Overview of the Kenwood TH-D74A

"Is it worth the money?"

[@mrm768]

This guy is the review standard! Well done! Thank You sir!

[@Yavor54]

Thanks! Well, trying to really do a great job doesn't translate into more subscribers. For that you need a flashy intro and popping-fresh TV style..lots of hype. It is just not me! I'm a teacher.

[@Larrymarx]

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE AND POST THIS VIDEO....

[@N4DJC]

I’ve had one since May, the best HT I’ve ever owned. Very refined APRS. Best display of any HT. Great audio. I’ve owned HT’s since 1979 of all makes, Kenwood has always built a very capable radio. I still have fond memories of my TR-2400 (a game changer in its time).

[@Radionicist]

Excellent review, Robert! I learned a great deal, the end result of memorable teaching. Thanks!

[@gertjandembele6583]

Thanks a gain Bob for the great video regards from Holland

[@schoocg]

Received mine March 2020. Most amazing HT I have ever owned. Build quality is top shelf. The audio Tx or Rx is second to none.PS: get a couple extra batteries. Use it about 50% analog repeaters and 50% D-Star mostly through a hot spot. I paid $490. Worth it, absolutely.

[@scottk5rsb]

Just got mine the other day and I am very impressed with it so far. Thank you for the video. Scott K5RSB

[@alvarogaitan2529]

terrific video thanks Sr

[@davejacobsen3014]

Kenwood is known for being the best of ham radio equipment. I have used some older equipment and they were great. Your review makes this look very good.

[@simpletech]

Just got my d74 today and while it initially charges I am checking out more reviews - ha. Likely so as to reinforce my decision. No buyer's remorse here! Can't wait to dig in. Bob thanks for probably the best review I've seen for a while...of ANYthing. Appreciate the enthusiasm and candor. Take care!

[@robertnagy2163]

Thank you for a big smile on this end. I venture to be the best reviewer, not just get the most hits. Next one is going to be the Xiegu GSOC remote control terminal.

[@billvet6]

I like my D74, no regrets here. Thanks for the video.

[@PipeFighter83]

This was a great video. Other reviews are very dragged out. I appreciate the clear and concise message. Very helpful. Going to subscribe to your channel!

[@Yavor54]

J- Thank you. I try to make my videos worth watching!

[@williamkeller294]

Thanks Bob, I myself going back to Dstar also after trying all the other systems. KF5SFS

[@CrittendenIV]

Incredible review!!

[@jazzFusionOnLPs]

Thanks for this straight to the point review.

[@Yavor54]

My goal is to not waste your time. Tnx!

[@DroneFun]

I have two of this radio. Fantastic Kenwood device. No regrets. Thanks for the video and 73 - PY4CK

[@rah1420usa]

Good review. Thanks. I bought mine used a couple years ago and it checks all of my boxes. I’m torn between bringing this guy or my TH-F6 out to the field

[@TheCoolProfessor]

Humor me for a moment and forgive my new status to the world of radio but to be able to talk to someone from Korea, Russia or anyplace on the globe using a radio is absolutely incredible! I need no further convincing. I am going to study for my HAM license. You just inspired me Bob!

[@Yavor54]

That is correct. If you could do this 150 years ago, they would have thrown you down the well..Bad luck for village. It is pure magic. And we don';t do it by paying $50 a month to some company. WE do it. Come on! Get that "ticket"

[@Thordmz]

Outstanding.. I have 2 of these radios myself and agree 100 percent. Thanks for the intelligent videos Bob. I watch everyone you do and have based some of my purchases on your findings. You do great presentations and talk about the important points that really help educate people about the equipment you are covering. I'm generally an Icom guy but do Kenwood and Yaesu every now & then. Take care brother..!

[@Yavor54]

Thank you! I aim for quality....not flash. HNY!

[@dimitrissapountzakis6285]

I really enjoyed the video! Honest opinions and really liked the note on dmr, fusion, d-star voice quality.. I'm not a d-star guy (yet?) to be honest, but I do understand your point and really appreciated it.

[@LEXPIX]

Great overview.

[@kenocon1]

Bob you are the best reviewer of ham radios. Thanks very much for your great efforts. Thumbs up to you 73

[@Yavor54]

Ken- Thank you so much! I really try to do a great job. No fluff- just what you really need to know.

[@TheAragonProduction]

Excellent review.

[@NAN02127]

For those of us who are blind or low vision, the audio menus are indispensable! Love this HT.

[@chadvandam7179]

I am also blind and thinking of buying this radio! What will the menus tell me! Will they tell me more than a Baofeng does? Such as frequency, the power level? Please and thank you for your response!

