© B62-XXXX-XX (K)
09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00
MULTI-BAND PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER
TH-F6A
DUAL-BAND PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER
TH-F7E
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
KENWOOD CORPORATION
i
THANK YOU
THANK YOU
Thank you for choosing this KENWOOD TH-F6A/ TH-
F7E transceiver. It has been developed by a team of
engineers determined to continue the tradition of
excellence and innovation in KENWOOD
transceivers.
First, don’t let the size fool you. This small FM
portable transceiver features 144 MHz, 220 MHz
(TH-F6A only), and 430/ 440 MHz amateur band
operation plus another all-mode 100 kHz to 1.2 GHz
receiver (SSB and CW are up to less than 600 MHz).
In the meantime, as you learn how to use this
transceiver, you will also find that KENWOOD is
pursuing “user friendliness”. For example, each time
you change the Menu No. in Menu mode, you will see
a text message on the display that lets you know
what you are configuring.
Though user friendly, this transceiver is technically
sophisticated and some features may be new to you.
Consider this manual to be a personal tutorial from
the designers. Allow the manual to guide you through
the learning process now, then act as a reference in
the coming years.
FEATURES
• Ultra compact design
• 144 MHz, 220 MHz (TH-F6A only), and
430/ 440 MHz amateur band FM transceiver
operation
• A separate wide band, all-mode receiver, built-in
• 400 memory channels plus 23 special function
memory channels (24 channels for TH-F6A)
• Long operation period with a Li-ion battery pack
• High output power (up to 5 W operation)
• 9600 bps Packet-ready data (Speaker/ Mic.) jack
• Built-in VOX function
SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES
After carefully unpacking the transceiver, identify the
items listed in the table below. We recommend you
keep the box and packing material in case you need
to repack the transceiver in the future.
yrosseccA rebmuNtraP
ytitnauQ
A6F-HT E7F-HT
)K( )E( )T(
koohtleB XX-3260-92J 1 1 1
annetnA
XX-1870-09T
)dnab-4( 1 – –
XX-9870-09T
)dnab-3( – 1 1
partS XX-9330-96J 1 1 1
yrettabnoi-iL XX-9790-90W 1 1 1
regrahC
XX-7290-80W 1 – –
XX-8290-80W – 1 –
XX-9290-80W – – 1
noitcurtsnI
launaM
XX-1441-26B
)S/E( 1 1 1
XX-2441-26B
)I/F( – 1 –
XX-3441-26B
)G/D( – 1 –
ecitoNETT&R XX-7622-95B – 1 1
dracytnarraW XX-9640-64B 1 – –XX-0130-64B – 1 1
WRITING CONVENTIONS FOLLOWED
The writing conventions described below have
been followed to simplify instructions and avoid
unnecessary repetition.
noitcurtsnI oDottahW
sserP ]YEK[ ]YEK[ ]YEK[ ]YEK[ ]YEK[ . esaelerdnasserP YEK YEK YEK YEK YEK .
sserP
]2YEK[+]1YEK[ ]2YEK[+]1YEK[ ]2YEK[+]1YEK[ ]2YEK[+]1YEK[ ]2YEK[+]1YEK[ .
dlohdnasserP 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK ,nwod
sserpneht 2YEK 2YEK 2YEK 2YEK 2YEK eraerehtfI.
dnasserp,syekowtnahterom
litnunrutniyekhcaenwoddloh
.desserpneebsahyeklanifeht
sserP
]1YEK[ ]1YEK[ ]1YEK[ ]1YEK[ ]1YEK[ , ]2YEK[ ]2YEK[ ]2YEK[ ]2YEK[ ]2YEK[ .
sserP 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK ,yliratnemom
esaeler 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK 1YEK sserpneht, 2YEK 2YEK 2YEK 2YEK 2YEK .
sserP
][+]YEK[ ][+]YEK[ ][+]YEK[ ][+]YEK[ ][+]YEK[ .
,FFOrewopreviecsnartehthtiW
dlohdnasserp YEK YEK YEK YEK YEK hctiwsneht,
ybrewopreviecsnartehtNO
gnisserp ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ .)REWOP(
ii
MODELS COVERED BY THIS MANUAL
The models listed below are covered by this manual.
