Kenwood: New Kenwood dual-band mobile radio

[MTS2000des]

I love YSF, but that's the problem, it's got "Yaesu" written all over it (despite the fact that the standard is published and to my knowledge, Yaesu doesn't charge any licensing fees or royalties) but I doubt you'll ever see Kenwood produce a YSF subscriber radio. D-Star is a standard embraced by the JARL, and while Icom certainly is the champion of it and worked to develop it, as you can see JVC Kenwood has even since day one produced D-Star radios (albeit the first was a badge engineered Icom ID-800.

 

[KD7RJC]

I love YSF, but that's the problem, it's got "Yaesu" written all over it (despite the fact that the standard is published and to my knowledge, Yaesu doesn't charge any licensing fees or royalties) but I doubt you'll ever see Kenwood produce a YSF subscriber radio. D-Star is a standard embraced by the JARL, and while Icom certainly is the champion of it and worked to develop it, as you can see JVC Kenwood has even since day one produced D-Star radios (albeit the first was a badge engineered Icom ID-800.

I don't expect Kenwood or ICOM to support YSF unless those companies' sales of digital mode radios shrinks.

On Yaesu's youtube podcast the presenter discussed YSF, and basically said that for RF purposes the standard is open, they are not stopping anyone from making their own RF equipment that can participate. The presenter did state that for direct network connection to Wires-X the standard is not open. I interpret this to mean that the equipment used directly by operators to talk could be 3rd-party YSF, but where repeaters connect to Yaesu's own backend servers they would need to be Yaesu products.

What I am surprised about is the lack of 3rd party efforts, similar to DMR, where manufacturers like Baofeng or even Alinco who are doing a lot with software-defined radio or other newer circuits haven't integrated either DSTAR or YSF in their radios.

 

[GlobalNorth]

My opinions:

1. APRS - I no longer use it. Trying to type on these mini-screens is impossible. Unless there is a quick connect full sized keyboard, no thanks.
2. D-Star - Dead here. No use for it.
3. The display is nice - the front firing speaker is very small and the output is likely to be low.
4. Separate control head. I have them on my FTM-400s.
5. The price is fine if it serves your needs - to me, it is going to be double what I paid for my 400s. Not enough value to me, so I won't be buying.
6. RF output?

Hopefully, there are other features that will compel others.

 

[K6GBW]

I'm just encouraged that Kenwood is actually MAKING a couple of new radios. We haven't seen anything from them in so long I thought they were bowing out. I really want the Japanese makers to step it up before we're left with nothing but Chinesium choices. This new radios form factor is looking good. At least fitting something like this into a car is doable. I'm so aggravated at the majority of makers still putting mobile radios into dictionary sized boxes when it's impossible to mount them in a current car!

 

[vagrant]

Since I have been licensed, some amateurs have said Kenwood was leaving, or out. When I asked further, or their source…zero veracity. Kenwood is slow and steady. When they had some radios with bad filters, they fixed them for free.

I am going to pair this new Kenwood mobile with that tri-band Compactenna.

 

[mmckenna]

Since I have been licensed, some amateurs have said Kenwood was leaving, or out. When I asked further, or their source…zero veracity. Kenwood is slow and steady. When they had some radios with bad filters, they fixed them for free.

Someone asked me about this earlier, and I did some looking. Like you, all I could find about "Kenwood leaving the ham radio market" were posts on sites like QRZ and this one with people sharing rumors and opinions about it. Not one word from Kenwood.

Yet here they are, recently released a new hand held, and now planned new mobile.

I agree, slow and steady release of good products. Plus, they have a thriving LMR market they are supporting.

 

[MTS2000des]

I agree, slow and steady release of good products. Plus, they have a thriving LMR market they are supporting.

JVC Kenwood is a profit driven enterprise. Profit is not in selling cheap radios to cheap hams. They wound down what was once a 30 plus page catalog to what can fit on less than one page and concentrate R&D, manufacturing and support where it is needed and produces real profit: LMR including NXND, P25 and DMR. This is still a fraction of the company.

When people say "it's over" they remember the "Pacesetter in Amateur Radio" ads in QST and CQ with the W6DJY station wall to wall with Kenwood radios in all bands and all flavors. Those days are gone and never coming back.

 

[K6GBW]

I had a Kenwood TM-261A and a TH-22AT and they both had some of the best receivers I've ever heard. I hope Kenwood stays in the game. If this new dual bander is as good as the older radios I'll likely get one. I have a Subaru Crosstrek and it would fit in that perfectly. I'm not a D-Star fan but just for the FM Side of things it would be worth it.

 

[N4DJC]

JVC Kenwood is a profit driven enterprise. Profit is not in selling cheap radios to cheap hams. They wound down what was once a 30 plus page catalog to what can fit on less than one page and concentrate R&D, manufacturing and support where it is needed and produces real profit: LMR including NXND, P25 and DMR. This is still a fraction of the company.

