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