out. They are just going to make your life that much harder and you will end up with non compatible radios with other agencies that are using encryption.

You probably should bring in a good radio consultant that has been through this before. Let them write the specs for your radios. You will be glad that you did. Just remember that not all consulting firms are the same. Check them out and ask for customer references that you can contact to ask questions.

AES encryption?

 

[RK3AAG]

I don't have a Windows 10 and will not have it. It's definitely not good radio purposes.

 

[03msc]

I don't have a Windows 10 and will not have it. It's definitely not good radio purposes.

Apparently it is. KD4EFM just showed it working on Win10 while it won't on Win7 (according to you, I don't have it so I can't check but you showed the screenshot).

Point? Upgrade to Win10. Unless you have a specific radio software that you know 100% will not work with Windows 10 (i.e. radio maker has said it doesn't work) then upgrade. I have it and have zero problems programming radios. Obviously EFM has it, too. Think about it - this Kenwood software was published after Windows 10 was out so they designed it to work with Windows 10. "Definitely" working.

Otherwise the issue is not a Kenwood issue but a Windows issue. Or a user issue, with the user refusing to update a computer.

Thanks for showing us it works, Evans!

 

[RK3AAG]

Apparently it is. KD4EFM just showed it working on Win10 while it won't on Win7 (according to you, I don't have it so I can't check but you showed the screenshot).!

NX5000 product line is officially compatible with Windows Vista/7/8/8.1. Check official sources like LMR price book and brochures and you will see.

But I can suppose that this issues could be caused by limitation of Secure Simple Pairing (SSP) / BT 2.1.

 

[RK3AAG]

Issue # 11

Portable radio can freeze and reboot when working in DMR zone - scan, key presses, etc. Have never seen something similar on Mobiles with APCO+NX, only on portables with DMR. 2.10 firmware.

 

[RK3AAG]

Just Illustration for issue # 10 described above.

You will get absolutely blank 'codeplug' if you changed set of digital modes available (see 3 pull-down menues at the top right corner).

 

[AK9R]

Are you reporting these issues to your Kenwood LMR dealer? If the answer is "no", I don't know what you expect to accomplish by posting them here. Yes, it's good for other users to know that these issues may exist. But, if you want Kenwood to address these issues, you have to talk to your Kenwood LMR dealer.

The process is simple. Document your problem(s) with your dealer. Ask your dealer to submit the problem(s) to Kenwood. Follow-up with your dealer to see if they get any response from Kenwood.

 

[RK3AAG]

W9BU

I address this information to public. 6000 of views and I am pretty sure that Kenwood and their dealers was here. I do not want to name them, but 2 them as minimum is here.

About dealers. My Kenwood dealers (I have dealt with 3 different) are not interested in any kind of investigations. They are too lazy, too busy and… don’t have real experience with NX5000 radios (LOL). They just can fill some forms from 2-nd attempt (again LOL) and sell me something - hardware or licenses (if they know how to deal with of course). But not more. Add here Kenwood rule about sales territories - only a few dealers can ship to your county. So, chances that you will see good service and expertise is close to zero. This is the real problem of Kenwood LMR Division. Also, I am not 3 letter agency and this is also problem (I am not buying these radios in thousands).

Also, as it was stated many times, Kenwood can open their eyes and begin collecting data from public sources or via their SMM manager. If they want of course. If don't, it's their problem - they will lose clients and contracts. 3-letter agencies are not beta testers and will switch back to Moto or to Hytera.

It’s all about product quality. Kenwood have a not bad and absolutely free source of information. They can make their radios better if they want. This is my concept and I will continue here on other boards. I don’t have other options. And I don't want to discuss it again and again. I want to talk with people who can add something new to this list, to test my findings, confirm it here and (the best option) transfer this information to Kenwood. Or share information about solved issues / bug fixes.

Don't know why, but Kenwood prefer to do not supply What's new / Bug fixes file to every FW release. So, you don't know what they did during months or even years. They can supply 6..9 months old file with most current FW release. This situation forces me to test know issues again and again.

I will continue and keep fingers crossed. Period.