Kenwood TK-190 User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
© B62-2498-10 (K)
VHF FM TRANSCEIVER
TK-190

◆GOVERNMENT LAW PROHIBITS THE OPERATION OF
UNLICENSED RADIO TRANSMITTERS WITHIN THE
TERRITORIES UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
◆ILLEGAL OPERATION IS PUNISHABLE BY FINE OR
IMPRISONMENT OR BOTH.
◆REFER SERVICE TO QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS ONLY.
◆DO NOT OPERATE YOUR TRANSCEIVER IN EXPLOSIVE
ATMOSPHERES (GASES, DUST, FUMES, ETC.).
◆TURN OFF YOUR TRANSCEIVER WHILE TAKING ON FUEL,
OR WHILE PARKED IN GASOLINE SERVICE STATIONS.
THANK YOU
We are grateful you chose KENWOOD for your land
mobile radio applications. We believe this easy-to-use
transceiver will provide dependable communications to
keep personnel operating at peak efficiency.
KENWOOD transceivers incorporate the latest in
advanced technology. As a result, we feel strongly that
you will be pleased with the quality and features of this
product.
NOTICES TO THE USER
SAFETY: It is important that the operator is aware of
and understands hazards common to the operation of
any transceiver.
PERFORMANCE: The performance of low band
portable transceiver depends on your operating practices
and the environmental conditions. To obtain the best
performance from your transceiver, use the transceiver
only with a KRA-21 antenna. Refer to the KRA-21
instruction manual for important information concerning
the use of the antenna.

i
One or more of the following statements may be
applicable:
FCC WARNING
This equipment generates or uses radio frequency energy.
Changes or modifications to this equipment may cause harmful
interference unless the modifications are expressly approved in the
instruction manual. The user could lose the authority to operate this
equipment if an unauthorized change or modification is made.
INFORMATION TO THE DIGITAL DEVICE USER REQUIRED BY THE FCC
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits
for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can generate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that the interference will not occur
in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the dealer for technical assistance.

ii
CONTENTS
UNPACKING AND CHECKING EQUIPMENT ......................... 1
Supplied Accessories............................................. 1
PREPARATION .......................................................... 2
Installing/ Removing the Optional Battery Pack.............. 2
Installing the Optional Antenna................................. 4
Installing the Belt Clip............................................ 4
Installing the Cap over the Universal Connector ............. 5
Installing the Optional Speaker/ Microphone................. 5
GETTING ACQUAINTED................................................ 6
Display.............................................................. 9
PROGRAMMABLE AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS .......................10
Function Descriptions ...........................................11
OPERATING BASICS ..................................................15
Switching Power ON/OFF .......................................15
Adjusting the Volume............................................15
Selecting a Channel .............................................15
Making a Call .....................................................16
Adjusting the Squelch ...........................................16
SCANNING .............................................................17
Priority Scan ......................................................18
Revert Channel ...................................................19
SIGNALLING ...........................................................20
2-Tone Signalling ................................................20
DTMF Signalling .................................................21
Dead Beat Disable (DBD) .......................................22
PTT ID..............................................................22
QUIET TALK (QT) AND DIGITAL QUIET TALK (DQT) ..............23
AUXILIARY FEATURES ...............................................24
Key Lock...........................................................24
Time-out Timer (TOT) ...........................................25
Busy Channel Lockout (BCL) ...................................25
Voice Scrambler..................................................26
AUDIBLE USER FEEDBACK TONES .................................27

1
UNPACKING AND CHECKING EQUIPMENT
Note: The following unpacking instructions are for use by your
KENWOOD dealer, an authorized KENWOOD service facility, or the
factory.
Carefully unpack the transceiver. We recommend that
you identify the items listed in the following table before
discarding the packing material. If any items are missing
or have been damaged during shipment, file a claim with
the carrier immediately.
■Supplied Accessories
Item Quantity
Belt clip 1
Universal connector cap 1
Channel stopper 1
Channel seal 1
Screw set 1
Instruction manual 1
Belt clip Universal
connector cap
Channel
stopper
Channel seal Screw set
Accessory
screw Binding
screws

