NX-5000 Series, Q&A, Info, and details

[chrishoerner]

Yes.

FCC - OET TCB Form 731 Grant of Equipment Authorization

Kenwood has been doing Part 80 with most of their modern radios. Kind of nice.

Not to be nit-picky, but if you really want to follow the rules, programming Part 80 frequenices/working on marine radios requires a GROL. But like you said about GMRS, it doesn't stop most people.

Thanks For the info, I've acually thought about getting that license. I'd like to get my Captains license someday...... maybe take landlovers on short fishing trips, sounds way less stressful than landscaping hahaha. Now if the ITU would just approve 6.25 I have everything covered in one radio. Except CG UHF );

How do I program a 16khz channel though? I only can program 12.5 or 25

 

[shifty277]

Fairly new to Kenwood radios specifically. The nx-5900 would work with a system like this correct? Just wanted to make sure I’m understanding the manual correctly. I’ve seen some (poor quality) videos of programming software and didn’t see anywhere to put sites/site ID/the manual itself says talk groups only go up to 1500?

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System, Phoenix, Arizona

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

 

[mmckenna]

Fairly new to Kenwood radios specifically. The nx-5900 would work with a system like this correct? Just wanted to make sure I’m understanding the manual correctly. I’ve seen some (poor quality) videos of programming software and didn’t see anywhere to put sites/site ID/the manual itself says talk groups only go up to 1500?

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System, Phoenix, Arizona

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

I have not seen anything about doing non-affiliate scan on these. Not sure if it's possible. If you are going to use it for receive only, you need to be cautious.

If you are going to have it added to the system as a subscriber unit, you need to talk to the system admin to see if they'll support it. While technically it'll work, not all system admins are willing to accept any radio that you bring in. Programming up a new radio if they haven't done it before can be a challenge and take a few hours to work out all the minor details. Best to talk to them first.

 

[RRR]

Would love to be able to have one knob "Volume" and the other "Squelch" on the enhanced head.

 

[kd4efm]

Would love to be able to have one knob "Volume" and the other "Squelch" on the enhanced head.

Squelch is in the MENU portion, as a softkey / softpot.

 

[RRR]

Yes sir, I got that, I was saying, I wish it was available to make one knob the squelch knob, like old school

 

[03msc]

Yes sir, I got that, I was saying, I wish it was available to make one knob the squelch knob, like old school

So you can’t map the knob?

 

[Giddyuptd]

Thanks, I went ahead and turned it off which solved the issue. Are there typical or generic number settings for the dropout and look back settings?

I have used non priority if needed but mostly, set selected channel by knob as priority and talk back. Set a priority 2 channel of next required listening per zone as the other essential channel. I believe if I recall I set the scan time to both .50 or something like that

 

[Giddyuptd]

I have used non priority if needed but mostly, set selected channel by knob as priority and talk back. Set a priority 2 channel of next required listening per zone as the other essential channel. I believe if I recall I set the scan time to both .50 or something like that. Just keep in mind the higher it goes the lookback is delayed more. I know if it's set really low you get the fast choppy sound in analog. Such as .25 then lookback b as .50. Play with it some and see what is ideal for your entity.

So what I use and works well for me is,

Selected channel as priority and talkback,

Set a second priority channel per zone of the channel youd need to hear over the others.

Set lookback A and B to .50

See how that works in a priority scan for you.

 

[kd4efm]

So you can’t map the knob?

No, you can not change the Volume Knob or the Channel knob on the KCH-20 head.

 

[03msc]

No, you can not change the Volume Knob or the Channel knob on the KCH-20 head.

Makes sense. I think maybe it does have Vol and Ch imprinted by the knobs now that I think about it...

 

[mmckenna]

Right, VOL & CH

A rotary squelch has little use in commercial/public safety radio as many use PL/DPL tones on analog. I'd hate to think of our officers messing with squelch settings. I do have it set in the menu, buried down deep, though.

I can see the value for amateur radio use, though.

 

[RRR]

Use squelch setting quite a bit on the Railroad.

 

[03msc]

Use squelch setting quite a bit on the Railroad.

I'm curious how so? Like...do you have/need to 'open' the squelch a lot? Or do you need to make it tighter to cut out distant signals? (not to be confused with lighted signals...)

I would think setting it as low/loose as possible (1 or 2?) would provide the best reception for distant comms or hearing a conductor's ht when he's near the bottom of the train or whatever but maybe you're needing to tighten it up sometimes for some situations?

Just curious. I guess you could map it to a key for easy access.

 

[RRR]

In my line of work, sometimes you want to hear as far as you can, and / or the best you can, portables, etc.,, and sometimes you don't need to hear but what is right near you.

Just asking if the channel knob could be mapped as the squelch control, I understand (at this time) the answer is no.

 

[03msc]

I understand. Not sure if it's possible (I would think yes but who knows) but maybe that is a capability they will add with a firmware and D1N update at some point.

 

[KK6ZTE]

I understand. Not sure if it's possible (I would think yes but who knows) but maybe that is a capability they will add with a firmware and D1N update at some point.

Haha. Kenwood respond to input? That's pretty funny.

 

[kd4efm]

Haha. Kenwood respond to input? That's pretty funny.

Kenwood sent me a response, it would be a special order firmware, it could be done, but for 1 radio, the price tag
is enough to say, yeah, I will softkey that.

Special Firmware will run you about 1,300. Updates do not follow normal NX-5000 firmware installs. You will have to repay for
any updates thereafter with your particular fw install.

 

[Cbr600rr2]

Make a short video of it and send to me, I can't duplicate the mentioned issue. I will also need that channel info so I can replicate it in the shop and check.

kd4efm Evans, sent using TapTALK on my HTC M9

I have a question you seem to be the expert! I have a nx-5300 and I have scan setup on a dmr and analog channels and when the analog channel scans and someone transmits on the dmr channel it doesn’t revert back to the dmr channel

 

[kd4efm]

I have a question you seem to be the expert! I have a nx-5300 and I have scan setup on a dmr and analog channels and when the analog channel scans and someone transmits on the dmr channel it doesn’t revert back to the dmr channel

So with the DMR channel, it is on the correct Color Code and GID? If there are multiple users on a FB6 (community repeater) or different TG in use on a single repeater, all 3 DMR items have to match, CC, SLOT, GID.

The other would be your scan window settings, if its too tight this can happen also.