If you have an iPhone or iPad and want to get more out of your TH-D75, consider getting the B.B. Link adapter. This adapter allows iOS devices to work with the Kenwood TH-D74 and TH-D75 over Bluetooth. With it, you can run apps like RadioMail for emails and aprsfi for GPS positioning and messaging, leveraging the powerful built-in packet TNC in the radio.
770 voice guidance prompts for the visually-impaired, or those who don't want to take their eyes off the road. Press and hold # at power up. Icom and Yaesu flagship HT's do not include this, plus have touch screens. The Icom ID-52 doesn't even have a full DTMF pad. Thank you Kenwood, for continuing to include hams who are blind or visually-impaired!
Thank you for this review. I had no idea it receives down to MW; that's wild. After reviewing the ham radio response to Hurricane Helene, I've been looking for simple ways to improve the capabilities available to hams in similarly precarious situations. Assuming there was supporting infrastructure in the region, using this radio to run APRS and WinLink could have done wonders alongside the ad hoc net established in the storm's immediate aftermath. I hope communities are deploying APRS digipeaters and WinLink RMS nodes on mountaintop sites to beef up services available in the valleys below. A little goes a long way. Currently $580USD at HRD with holiday pricing.
Good video. I agree with your thoughts on the icom menu platform. It is really frustrating that there are so many radios that are about perfect but just miss the bar. Thanks for the good video.
It seems like a great radio. I bought a d74 years ago and it is still going strong. The wide band receiv is awesome at camp. If it ever stops working on me i would buy the d75 no doubt.
No nearby FM repeaters is a deal breaker for me. I use it a LOT on my ID-51. Id live to seena comparison between id-50 and 52 sometime. I really value usb-c charging and the 52 seems a bit too big, so I'm tempted by the -50 but cant find a definitive list of what I'd be giving up
The ID-50 has 500 memory channels vs. 1000 for the ID-52. The ID-50 eliminates Bluetooth, and has a smaller monochrome display vs. the ID-52's color display. The body of the ID-50 is smaller, but it still uses all of the same accessories as the ID-52. The ID-50 also adds USB-C. The ID-50 is also considerably cheaper. Here in the US, the ID-52 is usually selling for $600 USD, and the ID-50 for $400 USD. Aside from those differences, it's practically the same radio as the ID-52. I've had both, and the ID-50 is excellent, but my aging eyesight really prefers the larger color display of the ID-52.
I have the TH-D72 and it's still running strong with the original battery, even though the battery starts to get a bit weaker than it was originally it holds together pretty well. One reason is that the radio stops charging when the battery is full and don't run any maintenance charging. What I miss on it is DMR Tier 2 capabilities while D-Star is useless to me since in my area there aren't many D-Star repeaters and D-Star seems to be a dying tech.
I understand what you mean about DSTAR availaibility, it is exactly the same for me without a DSTAR repeater close by. However, I would say DSTAR is my favourite digital voice mode and I really enjoy using it with a hotspot. 73!
Thanks for the review, I don't think there is sufficient to make me upgrade from my D74, even though I like the new features. The waterproofing spec may not have been available at the time of this video but the Dust and Water Protection rating is quoted as IP54/55, which is good for use in wet weather but not immersion. Like a lot of products, it's very annoying that the price in pounds is the same as the price in dollars.
I think that’s right. If you have a D74, it’s probably not worth the upgrade On your last point, the price is pretty consistent. If you take the dollar price, convert it to pounds and add 20% for VAT, it works out about the same.
@@M0JSX Good points Jonathan, thanks. I may have incorrectly assumed that the prices in both countries were inclusive of their respective taxes but given your experience, I'm sure you are correct. 73
@@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE US prices always exclude tax as it varies state by state and county by county. Of course UK prices include tax as it is universal across the country.