2
PREPARATION
1Match the four grooves
of the battery pack
with the corresponding
guides on the back of
the transceiver.
2Slide the battery pack
along the back of the
transceiver until the
release latch on the
base of the transceiver
locks.
3To remove the battery
pack, pull back on the
release latch and slide
the pack away from the
transceiver.
■Installing/ Removing the Optional Battery Pack
Charge the battery pack before use.
◆DO NOT RECHARGE THE BATTERY PACK IF IT IS FULLY
CHARGED; YOU MAY INADVERTENTLY SHORTEN THE
BATTERY PACK LIFE OR DAMAGE THE BATTERY PACK.
◆AFTER RECHARGING THE BATTERY PACK, REMOVE
IT FROM THE CHARGER. IF THE CHARGER POWER
IS RESET (TURNED ON AFTER BEING TURNED OFF),
RECHARGING WILL COMMENCE AND THE BATTERY
PACK WILL BECOME OVERCHARGED.
◆DO NOT SHORT CIRCUIT THE BATTERY TERMINALS.
◆DO NOT DISPOSE OF THE BATTERY BY FIRE.
◆DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE CASING FROM THE
BATTERY PACK.

3
The RBRC Recycle seal found on KENWOOD
nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery packs
indicates KENWOOD’s voluntary participation
in an industry program to collect and recycle
Ni-Cd batteries after their operating life has
expired. The RBRC program is an alternative
to disposing Ni-Cd batteries with your regular
refuse or in municipal waste streams, which is
illegal in some areas.
For information on Ni-Cd battery recycling in your area, call (toll free)
1-800-8-BATTERY (1-800-822-8837).
KENWOOD’s involvement in this program is part of our commitment
to preserve our environment and conserve our natural resources.
The RBRC Recycle seal found on KENWOOD
nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery packs
indicates KENWOOD’s voluntary participation
in an industry program to collect and recycle
Ni-MH batteries after their operating life has
expired. The RBRC program is an alternative
to disposing Ni-MH batteries with your regular
refuse or in municipal waste streams, which is
illegal in some areas.
For information on Ni-MH battery recycling in your area, call (toll free)
1-800-8-BATTERY (1-800-822-8837).
KENWOOD’s involvement in this program is part of our commitment
to preserve our environment and conserve our natural resources.

4
Screw the antenna into the
connector on the top of the
transceiver by holding the
antenna at its base and
turning it clockwise until
secure.
■Installing the Belt Clip
If necessary, attach the belt
clip using the two supplied
3 x 6 mm screws.
Note: If the belt clip is not installed,
its mounting location may get hot
during continuous transmission
or when left sitting in a hot
environment.
■Installing the Optional Antenna

5
If you are not using
the optional speaker/
microphone, install the cap
over the universal connector
using the supplied 4 x 6 mm
screw.
Note: To keep the transceiver
water resistant, you must cover the
universal connector with either the
cap or the speaker/ microphone
connector.
■Installing the Cap over the Universal Connector
■Installing the Optional Speaker/ Microphone
1 Insert the guide of the speaker/ microphone
connector into the groove of the universal
connector.
2Secure the connector in place using the attached
screw.
Note: The speaker/ microphone keys can be programmed with the
programmable auxiliary functions listed on page 10.

6
GETTING ACQUAINTED
A B
SMA male type
antenna connector Battery pack
release latch
Microphone
Speaker
Display
[Top View] [Bottom View]
[Left Side] [Front View] [Right Side]

7
qTX/ BUSY/ CALL/ Battery low LED
Lights red while transmitting. Lights green while
receiving. Lights orange while receiving a
2-Tone/ DTMF call. Flashes red when the
battery power is low while transmitting; replace or
recharge the battery.
Note: This LED can be disabled by your dealer.
wPower switch/ Volume control
Turn clockwise to switch the transceiver ON. Turn
counterclockwise until a click sounds, to switch
the transceiver OFF. Rotate to adjust the volume
level. Clockwise increases the volume and
counterclockwise decreases it.
Note: Your dealer can set a minimum volume level for the
Volume control.
eChannel selector
Rotate to select a channel. Clockwise increases
the channel number and counterclockwise
decreases it.
rToggle switch
Switch the toggle position to the right ( O) to
activate its programmable function {page 10}
and to the left ( ●) to deactivate it. The default
function of this switch is “No Function”.
tTop 1
Press this PF (programmable function) key to
activate its programmable function {page 10}. The
default function of this key is “No Function”.
yTop 2
Press this PF (programmable function) key to
activate its programmable function {page 10}. The
default function of this key is “No Function”.

