Kenwood TM-710a Firmware Upgrade

[antho10359]

I have been attempting to do a firmware update on my Kenwood TM-710a. There are 2 parts to the firmware update ... RC-710 OpPanel_V210E and RC-V710 Main_210E. My radio's serial number is 90900120.

I have successfully updated the Main Body Firmware but for some reason I can not get the firmware update program to recognize the OpPanel.... it errors saying "Op Panel Not Found". The older Firmware Upgrade, 1.02, generated a"Communication Error" message.

I have tried the Virtual Comm Port Driver program offered by Kenwood ... same results.... no luck.

I have tried every port configuration (speed, read-write delay, etc) available.

The Kenwood MCP-2A Memory Control Program works just fine and the RC-V710 firmware upgrade for the Main Body ran without any problems so I know the link between the PC and radio is working.

Is purchasing the RC-D710 Op Panel the only solution? My understanding is that the firmware upgrade gives the 710a the same functionality as the RC-D710. Does the RC-D710 easily interface with the TM-D710a Main Body?

Any ideas are welcome either here or direct to my email KF4KFQ@yahoo.com.

 

[Jay911]

I've been trying to get parts for my 710 for a long time now and only recently succeeded (so the back-order slip from Universal Radio says). I believe the RC-D710 is the name for the control head for the TM-D710A radio and nothing much more.

Not having the cables to do any work with my radio (or the replacement control head to use) I haven't tried any firmware updates yet, but I did think I saw something saying that you had to connect directly to the CH (the Op Panel I presume in Kenwood terms) to update its firmware. You're doing that, right (PC->Op Panel), and not trying to connect to it thru the radio (PC->radio->Op Panel)?

 

[antho10359]

Kenwood Firmware Upgrade

Thank you .... Thank you .... You called it. I had failed to notice the port on the back of the Op Panel and just assumed that the port on the main body was the only one ... in part I guess because every thing else worked through that port. I hooked up my laptop to the Op Panel port and the Firmware Update ran like a champ. Thank you. 73