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My analog signal is nice. I wish I had a DMR repeater closer but the White Tanks and South Mountain are where most of them are located and both are 16 miles away. I might have to break out the 9db Yagi and see if that'll help.

And it may require the older version Windows XP Prolific driver which means if you don't already have it, you won't find it. In some cases, some radios do not like the newer Prolific Windows XP driver.

@amaff and @OffRoaderX, All I can go by is what the other club told us when we asked about the Kraken system. They did have all of theirs mounted on towers with a bunch of other radio and cell services. I don't know if that had any effect or not. It is quite possible that they did not have everything setup 100% correctly. We were considering getting the Kraken system for a couple of our repeater sites and knew the other club had them already. SO we reached out to the other club to get their experiences with Kraken.

Can you get closer to the repeater? With analog you can still understand a transmission even though some noise. Digital is sensitive to signal to noise. When it can’t understand the bit pattern it is completely useless even though you might still be able to hear the conversation in analog. However, 16 miles really isn’t too far. If your analog signal is pretty clear at that distance you should be able to connect to the digital side.

The radio may not be happy with Windows 10 or 11 64-bit OS and the FTDI cable. The radio of that vintage might be happier with a 32-bit Windows like XP or Vista and it may want to see a prolific driver and cable. If you don't have those resources, let me know and I can help you out.

Glad to have helped. Some folks need to be the 1st to respond with their posted comments, before they even have read the entire posted question in it's entirety. I'm sure that this will generate additional from those folks who are on the defensive. Really don't care. Get over it.

Then they're doing it wrong. I used mine to catch multiple jammers on our repeaters - one even thought he was smart by driving around and I caught him in just a few hours. Mounting them at a repeater site is the wrong way to do it.

The radio tells me it's not connecting. "Failed To Connect To Repeater", LOL. I tried a few at first then I backed off and just did a single one, figured I might be confusing the radio. I put the Arizona StateWide 3104 talkgroup in, added it to the RX list and everything but it still won't connect. I just wonder if this little 5 watt radio just doesn't have the stones to TX 16 miles. All of my other radios hit the White Tanks repeaters just fine, could it just be that Digital won't go as far as Analog will??? I've added a few more Analog channels to the radio, seems to work just fine in Analog. I may have to make a video of me adding a Digital Channel to show what I'm doing so maybe someone could point out where I'm going wrong unless, like I said, this radio just can make the 16 miles in Digital mode.

I mean, if Mom needs the bags with the tampons in it, say that. That's what they are and that's what she needs. It's more the cursing and vulgarity that's going to get you in trouble...and even then, only if people are listening. Using simplex channels while you are out and about in a remote area? Chances are, you're the only one listening. Welcome and good luck! You ever find your contact from Trenton?

No, I haven't. I just thought it was a hoot to receive from that far away. I'll give it a try next time I hear it.

How do you know you’re not connecting? Do you hear any digital traffic? What talk group are you trying to join? Did you create an account with Brandmeister? If so, open up a window to your dashboard and watch for your ID. You’ll probably have to filter on it because they get a butt load of traffic. It’s been a while since I’ve done it but I think you can monitor traffic on just the repeater you’re talking to as well. What messages are being displayed by your radio. If mine cannot connect to a digital repeater I get a message that says something like “Repeater not found.”

Have been programming a TK-880H with KPG-49D software using a KPG-46 USB cable and an x64 Windows PC. Works fine. Trying to program a TK-8102H with KPG-70D software using the same cable, com port, and PC but the software returns a com error. Bought the 8102 as untested with power cables cut short when taken out of service. Tried changing PC com ports with same results. Tried CHIRP, error says radio refuses com. A local Kenwood tech says if the 880 works with that setup on my PC then the 8102 should too. Powered up the 8102 with a 50watt dummy load and #1 program lamp lights up, volume controls work, but no other panel buttons work other than power on/off. With a 50 watt dummy load a Surecom SW-32UV power meter shows it’s putting out about 30+ watts on ‘some frequency’ so I think it’s PROBABLY working. Tried downloading a com driver Kenwood recommends but after Windows tells me it’s installed, it doesn’t show up in Device Manager anywhere and retrying different com ports, still no joy. Can’t find the Kenwood driver anywhere on the PC but probably a moot point as both radios should work with the setup I’ve been using. Any ideas or is the 8102 ‘just what I paid for’ ——- a parts radio?

Good to know. Thanks

HTs no less.

That sounds like less of a limitation of the Kraken system, and more a limitation of the people who employ it by attaching them to repeater sites.

He was busy making 200 mile contacts on his GMRS radio.

I don't know why I can't connect to a DMR Repeater, I have everything in the program that I need, Repeater ID, CC, TimeSlot and I'm only putting 1 TalkGroup in so as not to complicate things. I know I can hit the Repeaters on Analog, why can't I hit them on Digital? I think I'm missing something but I don't know what. I've followed instructions from a few different videos on how to do this with no luck.

Fantastic, THANK YOU! I already ordered the clip and... I also ordered the pocket holder thanks for your excellent suggestions! may that good karma come right back to you!

I don't blame the repeater owners for shutting thing down in that instance. I would probably do the same thing, at least temporarily.

You’re right that belt clip sucks. This is one on eBay, you’ll note that it doesn’t have a hinge mechanism. I just left mine off and put it in a pocket or a holder like this.

The Kraken system is not all that is cracked up to be. A amateur radio club near Springfield , Mo has 2 or 3 Kraken systems and they haven't had a whole lot of luck with them. The Kraken doesn't work so well in a noisy RF environment. That club had theirs mounted at each repeater site.

there is one in each group or forum. nice to meet you. now I will wait for actually useful comments

I added a DMR Repeater and some of the TalkGroups that it listed but for some reason, even though I put them in Contacts and RX and everything else when I go to the Digital Channel I just see the Repeater and don't have any option to go to a TalkGroup within the Repeater. I'm going to need to watch more videos because something just didn't go quite right. I can't even hit the repeater(that I can normally hit Analog) even though I have the right CC for it. This IS going to take a bit of work but I'm sure I'll figure it out and have an "AhhHaa" monument where it all clicks for me.

According to the FCC Part 95 (E) Your entire immediate family is covered under your license. However, since the license is in your name, you're solely responsible for what is transmitted over the air. It's a good to remind family members of what can and can't be transmitted over the radio. Each member should also be reminded to ID at least every 15 minutes during a lengthy conversation AKA a QSO. If you really want to stay on the up and up with the FCC, you may want to a user's log, this way as the license hold are apart present with family members while they're using their radios. You can have a record if the FCC has a reason to contact you.

Plain squelch will do that too. Drop your squelch to 1 or 2 or low on a analog dial.