Kenwood Tk 7180 in test mode squelch not adjusting

[MaxPsaledakis]

Okay so my radio is not receiving very well on the bench. (5w portable not being received from 100 feet away and NOAA will not come in at all). That's not why i'm here, that's probably a hardware issue. I'll take pointers if yall got some though. The reason I am here is because while using the frequency adjustment tab on the test mode page I also decided to take a look at the open and tight squelch settings and I believe I was able to adjust the squelch settings at first (like the frequency adjustment) the slider for both the open and tight is now grayed out and going back and forth automatically between 67 and 69 "data".

What I would like help with is figuring out how to set my squelch again.

Some more background info: the squelch setting on the radio is set at 9 and it is still wide open. I have the latest firmware (1.22) and I am using KPG89D for programming.

Thank you for your time.

 

[mmckenna]

Without having access to a service monitor, or the right signal generators, etc. This really isn't something you can do on the fly like this.

Squelch is settable from the front keypad without needing to mess around in the test menu.
To properly adjust those squelch settings in the test menu of the software, you need to be injecting the correct signals.

Ideally, you remember/wrote down those settings before you started adjusting them, and can set them back to where they were?

 

[MaxPsaledakis]

Unfortunately I didn't write them down.. I was following the lead of the kenwood rep over the phone. Yeah.. the squelch is turned all the way up on front keypad and it's still wide open. Is there a ballpark set up numbers that'll get me close so I'm not blowing up the squelch? I know it should be brought in and retuned but I'm not in a place to do that right now. Thank you for the quick reply.

 

[mmckenna]

Softpot settings in the tuning menu will vary depending on the radio, as the component tolerances and the rest of the settings will play into it.

I just sold my last 7180, so I don't have one I can read.

Where is this radio installed? Is it picking up noise from something local?

 

[MaxPsaledakis]

It's just sitting on my bench.. it's not picking up anything local except for when I'm standing right next to with a 5w portable but once I go a little over 100 feet away it doesn't receive at all. It's not even picking up the repeater it's sitting next to.

 

[tweiss3]

Just to verify, do you have an antenna attached to this mobile radio? That sounds almost like the dead ceramic filter issue I had with a Yaesu handheld a while back. Since there is both a wide and a narrow filter, is there any change if you change the frequency between narrow and wide? Repeater builder's site has the service manual, look at page 55, there is the location of both narrow and wide ceramic filters on the TX/RX board. It does appear the filters are still available.

 

[buddrousa]

At this point your cheapest option will be to buy another radio off ebay and write this up as a lesson as not to try to service a 2way radio with out the correct test equipment and service manual.
Ebay prices look to be $199 to $500.

 

[MaxPsaledakis]

Just to verify, do you have an antenna attached to this mobile radio? That sounds almost like the dead ceramic filter issue I had with a Yaesu handheld a while back. Since there is both a wide and a narrow filter, is there any change if you change the frequency between narrow and wide? Repeater builder's site has the service manual, look at page 55, there is the location of both narrow and wide ceramic filters on the TX/RX board. It does appear the filters are still available.

So I do have an antenna attached that works with other mobiles, there is no difference in switching between narrow or wide band. Is there a good way to test those filters? I've seen them on the board.

 

[MaxPsaledakis]

At this point your cheapest option will be to buy another radio off ebay and write this up as a lesson as not to try to service a 2way radio with out the correct test equipment and service manual.
Ebay prices look to be $199 to $500.

Yeah since it's possibly a write off it wouldn't hurt to poke around a bit and see if I can't fix it. I do have the service manual, do you happen to have one you could read and tell me the test settings so I can get mine close?

 

[mmckenna]

Yeah since it's possibly a write off it wouldn't hurt to poke around a bit and see if I can't fix it. I do have the service manual, do you happen to have one you could read and tell me the test settings so I can get mine close?

The settings are not in the manual. They are specific to each radio.
At this point, you have two options:
1. Take the radio to a shop and tell them exactly what you did, and have them realign it.
2. As @buddrousa said, toss it, buy a new one.

There are no standard settings for those softpots.

 

[MaxPsaledakis]

The settings are not in the manual. They are specific to each radio.
At this point, you have two options:
1. Take the radio to a shop and tell them exactly what you did, and have them realign it.
2. As @buddrousa said, toss it, buy a new one.

There are no standard settings for those softpots.

Okay makes sense. Thanks for all the info guys.