Kenwood TM-D710GA User manual

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Quick-Start Guide for the
Kenwood TM-D710GA
at MCACS Hospital Stations
Version 1.1
12/29/2019
Figure 1
A. Equipment case and set up
Holy Cross Hospital Silver Spring maintains a Pelican case with two Kenwood TM-D710GA
dual band FM transceivers. The TX/RX units are installed on a plate in the case. The power
supply is installed under the plate and wired to the TX/RX units. The operation panels (aka
control heads), microphones, and speakers are stored under the plate with associated connection
cables. The antennas are wired to N connectors mounted on a wall plate. The antenna cables
have an N connector for the wall plate end and a PL-259 connector for the TX/RX end. Setting
up is a matter of connecting the antenna cables, plugging in the operation panels and microphone
or headset, and plugging in the attached power cord. Finally, a laptop computer can be
connected to the operation panel.

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At Medstar Montgomery Medical Center, the TX/RX Units are permanently mounted in a wall
cabinet and the required cables for attaching a microphone, external speaker, and control head
are run to the operating position.
Figure 2
Placeholder for photo of setup at Medstar Montgomery

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OPERATION PANEL AND MICROPHONE CONNECTION
Plug the microphone plug into the MIC jack, then connect the operation panel to
the TX/ RX unit with the supplied cable.
Figure 2
ANTENNA CABLE CONNECTION
Figure 3

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ANTENNA AND SPEAKER CONNCTIONS
Figure 4
①Antenna connection SO-239
②The DATA port is for connection to an external TNC. It is not used in our setup, but could be
used with a Signalink or similar device for sound-card-based data modes. It is a 6-pin DIN
connector with the standard pinout used by most major manufacturers.
③The PC port is used only for programing the radio using a Kenwood PG-5G serial cable or
compatible USB programming cable. Use the COM port on the Operation Panel to connect a
laptop for packet-based data modes such as Winlink using the radio’s built-in TNC. (See
following page.)
④ External speaker connections. 3.5 mm mono jacks. A single external speaker (or
headphones) plugged into SP 1 mutes the built-in speaker and provides both Band 1 and Band 2
audio on the external speaker.
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When using stereo headphones, you will hear audio in only one
ear, unless you use an adapter. We don’t use SP 2 in our setup.
Figure 5
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Check Menu Item 002 if both bands are not heard. Menu Item 002 should be set to MODE 1.

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COMPUTER CONNECTION AND OPERATION PANEL CONNECTION
①Newer radios in the TM-D710 series have an internal GPS receiver. An external GPS can be
connected if the radio is used indoors. We don’t use the GPS feature at our hospital stations.
②Use the COM terminal to connect a laptop computer for Winlink operation. A USB cable
(technically, it’s a USB-to-RS-232 converter) with the correct plug is included in the equipment
box.
③Connect the TX/RX unit to the operation panel jack using the supplied Modular plug cable.
Figure 6

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USING A HEADSET WITH BOOM MICROPHONE
A headset is a very useful accessory when operating in a busy EOC. At each of the hospital
stations equipped with TM-D710 radio, we have provided a Yamaha CM-500 headset,
footswitch, and junction box for connecting these accessories to the radio. The junction box has
an attached external speaker. See Figure 7.
Figure 7
There are four connectors on the front panel of the junction box. From left to right:
HAND MIC Plug the radio’s hand microphone in here.
PTT Plug the footswitch in here.
HS MIC Plug the headset’s microphone connector in here.
RADIO Plug a CAT-5 or CAT-6 cable in here and plug the other end into the mic jack on
the side of the TX/RX Unit.
There are two connectors on the rear panel of the junction box. From left to right:
RX AUD Plug a 3.5 mm mono or stereo cable in here and plug the other end into the SP1
jack on the back of the TX/RX Unit.
HS EAR Plug the headset’s headphone (earpiece) connector in here.
Note the toggle switch on the side of the external speaker. With the switch up, received audio is
heard in both the speaker and the attached headset. With the switch down, sound is heard only in
the headset.
With the junction box in line, the hand microphone works normally (including all of its buttons).
When the footswitch is depressed, transmit audio is taken from the headset’s microphone rather
than the hand microphone, but the DTMF keys on the hand microphone remain functional. This
enables you, for example, to dial an autopatch call while using the headset.

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B. OPERATION PANEL
Figure 8
Press the top right button [] ⑯to turn the transceiver power ON and OFF.
Rotate the [BAND SEL] ⑫to adjust the speaker volume. Press the left [BAND SEL] to select
the A band. Press the right [BAND SEL] to select the B band.
Press [BAND SEL] (1s) to toggle between single and dual-band mode.
Rotate the [SQL] control ring ⑬to adjust the squelch level. Clockwise tightens the squelch and
counterclockwise opens the squelch.
Press [CALL] ① to select the Call channel.
Press [VFO] ② to enter VFO mode, then rotate the Tuning control ④ to select an
operating frequency.
Press [MR] ③to enter Memory Channel mode, then rotate the Tuning control ④ to
select a Memory channel.
Press [F] ⑥to enter Function mode. Press [F] (1s) to turn the transceiver key lock function
ON and OFF.
Press [TONE] ⑦to turn the Tone function ON. Each time you press [TONE], the function
cycles through the following: Tone ON ➡CTCSS ON ➡DCS ON ➡Cross Tone ON ➡
OFF.

