Kenwood TK-7180/8180

[E5911]

nah just for a local node so I could run it on low power for the house, are the 7180-8180 good mobiles ?
Thinking of putting separate vhf and uhf radios instead of a ham dual band in my truck . I have a 3180 that has now become my go to portable.
Lots of memories, great audio good alpha display and inexpensive software. I also just got a 5210 but have not done much with.

 

[Bill1957]

nah just for a local node so I could run it on low power for the house, are the 7180-8180 good mobiles ?
Thinking of putting separate vhf and uhf radios instead of a ham dual band in my truck . I have a 3180 that has now become my go to portable.
Lots of memories, great audio good alpha display and inexpensive software. I also just got a 5210 but have not done much with.

7180 8180 great radios for that purpose. Mine are both under 100 bucks and have been running well over 2 years now with no problems. Have one on both vhf/uhf and are great radios-Run 24/7. Kenwoods are great radios. Just run them 20 watts or less with fans. They make good ham rigs too!

 

[mmckenna]

nah just for a local node so I could run it on low power for the house, are the 7180-8180 good mobiles ?
Thinking of putting separate vhf and uhf radios instead of a ham dual band in my truck . I have a 3180 that has now become my go to portable.
Lots of memories, great audio good alpha display and inexpensive software. I also just got a 5210 but have not done much with.

Yeah, I agree. Good radios.

The TK-7180/8180 use the same chassis as the NX-x00 series radios, so lots of accessories and support out there.
Programming is pretty straightforward, uses the same software as your TK-3180, in fact, you can port the same file over to the TK-8180 if it's the same bandsplit, with some minor button changes.

Get the KRK-10 remote head kit, and you can stuff these guys in small cars pretty easily.

I'm running a TK-7180H in my wifes truck. The small control head fit in well. The RF deck isn't big, about the size of a paperback book, so easy to tuck away.
The feature set is nice if all you need is analog. 512 channel capacity and the display will do up to 14 character channel names. Newer firmware will support MDC1200 if you want that. They'll all support FleetSync and DTMF signaling.

The DB-25 connector on the rear makes interfacing accessories really easy.

If you don't need the stuff that comes in a dual band radio, like built in cross band repeat, running a TK-7180 and a TK-8180 would be a good option. It's actually kind of nice having it as two separate radios.

 

[mmckenna]

And best of all, they come with REAL microphones. Not the cheap mics that most ham radios have.

 

[E5911]

source for new radios?

 

[mmckenna]

source for new radios?

TK-8180? The last info I have from Kenwood is that they are still being sold new. For UHF use, you'd want the TK-8180HK2 model, that'll give you 45 watts on 400-470MHz.
The non-K2 models are 450-520MHz. They can often go down into the 70cm band, but only so far. Get the K2 model and save yourself the headache.

 

[Cognomen]

You don't need to buy new, if they're even available new. Lots of good used ones out there, with everybody switching their analog trunking systems to very-narrow-band digital. Many of the HK2's have been used with the power turned down, and you can still find them in really nice shape. Check with your local Kenwood shop for trade-ins.

 

[mmckenna]

You don't need to buy new, if they're even available new. Lots of good used ones out there, with everybody switching their analog trunking systems to very-narrow-band digital. Many of the HK2's have been used with the power turned down, and you can still find them in really nice shape. Check with your local Kenwood shop for trade-ins.

Yep, the TK-7180 I bought that had been a BNSF radio in it's previous life, was $120.00.
Considering a brand new 7180 or 8180 is going to run you $500 or so, you could still buy a used one and have a shop bench it for you and make sure it's running to spec. Bench time is usually < $100/hr.

 

[DeoVindice]

I'd go used, personally. Having it benched/aligned wouldn't be the worst idea either. The x180 series, both portables and mobiles, are great radios and I own several. A TK-8180 is actually my truck radio right now, though I'll eventually replace it with an EFJ 5300ES.

 

[KK6ZTE]

Not to mention, you can get basic single-zone FPP for them with the Tactical Feature Set.

I've been through most recent Kenwood mobiles, and I still go back to these. I've acquired three 8180HK-2s on ebay in the last couple months that are waiting on their TFS entitlement.

It's a great all-around option for analog.

 

[n3obl]

I like the fact you can scan a lot of channels with kenwoods vs motorola fixed scan list.

 

[wwhitby]

The 7180 and 8180 are excellent mobiles when you need analog only. They are my go to radios in the car, replacing my TK-780 and 880, and I even use an additional 7180 for my railroad audio feed. I've even considered replacing my TK-280 and TK-380 with a 2180 and 3180.

 

[DJ11DLN]

What everybody else said. Great analog radios. Had a number of them in apparatus before I left the VFD and they were all rock-solid. I have a personally-owned one that somebody actually threw in a dumpster when they switched to the TSYS that was in my various pickups for years, never had a lick of trouble with it.

But then Kenwood just makes good stuff, period and end of sentence.

 

[nhfdcadet]

I just removed my 7180/8180 to install NX5700/5800s instead, I loved the 180 series, the programming is so simple. If analog is all you are after, they are a great radio!