Excellent video review. I love my D75 for travel using the broad band receiver all around the world and the GPS to augment the functionality on my IPhone. Still enjoy my Icom ID52, but this radio is clearly superior. 73 N3CI
😀I like CAT's in Ham and "USB-Soundcard". This have to be the standard for each new radio (also HT's) 😒It’s bad that that the Demodulation is limited depending of the Frequency. Between 88 und 70 MHZ there is only WFM selectable (and not the for me needed FM and NFM, etc.) ♥I hope they will fix it by firmware upgrade, and allow every demodulation in the whole frequency range.
I wish the only problem of the D75 was the lack of analog nearby repeater functionality. No waterproofing, no Bluetooth LE support and thus inability to connect to an iPhone, no independent volume control for each receiver, no USB PD charging, no availability of a larger battery and at the same time much higher power consumption and less autonomy than Icom and Yaesu handhelds. And all this at an outrageously high price...
To add to your comment, which is brilliant, I would say also no waterfall/spectrum (even a crude one like id-50). For £800 for a handheld I would expect all of these.
Nice. However, the biggest issue is that D-Star has essentially been abandoned. In these parts, there are probably 10 fusion repeaters for every remaining d-star and those are quickly being outnumbered by dmr. Like betamax, the best technology does not always win.
@@M0JSX That is crazy! I live in the boonies.....long long way to anything repeater digital wise. No analog means no purchase of the Kenwood. So I'm down to the Icom 52A or Yaesu FT5DR (but I keep reading about cracked cases on the Yaesu)......so which to choose (there is one Fusion repeater 20 miles away).
@ I wouldn’t worry about the cracking issue on the FT5. Mine is 18 months old and does not have the crack. There seems to be some anecdotal evidence to suggest the crack appears when using non-genuine batteries, but I can’t confirm one way or another
$999 Canadian for a tri-bander without IP67 rating? Ouch. Menu and user interface vibe on this 2024 Kenwood radio is reminiscent of a 2005 era Nokia E61 cell phone. Love the wide range HF receiver function though. At this price I would expect IP67, and a modern user interface, and probably, ability to very quickly and efficiently send text messages. The ancient 1990s style messaging via creaky APRS features just feels so janky and broken.
They did so much... but as you say. Almost perfect. Super expensive... but they do hold their value well. I still can't beat my TH-D72 though... apart from the battery life
Cheers Hayden. As we know, no radio is ever perfect. I find it frustrating that it is so damn near perfect, but falls inches from the line! If it was way off it wouldn’t annoy me half as much!
Lots of features, but rugged is not one of them. This extremely expensive radio is way too delicate especially regarding water resistance. A few drops of rain can damage the radio and will also allow Kenwood to deny the warranty. Which they readily do. Buyer be warned.
Is there something in particular you're basing this on? The radio is certified for IP55, meaning it's basically completely weatherproof (but not submersible), and Kenwood can get in a lot of trouble for faking that rating.
If you have an iPhone or iPad and want to get more out of your TH-D75, consider getting the B.B. Link adapter. This adapter allows iOS devices to work with the Kenwood TH-D74 and TH-D75 over Bluetooth. With it, you can run apps like RadioMail for emails and aprsfi for GPS positioning and messaging, leveraging the powerful built-in packet TNC in the radio.
@CD6GLL As far as I can tell TH-F6A does not have a built-in TNC nor Bluetooth. So, no?
770 voice guidance prompts for the visually-impaired, or those who don't want to take their eyes off the road.
Press and hold # at power up.
Icom and Yaesu flagship HT's do not include this, plus have touch screens. The Icom ID-52 doesn't even have a full DTMF pad.
Thank you Kenwood, for continuing to include hams who are blind or visually-impaired!
