Phil:

If you tried to respond to my e-mail last night regarding the TMV7A, it came 
through as a bunch of computer junk that was unreadable.

My original response is below.


73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "tom behler" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "For blind ham radio operators" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 8:03 PM
Subject: Re: Kenwood V7a


    Phil:

Sorry to hear about your frustrations.

I used to have three TMV7A's--the displays for two of which ultimately went
bad.

I still have one of them yet, and can use it in a pinch, but it's not worth
trying to get the display fixed.

Save your money, and get a TMV71A when you can;  you won't regret it.

I too have had similar problems calling Kenwood on the west coast, and I've
heard that the Virginia repair center is much easier to deal with.

Another thing you might do is contact Cliff Holland in Texas.

I had him replace the finals in one of my TMV7A's a number of years ago, and
was extremely satisfied with both his charges and his workmanship.

Cliff's e-mail address is:

 [log in to unmask]


Good luck, and let us know if we can be of any more help.

73 from Tom Behler: KB8TYJ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 3:27 PM
Subject: Kenwood V7a


So, after not using my V7A for a long time due to my newer radio
application, I go to fire it up the other day and after reading from the
cheat sheets and manual and everything I could lay my hands on, I waited
till my young son got off work to read the display for the individual menu
changes I needed to make.  No display!  The dumb thing was dim and only half
the display even worked.  I got a friend to walk me through the steps to
turn the brightness up and that did nothing.  Now I find out, Kenwood admits
the display going out on the V7A models years ago was their biggest problem.
I called Kenwood and listened to their 10,000 menus on the phone, finally
found what I thought I wanted, called that number, a kids who sounded 15
years old said, "What are you talking about."  It was the Kenwood ham radio
west coast repair department and he didn't even know what radio I was
talking about.  What was I talking about; Icom radios?  Come on!  So, since
he had the I Q of a grasshopper, he said, "I'll ring the guy who handles
that radio.  It rings 4 times, a female recording comes on and says, "You
have reached..." with a blank spot for a person name who handles those
calls, and then she says, "So leave your number and we will call you back."
I left a message longer than the U S Constitution, hung up, dialed up the
website, type out a request email, and then when it saves and sends, it
says, "We will answer you in 3 to 5 days."  What?  You heard me.  In this
technological age of the internet, Kenwood can't answer emails about repairs
for 3 to 5 days.  Ain't being a ham fun?  If I had the money, I'd get the 71
but you know how that goes.

Phil.
K0NX