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Press [REV] ⑧to turn the Reverse function ON or OFF. Press [REV] (1s) to turn the
Automatic Simplex Checker ON.
Press [LOW] ⑨to toggle the transmit output power as follows: Middle Power ➡
Low Power ➡High Power.
Press [TNC] ⑭to turn the built-in TNC ON and the APRS (or NAVITRA) mode
ON. Each time you press [TNC], the mode toggles as follows:
APRS mode ON ➡PACKET mode ON ➡TNC OFF.
• When the built-in TNC turns on, “OPENING TNC” appears on the display.
• When “OPENING TNC” appears on the display, the mode cannot be changed.
C. SELECTING AN OPERATING MODE
There are 3 operating modes available to choose from: VFO mode [VFO], Memory
Channel mode [MR], and Call Channel mode [CALL] (see Figure 7). For most operations, the
Memory Channels will be programmed with all the frequencies needed to operate.
VFO mode allows you to manually change the operating frequency. Press [VFO] to enter VFO
mode. Rotate the Tuning control to select your desired operating frequency. The radio
automatically selects the appropriate repeater shift, in accordance with the ARRL Band Plan,
when tuned to a repeater output frequency. A CTCSS Tone can also be set. Once the
information is set, it can be moved to a memory channel by pressing [F], selecting a memory
channel number, and pressing [M.IN].
Note: Please don’t overwrite the existing memory channels. We try to keep these standardized
county-wide. If you want to store a frequency in memory, choose an unused channel greater than
100.
Memory Channel mode allows you to quickly select a frequently used frequency and related data
which you have saved in the transceiver memory. Press [MR] to enter Memory Channel mode.
Rotate the Tuning control to select your desired Memory channel. Frequencies and associated
information must be entered in VFO mode before it can be placed in a memory channel.
When you select a memory channel, the radio chooses the saved frequency, repeater shift,
operating mode, transmit power, and tone or digital squelch encode/decode parameters. You can
change any of these settings, but reselecting the same memory a second time will restore the
original (saved) settings.
Call Channel mode allows you to quickly select a preset channel to allow immediate calls on that
frequency. The Call channel can be conveniently used as an emergency channel within your
group. Select your desired band (A or B). The Call channel has a dedicated frequency for both
bands A and B. The default frequency for band A is 144 MHz. The default frequency for band B
is 430/440 MHz. Press [CALL] to enter Call Channel mode. The icon appears on the display.
Press [CALL] again to return to your previous operating frequency.

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D. MENU MODE
Many functions on this transceiver are selected or configured through the Menu
instead of physical controls.
1. Press [F], Tuning control to access the Menu.
2. Rotate the Tuning control to select your desired setup category.
3. Press the Tuning control to set the selected category. The Menu name and number appear
on the display.
4. Rotate the Tuning control to select your desired Menu.
5. Press the Tuning control to set the selected Menu.
6. Rotate the Tuning control to select your desired value for the selected Menu.
7. Press the Tuning control to set the selected value.
8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 to set up additional Menus. Press [ESC] at any time to exit Menu
mode. Press [BACK] at any time to cancel the Menu setup and return to the Menu
selection.
E. Winlink VHF Operation
This transceiver has a built-in TNC which conforms to the AX.25 protocol. A USB cable with
the correct plug is included in the equipment box. Connect the computer to the COM terminal
(②Figure 6) on the back of the Operation Panel.
The following indicators appear on the transceiver display to show the current TNC status:
Set the Data Band to Band B –Menu mode, Menu 930.
With this configuration, setting, you will set your Winlink operating frequency on Band B. You
can carry on a voice conversation on Band A on 70 cm while running Winlink on Band B on a