Thank you for this review. I had no idea it receives down to MW; that's wild. After reviewing the ham radio response to Hurricane Helene, I've been looking for simple ways to improve the capabilities available to hams in similarly precarious situations. Assuming there was supporting infrastructure in the region, using this radio to run APRS and WinLink could have done wonders alongside the ad hoc net established in the storm's immediate aftermath. I hope communities are deploying APRS digipeaters and WinLink RMS nodes on mountaintop sites to beef up services available in the valleys below. A little goes a long way. Currently $580USD at HRD with holiday pricing.
Good video. I agree with your thoughts on the icom menu platform. It is really frustrating that there are so many radios that are about perfect but just miss the bar. Thanks for the good video.
Got the 74 and the 75 plus the ID-52 love them all
The ID-51 is probably my last Icom, because of the limited receiption frequency range over the great IC-E92D.
Thanks!
Thanks very much Harry! ☺️
It seems like a great radio. I bought a d74 years ago and it is still going strong. The wide band receiv is awesome at camp. If it ever stops working on me i would buy the d75 no doubt.
I think that is fair. It’s really not worth the upgrade. 73!
No nearby FM repeaters is a deal breaker for me. I use it a LOT on my ID-51.
Id live to seena comparison between id-50 and 52 sometime. I really value usb-c charging and the 52 seems a bit too big, so I'm tempted by the -50 but cant find a definitive list of what I'd be giving up
The ID-50 is practically the same radio as the ID-51. It probably isn’t worth the upgrade unless you really want the USB charging. 73!
Same here.
@@M0JSX thanks!
The ID-50 has 500 memory channels vs. 1000 for the ID-52. The ID-50 eliminates Bluetooth, and has a smaller monochrome display vs. the ID-52's color display. The body of the ID-50 is smaller, but it still uses all of the same accessories as the ID-52. The ID-50 also adds USB-C. The ID-50 is also considerably cheaper. Here in the US, the ID-52 is usually selling for $600 USD, and the ID-50 for $400 USD. Aside from those differences, it's practically the same radio as the ID-52. I've had both, and the ID-50 is excellent, but my aging eyesight really prefers the larger color display of the ID-52.
@@TheeRadioDJ thanks!
I have the TH-D72 and it's still running strong with the original battery, even though the battery starts to get a bit weaker than it was originally it holds together pretty well.
One reason is that the radio stops charging when the battery is full and don't run any maintenance charging.
What I miss on it is DMR Tier 2 capabilities while D-Star is useless to me since in my area there aren't many D-Star repeaters and D-Star seems to be a dying tech.
I understand what you mean about DSTAR availaibility, it is exactly the same for me without a DSTAR repeater close by. However, I would say DSTAR is my favourite digital voice mode and I really enjoy using it with a hotspot.
73!
I wish people can make up their mind and drop it two. Definitely DMR repeaters are twice that of the D*, but dying? Far from it!
Thanks for the review, I don't think there is sufficient to make me upgrade from my D74, even though I like the new features. The waterproofing spec may not have been available at the time of this video but the Dust and Water Protection rating is quoted as IP54/55, which is good for use in wet weather but not immersion. Like a lot of products, it's very annoying that the price in pounds is the same as the price in dollars.
I think that’s right. If you have a D74, it’s probably not worth the upgrade
On your last point, the price is pretty consistent. If you take the dollar price, convert it to pounds and add 20% for VAT, it works out about the same.
@@M0JSX Good points Jonathan, thanks. I may have incorrectly assumed that the prices in both countries were inclusive of their respective taxes but given your experience, I'm sure you are correct. 73
@@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE US prices always exclude tax as it varies state by state and county by county. Of course UK prices include tax as it is universal across the country.
I thought the ID-52 was expensive, but I love it. No way i could justify the price of the Kenwood!
Excellent video review. I love my D75 for travel using the broad band receiver all around the world and the GPS to augment the functionality on my IPhone. Still enjoy my Icom ID52, but this radio is clearly superior. 73 N3CI
😀I like CAT's in Ham and "USB-Soundcard". This have to be the standard for each new radio (also HT's)
😒It’s bad that that the Demodulation is limited depending of the Frequency. Between 88 und 70 MHZ there is only WFM selectable (and not the for me needed FM and NFM, etc.)
