Mikeam

Will that include 2 PL tones on one frequency??

Midland is doing the same thing but only allowing1 PL tone in each frequencie as I understand it. Not sure why they did this and the first of the two Btech or Midland to break away with multiple frequencies and dual PL tones could own the market in my eyes! Yes I would have bought one of the two then!!

5.0000

It should do simplex on channels 1 - 7 also! But 8 - 14 will not transmit due to FCC rules!

My Kenwood 8180 is 30 W and it talks to a repeater close to 60 miles away, works great so far just bought a second one to set up as a portable base around the house!

Kenwood TK-8180 in the Jeep JK so far it works great, I like the amount of usable channels for repeaters with the same frequency but different PL codes.

Yes I noticed that but with it only picking up the repeater channel it did show the correct channel number when there was actual activity. I also have to add that the useful help on this forum exceeds any other forum I am on really a nice thing!

A spread sheet to start with as there are only 8 frequencies, I listed all using the travel code, then I added all frequencies and their location using the other PL codes. If your transmitter is capable of adding additional frequencies this makes it simple if not as suggested above program the one in your area that covers the major area you will travel in!

Tomorrow I will go over your answer and do screen shots of the set up in the software. I figure it is something I did not configure correctly as everything else works fine. All channels in zone 1 are simplex and repeater channels All channels have the scan add on! I believe the off hook scan is on On the (PL/DPL tones may not be set properly) only the repeater channels have any PL tone set up

So I have my Kenwood 8180 installed and set up it performs great but I can not seem to get it to scan properly. On my Btech v1 I can scan all GMRS channels with no issue but I am lost on getting the 8180 to scan all 46 channels. Any assistance is appreciated. It seems to only scan the repeater channels as I can put it in scan mode and then say use channel 6 on a hand held in the garage and the 8180 does not hear or react to it in scan mode but if a repeater is active it will stop on that channel. If I put the 8180 on channel 6 it communicates with the HT. Thanks Mike

I checked that setting and it was set at 2 so I will change that to 5 and see, the thing that puzzles me is on N/W setting the issue is there only when changing to W which causes constant squelch but changing back to N it stops and only on the non repeater frequencies. Also it only happens on the changed frequency not any other frequency! Thanks for your response. Mike

I will take a look but it only does this if I change to Wide FM. Thanks Mike

Not to steal this thread but when I attempt to use wideband on anything except repeater frequencies and I say go to channel 6, the radio immediately puts out squelch tone. So is the 8180 only to use narrow band on non repeater frequencies? I have looked at the help files and find no reference to this situation??

Not that difficult the help files are in alphabetical order so as you use the software (or browse around in it) you can open the help file and see what the abbreviations really mean, that is a big help. Not everything is logical to me for example using wide band versus narrow band does some weird things on my radio. An example is using GMRS 6 and experimenting with the two bands the narrow band works fine but if I change it to wide band then GMRS 6 goes into squelch mode and stays there (very annoying). I am most likely missing something or the Kenwood 8180 only works in NF except on repeater channels. It is a good quality radio and it does work!! Enjoy it but as stated in other posts get the Kenwood software on eBay as Chirp does not have all of the radio functions available. Hope this helps Mike

Following!

So the Kenwood 8180 is installed programmed and working great, I was able to talk through a repeater near Seattle that is 52 air miles away clearly. Appreciate all of the input from this group that made this possible as we still travel a lot and the ability to add frequencies with different PL codes was the one reason I went with the Kenwood, Now I need to figure out how to get only my 36 channels to scan properly using the Kenwood software. Thanks for all of the information!!!!! Mike

Marc posted as I was posting take his advice on how to energize the ignition sense function! As someone else told me get the Kenwood software on Ebay much easier than using voltage to cause it to work!

The Kenwood software arrived late yesterday and yes I am glad people here told me it was better I was able to set the function keys for what I wanted. Chirp did let me put in frequencies and pl codes but that is about it. The software from Kenwood is great and the help files give you the meanings on the terminology so you can program and use the radio, again thanks. Mike

Found it looks like minimum audio volume is set at 8 in the Chirp software will set it at 3 and see if that function works, still will get the Kenwood software. Thanks.

I agree but I needed to get the repeater channels in and working which Chirp (based on a ham friend having limited time to help) and that did work but I have the software recommended above found and will order it. Question does the Kenwood software allow you to set the default volume mine starts on power up at 8 would prefer 3? Thanks

So Chirp will download from the radio and upload but it seems like programming the repeater channels does not function right or I may be doing something wrong. What I get when done adding the 8 repeater channels I get a continuous squelch when I select any of them? Going to try again tomorrow! And there are no help files specific to the radio for programming.

HT ? I think it refers to a hand held radio??

Great information and well written, thanks!!!!!

On the software I had just found that it is listed on Chrip, will look at it if I buy the Kenwood and let you know the money is not the issue, on the heat that really helps thanks for the reply Mike