Bluetooth Module for Kenwood D710

[dreadlocks]

its UHF (*-259) unless you got the NMO mount variant..

If your going through a rear hatch, you might want something like this: https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-001464

 

[moose545]

decades.. HAM Tech moves at a glacial pace.. its not like your smartphone.

This is great to read and hear since I just picked up a 710GA and when I was shopping for it I kept thinking, all these dual band radios are old? Now I get it more. I haven't even scratched the surface into APRS, I have built in GPS but don't know what else to use it for besides spitting out Lat/Longs to plot on APRS, which is nice to have. I still need to setup the radio, fix the clock, settings, etc. There's A LOT to it. I've made a few contacts, but found that when I drive around and check my RepeaterBook app for nearby repeaters, either Echolink or plain FM, I hardly ever find anyone to chat. I'm sure it's me, maybe some time of day issues too? Not sure.

I'm running a tri-band compactennae, 2m/70cm/220hz(1.25m) band antenna, which I got for the same dual band price. Not sure if the radio could even tune to that freq. or what lives there really coms wise. I want to get a headset to just talk on Echolink here inside at home this winter, since my Kenwood is in my rig (GX460).

And I don't quite understand bulk-loading, I get having them all stored in memory, but without a useful description, with the character set available on the screen I'd struggle even more to find what I'm near or approaching, and then remember what number memory channel or channel range its even stored in, since it holds a bunch correct?

 

[DaveInDenver]

I've made a few contacts, but found that when I drive around and check my RepeaterBook app for nearby repeaters, either Echolink or plain FM, I hardly ever find anyone to chat. I'm sure it's me, maybe some time of day issues too? Not sure.

Ham radio is a weird thing. Sometimes very open and welcoming and other times snobbish. There's a lot of hams and lot of things to do in the hobby so I encourage newly licensed hams not to let it get you down. Throw your call sign out ("K6ABC listening") and if someone wants to talk it's all good, if not so be it. You sometimes have to try a few repeaters to find an active one or try a few times because people might be scanning or be across the room or in traffic and can't reply immediately or wait to make sure they got your call sign or whatever. Be positive and don't engage negative hams.

 

[dreadlocks]

Memory is great for scanning, I got a ton of repeaters programmed in.. and I just scan through em when I'm looking for traffic..

I rarely look for anyone to talk too.. last time I dialed up a repeater and made a random contact there was a forest fire nearby and I was trying to figure out if I should packup and gtfo.. luckily it was just a controlled burn.. they had signs posted EVERYWHERE but I had been in the back country for a few days so I never saw em..

I do listen alot and will respond to others looking to make contact.. there was a SOTA (Summits on the Air) event last time I was out, made a few simplex contacts from some considerable distance.

 

[spressomon]

For Mac are you using CHIRP or RT Systems for memory programming the 710? I'm using CHIRP but wondering how RT Systems compares?

 

[dreadlocks]

I only ever use chirp

 

[DaveInDenver]

Kenwood also offers memory management software for their ham radios for free.

https://www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/mcp_2a.html

 

[spressomon]

^ Yes, but PC only.

 

[moose545]

I've got the Kenwood software and bought the RT Systems too. I see your point now with scanning saved frequencies using VFO, I've just been manually tuning to everything which is old already. I have run into very nice guys on the air so far when I did establish contact. I think another issue is I don't have any PL tones programmed to the repeater, so unless it does it automatically on a specific repeater, even if I hit the repeater i don't get an answer, actually now that I type this, I think I've been trying to make contact on the listening side of the repeater, not the +/- offset for transmitting into it. dammit!

 

[dreadlocks]

even if nobody is on the repeater you can tell if you are dialed into a repeater by listing for a squelch tail, it will hold on for a fraction of a second longer than you transmit so when you unkey you'll likely hear a bit of static real quick before it squelches.. you dont get this if your not keying it up.

my repeater has a tone at end of every transmission thats delayed enough the radio that keyed it up can hear it, I use it all the time to tell if I'm within range of the repeater w/the handhelds.. I can just key up for a second and listen for the tone, if I dont hear it.. I'm out of range.

Pull em in from repeater guide using chirp and the'll be programmed for offset and tones automatically.. but yeah its good to know how to do it manually too and not rely entirely on software.. proper operation of your rig is key to both success and staying out of trouble.. transmitting on repeater outputs would be rather confusing at least.

