Kenwood: New Kenwood TH-D75

[wd9ewk]

Hi!

Shortly after I bought my TH-D75, I posted a thread with some early observations, before trying it on a satellite. This included how I could access the microSD card in the radio with a Linux laptop (YMMV), and replacing the wimpy belt clip with one for Kenwood's commercial handhelds.

Patrick WD9EWK (@wd9ewk@mastodon.radio)

Attached: 1 image A thread... After returning from Salt Lake City last weekend, ham stores in the USA started having the Kenwood TH-D75 in their inventories. After filling preorders and back orders, there was one left at the Phoenix HRO store on Tuesday (6 February) afternoon. The operative...

mastodon.radio

 

[vagrant]

That original belt clip is junk. Mine cracked on the D74 with zero abuse. Along with an SRH-320A antenna upgrade, one should immediately replace the original belt clip with either the KBH-10 which I have, or the KBH-11 like you have.

 

[SA4MDN]

My clip on the 74 broke twice, in the end i replaced it with the metal clip from the 72

 

[N4DJC]

Hi!

Shortly after I bought my TH-D75, I posted a thread with some early observations, before trying it on a satellite. This included how I could access the microSD card in the radio with a Linux laptop (YMMV), and replacing the wimpy belt clip with one for Kenwood's commercial handhelds.

Patrick WD9EWK (@wd9ewk@mastodon.radio)

Attached: 1 image A thread... After returning from Salt Lake City last weekend, ham stores in the USA started having the Kenwood TH-D75 in their inventories. After filling preorders and back orders, there was one left at the Phoenix HRO store on Tuesday (6 February) afternoon. The operative...

mastodon.radio

I’ve enjoyed mine. I use the BlueDV Connect app with an Android tablet for portable D Star. I sure hope the ISS APRS digipeater goes online again. The Tevel satellites look interesting. I was listening to one of your QSO’s on AO-27 a few years ago using D Star. The moblie will likely be announced at Hamfair this August. I have some doubts it will be a major upgrade to the D710GA.

 

[wd9ewk]

Hi!

Over the weekend, I used the all-mode receiver in my TH-D75 as the downlink receiver when working a satellite in SSB. Like with the TH-D74, the TH-D75 did a good job in that role. I transmitted using a Yaesu FT-817ND, and had both radios connected to an Elk Antennas handheld 2m/70cm log periodic antenna. Lots of transmitting and hearing my CQ calls, and a QSO on Sunday (3 March) morning. You can read about this in a thread at:

Patrick WD9EWK (@wd9ewk@mastodon.radio)

Another TH-D75 thread... One of the nice features of the TH-D75, like its predecessor TH-D74, is an all-mode receiver. I used my TH-D74 as a downlink receiver for working satellites many times, in SSB and even CW (I don't do a lot of satellite CW). Even though I figured the TH-D75's all-mode...

mastodon.radio

73!

 

[palmerjrusa]

It's been over a month since the first batch of TH-D75s appeared and still no new stock.

Either there's a big demand for this handheld and everyone's filling back orders or Kenwood isn't exactly churning them out.

Perhaps Kenwood has greatly underestimated demand for this $750 radio😁

 

[GlobalNorth]

I'll go with Kenwood making them at their own pace.

 

[mortoma61]

I just got mine yesterday! I really like it already. Already it seems to have a better receiver section than my Yaesu and slew of other radios. I live in an area of Utah County Utah where the side of the hill I live on makes it near impossible to receive NOAA weather radio. The signal gets shadowed out. Well, my new Kenwood is able to pick the weak signal on 162.550mHz better than my Uniden SDS200, my Yaesu VX-6R and both of my "toy" Baofeng UV-5R8W's (which I'll never use to transmit due to the illegal harmonics). Also picks up NOAA way better than my Malahit DSP2, much better! And better than my handheld Uniden BC125AT scanner.

So much for the superior receiver section. One thing I don't like is the scan ability on it. It scans almost as fast as my SDS200 but it doesn't not have any way to either temporarily or permanently lock out a memory frequency when you scan. I scan through 113 simplex and repeater frequencies on my Yaesu and if I get a freq. with a lot of interference and it keeps stopping on it, I just lock it out at least for a while and it's easy to do. Scanning is important to me on any Ham HT. So I have to set it so it will stop on a memory when it hears something but then resumes scanning again after a few seconds. The Kenwood is annoying for me in scan mode.

I put on my Diamond SRH320A antenna and it's better than the stock. Just wish Diamond would make them sturdier. I'm always afraid of breaking mine. Getting back to the Kenwood, I found it super easy to program!! I had the RT Systems programing software for the my Yaesu so I just copied and pasted all my analog frequencies into the RT software I bought for this Kenwood. Bingo! I was up and running on 113 local repeater and simplex frequencies on 2m, 1.25m and 70cm with all of the splits and tones already set up.

Been amused by all the whining for months on how expensive this radio is. Lots of Hams (not me) are the most whiny and wimpering folks out there. I got my $20,000.00 yearly employment bonus in February and had to use every penny to pay off a new household heater/AC unit, a new water heater and paid off a loan I had. Not a penny left for this rig, but still was able to cough up the measly $805.00 for this (with tax and shipping) with no sweat. Not very expensive for what it is and I don't even plan to use the DSTAR or APRS on it. But I would learn to use the DSTAR on this Kenwood way before I'd even bother with DMR on any radio!! I have been listening to amateur DMR on my SDS200 on 447.425 repeater in my area for four years and I'm amazed at the poor voice quality!! Just tonight I tried listening to a nearly nationwide NET and the only one that had good voice modulation was the NET leader. Most of the others that talked I had to try turning up the volume to hear and then I'd have to turn it back down to listen when the NET leader came back on or risk blowing my ear drums out. So I went back to analog so I could understand people. I wholeheartedly do not recommend DMR as an option for any Ham. It's just plain awful!! Tried to listen to DMR on Brandmeister on the internet too once and could barely understand anyone and tried dozens of chats. Sorry to get off track with DMR but I couldn't help it. I'm glad I've listened to DMR on a scanner for so long so I know to avoid it. Pretty sure DSTAR would be no better which is why I may never try it on this Kenwood.

