TK-5710 software comparison to XTL5000 radio
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 11:30 am
Have had some time to play with and program one of the new series Kenwood TK-5710 mobiles. My understanding is this is kenwood's answer to the Motorola XTL5000 series mobiles and P25.
Well in playing and programming the the TK-5710 radio, the first thing that bugs me is there is no way to provide the operator the ability to change transmit power levels from the control head.
this is done by the software only on a channel by channel selection. At least Motorola provides the ability to program up a button on the control head to allow low and high power selection.
The next item that really irks me is the limited number of scan lists in the TK-5710. The software only allows you a max of 16 scan lists in the software. At least Motorola allows you to have
a scan list for each personality you create in the software. This is a big negative in my opinion if Kenwood is trying to match this radio up against the Motorola XTL series radios.
One of the features that I do like and enjoy, is what Kenwood calls "OST". This is "Operator Selected Tone" in the TK-5710. It allows you to have access to up to 40 pre set CTCSS selections
in the radio. Motorola only allows 12. You can make a dial a frequency radio if you do much traveling around the country. Set a button on the control head to bring up the OST and pick which
one you need. If you don't know which tone is used, you can spend a few minutes trying tones till you get the right one to bring up the repeater your trying for.
In receive, the TK-5710 has almost too much audio output. I find myself trying to turn down the volume control many times. Had to set the minimum volume so I didn't turn the volume off in
trying to turn the audio level down.
The programming software must have been almost cloned from Motorola with all the steps you have to jump through in trying to add new channels or groups (zones) to the radio. You will find
yourself jumping back and forth between several menu selections while adding a frequency. This is almost the same way that Motorola makes a tech fight with their software.
The scanning of channels is not what i would expect from a high end radio. You have limited options in setting up the scan parameters. No matter what you select, the hole that is placed in a
non priority channel audio needs to be addressed in my opinion. I base this on some 45 years playing with both Motorola and General Electric radios and scan heads. One of the best that I have
ever seen is the GE S950 and S990 scan heads. The audio holes on a non priority channel was barely audible. The shortest that Kenwood allows for a setting is 500 ms. This seems like a long
time to miss part of a conversation and is very annoying to say the least. Sure I understand it takes time to decode a CTCSS tone. But if the first part of the scan test for activity on the
priority channel is plain RF, it doesn't take that long to detect. If there is RF on the priority channel, then go into a decode mode. You don't have to take time if there is no activity there.
Seems like some effort needs to be put into polishing the firmware in the radio and some more latitude in the software timing selections.
If I do get some feedback from the company, I will post their comments. Problem is we are dealing with an off shore involvement here and time will tell if the company cares.
Jim
Well in playing and programming the the TK-5710 radio, the first thing that bugs me is there is no way to provide the operator the ability to change transmit power levels from the control head.
this is done by the software only on a channel by channel selection. At least Motorola provides the ability to program up a button on the control head to allow low and high power selection.
The next item that really irks me is the limited number of scan lists in the TK-5710. The software only allows you a max of 16 scan lists in the software. At least Motorola allows you to have
a scan list for each personality you create in the software. This is a big negative in my opinion if Kenwood is trying to match this radio up against the Motorola XTL series radios.
One of the features that I do like and enjoy, is what Kenwood calls "OST". This is "Operator Selected Tone" in the TK-5710. It allows you to have access to up to 40 pre set CTCSS selections
in the radio. Motorola only allows 12. You can make a dial a frequency radio if you do much traveling around the country. Set a button on the control head to bring up the OST and pick which
one you need. If you don't know which tone is used, you can spend a few minutes trying tones till you get the right one to bring up the repeater your trying for.
In receive, the TK-5710 has almost too much audio output. I find myself trying to turn down the volume control many times. Had to set the minimum volume so I didn't turn the volume off in
trying to turn the audio level down.
The programming software must have been almost cloned from Motorola with all the steps you have to jump through in trying to add new channels or groups (zones) to the radio. You will find
yourself jumping back and forth between several menu selections while adding a frequency. This is almost the same way that Motorola makes a tech fight with their software.
The scanning of channels is not what i would expect from a high end radio. You have limited options in setting up the scan parameters. No matter what you select, the hole that is placed in a
non priority channel audio needs to be addressed in my opinion. I base this on some 45 years playing with both Motorola and General Electric radios and scan heads. One of the best that I have
ever seen is the GE S950 and S990 scan heads. The audio holes on a non priority channel was barely audible. The shortest that Kenwood allows for a setting is 500 ms. This seems like a long
time to miss part of a conversation and is very annoying to say the least. Sure I understand it takes time to decode a CTCSS tone. But if the first part of the scan test for activity on the
priority channel is plain RF, it doesn't take that long to detect. If there is RF on the priority channel, then go into a decode mode. You don't have to take time if there is no activity there.
Seems like some effort needs to be put into polishing the firmware in the radio and some more latitude in the software timing selections.
If I do get some feedback from the company, I will post their comments. Problem is we are dealing with an off shore involvement here and time will tell if the company cares.
Jim