Questions about purchasing and using a KNG2 series radio

[rja1]

This post is aimed at those who purchased and currently own a KNG / KNG2 series of portable radios. Purchased new or used? I'm seriously considering a KNG2-P150. Purchased online, direct from BK Technologies or through a dealer? What options did you purchase? If through a dealer, who had the best price / service? Does the radio have a standard SMA female connector (not RP)? I'm looking at: the radio, software, programming cable, Li-Ion battery, drop in charger.....I'll use my own antenna.
The rest of the story: I'm interested in using this as a 2 meter HT and to SCAN a phase 1 P25 statewide system. I have a ton of scanners, some work better than others & some don't work worth a darn. From what I've read, they will actually SCAN through a trunked system, not like my G5's that find an active CC & sit there.
I'm asking these questions so I don't make a very expensive mistake. If I do take the plunge on this, there will be LOTS of items listed in the classifieds........sds100, hp-1, hp-2, 996T, pair of Icom F70DT's (P25 enabled), GRE PSR800, Icom R2-R3-R5-R6 (NIB), Alinco DJ-X7T (Might keep this one) and about 25-30 Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu & Alinco HT's and a TON of accessories.
I'd appreciate any & all input from owner / users.

Thanks & 73,
Bob / N2OAM

 

[DanRollman]

This post is aimed at those who purchased and currently own a KNG / KNG2 series of portable radios. ... From what I've read, they will actually SCAN through a trunked system, not like my G5's that find an active CC & sit there.

I own these radios.

I am not sure what you mean by "scan through a trunked system." If you mean, will they rapidly scan through multiple Sites looking for activity from any talkgroup in your Scan List sequentially on each site, the way a consumer-grade scanner does, the answer is No. The KNG radio is a public safety grade radio, not a scanner. It can scan multiple talkgroups on the active system and site, but it doesn't scan multiple systems or sites simultaneously because that is not feature authorized system users would need (since they can pull activity of interest of the site they're affiliated with). So in that sense I would say a KNG programmed for RX Only scanning works much more like a G5 than a Uniden scanner. Of course, the KNG has lots of benefits over a G5, including the ability to select a site rather than having to reprogram your talkgroups over and over again as different systems. But you can't scan across multiples sites at the same time.

I own a Uniden SDS100, a Unication G5, and two KNG radios. I like them all. I use them all. They are each better at certain tasks than the other two. But I use the KNG the most, and if I could only have one radio, it would be a KNG of course.

 

[bc780l]

Dan: I, too, might be interested in the BK for non-affiliate scanning. Since I've never programmed a BK, I obviously don't know the features available.

Are you sure you cannot disable or set a timer for deaffiliation/deregistration (when leaving the trunking system) when scanning on the BK? For example on my work Harris and EFJ radios, which have multiple trunking systems and conventional, I can (and have) set up radio wide scanning for specific (authorized, despite your comment) talkgroups from any of the systems to be included in the radio wide scan list. By configuring deregistration to not occur immediately, the scan process will proceed without delay when hitting the trunking systems in the scan sequence. (The corollary is obvious delays in the scan to reaffiliate.)

Also, just to confirm, NO system key is required for non-affiliate scanning? I thought I saw that the system key was required (but perhaps that was just with Advanced Key programming?).

Besides the better audio and expanded channels on the KNG2, any other significant differences?

 

[DanRollman]

Are you sure you cannot disable or set a timer for deaffiliation/deregistration (when leaving the trunking system) when scanning on the BK? For example on my work Harris and EFJ radios, which have multiple trunking systems and conventional, I can (and have) set up radio wide scanning for specific (authorized, despite your comment) talkgroups from any of the systems to be included in the radio wide scan list. By configuring deregistration to not occur immediately, the scan process will proceed without delay when hitting the trunking systems in the scan sequence. (The corollary is obvious delays in the scan to reaffiliate.)

The KNG doesn't affiliate or register when used in RX Only mode, so it also doesn't deaffiliate/deregister. Nor does it leave a trunked system for another, since it doesn't scan multiple trunked systems simultaneously (a scan list in a KNG can only contain talk groups from a single system). To me, the ability to simultaneously scan multiple trunked systems is the one advantage that No Affiliate Scan on a Motorola radio has over RX Only Programming on a KNG. But, as you note, there is a pretty meaningful delay when a Motorola scans from one system to the next. Does that answer your question, or did I misunderstand what you were asking?

Also, just to confirm, NO system key is required for non-affiliate scanning? I thought I saw that the system key was required (but perhaps that was just with Advanced Key programming?).

No system key is required to program a KNG or KNG2 for RX Only. Once you check the "RX Only" check box, it no longer looks for a system key. This is one of the primary reasons I spent the money I did on KNG radios. I am completely comfortable with programming Motorola radios using the No Affiliate Scan method, but I was not comfortable with the whole system key thing.

Besides the better audio and expanded channels on the KNG2, any other significant differences?

KNG2 offers Bluetooth and a pretty color screen too. That and better audio is about it. I don't think the expanded channels is a difference anymore. I think current firmware has them both at 5,000 channels.

 

[IAmSixNine]

@DanRollman pretty much hit all the good points of the BK KNG series radios. I have a KNG2-P800 and am very happy with it.
The only down side I have had with mine is looking for parts / accessories as these units are not as popular as other big name brands.
So they are harder to find and the cost is usually a bit higher. But ultimately i am happy with my device and how it operates.

 

[gtaman]

There is a demo system key that I can distribute. It’s a 1/1 key. The only thing it’s needed for is to change a few settings for RX only that for some reason can’t be changed without a key. The key is purely a demo and it completely harmless.