 

[moose545]

even if nobody is on the repeater you can tell if you are dialed into a repeater by listing for a squelch tail, it will hold on for a fraction of a second longer than you transmit so when you unkey you'll likely hear a bit of static real quick before it squelches.. you dont get this if your not keying it up.

my repeater has a tone at end of every transmission thats delayed enough the radio that keyed it up can hear it, I use it all the time to tell if I'm within range of the repeater w/the handhelds.. I can just key up for a second and listen for the tone, if I dont hear it.. I'm out of range.

Pull em in from repeater guide using chirp and the'll be programmed for offset and tones automatically.. but yeah its good to know how to do it manually too and not rely entirely on software.. proper operation of your rig is key to both success and staying out of trouble.. transmitting on repeater outputs would be rather confusing at least.

Yeah, so after reading my manual more, the 710G has ARO, or Automatic Repeater Offset built in, so that's good to know now. It automatically scales up from I think 146.000, 0.6MHz, and - 0.6MHz from below 146.000. There is so much to it that I hardly have gotten into it just yet. APRS and the GPS portion are next, but to be honest I've have been better off buying a lesser dual band like the 271 and then a regular GPS unit to use on its own. I'm not getting fulling discouraged, but it's a challenge. Also on bulk-loading, in order to set things into memory I have to pull the radio and bring it inside to connect to my PC, then get a power supply to power it in order to complete the process, right? Unless I had a laptop to use? I bought the RT Systems software when I purchased my radio, so that's I'll be using when I get to that point.

 

[dreadlocks]

You could wire up a bluetooth/wireless connection to the unit, Ive just got a usb adapter plugged into the back of it all the time.. take my laptop out, put it in the hatch and program it from there.

 

[DannyLLama]

How to build a Bluetooth Module for the Kenwood D710, plugs into the COM port on back of Remote Head Unit (NOT THE GPS 2.5mm PORT) and passes on raw aprs packets onto APRSDroid, this gives you full (READ ONLY) information in APRSDroid while your 710 is doing all the APRS Stuff.. You can switch the 710 into a simple TNC and APRSDroid will do full two way control of the radio, sending position packets, messages.. etc.

Amazon Parts List:

• HC06 Bluetooth Module
• RS232 to TTL Converter
• 5v Voltage Regulator
• Kenwood Serial Programming Cable (Mini 6 to DB9)

Assembly:

You need a good wire stripper that wont destroy the fine wires.. tin all the wires, put the power for the BT and VReg together w/solder and then solder everything into the holes on the TTL Converter.. pretty self explanatory.. RX goes to arrow pointing towards BT, TX goes to arrow pointing away.. VCC to + and GND to -

Configuration of APRSDroid:

Screenshots in action, using APRSDroid OSM version for offline maps.

Are you connecting to a tablet or phone? Recommendation on tablets to statically connect and use for both APRS comms/tracking and for uploading memory repeaters?

Anyone in SOCAL that i can meet up with to help with using the D710 + this setup.. Been needing this for a while but can't do this stuff myself. I have been using manual APRS on the radio .. Will buy lunch + beers for any takers

 

[dreadlocks]

yeah I'm using APRSDroid w/Offline Maps, its basically just in RX mode and mapping out received stations and letting me analyze the packets from em for any additional data.. Any Android Phone/Tablet should work for that task, as for uploading repeaters I dunno.. I use software called CHIRP for that, it can auto fill memory w/data from Repeater lists but its PC software not Mobile Phone/Tablet and it uses a different connection to the radio.. You could setup Bluetooth for that too, but I just use USB and connect it to my laptop as its not something I do frequently.. I keep a physical copy of the repeater book in my trailer and can always fall back to that and would need internet connectivity anyhow to do any programming of em or else just do it manually.

Something like a Pixelbook can run both Android Apps such as APRSDroid and Linux PC Apps such as Chirp together and folds into a tablet.. its my primary go device right now.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I like APRSdroid if you have an Android device but if you're thinking of something to also run programming applications, whether that is Linux or Windows or in theory macOS (Chirp runs on it), you have more options for APRS client software - Xastir, APRSISCE32, YAAC, PinPoint APRS to name a few. PinPoint is IMO a good choice as its actively being developed by AB0WV.

APRSdroid is somewhat stale and the OSM version is getting very long in the tooth relying on V3 of the Mapsforge library so finding pre-compiled maps was difficult and finding current ones even more so now that OpenAndroidMaps is completely dropping its support and using only V4/5. Georg is aware of this but there's not currently a path forward decided.