KC9LFD.org

I’ve owned RS HTX-202/404’s, Yaesu’s VX-5r, 6r, 7r, and now a Kenwood TH-D7A(G). The RX and TX performance exceeds the VX-7R in my experience. Maybe it was the radio, or maybe it was the antennas, but regardless.

Pros: Built in TNC is awesome and terribly convenient. Easy menu navigation and neatly organized. Nice big screen, and buttons are easy to navigate, especially with APRS functions.

Cons: Dual band/memories is rather odd.. I can store memories memories per band, but it won’t automatically switch between bands in case I wanted to scan all memory channels. Built in APRS software is limited for receiving messages and sending. Still works excellent for APRS broadcasts. No spectrum analyzer, something I sorely miss from my Yaesu radios.

Overall: The power levels are odd, 50mW, 500mW, and 5W, those are interesting jumps in RF output. I simply cannot argue with performance or built in TNC. I have the 9.6v 1700mAh battery and I get awesome performance, more so than my VX-7R.

In the end, I really wish I had purchased this radio instead of my VX-7R when I was shopping at AES. But I got it anyway and LOVE it. I couldn’t imagine myself without it. I give this a 5 out of 5.

I’ve owned a TT3 for some time now and I can’t say I hate it. It does what it needs to do automatically. I have it hooked up to a HTX-202 and the gps output of my GPSMAP60.

Pros: With the flip of a switch, it’s ready to rock without user intervention. The flash based programming utilitiy is rather straight forward to use and it has a numbre of nice features. You can set a static beacon rate or a dynamic beacon rate. I figured out a 1 minute becon with a 1 watt transmitter can drain my battery when I’m not driving. Even though I don’t make use of it, the gps output of the TT3 features a 5v output. This can come in handy with some units such as the DeLorme Tripmate (after modifications). I also can’t complain about the support. Usually within a day I get the technical advice I need.

Cons: There is no emergency beacon mode. A push-button emergency mode would be a nifty feature to have. Having to remove the TT3 and bring it to a computer for reprogramming can be troublesome and annoying, especially when fine tuning.

Overall, I’m rather happy with the unit. It takes my position and sends it to my radio for broadcasting. I really couldn’t ask for much more. I give this a 4 out of 5.