Kenwood TH-F6

TH-F6A

This is a great little handheld! It puts out 5 watts at the max and is a triband radio. Meaning it will work 2 Meters, and the 222 and 440 bands.

I use this as a scanner and portable radio. I have a Radio Shack 2 meter 5/8 wave mag-mount antenna.

I have also used this radio with a Mirage BD-35 Dual Band HT Amplifier (144/440) to increase the amps from 5 watts to 45 watts max. The antenna and amplifier worked great!

The TH-F6A Radio can be difficult to use if you don't read and re-read the manual.

Kenwood has a freeware program that can help with programming it via a computer but you will need to either build or order a cable to connect to your radio. You can pick them up cheap on E-Bay. I have a problem getting the program to work on Vista Systems.

I have made a cheat sheet that I carry around with me in my truck.

Kenwood Memory Software for Windows

My Cheat Sheet for Programming

To Program a Frequency

Press [VFO]

•Tune the radio to the frequency

Change to CTCSS or DCS if needed

•Press [F]

•A memory channel # appears and blinks

•Turn the turning control to select an empty channel

•Press [MR] or [MNU] to store the freq to the channel

Naming a Memory Channel

•Press [MR] to recall your desired memory channel

•Press [F], [mn-f] to enter memory name input mode

•The entry cursor appears

•Turn the tuning control to select the character.

•Press [MONI] on the side to delete a character

•Once complete, press [MNU]

Clearing a Memory Channel

•Recall the memory channel you want to erase

•Press and hold (power) to switch the radio off

•Press [MR] and (power) at the same time

•You will see an erase confirmation message appear

•Press [MR] or [MNU] to erase the channel data.

After storing a memory name, pressing [MN-F]

switches between the display name and the freq

To Change from + to – offset:

•Press F Key

•Then press the SHIFT / REV / 8 Key

Programming for IRLP

IRLP:

•Set radio to the IRLP Repeater freq

•Set to T for Tone, + and FM

•Set the Offset

•Must be in T for tone

•Then Press F

•Then Press Tone

•Change with the dial to the offset

•Press PTT and hold

•Say your call sign

•Press node #xxxx

•Release PTT

•Should hear repeater answer

To Hang up from IRLP

•Press PTT and hold

•Press #73

•Repeater should tell you, you are disconnected

Storing Odd-Split Repeater Frequencies:

Storing Odd-Split Repeater Frequencies:

•For example, if you want to store a 1.31 offset to talk

to the ISS. (This is a – offset with a 1.31 and this radio

will not do this, it will only go to 1.30 and 1.35)

•The Down-llink Freq is 145.800

•The Up-Link Freq is 144.490

•Press VFO

•Turn the turning control to the down-link (Receive) freq

•Press F

•Select a blank channel to store the down-link freq in.

•Press MR to store the freq in the channel.

•Turn the tuning control to select the desire Up-Link freq

(Transmit) freq.

•Press F

•Turn the tuning control to select the memory channel you

programmed for the Down-Link

•Press PTT + MR or PTT + MNU

•To check to see if it is correct, Press REV

MENU for TH-F6

Here is how my set up on my menu:

  • Menu 1: Time

  • 2: 01234567 Link

  • 3: All bands

  • 5: On

  • 6: 0.60 MHz

  • 7: On

  • 8: Off

  • 9: Sp/MIC

  • 11: Slow

  • 12: Off

  • 13: 500 MS

  • 14: Off

  • 15: KH6OWL

  • 17: 1.0 Sec

  • 18: 60 min

  • 19: on

  • 20: Off

  • 21: 4

  • 22: 500ms

  • 23: Call

  • 24: Off

  • 25: Off

  • 26: Enabled

  • 27: English

  • 28: 1200bps

  • 29: Off

  • 30: Lithium

  • 31: No

TH-F6 Accessories

The Accessories that I have for my TH-F6.

  1. Canvas holster for belt

  2. Microphone

  3. Double AA Battery Pack

  4. Drop in battery charger (Universal Charger UC-1 with PB-42L from W & W Manufacturing Company)

  5. Battery for Drop in Battery charger (WWL-PB42 Li-ion Battery Pack 7.4V@200mAh from W & W Manufacturing Company)

  6. Diamond Antenna SRH320A

  7. Cable for programming with a computer