 

[mortoma61]

It's been over a month since the first batch of TH-D75s appeared and still no new stock.

Either there's a big demand for this handheld and everyone's filling back orders or Kenwood isn't exactly churning them out.

Perhaps Kenwood has greatly underestimated demand for this $750 radio😁

I had an order for mine in at DXengineering, got tired of waiting, cancelled the order. Then I ordered from Gigaparts and I had my new TH-D75A but fast!! Just got it yesterday. Took less than a week. Maybe you should try Gigaparts like I did? But maybe call them first and ask about their stock before cancelling other orders.

 

[MTS2000des]

Been amused by all the whining for months on how expensive this radio is. Lots of Hams (not me) are the most whiny and wimpering folks out there. I got my $20,000.00 yearly employment bonus in February and had to use every penny to pay off a new household heater/AC unit, a new water heater and paid off a loan I had. Not a penny left for this rig, but still was able to cough up the measly $805.00 for this (with tax and shipping) with no sweat. Not very expensive for what it is and I don't even plan to use the DSTAR or APRS on it.

The crybaby hams buying bottom feeder Bowelturds are the reason why Kenwood and Icom are cutting entry level subscribers. Zero money in making quality equipment and trying to peddle it to cheap demanding hams when they can make three thousand dollar portables for cops. No brainer. The D75 isn't for the bottom feeder ham who loves some turdy radio with muffled anemic audio, a poor receiver, and buggy firmware.

DMR isn't the problem, it's the same cheap ham mentality with garbage pail subscriber radios setup with poor audio settings. DMR can sound clean IF one uses a quality subscriber and pays attention to things like AGC and mic gain settings, and actually uses a radio properly (e.g. speaks across not directly into the mic and not mistaking it for a sex toy or holding it a mile away and wondering why no one can hear them). That and the typical Pi-Star garbage can hotspot with lots of jitter and dropped packets contribute to the mess that is Lidmeister.

 

[vagrant]

@mortoma61 - DMR audio is quite poor/terrible coming from CCR’s. A friend then tested his Kenwood NX series handheld and the audio was fantastic. DMR would boom in the amateur world if hams had quality radios, but I found that many are still boggled when it comes to programming them.

My D74 beats most of my handheld transceivers and receivers except for my Icom R30. The R30 has superior selectivity, especially on HF. Not a big surprise though. There are two new features that will eventually have me purchase a D75, but not in a rush.

See this thread on what I did to improve my SRH-320A antennas.

Kenwood: - TH-D74 antenna

 

[AK9R]

Regarding memory channel scan and the ability to lock out channels, the manual has the following to say. A bit cumbersome if you are used to a scanner that has one button for temporary or permanent lockout.

 

[MTS2000des]

@mortoma61 - DMR audio is quite poor/terrible coming from CCR’s. A friend then tested his Kenwood NX series handheld and the audio was fantastic. DMR would boom in the amateur world if hams had quality radios, but I found that many are still boggled when it comes to programming them.

So true. I have an NX-3200 that does both DMR and NXDN. It sounds awesome on DMR. Even a gen 1 MotoTRBO portable with R1.12.17 firmware sounds good if you set your mic gain/AGC. These are sub $100 radios today but cheap hams still piss and moan because they can buy a CCR for half, despite it sounding like a bag of smashed buttholes.

The D-74 I had sounded great on D-Star out of the box using the default audio settings. I'm betting the D-75 is no exception to this either.

 

[vagrant]

“…cheap hams still piss and moan because they can buy a CCR for half, despite it sounding like a bag of smashed buttholes”

Morally, spiritually, financially, physically, and technically accurate.

 

[palmerjrusa]

I had an order for mine in at DXengineering, got tired of waiting, cancelled the order. Then I ordered from Gigaparts and I had my new TH-D75A but fast!! Just got it yesterday. Took less than a week. Maybe you should try Gigaparts like I did? But maybe call them first and ask about their stock before cancelling other orders.

And as if by magic, HRO is now showing the TH-D75 in stock again (wasn't yesterday)...

Decisions, decisions...

 

[AK9R]

To me, the decision would be easy. Given the amount of money involved and the day-to-day variability of "in stock" status, I think I would call the major ham radio stores on the phone and ask them "if I place an order today, can you ship today?". There are times when doing stuff online only adds to the frustration.

 

[mrweather]

It's listed at my local candy store for CA$1000 but they have no stock.

 

[devicelab]

I think I would call the major ham radio stores on the phone and ask them "if I place an order today, can you ship today?". There are times when doing stuff online only adds to the frustration.

If you call them then the generally will ship same day (as long as it's not an hour before close.) Most online orders are processed the next business day. That's been the standard for years. If it goes out same day then great but don't bet on it.

 

[vagrant]

There’s already a used one up for sale on QRZ for $729. That was quick.

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/kenwood-th-d75a.907522/

 

[AK9R]

Same guy posted that TH-D75A for sale on Facebook. He doesn't say why he's selling. Two interested buyers replied in less than 2 hours. One wanted to know if the seller could ship "quickly".