nokones

When your programming cable is connected to the computer, your computer pick which comm port it wants to use. In the CPS, you have to tell the CPS which comm port the computer wants to use by going to the Set Up Page and click on Communications Port. You will notice that one of the 20 comm ports in the CPS is the only one that you can select so you need to select that port and click OK. Now, you can either read that codeplug or write to that codeplug. If any alerts come up just push pass it to write to the radio.

If your cable is for the TM-481a and is good working order, it should work on the TK-880. Depending on how the cable built, it will require the appropriate driver. Just make sure that the driver is compatible with Windows 11. If you're not sure if you need the Prolific or the FTDI driver, load both drivers on your computer and set the port selection according to the Device Manager. With the radio connected to the cable, pull the cable connector in and out of the computer while viewing the Device Manager and that may indicate the port the computer wants to use and set the port selection in the CPS accordingly. If the cable is a genuine Kenwood cable or built by Blue Max 49ers, you should be good to go. If it is built by some unknown provider that sells cheap Pandaland stuff from a business that is not dedicated to or does not specialized in only radio electronics, I would round-file the cable and get a quality built cable before you brick the radio permanently.

I'm using the KPG-46 FTDI cable with Windows 10 and 11 for my TK-780s and 880s with no problems. Who's cable are you using and where did you get it?

And make sure that you have Com Port 6 selected in the CPS.

Do you have the FTDI chip programming cable or the Prolific cable. You need to make sure that you have the appropriate driver for the type of cable you using. And you do need to select the correct port in the CPS. Usually, the correct port will have a white background and the others are grayed out. Select the port that is white

Me not being a genius, I guess I got lucky when it came to learning the Motorola programming software decades ago. I started out with the RSS DOS stuff for the HT1000 and MT2000 radios and some of the Radius stuff like the P110 and GP 300s over 30 years ago and became real comfortable with it and my first CPS was the MTS2000 and MCS2000 which I figured it out with no problems. Then came the XTS1500 portables and overtime, I got into the other stuff like the HT1250 and HT1550 and CDMs, PM400. The Astro Sabers and XTS3000 are the same CPS so there was no problem there for me. For some reason, I just was able to get into it and became real comfortable with the Motorola programming software programs. These days, I am trying to learn the XPR series and DMR. After, trying different programming steps, some how I stumbled across doing something right and making a DMR channel work. In my opinion, setting up a P25 conventional channel is a piece of cake as compared to setting up a DMR channel. Oh, by the way, I still don't like Chirp programming.

I wasn't going to try guessing his radio simplicity level, but I thought it would be nice to offer him some food for thought on some options for his future radio.

If you're going to stay with Midland, I would recommend with the MXT500 for the 99 channel capacity. Another option would be used Kenwoods or Motorola radios like the Kenwood TK-880 or TK-8180. The TK-880 is a 250 channel radio and the TK-8180 is a 520 channel radio. For Motorola either the XTL2500 or XTL5000. The XTL2500 would be either the 520 or 840 channel radio, depending on the flashing, and the XTL5000 is a 1000 channel radio.

Type-Accepted Part 95 Part B and E radios can only be programmed and operate on the channels they are certified for. They can not operate outside their type-acceptance. According to the FCC Part 95 Rules and Regulations, Type-Accepted/Certified LMR radios meeting the emissions, frequency tolerances/accuracy, and with regards to the specific power levels of those channels pursuant to Part 95, Subpart E, may be used/operated.

Get an antenna analyzer and check and see what the center resonance is then check the VSWRs with the radio in-line with the antenna transmission system. Check your station output power with a Load Terminator that measures at 50 ohms. Also, make sure that repeater you're trying to access is either a wideband operation or a narrowband operation and set your station accordingly.

You're not getting it right, get it right. You're just discrediting yourself and demonstrating that you are a perfect example of a certified genuine "Sad Ham".

Just so you know, there is a CPS version for the MXT-400 that is compatible for Windows 10, but not Windows 11.

I am not using a GMRS radio for GMRS freqs and the radios I do use for GMRS freqs are not nor are they made in Pandaland. Although, I do own a GMRS specific radio, but I just keep it as a spare for my Jeep Creep radioless friends to use on the trail. At least, the radio is an American Corporation owned company.

I wouldn't overlook the use of a magmount. It is an antenna and it can be quick to get on the air. It's better than no antenna.

You might be thinking of the Mesa Crest Repeater Club and/or the Crest Communications Repeater Club. They are both membership fee based and have repeaters that cover the subject areas. The annual membership fee for the Crest Communications club is $35/year so the $85/year membership fee may be for the Mesa Crest club.