Video

@@paulcavnar913 actually, you cannot change a V1 to a V2 with firmware or programming…there is a hardware difference between the two radios. If you want to take advantage of what a V2 offers (mostly Fleetsync features) you’ll have to purchase a V2 radio.

@@user-zl7tb3eb7z I cannot help you with that model…I don’t have anything that is trunking 800MHz. Maybe dig around on the radio forums…may be someone out there with a decent codeplug they can share with you.

Where are you located? Are you aware of any GMRS repeaters near you? If you get on MYGMRS.com you can look in your area, then request access from the repeater owner. You have to have an account and be logged in to do that.

@@Craigs-corner california i have repeaters in but i want to set up my tk-880 like your

@@Craigs-corner i want my channel groups like your on my tk-880 like your code plug and i can change the repeaters i use as needed

@@roberttraylor1392 okay. I actually just revised my TK-880 codeplug. Zone 1 is the standard GMRS/FRS simplex channels (1-22), zone 2 is the standard repeater pairs with no tones (RPT-15 to RPT-22), zone 3 is all my Midwest GMRS repeaters (all linked repeaters with tones). That zone has repeaters in five states and I preface the channel name with the state abbreviation. I can send the .dat file to you if you provide an email address. Do you have the 25 watt version, or the H model (45 watt)?

@@Craigs-corner plz email code plug

KMC-28A MIL-SPEC noise cancelling mic.

Hey man…sorry for the delay. What you can do (since those tones aren’t available in the drop down list) is manually type in “D036N” in the decode box, and manually type in “D145N” in the encode box and then save your codeplug file. I just tested it and it works fine (the radio can still generate that tone, even though it doesn’t show in the drop-down list). Give that a try and see if you can break squelch on that repeater. Report back, if you don’t mine…in case others read this (encounter this).

@@Craigs-corner hi that worked great, thank you again for your help

@@dustineasley854 that’s great, man…glad to help, and thanks for reporting back success…may help someone else out.

The TK-8180H is a great radio…you won’t be disappointed. Are you planning on using this as a mobile or base radio? I’d be happy to help you with programming/tuning, or can do a video showing you how to program (in detail) if you want to try it on your own. Look me up on Facebook (Craig Beare)…might be easier to communicate/help you out that way, versus on here.

@@Craigs-corner trying to message you but which Facebook profile is yours location or a link to profile on fb

@@charro0001 Craig Beare

That’s great…the whole point of the video! What do you have…TK-380, 880, or both?

That is true, although Chirp doesn’t cover all the features of this radio. Yes, you don’t want to use the “DN” version of the Kenwood software if you want wideband.

I’m not familiar with the Retevis radios, so cannot comment there, but I have the 8180H in my truck, and another as a base and they’re awesome radios. You can find them for a little over $200 with bracket, power cord and mic. Not saying the Retevis would not work, but the Kenwoods sound great and have a lot of useful features, and pretty easy to program. If you go that route, you can buy this cable (has FTDI chip so Windows friendly) and he will send you a link to download the programming software as part of the cable purchase. I can assist with programming, if need be. I believe you can use mwgmrs (all lowercase) and get a 10% discount. bluemax49ers.com/product-explorer/kenwood-tk-8180-ftdi-programming-cable-kpg-46/

I don’t think KPG-49D is compatible with Apple, unless you can dual boot into Windows.

I found this excerpt on a forum discussion from 2017, “I have actually used Mac for five years now. I run VMware on my MacBook Pro and use that software, running Windows 7 as a Virtual Machine inside VMware.” He also goes on to mention that you have to buy a USB to serial programming cable that uses the FTDI chip versus Prolific. For cables, I always buy FTDI cables from a guy named Mark out in California, for example his cable for the TK-880 bluemax49ers.com/product-explorer/kenwood-tk-880-ftdi-programming-cable-kpg-46/ and he can help you out with software and firmware files. Hope this helps.

It does have self cancelling turn signals. It’s a different setup than the system used on the RZ-350, but works great.

Send me an email to sargeaf@icloud.com and include your name/number and I’ll call you…should be able to explain over the phone. It sounds like you have the install disk and need assistance installing the software onto your computer, then go from there. If you want to try…go into disk one and look for a file called Setup.exe and if you run that it will install the FPU software onto your computer.

@@Craigs-corner I will look at it when I get back out into the shack.