[@Thordmz]

Wonder what is going to replace this one... Picked up a few of these TH-D74s after watching your reviews and found them to be very nice radios.. Glad I got them when I did.. I see the ID52 is supposed to come out someday to replace the 51 plus2 which I also own.. Guess we will see what happens.. Outstanding review as always..!

[@marcclarke01]

Thanks!

[@carln6ckv8]

I have had one for about 2 months. It also supports KISS thru the Bluetooth. I use it to check in with WinLink. Make sure your PC has Bluetooth 4.0 or use the ASUS Bluetooth USB dongel

[@HBMaverick]

Just ordered one, so looks like a good choice. New operator here.

[@robertnagy2163]

Expensive, but the best HT ever made. Operation is the most intuitive of any HT. Audio quality is the best of any HT... and the best Dstar audio of ANY radio. APRS is the best implementation ever. Wide range RX with SSB and CW filters on HF... Fantastic. Color screen..fabulous. Take your time, watch KZbin videos and slowly learn all the amazing things you can do with it. One tip: The top display is for 2/450 bands. All other bands, APRS..etc..are on the bottom display. Oh yeah, the $4 Baofeng speaker mic works great on this radio. Enjoy!

[@HBMaverick]

@@robertnagy2163 Thanks for the extra details! I wanted the APRS as I do some solo 4WD in remote areas.

[@gsansoucie]

Thanks, I have a TH F6a that I bought when they initially came out (2003?) and I find and use about once every other year or so. I’ve fallen out of touch with anything above 28mhz and really had no idea about some of the “new” modes. I was watching a video last night about a guy’s SOTA kit and he showed one of his primary items as a Yaeusu HT with APRS and an external GPS that he uses for activation and spotting. I did a few searches last night and found that the Yaesu is no longer available but the TH-74 is highly recommended. Just starting my research, not sure if this is the right radio for me, but I can say I do like Kenwod HTs.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

Thanks Robert you make terrific review 73 from kb2uew

[@brazenbull636]

Mine came with a fleshlight attachment. Yea it's worth the investment..

[@JustLearning]

Thank you for your review Mr. Nagy. I will be receiving the radio today and cannot wait to put my hands on it. It was pricey but well worth it. Also, I do not know what you camera you used to make the video but it looks so sharp and clear. Well done! And thanks again. Just had to subscribed. Oh, one more thing. In the video you mentioned listening to Public Service with the radio. Did you mean on FM or on D-Star?

[@robertnagy2163]

Antonio- I meant on FM. This radio is a masterpiece. It is so refined and intuitive. It is the best Ham HT ever made in my opinion. Enjoy!

[@2011k1500]

Nice review Bob. Did you put reflective tape on yours too? I left mine laying in the car one day. The interior is all black. I looked there several times, with a flashlight, and did not see it. After that I put reflective tape on both sides.

[@murlik1]

Bob amaizing video my friend. 73'

[@UndernetSystems]

Looks very nice and it has a lot of neat features. When it comes to the bluetooth headset part, I know that a lot of hands free and headset devices have a button that you can press to "call" or "end call", maybe you could use it as ptt also?

[@steveb7310]

Great review Bob, I’ve been thinking about a digital HT and comparing the ones available. Looks like the Kenwood is the best choice. I gave the Alinco DJ-MD5TGP serious consideration, but the quality doesn’t seem as good. You get what you pay for.

[@Yavor54]

It is undoubtedly the best HT available. So well-manered and easy to operate. Audio is the best sound on Dstar too. I snagged a mint condx. used one for under $400 ...that's what I'd suggest.

[@nomisnomis1188]

Hi Robert, Squelch question: using it as a scanner to listen to my local public services. My question is, how do you eliminate the end signal squelch. It's very loud and long. The static sound is 2x louder than the the received voices. This hinders a feature of owning a Ham radio for dual purpose, 2way and Scanner(non-transmitting). Thank you in advance.

[@Yavor54]

Well, the squelch tail you hear is on their system... not a function of your HT. If you notice this noise is the case on some frequencies and not others, this confirms it is not your radio. If you hear it on all frequencies, then you might try upping your squelch level on the HT. Also, if you are listening to public service freqs that are using PL/CCTSS tones, if thier system is transmitting tones, you can place your channel setting to Receive PL ON (with their PL frequency) and this may kill their repeater tail noise. Scanner listings usually show the PL tone frequencies. This should help..

[@TheMarsgia]

I'm new in this 2 way radio world. Would this be consider a Ham radio? Great video

[@steveb7310]

I can remember when a mid-line HT typically cost about $500, so to me ,with all those capabilities,that’s not bad. 73 Bob.