♥I hope they will fix it by firmware upgrade, and allow every demodulation in the whole frequency range.
I wish the only problem of the D75 was the lack of analog nearby repeater functionality.
No waterproofing, no Bluetooth LE support and thus inability to connect to an iPhone, no independent volume control for each receiver, no USB PD charging, no availability of a larger battery and at the same time much higher power consumption and less autonomy than Icom and Yaesu handhelds.
And all this at an outrageously high price...
To add to your comment, which is brilliant, I would say also no waterfall/spectrum (even a crude one like id-50). For £800 for a handheld I would expect all of these.
@@Alex-M0OOVwaterfall is sort of pointless on a V/U handheld.
You own one, do you? How about posting your own RUclips review then?
@@Alex-M0OOVI have a basic waterfall on an RT3S using OpenGD77.
@@plemieux84Owning an ID-50 I beg to differ - I'm absolutely in love with that feature. 🥰
Nice. However, the biggest issue is that D-Star has essentially been abandoned. In these parts, there are probably 10 fusion repeaters for every remaining d-star and those are quickly being outnumbered by dmr. Like betamax, the best technology does not always win.
It's NOT possible to add Analoque Repeater to the Repeater list. (And the Repeater List consists only of Digital Repeaters)
I know. So frustrating!
@@M0JSX That is crazy! I live in the boonies.....long long way to anything repeater digital wise. No analog means no purchase of the Kenwood. So I'm down to the Icom 52A or Yaesu FT5DR (but I keep reading about cracked cases on the Yaesu)......so which to choose (there is one Fusion repeater 20 miles away).
@ I wouldn’t worry about the cracking issue on the FT5. Mine is 18 months old and does not have the crack. There seems to be some anecdotal evidence to suggest the crack appears when using non-genuine batteries, but I can’t confirm one way or another
@@M0JSX That would make sense than a non OEM battery wouldn't be as exacting as genuine Yaesu.
Why kenwood are wasting time to release a handheld??? What about a new radio like 7300 or ftdx10
1000% agreed!
Kenwood is also coming out with a mobile unit, the Big Brother the d75!
They already market the TS-590SG which is superior to both. No doubt they are working on new products, as well.
I maybe should upgrade my THD7 now. :)
$999 Canadian for a tri-bander without IP67 rating? Ouch. Menu and user interface vibe on this 2024 Kenwood radio is reminiscent of a 2005 era Nokia E61 cell phone. Love the wide range HF receiver function though. At this price I would expect IP67, and a modern user interface, and probably, ability to very quickly and efficiently send text messages. The ancient 1990s style messaging via creaky APRS features just feels so janky and broken.
Great radio shame about the price thats ro much for a handheld would rather buy a hombase or mobile will stick with the D74.
don't these are radios and one is a try Band! here in the US!
It is a great radio !
They did so much... but as you say. Almost perfect. Super expensive... but they do hold their value well. I still can't beat my TH-D72 though... apart from the battery life
Cheers Hayden. As we know, no radio is ever perfect. I find it frustrating that it is so damn near perfect, but falls inches from the line! If it was way off it wouldn’t annoy me half as much!
No Roger Beep though, Baofang still streets ahead in that area
Especially the one that mimics MDC.
I think I'll stick to my TH77-A!
Lots of features, but rugged is not one of them. This extremely expensive radio is way too delicate especially regarding water resistance. A few drops of rain can damage the radio and will also allow Kenwood to deny the warranty. Which they readily do. Buyer be warned.
Is there something in particular you're basing this on? The radio is certified for IP55, meaning it's basically completely weatherproof (but not submersible), and Kenwood can get in a lot of trouble for faking that rating.
hi der
Seems pointless now everyone has internet
I’m not sure I understand your point?