Kenwood: TH-D72
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wd9ewk
Member
It will be a day or so before I'm back at my Windows laptop with the Kenwood software on it, to look at your file (and maybe load it on my TH-D72A). You might be able to confirm your setup by looking through the TH-D72A folder I have in my Dropbox space. There are some old MC4 files in there, but two PDFs might help answer questions you may have about that radio for the ISS crossband repeater and other FM satellites:
TH-D72A for FM satellites
TH-D72A memories for FM satellites
I just updated the PDF document with the memory channels for some of the current FM satellites, taking out some dead satellites and reordering the satellites in the document. The other document should help you set up the radio without software - something I originally wrote a few years ago for a ham who bought a TH-D72A before going on a long road trip, and needed a "starting from scratch" narrative on getting the radio set for satellite operating.
Unlike with VHF/UHF FM radios from other manufacturers, the memory channels in the TH-D72A can only work with transmit/uplink and receive/downlink frequencies in the same band. For full-duplex operation, you will need to use both VFOs, transmitting from the lower VFO (B) while receiving with the upper VFO (A), and make sure DUP is on the display when VFO B is active. Full-duplex operation is not available when transmitting from VFO A. And be prepared with an earphone, earbuds, a headset, or even an external speaker a few feet away from you when operating - you'll hear (and transmit) a loud squeal if you don't.
Hope this helps. Good luck, and 73!
wd9ewk
Member
Hi!
I had some time tonight to take your MC4 file and load it into my D72. I did see a typo for the uplink frequency you had as channel 6. I changed it to 145.990 MHz.
Notice the DUP on the display. This is needed for cross-band full-duplex operation, when you are transmitting from the lower VFO (B) and receiving with the upper VFO (A). DUP is activated by pressing the F key, followed by the 0/DUAL key, and only appears when the active VFO is VFO B, and the frequencies in the two VFOs are not in the same band. Make sure to use an earphone, earbuds, headset, etc. in the 2.5mm speaker jack, to avoid the feedback squeal when transmitting with DUP on the screen. You can turn that off, but then you won't be able to operate full-duplex (but can transmit or receive from either VFO).
I made a couple of other tweaks to your MC4 file, besides activating the DUP function. I set the audio balance all the way to VFO A, since for the ISS repeater and other FM satellites you will be hearing downlinks only in VFO A.
The Audio Balance setting is in menu 120, or from the keyboard MENU > RADIO > Audio > Balance.
Then I set the squelch so that it is wide open in VFO A, and fully closed in VFO B. The Audio Balance setting will already keep you from hearing anything from VFO B, but this is added insurance. VFO A:
VFO B:
The last portion of the bar for squelch in VFO B was blinking, and my picture didn't capture when the last couple of bars appeared on screen.
I also attached a ZIP file with just the updated MC4 file in it, which has the updated uplink frequency and the other tweaks for audio balance and squelch in each VFO. Before you load this in your D72, make sure to back up whatever settings you have in your radio. I did that with mine when I tested your file - backed up the current configuration, loaded yours to test, then restored my settings when I was done.
Please let me know how this works for you.
Good luck, and 73!
I had some time tonight to take your MC4 file and load it into my D72. I did see a typo for the uplink frequency you had as channel 6. I changed it to 145.990 MHz.
Notice the DUP on the display. This is needed for cross-band full-duplex operation, when you are transmitting from the lower VFO (B) and receiving with the upper VFO (A). DUP is activated by pressing the F key, followed by the 0/DUAL key, and only appears when the active VFO is VFO B, and the frequencies in the two VFOs are not in the same band. Make sure to use an earphone, earbuds, headset, etc. in the 2.5mm speaker jack, to avoid the feedback squeal when transmitting with DUP on the screen. You can turn that off, but then you won't be able to operate full-duplex (but can transmit or receive from either VFO).
I made a couple of other tweaks to your MC4 file, besides activating the DUP function. I set the audio balance all the way to VFO A, since for the ISS repeater and other FM satellites you will be hearing downlinks only in VFO A.
The Audio Balance setting is in menu 120, or from the keyboard MENU > RADIO > Audio > Balance.
Then I set the squelch so that it is wide open in VFO A, and fully closed in VFO B. The Audio Balance setting will already keep you from hearing anything from VFO B, but this is added insurance. VFO A:
VFO B:
The last portion of the bar for squelch in VFO B was blinking, and my picture didn't capture when the last couple of bars appeared on screen.
I also attached a ZIP file with just the updated MC4 file in it, which has the updated uplink frequency and the other tweaks for audio balance and squelch in each VFO. Before you load this in your D72, make sure to back up whatever settings you have in your radio. I did that with mine when I tested your file - backed up the current configuration, loaded yours to test, then restored my settings when I was done.
Please let me know how this works for you.
Good luck, and 73!
@wd9ewk
Patrick,
Thanks for looking over my file and correcting my errors.
I set up my audio level and squelch after I had saved the mc4 as per your instruction pages. I was unsure if it would save the Dup settings in MCP4 so I just set them manually at the radio when I set the sq and audio.
I have nothing in my 72 except for the mc4 file I posted so no worries on backing up. I have only ever tested radio to work on 2m & 70cm simplex an repeaters near me. I am giving thought's to selling it as my eyes are so bad now it makes it hard to read the button functions without using magnifying glass same problem reading my THD-74 functions.
Tim
Patrick,
Thanks for looking over my file and correcting my errors.
I set up my audio level and squelch after I had saved the mc4 as per your instruction pages. I was unsure if it would save the Dup settings in MCP4 so I just set them manually at the radio when I set the sq and audio.
I have nothing in my 72 except for the mc4 file I posted so no worries on backing up. I have only ever tested radio to work on 2m & 70cm simplex an repeaters near me. I am giving thought's to selling it as my eyes are so bad now it makes it hard to read the button functions without using magnifying glass same problem reading my THD-74 functions.
Tim
wd9ewk
Member
For FM satellite work, dual-band mobile radios might help. You would need a battery or other power source to run the radio, and it won't be as portable as an HT, but screens are usually larger. You also tend to get more knobs, which would also be larger than what you have with HTs. And, of course, the option for more TX power.
There are more options for dual-band mobile radios capable of full-duplex operation, especially if you are looking for a radio currently in production. I have a spreadsheet with lists of HTs, mobile radios, and base station radios capable of full-duplex operation for satellites. I have used some of them in videos on my YouTube. Some of them are in recent videos, and others may require scrolling back a bit through my videos to see them in action.
73!
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