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2m channel. The two bands function as two independent single-band radios unless the radio is
set up for crossband operation.
Set the Com Port Speed to 9600 –Menu Mode, Menu 929.
F. Winlink VHF Operation —Laptop Setup (Windows)
We are currently operating in the BYOL (bring your own laptop) mode. We are working on
having a computer set up at the hospital with the software installed and configured.
Even if we are successful, you might want to have the software installed on your Windows
laptop (or tablet) computer as a backup.
To use the Winlink VHF mode, you will need to download and install the latest version of the
Winlink Express program on your laptop. Here’s where to get it.
https://winlink.org/WinlinkExpress
While you are there, set up a user account at Winlink.org. Be sure to create a password and
record it in a safe place. The software is under active development, with frequent upgrades, so
please run the Winlink program frequently to keep it up to date.
Another potential stumbling block is figuring out what COM port was assigned to your serial
port by Windows. You will need this information to configure the Winlink Express software.
Plugging the same USB-to-serial converter into different USB ports on your laptop causes
Windows to assign a different COM port number, so don’t assume that it will always be the
same. You can install a simple utility called TWCOMDetect that lists all of the active COM
ports on your computer. It’s a lot easier to use than the Windows Device Manager. You can get it
here (or Google it):
http://timewave.com/support/utilities/
G. Winlink Express Operation
There are lots of guides to using Winlink Express on the Internet. So, I’ll just share a few helpful
tips here that are specific to our installation.
The first time you run Winlink Express, you will have to configure some settings. Start the
program and choose Settings…Winlink Express Setup from the menu. Enter your callsign
(with no suffix) and the password you created when you registered at Winlink.org.
Auxiliary Callsigns and Tactical Addresses. MCACS will use Tactical Addresses for hospital
operations. Tactical addresses are created from the RMS Express Setup screen. In the tactical
address box, click “Add entry.” Type in your hospital’s tactical address. Everyone needs to use
the same password –“MCACSMD” (see attached image). Don’t substitute a different password.
(Just trust me on this –the reason why was explained during the training.) The addresses we are
using are:

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While it is optional, I recommend filling in your contact information and hospital’s grid square.
The grid square for Holy Cross Silver Spring (HCSS) is FM19la.Holy Cross Germantown
Hospital (HCGH) is FM19je. Medstar Montgomery Medical Center (MMMC) is FM19ld. If you
have Internet access, the program will use your grid square to provide a list of local gateway
stations.
Leave the Service Code as PUBLIC. (I’m not aware of any EMCOMM gateways operating in
the local area.)
Now, you are ready to tell Winlink Express what TNC you are using. Using the Open Session:
dropdown in the menu bar, select the session type as PACKET Winlink then click on Open
Session. This brings up a new session window. Click on Settings.
For the Packet TNC Type, choose “Kenwood TM-D710 B-Band.” Under Serial Port: select
the COM port that you previously identified, and leave the baud rate at 9600. Select Disabled
under AutoConnect Time. The other parameters can be left at default.
When you click on the Update button, the program will attempt to initialize the TNC. On my
computer, this takes almost 20 seconds, so be patient. If successful, you will see a “Ready”
message. Otherwise, you’ll have to do some troubleshooting.
Now, you are ready to make a connection. From Holy Cross Silver Spring (HCSS) the nearest
Winlink node is WM3M-10 (145.090 MHz at White Flint). Set the frequency on the TM-D710’s
B-Band (see the Memory Channel frequency listing for the channel number).
In the Winlink Express session window, the connection type should be “Direct” (in other words,
we are not using digipeaters to reach the gateway since these gateways are within simplex range
of the hospital). Type the callsign into the connection box, and click Start. (Alternately, click
Channel Selection which will open a window listing the closest nodes based on the grid square
information you entered above. Double click a channel or click on one and click Select Channel
at the top of the window. Don’t forget to enter the correct Frequency into the radio’s B-Band.)
After a few seconds, the radio should begin transmitting and establish a connection with the
Gateway. You are off to the races!
You can also try these other stations:
Call Sign
Frequency
Location

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WM3M-10
145.090
One White Flint North, Rockville, MD
WA3SWJ-10
145.750
Potomac, MD
WA3YOO-9
145.750
Ashton, MD
WA3YOO-10
145.750
Germantown, MD
W3LRC-10
145.750
Laurel, MD
W3PGC-10
145.750
Landover Hills, MD
W3AAC-10
145.010
Millersville, MD (AA Co)
N2LEE-10
145.730
Herndon, VA
Unfortunately, the hospital is surrounded by substantial ridges in virtually all directions. This
makes simplex VHF/UHF communications a bit of a challenge. You may or may not be
successful in reaching the stations listed above.
In a pinch, you should be able to establish a packet peer-to-peer (PTP) connection with another
local station to relay any critical message traffic. It is also possible to make a Winlink connection
over any of the RMS Gateway stations listed above, or even over a conventional FM repeater.
(You may need to increase the TxDelay setting to several hundred milliseconds when operating
over a voice repeater.) In an emergency, when the MCACS station at the Montgomery County
EOC is activated, you can contact WA3YOO to request assistance in relaying Winlink messages.

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Appendix A. MENU CONFIGURATION

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Version
Date
Description
1.0

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PM
The TM-D710 has five different programmable “personalities.” I once got into a situation where every time I turned
off the radio, when I turned it back on, it had “forgotten” what frequencies I was using and a whole lot of other
settings as well. I finally realized that I had inadvertently switched the radio from the “normal” personality to an
alternate setting. To correct the problem, I needed to press the PM button of the front of the radio, then press the
“off” button. That restored the radio to normal operation.