[aprssig] "Best" Mobile APRS Radio & TNC

[William N. Powell]

JD wrote:
> At 11:56 AM 8/20/2007, you wrote:
>  >I recently had the control head of my Kenwood D700 stolen from my car; 
> the
>  >main unit was left behind. (Some advice: Don't leave your car 
> unlocked! Ham
>  >radio control heads look like GPS or Satellite Radio units to thieves.)
>  >
>  >So I need a replacement setup for my D700. I think I have several 
> choices,
>  >so I'm looking for opinions:
>  >
>  >1. Find a replacement D700 control head, but that's not likely.
>  >2. Get a new or used D700
>  >3. Get a new TM-D710 when they come out
>  >4. Get a non-TNC radio and a separate TNC, such as the Tiny Tracker or
>  >OpenTracker.
>  >
>  >Money isn't really an issue -- I'm willing to pay for a new D710.
>  >
>  >(For a GPS, I'd probably continue using my Garmin GPS 18.)
>  >
>  >What would you do?
>  >
>  >73
>  >
>  >Ralph KC2RLM
> 
> Ralph,
> 
> I think you will have difficulty buying a replacement control head. 
> Seems Kenwood doesn't sell them for _any_ of their products. I asked the 
> folks in the booth at Dayton about this and all I got was some lame 
> excuses. They just don't sell them as a spare part. I had to part out 
> (2) TM-741s because I could not buy replacement control heads. This 
> policy has kept me from buying Kenwood products again. I hope you have 
> better luck.

Sorry this response came so late, I mail server problems after I compsed 
the original reply....

I find that interesting because I bought a Kenwood replacement car
stereo with a removable faceplate and the radio came with a security
certificate that upon presentation to Kenwood would allow you to
purchase a replacement faceplate should the original get damaged, lost
or stolen.  Without said certificate, Kenwood assumes the radio is
stolen and will not replace the faceplate under any circumstances.

I realize that the consumer car stereo market is a whole 'nuther
universe from ham radio. But it seems a reasonable policy since I am
sure their margins on the ham radio equipment is much better than
consumer car audio because of the lower volume.

But there I go expecting corporate decisions to make sense in either a
profit or customer loyalty sense.




Bill  N3PZB