[@RofieeTwo]

My Yaesu VX-5R tri-bander cost me $500+ in 1999 - wow, that was 20 years ago. Felt like it was just a few years ago.

[@robertchambers5821]

This is going to be my next purchase! Thanks for the review. 8P6RC

[@alvarogaitan2529]

what type of head phone are in the video. Can you tell me the brand thanks.

[@levyonthelaw6196]

Did you say you could talk the the ISS on this model? I would have thought the antenna and power output would not make that possible. If so - that is pretty neat.

[@Yavor54]

Yes, with a typical LEO type 2/450 hand-held antenna, you could talk through the ISS FM repeater (145.990)

[@gilharrison8696]

I just ran across a couple reviews of this radio and it really is intriguing to me but I see it was discontinued... what happened?

[@reallybadaim118]

I just ordered one. Wish me luck.

[@Yavor54]

Just watch Videos for setting it up. It is one easy talkie to operate basically. But then for weeks you';ll find more stuff it can do. It IS the Cadillac of talkies.

[@Strongbadint]

@@Yavor54 I don't really know what this radio does, but I want one.

[@shaunluciano7509]

Greetings sir and thank you for the in depth explanation. I’m brand new to Ham Radio, just passing my tech level exam last weekend (don’t even have my call sign yet) and I am currently studying for my General test. I don’t have any equipment and am in the research phase of what to buy. I know absolutely zero about transceivers or how to even find people over the air. Do you think I should start with something simpler and eventually upgrade to a product like the TH-D74 or purchase this as a first product and steadily learn all of the features as I go! “You buy cheap, you buy twice” so i would hate to outgrow a lesser product after a year or two and have to repurchase ... but I also don’t know if I should buy a Ferrari as my first car either. I look forward to hearing your perspective on my situation and greatly appreciate the easy to follow video

[@Yavor54]

Shaun- Finding people to talk to is easy. Radios? I'd get my feet wet by buying a Baofeng UV-5R for $25 first. It works. Follow my video on how to program it (not easy). Find the local repeaters in your area (google). Make a few contacts. Absorb operating info from other guys. Study for the general and don't give up! I'd find a nice clean IC-7300 from QTH.com classifieds. It is a guaranteed great radio you can own for 10 years. Then, figure out if you want to go with Dstar or C4FM on the 2 meter/450 side. That's Icom's digital or Yaesu's digital format. See what one is available in your area...You can get a little hotspot for your house that will connect you to these modes. Then look at the good HT's ($$). For $200 you can get a nice mobile rig too..FT-7900 is a good choice. Get a SG-7700 antenna...or SB7. Antennas for HF? Make wire antennas first...a 139ft loop is good. Later? HexBeam!! Go have fun-

[@neilspector9221]

lol, I have spoken with Ivan in South Korea on DMR.

[@theoview]

Bob, thank you so much for the clear review of the Kenwood D74 radio! it is now 2022, is the Kenwood portofoon still the best off? and can the Kenwood be used by a befriended blind radio amateur with big hands…? best regards from Theo, 73 PA0HTY

[@Yavor54]

Theo- I say Yes. The new Icom 52 is a good challenger.... but the TH-D74 has the best audio on digital in and out. It's Kenwood!

[@mutejosh]

Keen!

[@DavidSchamis]

Do you guys still think that this is the Cadillac of handhelds? Has anything better come on the market since this video? Thanks for an excellent review.

[@Yavor54]

No, nothing better has come out. The Yaesu FT3DR is the closest runner-up. Still, it does not have all the features and frequency coverage of the Kenwood. Plus, the 74a has "Kenwood Audio"...with audio equalizers for RX and TX in all modes.

[@qslwe4u]

Can it receive long wave aeronautical beacons NDB's? From 190 to 500Khz

[@Anthony-xe5db]

Is this better than the old Kenwood TH-F6A? The 6A had a full wideband listening (RX) on Band B from 0.1 to 1300mhz (not like much goes on at 600mhz to listen too) where I think the D74A only goes up to 470mhz in listening. The 6A is also easy to program as I can program a memory channel in 10 seconds. F6A doesn't have D-Star or GPS or anything like that though. Ive been thinking of upgrading but not sure if it's worth the price considering I have two F6A's

[@Yavor54]

Well, the TH-D74A is a newer design by 12 years. Dstar and ARPS are main features of the 74A. There is almost no activity on 1.2ghz anywhere anymore. The HF RX in the 74A actually has adjustable bandpass filters for SSB and CW. It is a decent HF receiver! The color display and layout of the menuing system is 1st class. Also, the EQ on TX and RX makes the 74A have the best audio I have ever heard from a FM/Dstar radio. You hear one on the air- and you know instantly that it is a 74A. The IC's used in the 74A are a generation newer and result in top-tier performance. Can you get along with the F6A's from a decade ago? Sure. It is only if you want the best there is- that the 74A becomes the obvious choice.