8
uOrange
Press this PF (programmable function) key to
activate its programmable function {page 10}. The
default function of this key is “No Function”.
iSide 1
Press this PF (programmable function) key to
activate its programmable function {page 10}. The
default function of this key is “Monitor”. Also used
as an “up” key for various functions.
oSide 2
Press this PF (programmable function) key to
activate its programmable function {page 10}. The
default function of this key is “Lamp”. Also used
as a “down” key for various functions.
!0 PTT (Push-To-Talk) switch
Press and hold this switch, then speak into the
microphone to call a station.
!1 Universal connector
Connect the optional speaker/ microphone here.
When the speaker/ microphone is not connected,
cover the connector with the supplied universal
connector cap.

9
■Display
Note: You can invert the segmented displays (not the icons) if a PF
key or the toggle switch is programmed with Invert Display {page 12}.
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10
PROGRAMMABLE AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS
The toggle switch, PF keys, and Speaker/ Microphone
keys can be programmed with the auxiliary functions
listed below:
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11
1 This function can be selected only when the scrambler
board has not been installed.
2 This function can be selected only when the ANI board has
been installed.
3 This function can be selected only when the scrambler
board has been installed.
Note:
◆If your dealer programs “Shift” onto a PF key or the toggle switch,
the remaining PF keys can be programmed with an additional
function. To use the additional functions, you must first press and
hold the Shift key, then press the function key you desire. The
toggle switch and the key programmed with “Shift” cannot be
programmed with an additional function.
◆When the same auxiliary function is programmed onto both a PF
key and the toggle switch, an error will occur on the PF key and it
cannot be used.
■Function Descriptions
• AUX: Press to turn AUX ON. The dealer selectable
optional board will activate. Press again to turn AUX
OFF. When AUX is ON, “AUX” appears on the display.
• Channel Down: Press to decrease the channel by 1
step. Press and hold to continuously scroll through the
channels. Unprogrammed channels will be skipped.
Note: Your dealer can program the “Roll Over” (default) or
“Dead End” feature. When Roll Over is programmed, pressing
Channel Down while you are at the lowest channel will cause
the transceiver to select the highest channel, and begin the
decrease cycle again. When Dead End is programmed,
pressing Channel Down while you are at the lowest channel
will not change the channel number.
• Channel Name: Press to change the display between
the channel number and the channel name. Your dealer
can program a channel name for each channel with up to
7 characters.

12
• Channel Up: Press to increase the channel by 1
step. Press and hold to continuously scroll through the
channels. Unprogrammed channels will be skipped.
Note: Your dealer can program the “Roll Over” (default) or
“Dead End” feature. When Roll Over is programmed, pressing
Channel Up while you are at the highest channel will cause the
transceiver to select the lowest channel, and begin the increase
cycle again. When Dead End is programmed, pressing
Channel Up while you are at the highest channel will not
change the channel number.
• Delete/Add: Press to remove an undesired channel
from the scan sequence or to add a desired channel to
the scan sequence. See “SCANNING” on page 17.
• Emergency Call: Press and hold this key for the time
required (which is pre-programmed by your dealer)
to enter Emergency mode. If “Emergency Channel
Display” is activated by your dealer, the emergency
channel name will appear on the display and the TX LED
(red) will light.
• Home Channel: Press to change from the current
channel to your home channel. Press again to return to
the previous channel, from your home channel.
• Invert Display: Press to invert both segmented displays
(the icons do not change). This allows channel numbers,
names, and other information to be easily read when you
use the transceiver in such a way as to have the display
upside down.
• Key Lock: Press to lock most of the keys on the
transceiver. Press again to unlock the keys. See “Key
Lock” on page 24.

13
• Lamp: Press to turn the display backlight ON. The
backlight will remain ON for 5 seconds. Pressing any
key other than Lamp will reset the lamp timer, causing it
to remain ON for 5 seconds from the time you pressed
the new key. Pressing the Lamp key while the lamp is
ON will turn the lamp OFF.
• Low Power: Press to change the output power of the
current channel from high to low. Pressing this key again
will return the channel to high power. It is recommended
to use low power whenever possible (if you are in range
of the other transceiver) to conserve your battery power.
When using low power, “LO” appears on the display.
Note: You cannot change a channel from low power to high
power if your dealer has set the channel for use with low power.
• Monitor: Press to turn the signalling squelch
{page 20} of the current channel OFF (if signalling has
been set up on the channel). Depending on the squelch
level {page 16}, you will be able to hear a signal or
background noise if there is no signal. Press again to
reactivate signalling squelch. While monitor is active,
“MON” appears on the display.
• Monitor Momentary: Press and hold to turn the
signalling squelch {page 20} of the current channel OFF (if
signalling has been set up on the channel). Depending
on the squelch level {page 16}, you will be able to hear a
signal or background noise if there is no signal. Release
to reactivate signalling squelch. While monitor is active,
“MON” appears on the display.
• No Function: No function has been programmed onto
the key.
• Operator Selectable Tone: Press to enter OST Code
Select mode. See “QUIET TALK (QT) AND DIGITAL
QUIET TALK (DQT)” on page 23.