When people say "it's over" they remember the "Pacesetter in Amateur Radio" ads in QST and CQ with the W6DJY station wall to wall with Kenwood radios in all bands and all flavors. Those days are gone and never coming back.

I would not be surprised at all if a new Kenwood HF rig is announced at Ham Fair 2025.

 

[vagrant]

@MTS2000des - I've heard it from the lips of old and new amateurs, regardless of age. You know, the non-thinking parrots. It is why I ask them about their source. I am trying to get them to "think" about the validity of their statements and realize they are simply parroting unconfirmed information. None have ever referenced remembering Kenwood's pacesetting in amateur radio ads, but rather the plethora of Yaesu products, as though quantity is greater than quality - sigh -

@K6GBW - I have a Kenwood TH-315A (1.25m) handheld that still works fine today.

Anyways, along with this tri-band mobile, I am wondering if Kenwood is working on a new HF mobile to replace the 480SAT that was discontinued four years ago. @N4DJC - Fingers crossed.

 

[AK9R]

I've been hearing for the past 30 years that Kenwood was getting out of the amateur radio market. They're still here. Seems like they've always been slow to release new products. The other side of that coin is that their products are usually well thought out. Amateur radio is a very small part of JVC Kenwood's business, so we get what we get.

I'm looking forward to this new mobile. I have...let's say...more than one TM-D710. A replacement with a crisp, color display would be right up my alley.

 

[mmckenna]

@MTS2000des - I've heard it from the lips of old and new amateurs, regardless of age. You know, the non-thinking parrots. It is why I ask them about their source. I am trying to get them to "think" about the validity of their statements and realize they are simply parroting unconfirmed information. None have ever referenced remembering Kenwood's pacesetting in amateur radio ads, but rather the plethora of Yaesu products, as though quantity is greater than quality - sigh -

And I'm betting you get a blank stare in return? People that spread rumors often don't like being challenged. It makes them think, and often thinking is painful to them.

 

[vagrant]

I'm looking forward to this new mobile. I have...let's say...more than one TM-D710. A replacement with a crisp, color display would be right up my alley.

I am a recovering Kenwood fanboy and sold two D710's. I still have one along with a Greenlight Labs GPS. I also have Yaesu mobiles that will be sold at the next local swap to give room to this new Kenwood. Anyways, the D710 waits on the shelf in case a buddies APRS TX/RX igate goes down and I need to temporarily fill. ( Yes my fellow amateurs, we use APRS in my area due to the cellular unfriendly RF terrain of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. We use Winlink too. )

And I'm betting you get a blank stare in return? People that spread rumors often don't like being challenged. It makes them think, and often thinking is painful to them.

We live, we learn...hopefully. Some never will.

The presenter did state that for direct network connection to Wires-X the standard is not open. I interpret this to mean that the equipment used directly by operators to talk could be 3rd-party YSF, but where repeaters connect to Yaesu's own backend servers they would need to be Yaesu products.

Each YSF radio has a specific ID. That unique ID must be registered with Yaesu along with the users callsign in order for that particular radio to be allowed on the YSF network. I can easily understand why Kenwood does not embrace YSF as the end user would not be able to fully use it. Seriously, why embrace a digital mode where the end user will complain it does not fully work? With D-Star, that handicap is not an issue.

I expect I will sell all of my YSF radios. I will keep my Yaesu VX3R. It is a convenient analog handheld.

Yaesu = "It's my ball. You play by my rules, or not at all"

 

[MTS2000des]

@MTS2000des - I've heard it from the lips of old and new amateurs, regardless of age. You know, the non-thinking parrots. It is why I ask them about their source. I am trying to get them to "think" about the validity of their statements and realize they are simply parroting unconfirmed information. None have ever referenced remembering Kenwood's pacesetting in amateur radio ads, but rather the plethora of Yaesu products, as though quantity is greater than quality - sigh -

All "four" of the big Japanese "giants" of the amateur world have much smaller product lines. All of them. 30 years ago each one had mono-band mobiles and HTs in many flavors. Other than Chinese rebrands, you'll be hard pressed to find 220/440 gear. Those companies three decades ago struggled in the LMR market place, dominated by Motorola, and Harris/GE/MA-com/whoever they were that week. They often introduced VHF/UHF mobiles and portables to the amateur market, albeit modified with things like VFO and ham "features" to "let the hams work the bugs out" before introducing "refined" products to the commercial market.

Kenwood example: TH-25/45/55AT would become: TK-210/310.
Kenwood example: TH-26/46 became the TK-240/340/240D/340D.
Kenwood TM-241/441 share much in common with the TK-705/D/805/D.

Vertex (Yaesu) did the same as did Icom.

Today, these companies sell feature rich P25, DMR and (in Kenwood and Icom's case) NXDN radios far advanced than ham toys. They don't need ham radio folks to vet products as they're done internally and with select customers who are large purchasers.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Yaesu = "It's my ball. You play by my rules, or not at all"

Yaesu, did it again.