Kenwood TH-D7 Tips and Tricks

Kenwood TH-D7 Tips and Tricks

The Kenwood TH-D7 is an amateur radio handheld transceiver (HT) capable of 2 meter and 70 centimeter band operation along with an embedded 1200/9600 baud terminal node controller. The radio also contains an implementation of the Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) capable of broadcasting the radio's position when coupled with an external serial-attached GPS receiver.

Using Kenwood-supplied software to program radio memories and configuration

Prerequisites:

1. Microsoft Windows (Vista not tested)
2. Kenwood's MCP-D7 Software, a free download from Kenwood.
3. An RS-232 serial Port on the host PC
4. An RS-232 radio serial cable with a 3.5mm audio plug on one end and a traditional RS-232 D-sub connector on the other.

Using the TH-D7 with amateur radio satellites for voice communication

1. See the HAM Satellites page for general amateur satellite techniques.
2. Use the Duplex feature to receive audio on one band while transmitting on another. Press the “DUP” key and observe that the “DUP” indicator is lit on the display. NOTE: You'll need an earphone with a 2.5mm plug or a converter to avoid audio feedback.
3. The TH-D7 is incapable of memory frequency splits across bands. If tracking doppler shift on the uplink is required, then a second set of memories is necessary along with manually swapping between bands to adjust the frequency as the satellite arcs overhead. 2 meter doppler shift may not be significant enough to warrant the effort on the uplink.

Using the TH-D7 with amateur radio satellites for digital communication

The TH-D7 can be employed to communicate with digipeaters located on the ISS and other amateur satellites. Various settings must be employed to deal with the difficult environment of a doppler shifted transmitter. In a forthcoming edit I will add details for digital modes. When the weather cooperates digital tests will ensue.

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