14
• Scan: Press to start the scan sequence. Press again to
stop scanning. See “SCANNING” on page 17.
• Scrambler: Press to turn the scrambler ON. Press
again to turn it OFF. Press and hold for 2 seconds
to enter Scrambler Code Select mode. See “Voice
Scrambler” on page 26.
Note: You must first install the optional voice scrambler board
before you can use this feature.
• Shift: Press and hold, then press a second PF key to
access the second function of the selected PF key.
• SP Attenuation: Press to decrease the speaker
volume of the optional. Press again to return control
of the volume to the Volume control of the speaker/
microphone.
• Squelch Level: Press to enter Squelch Level mode.
See “Adjusting the Squelch” on page 16.
• Squelch Momentary: Press and hold to deactivate the
squelch (unmute the speaker). Release to reactivate the
squelch. While squelch is OFF, “MON” appears on the
display and the BUSY LED (green) lights.
• Squelch OFF: Press to deactivate the squelch (unmute
the speaker). Press again to reactivate the squelch.
While squelch is OFF, “MON” appears on the display
and the BUSY LED (green) lights.
• Talk Around: Press to activate Talk Around mode.
Press again to exit Talk Around mode. You can use this
feature to talk directly to another transceiver that is within
the transmitting range of your transceiver. While Talk
Around is active, “tA” appears on the display.

15
OPERATING BASICS
■Switching Power ON/OFF
Turn the Power switch/ Volume control clockwise to
switch the transceiver ON.
Turn the Power switch/ Volume control counter-
clockwise to switch the transceiver OFF.
■Adjusting the Volume
Rotate the Power switch/ Volume control to adjust
the volume. Clockwise increases the volume and
counterclockwise decreases it. Your dealer may have
set a minimum volume level for your transceiver.
■Selecting a Channel
Rotate the Channel selector or press the keys
programmed with Channel Up and Channel Down
to select a channel. There are 16 channels on this
transceiver. Your dealer can program each channel
with the following features:
• Transmit/ Receive Frequencies
• QT/DQT Tone (for transmitting/ receiving) {page 23}
• Channel name (up to 7 digits) {page 11}
• Option signalling (2-Tone/ DTMF) {pages 20 and 21}
• PTT ID (beginning/ end of transmission) {page 22}
• BCL (Busy Channel Lockout) {page 25}
• High/ low transmit power (default is high) {page 13}
• Add to or remove from scan (default is add) {page 17}
• Voice Scrambler (only with optional board) {page 26}
Additionally, your dealer can program a Priority
channel, Home channel, and Emergency channel.

16
■Making a Call
1Select your desired channel {page 15}.
2Use the key programmed as Monitor or Squelch
OFF to determine whether or not the current
channel is being used.
• If the channel is busy, wait until it becomes free.
3Press and hold the PTT switch, then speak into
the microphone in your normal voice.
• For best results, hold the microphone approximately
3 to 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) from your lips.
4Release the PTT switch to receive.
■Adjusting the Squelch
You can adjust the squelch level to hear weaker
signals or to eliminate background noise. At a setting
of “0” (the lowest setting), you can hear background
noise and weak signals. At a setting of “15” (the
highest setting), you will not hear any background
noise, and you will hear only very strong signals.
Adjust the squelch to your desired level.
1Press the key programmed as Squelch Level to
enter Squelch Level mode.
• The squelch level appears on the display
2Press the Side 1 and Side 2 keys to adjust the
squelch level.
• Pressing the Side 1 key will increase the squelch
level. Pressing the Side 2 key will decrease the
squelch level.
3Press any key other than Side 1 and Side 2 to set
the selected squelch level and exit Squelch Level
mode.