Ham Radio

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 mobile radio for my Ford F-150. I have a Radio Shack 2 meter 5/8 wave mag-mount antenna.
I have also installed 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 works 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 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. I use the radio as a mobile rig and it works well with a mag mount antenna mounted in the center of the cab roof of my F-150.
My Cheat Sheet for Programming  Programming for IRLP  Storing Odd-Split Repeater Frequencies:

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