The Kenwood Two Meter Radio

I recently purchased and received a Kenwood TM-281A two meter amateur mobile radio transceiver.  I was able to hook it up last time I was home and only used it long enough to participate in the weekly ARES net.  Now that I am home again and I have had some time to play with it, I have some thoughts on this radio:  This is a very nice rig with clear audio, fairly easy to use functions, and a very sensitive receive.

Over the years, I’ve owned two other major radio manufacturers for a 2 meter mobile radio: Icom and Yaesu.  This is my first Kenwood, I decided on it thanks to a friend who suggested Kenwood.  The Icom and the Yaesu both have their differences, but with every company  putting out great quality products, I guess it really comes down to features and capabilities. Also, a matter of what you like and feel comfortable with.  For example, my first new dual band radio was a Yaesu FT-8000R, I loved this radio until the transmit side went out on 2M.  I hooked it up the other day to power it up after 10 years sitting in a box, it just felt comfortable to use.

The Kenwood TM-281A 2M transceiver is a great little radio.  This radio is packed with features.  One thing about this radio that I knew when I purchased it was the fact that it only has 6 buttons on the unit itself, which means sub-menu's, and a lot of them.  Luckily, the instruction manual is detailed enough to figure out the radio.

The build quality is great and the front firing speaker is loud but clear.  I do like the heat sink is placed in the back and the bottom.  I have an Icom IC-2100H in my truck and it's heat sink is mainly on top, which does fill with dust.  The TM-261A radio only has 2 power output settings, 65W and 25W.  I thought that having a radio with low power of 25W was kind of strange, I don't think that I have run across another with such a high power setting for "low" power.  Talk on it for 10 minutes and I think I could light a fire cracker with it.

There were only a few things that I didn't care for on this radio:  the "low power" output of 25W, the sub-menu's which most all radios are going to, and the very sensitive receive of this radio.  Overall, I would recommend this radio to someone that is looking for an affordable radio to get started in Ham Radio.  I think once you have all of the frequencies programmed in, you would be set.