Programming Help Kenwood TK-780H-1

[Hfdfirebug]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first time having to reach out for help on programming a radio as well as posting on here. I have read all previous advice and have researched to the hilt on my issue but with now resolve. I hoping someone has come across this is and has resolved it. So here it is, I recently purchased a Kenwood 780H-1 off of Ebay, (of which I have ALWAYS had good luck with. When I try to use the KPG49D software it tells me to "Check Connection" I have a brand new OEM programming cable of which I recently just bought. When I try to read the programming the LCD display screen says "Programming" but still gives me the message listed above. I also tried using the windows based KPG60D software as I read somewhere that it would work as well and that gives me an error of "Check Model" or something along those lines. Neither software has listed the actual 780H model just the 780 of which I've programmed many of those. Any help would be great. Thank You so Much.

 

[mmckenna]

Are you using a real Kenwood KPG-46 cable connected to a REAL RS-232 port on your computer?

Are you using a KPG-49d software that was activated with the correct serial number for the US market?

Is this a US market radio? (Should have a "K" in the model number)

 

[Hfdfirebug]

This is what the tag on the back of the radio says. The software I'm using has always worked its a DOS based software. The kpg-46 cable is Authentic.

 

[a417]

This is what the tag on the back of the radio says. The software I'm using has always worked its a DOS based software. The kpg-46 cable is Authentic.

KPG-46 or KPG-46U?

 

[mmckenna]

This is what the tag on the back of the radio says. The software I'm using has always worked its a DOS based software. The kpg-46 cable is Authentic.

OK, that's a US market radio.

As for the software, you would have needed a serial number to activate it. Did it start with: 049K44######XXXX


When you say the programming cable is "authentic", are you 100% sure it is a Kenwood brand cable, or is it aftermarket?
And as a417 said, is it a KPG-46 or a KPG-46U???
KPG-46 will have a 25 pin RS-232 connector.
The KPG-46U will have a USB connector.

You need to be using a KPG-46 with the RS232 connector and not with a USB adapter.

 

[Hfdfirebug]

Kpg-46

 

[a417]

And you have a known good, tested serial port on the computer you are working with?

 

[Hfdfirebug]

And you have a known good, tested serial port on the computer you are working with?

Yes I actually used it to program a Kenwood Tk-2312 and today used it to program a Motorola HT1250. I have a new "pigtail" programming cable that will program Kenwood, Motorola and a few other brands but it's usb. I purchased a female serial cable >female USB cable to attempt that to program things with. I'm new to programming Motorola so I didn't realize that with the software I have it only allows for com port programming not USB. I am stumped with the 780H though. Is it possible for the KPG-49D Software to go corrupt after sitting on disk? It's been on the same 3.5 floppy disk that I put it on 12 or 13 years ago?

 

[a417]

Yes I actually used it to program a Kenwood Tk-2312 and today used it to program a Motorola HT1250. I have a new "pigtail" programming cable that will program Kenwood, Motorola and a few other brands but it's usb. I purchased a female serial cable >female USB cable to attempt that to program things with. I'm new to programming Motorola so I didn't realize that with the software I have it only allows for com port programming not USB. I am stumped with the 780H though. Is it possible for the KPG-49D Software to go corrupt after sitting on disk? It's been on the same 3.5 floppy disk that I put it on 12 or 13 years

I have used usb -> serial on linux with emulate DOS, to program radios ( and I have done it with my 880s) - but I would not advise it to someone without significant experience.

If your software runs in DOS, you can pretty much throw USB support out the window. It was there, but it was a cast-iron ***** and the radio people didn't even try to support it that well.

As for the discs, they are not permanent. They are spinning pieces of plastic, inside another piece of plastic with a metal door. The fact that you can even read it right now is a minor miracle. Media degrades, the drives fall out of spec and alignment, and software is nigh-on-impossible to run on modern hardware.

My advise to you is to do bit level copies of every disk you have and store them in image form, and copy the data to a much more secure storage medium. If it's that important, I would recommend a 3-2-1 backup plan for it.

 

[a417]

It was there, but it was a cast-iron ***** and the radio people didn't even try to support it that well.

I want to clarify this statement. DOS support for USB devices in general was hard to come by, and the radio people didn't even give it much thought. They focused on the coming GUI based OS'es and their baked in USB support.

 

[WB5UOM]

@mmkenna, KPG49D is super old dos, no activation.
There ARE I think 3 versions of KPG-49D and there are radios that want a particular version in order to R/W the radio.
But, it is gonna take an old slow machine (I have it running on a xp laptop) AND as mentioned, a hard serial port.

 

[mmckenna]

@mmkenna, KPG49D is super old dos, no activation.
There ARE I think 3 versions of KPG-49D and there are radios that want a particular version in order to R/W the radio.
But, it is gonna take an old slow machine (I have it running on a xp laptop) AND as mentioned, a hard serial port.

You're right. It's been a while.

 

[hill]

I don't know why you use the Windows version on KPG-49.

I have the windows version and work well, plus the USB programming cable works.

 

[AM909]

I, too, have used the Windows version of KPG-49D v4.20 on a Win7 desktop with both Kenwood and other USB cables to read/write/tune TK-880 and TK-380. The software installs and works normally on a 4yo Win10 laptop, too, though I don't think I've tried to connect to a radio with that machine.