[@Anthony-xe5db]

​@@Yavor54 Thank you for responding. I live in Los Angeles where the 222-224 mhz is pretty active. We have one repeater linked to the 6 Meter club repeaters tied into San Diego (N6LXX System) and of course the The Condor Connection (linked to repeaters in the Mid West) and Papa system which is heavy on 220mhz. Why I had the F6A so long and looking for a 220mhz upgrade that still had other bands. Been thinking about this Kenwood but also the new triband Anytone about to come out this month but has DMR. I'm more of a base station guy than handheld...just not sure yet. I'll wait and see I guess. This is the new AnyTone coming out this month: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmiWpp9nfMR1bMU

[@WTFSoCal]

really realy realy hoping they integrate this in to a new mobile radio... I have a ts990 and had in the past a 710g mobile, would really love to see a 2 tx/rx replacement for the 710 with the color screen and hope its touch as well... that would be so incredible ! Kenwood if you are listening, Just do it !

[@johnlawrence1165]

Any KISS packet p-to-p WinLink demos using Kenwood D74?

[@johnlawrence1165]

Thanks W1QS

[@davidgray2969]

Your comments are always useful. dmg k5hec

[@virgilwalker683]

I use a 8 watt Boafeng and transmitting from Buffalo NY across the globe on repeaters, just fine. I paid $60.00

[@woodrowcall3158]

Have you tried DMR with it?

[@virgilwalker683]

I can receive but I can't transmits. @@woodrowcall3158

[@gustavobarajas6155]

I am going to buy two sets. What is the function or channel set to communicate with my brother?

[@Yavor54]

If you are going to just communicate with your brother, then but a $22 Baofeng UV-5R. Save money! Just avoid 144-148 and 420-450mhz.

[@jonathanwarner1844]

Why discontinue the D-72A and not replace it with another that can do full duplex across bands?

[@antycyponek2706]

multi band radio without full duplex /cross band repeat is just a useless garbage toy no matter the price or feature set end of story. of course all the no code newbies don't have a clue why

[@markroberts8541]

Will this work as a police scanner?

[@grigorirasputin5020]

Not unless you are trying to monitor one of the very few departments still on VHF-Hi Band or UHF analog conventional.

[@edferd100]

Does it come with a USB cable for the software?

[@Yavor54]

It is not a proprietary cable. It's a regular USB cable like you use on a droid phone. I do believe they shipped it with one.

[@mattlord2906]

Is there anything better, buying one tonight

[@Yavor54]

No, there is no better HT. Buy the best and you'll never regret it.

[@mattlord2906]

@@Yavor54 did, and a anytone 878

[@Gump420]

How is the display in sunlight?? Brian KC9SXI

[@robertnagy2163]

As good as any good cell phone.

[@MrAlphacallsign]

I order my new Kenwood D74A after having MOTOTRBO and FUSION never try DSTAR , si let’s see thanks for the video

[@1605555z]

FAA ATC is AM - not SSB. It is an OLD tradition. That's how you can listen to them AM rigs.

[@Yavor54]

I'm talking HF ATC. HF ATC is SSB. (8.896 etc)

[@mikebelanger4165]

".....Actually sounds like a human being on D-STAR....." No, according to what I heard in the video, it STILL sounds "robotic" (to my ear), as do all of the digital modes - DMR and C4FM (again, to MY ear). I wouldn't be able to use the digi modes (D-STAR and DMR, at least), because the closest DMR repeater to me is only 20 or so miles away, but both it and I are in valleys, so no LoS, and the D-STAR repeater is about 60+ miles away - our club does have a C4FM repeater set up, but it's stand-alone (no internet connection). However, even having said that, I'd still be willing to buy one (once I have the required funds).

[@drinaz4070]

Get yourself a hotspot

[@mikebelanger4165]

@@drinaz4070 I have one, but since I'm using (with permission) my neighbor's WiFi, I can't connect it directly to it. I also have a TP-Link hotspot, but for whatever reason, I'm not able to connect to it to change the settings so that IT connects to my neighbor's WiFi, either.

[@drinaz4070]

@@mikebelanger4165 Can you use the WiFi on your phone? Not sure why your hotspot won't connect to your neighbor unless his password has "special" characters. I've seen several vids where you use a text editor to manually change the WiFi Config File then save it directly to the SD card (of course I'm assuming you are using Pi-Star). Good luck.

