From: NFXQ96A@prodigy.com (MR CORY B MCDONALD) Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 22:25:46, -0500 To: editor@qrz.com Subject: Mars/Cap mod for Kenwood TM-V7A Remove the top and bottom covers and the detachable face holder. Look at the p c board that is vertical behind the front of the radio. There will be 2 small chip resistors on the left side of the board. Carefully remove the one with the number 0 . It will be the one closest to the left near the grounding spring. You will probably have to scrape it off with a pair of needle nose pliers. After you remove it the TX should be VHF TX 136.995 - 173.995. RX should be 118-174. UHF TX should be 410-469.995 RX should be 300-470. --------------------------------------------------------- From: "Bowyer, Mike J" To: editor@qrz.com Subject: Expanding the Kenwood TM-V7: A & E versions Original TM-V7A Mod from NFXQ96A@prodigy.com (MR CORY B MCDONALD) Additional TM-V7E notes from bowyermj@state.gov (Mike Bowyer) Original TM-V7A Mod: -------------------- Remove the top and bottom covers. Look at the vertical p.c. board behind the front of the radio. There will be 2 small chip resistors on the left side of the board. Carefully remove the one with the number 0. It will be the one closest to the left near the grounding spring. You will probably have to scrape it off with a pair of needle nose pliers. After you remove it the VFO ranges should be: VHF TX 136.995 - 173.995. RX should be 118-174. UHF TX should be 410-469.995 RX should be 300-470. Additional TM-V7E notes: ------------------------ There is a row of five numbered links on the edge of the front panel board. In my E version radio, 0, 2 & 3 were made as standard. I now have only one link fitted in the number 4 position which enables the repeater function not defaulted in European versions. I have removed all other links. I can now also receive the AM Aircraft band (118-137MHz). It is possible to change from AM to FM by pressing the MHz button for 1 second. Plus I have discovered doing the same key press (MHz for 1s) in the UHF band gives a 800-999Mhz RX band. The European version has a 1750Hz tone-burst function, a modified band plan for the auto-repeater shift function, adds a -7.6Mhz repeater shift and sets the band limits to 144-146 & 430-440 - the AM Air band & 800Mhz bands are disabled. All these European 'features' are lost when the radio is expanded. (The repeater offsets are still programmable, but you must learn how to whistle at 1750Hz). I think the only other difference between the A and E versions is that the E version has an N type antenna connector fitted. Making link number 5 causes the radio to power up in a Memory recall mode (i.e., with channel numbers) and so is not overly useful! I'm not sure exactly what links 0, 1, 2, & 3 all do individually! Maybe other configurations are possible: any information would be gratefully received. As for RF performance, the front-end (and PA) must be tweaked to use frequencies other than the factory alligned defaults, with a little tweaking out of band performance should come good (at the expense of regular 2m/70cm performance). The chip resistors are SMD zero ohm things - a wire link (or solder blob) will do the same job. They can be carefully removed (for re-use) by using a fine tipped iron, de-solder braid, and a pair of long nose pliers or tweezers. The front board can be carefully detached from the rest of the radio to make removing the links easier. Mike Bowyer. bowyermj@state.gov