You gotta try fpv drones. I don't even fly outside anymore. 65mm tinywhoops and you get the feeling of flight

I’ll get a .dat file uploaded to my Dropbox and I’ll provide you the link here when I’m finished. I’ve never played around with it in trunking mode, just conventional. I have a pretty good video on updating firmware also.

Here is a link to a dropbox folder. There are some manuals in that folder also, but you'll see a data file named BASE-2.dat, and also the .hex file is the latest V2 firmware I use. www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/x4et2x3y8v8scc0p94enw/h?rlkey=iz38e0j2kfwmnny79rwpg7khb&dl=0

Hey man…I can help you with a codeplug for a TK-880. If you like how I have the channel groups setup, and all that, all I’d need to know is info for any repeaters you’d want. And, also what you want your power on message to be. I’d also need to know if you have a v1 or v2 radio. I could send you a Dropbox link or something so you can download it. I’m assuming you have the KPG-49 software and cable?

​@Craigs-corner I don't know how you sent that to my email but thank you sir. I'll be liking every dang video you make

@@Craigs-corner I like how you set that up. I have the same tk 880. I’m in need of the cable for programming. I can definitely use the assistance.

@@dustineasley854 this is the cable you need, and he’ll provide you the software also. I can assist with firmware updating, codeplug, how to use the software, etc. bluemax49ers.com/product-explorer/kenwood-tk-880-440-470mhz-ftdi-programming-cable-kpg-46/

Use coupon code mwgmrs

Hmmm…I see what you mean. It had been there. I have the .hex firmware files for both V1 and V2 radios. I could send you a Dropbox link to download them to your computer if you provide an email address. It would be from my Dropbox account. You cannot email them directly…they usually get stripped as potentially dangerous file types, since it’s a .hex file (machine language).

Hey man…look in the video description for additional info, and the link where you can download the latest firmware hex files for both V1 and V2. Let me know if you need any other help.

I hear ya man! Unfortunately, shortly after this video, both speaker surrounds split all the way around the speaker cone. Sadly, the latex foam surrounds they used in these are prone to breaking down over time and they just deteriorate. I imagine this box probably sat for a while not being used, and they probably split when I started playing music on it again. It’s hard to find speakers for this box.

@@Craigs-corner I'm sorry to hear that. What can you say? The thing is probably more than 35 years old. The ones I had were bought in 1986 and 1987. Thinking about this made me remember the old radios that belonged to the grandmother and aunt of a childhood friend of mine. They were those old radios that were about 2 feet wide and 3.5 feet high--the kind that had tubes in them. When I was a kid in the 1970's, me and my best friend would visit his grandmother or his aunt and they had these big old radios in their houses that they probably bought when FDR in office.

It’s the type that’s 450-490MHz.

@@Craigs-corner gotcha. I didn't do my research correctly, and thought it was locked on the ham bands. Thanks!

Sorry for the late reply…you may have already figured this out, but I’ll answer just in case someone else runs into this. I actually talk about this at the beginning of the video. Plug your radio in (powered on) and start the programming software. Read the codeplug from the radio, then go into General Setting, then tab2. Click the box that says “Firmware Programming” to put a check mark there, then write the codeplug back to the radio. When it completes, the radio should restart, then you can power it off, hold down the scan button while powering it on, and it should then go into firmware program mode.

I’m not exactly clear on what you’re asking; are you asking how to copy the hex file from one folder to another on your computer, or how to transfer the hex file to the radio?

Hello, Ray-Ray…73s.

Hey

yes i would buy one to

Sorry for the delay. Are you asking if I still have this radio to sell, or if it’s available somewhere else to buy? I no longer have this particular radio, but you may be able to find one on EBay. I do have a few TK-380 available.

@@Craigs-corner yes i would i am sorry as well i had some legal trouble how much for a tk380 and is it uhf

I’m away from the house, but I’ll do a quick video to show you how to setup the LCD to show channel name versus group name. If you have it set for channel name, it will show that and the group number. I’ll upload the video and send you the link on here…give me a little time.

Thanks. I've looked at the code plug 10 times and I can't figure it out.

@@Craigs-corner thank you. Ice went thru the code plug 10 times and everything looks right but my radio shows the group name not the channel name

Here you go, Michael…let me know if this helps you. czcams.com/video/__Jq-BmrgM0/video.html