[@mikebelanger4165]

@@drinaz4070 I'll be getting my own WiFi back sometime in early December, so it's a moot point now.

[@chadvandam7179]

I am blind, can I make this walkie-talkie talk to me? Would give me invoice is what I hear on the screen I guess what I’m asking is can you program embedded speech in this?

[@Yavor54]

Absolutely. It has manual and two modes of voice read-back. Once you set it ON, just press the power button momentarily and status will be spoken out. You will have to memorize the main menu selections in order from one to nine, as it just reads out the menu number.

[@timholtzclaw8930]

Thanks, New tech. KO4HEK

[@usptact]

tldr? yes

[@TheJcGlobal]

Still working fine?

[@robertnagy2163]

Yes, working great. Only thing is, I usually grab a cheaper Ht when I go out because I don't want to damage or loose the D74A!

[@scott7876]

Looks nice, 500 bucks though, ouch!!

[@robertnagy2163]

Scott- These are minty fresh ones for sale used from time to time. Got mine in the high three hundreds. QTH.com is good....

[@scott7876]

That's true, something to consider, I'm partial to Kenwoods anyway. Scott/WB2UZR

[@MrAlphacallsign]

Scott Schmautz I pay 586.00 with accessories but I always buy Kenwood product , they are well built . I know it’s a lot of money , but is like when you buy a new car the firsts payment you will feel it and later you will get use to it

[@mikecartwrightbeach]

Well as always, the very BEST information and also as always, I will simply tell the wife this is all YOUR fault.... :-)

[@robertnagy2163]

Mike- It's a splurge for sure...but as far as satisfaction for dollar spent...it is right up there with the best.

[@radiohobbyist13]

Can any of this be programmed using the keypad or is it strictly computer programming. I don't have a PC anymore, only a smartphone.

[@n3ncn1]

every feature can be done from the radio

[@radiohobbyist13]

@@n3ncn1 Thank you for your reply.

[@ntc490]

I cut my teeth on Chinese radios and it took me a sec to figure out how to control the D74. The learning curve was very shallow and I love how user-friendly it is. It's very easy to program just about anything on it from the keypad. It's tempting to not even use the PC based software, as it's not as good IMHO.

[@jasonr63301]

Did you not watch the video?

[@TypeR632]

Would this be a good radio for a new Tech operator? I don't want a $30 radio.

[@Yavor54]

If you get a Baofeng radio, you'll pull half your hair out trying to program it. When you do finally get it working, you'll have learned nothing about Ham radio. You'll have a POS radio made by Chinese slave labor. The Kenwood is a polished piece of engineering. You can operate it simply or learn all about all the amazing things you can do with it...as you go. It is the best HT ever made. Pricey...sure, worth it- yup.

[@TypeR632]

Bob Nagy What about battery life? Seems to be its weakness.

[@dewroc66]

My battery on my d74 lasts 12 hrs , low pwr, gps off and set to my position if possible so my daprs goes through without APRS on thru pi-star

[@CG-kf5vh]

Can one listen to CBRS?

[@Yavor54]

I don't know what that is.

[@CG-kf5vh]

Bob Nagy CBRS is the name given to a range of frequency spectrum in 3.5GHz (3550 MHz to 3700MHz) that the FCC authorized in 2015 for shared wireless access.

[@buddy9577]

all that money with no DMR

[@dustoff499]

That's the beauty of this radio - no DMR. *Grin*

[@ntc490]

I love the radio, but the Kenwood software is not up to par. I'm disappointed with it. Import and export are pretty much useless. Expect to do a lot of typing for analog repeater setup. It's Windows only. It just looks and feels clunky. CHIRP blows it away. Why don't radio manufacturers just port to CHIRP? I could write a paper why it's a good idea. Unfortunately CHIRP doesn't fully support the D74 yet.

[@Yavor54]

Chirp is good... free. The Kenwood software is basic- but does the job. The RT software is the best of all.

[@ntc490]

I bought RT Systems for my d74. CHIRP doesn't have full support. I found RT Systems software to be better than CHIRP in a bunch of ways: seems to more fully support all radio features, and upload is rock solid. CHIRP is better than RT Systems in some ways: powerful data entry, cross platform capability, open source extensibility. I added support to CHIRP for the TYT TH-7800. I think spending $25 this time around was a better use of my time.

[@ricknungester4445]

The Kenwood MCP-D74 Memory Control Program (latest version, v1.03) will Open 14 file formats, mostly prior from older Kenwood rigs but also common .hmk. I had no problems opening and programming my old TH-G71A (.71 file format) channel memories.

[@625lafayette]

Stay away from that lake