TH-F6A: 144 MHz/ 220 MHz/ 440 MHz FM
Multi-band Portable Transceiver
TH-F7E: 144 MHz/ 430 MHz FM
Dual-band Portable Transceiver
MARKET CODES
K-type: The Americas
E-type: Europe/ Universal type
T-type: United Kingdom
The market code is shown on the carton box.
Refer to the specifications {page xx} for the
information on available operating frequencies within
each market.
NOTICE TO THE USER
One or more of the following statements may be
applicable for this equipment.
FCC WARNING
This equipment generates or uses radio frequency energy.
Changes or modifications to this equipment may cause harmful
interference unless the modifications are expressly approved in
the instruction manual. The user could lose the authority to
operate this equipment if an unauthorized change or
modification is made.
INFORMATION TO THE DIGITAL DEVICE USER REQUIRED
BY THE FCC
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can generate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that the
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer for technical assistance.
1
PREPARATION
INSTALLING THE Li-ion BATTERY PACK
Note: Because the battery pack is provided uncharged, you must
charge the battery pack before using it with the transceiver. To
charge the battery pack, refer to “CHARGING THE Li-ion BATTERY
PACK” {page 2}.
1 Position the two grooves on the edge and two
hooks at the bottom of the battery pack over the
corresponding guides on the back of the
transceiver.
2 Slide the battery pack along the back of the
transceiver until the release latch on the top of the
transceiver locks the battery pack in place.
3 To remove the battery pack, pull the release latch
on top, then slide the battery pack down.
INSTALLING ALKALINE BATTERIES
1 To open the battery case (BT-13), push the locking
tab in, then pull the cover back.
2 Insert (or remove) four AA (LR6) alkaline batteries.
• Be sure to match the battery polarities with
those marked in the bottom of the battery case.
3 Align the two tabs on the battery case cover, then
close the cover until the locking tabs click.
4 To install the battery case onto (or remove it from)
the transceiver, follow steps 1 to 3 of
“INSTALLING THE Li-ion BATTERY PACK”
{above}.
INSTALLING THE ANTENNA
Hold the base of the supplied antenna, then screw
the antenna into the connector on the top panel of the
transceiver until secure.
a
ATTACHING THE HAND STRAP
If desired, you can attach the supplied hand strap to
the transceiver.
INSTALLING THE BELT CLIP
You can install the supplied belt clip to the transceiver
tightening the 2 supplied screws.
Tab
Screws
Strap
Tabs
Grooves
Latch
2
1 PREPARATION
CHARGING THE Li-ion BATTERY PACK
The Li-ion battery pack can be charged after it has
been installed onto the transceiver. The battery pack
is provided uncharged for safety purposes.
1 Confirm that the transceiver power is OFF.
• While charging the battery pack, leave the
transceiver power OFF.
2 Insert the charger plug into the DC IN jack of the
transceiver.
3 Plug the charger into an AC wall outlet.
• Charging starts and “CHARGING” appears.
4 It takes approximately 6 hours to charge an empty
PB-42L Li-ion battery. When charging is
complete, “STANDBY” appears; remove the
charger plug from the transceiver DC IN jack.
5 Unplug the charger from the AC wall outlet.
u Exceeding the specified charge period shortens the useful
life of the Li-ion battery pack.
u The provided charger is designed to charge only the
provided PB-42L Li-ion battery pack. Charging other models
of battery packs may damage the charger and battery pack.
CONNECTING TO A CIGARETTE LIGHTER
SOCKET
To connect the transceiver to the cigarette lighter
socket in your vehicle, use an optional PG-3J
Cigarette Lighter cable.
To connect with an external 24 V power source via a DC-DC
converter, only use the optional PG-3J Cigarette Lighter cable.
Using the PG-2W DC cable in this situation may cause a fire.
PG-2W
24V
12V24V PG-3J
12V
12V24V PG-3J
Note: If the input voltage exceeds approximately 18 V, warning
beeps sound and “VOLTAGE ERROR” appears.
CONNECTING TO A REGULATED POWER
SUPPLY
To connect the transceiver to an appropriate
regulated power supply, use an optional PG-2W
DC cable.
1 Confirm that the power of both the transceiver and
the power supply are OFF.
2 Connect the optional PG-2W DC cable to the
power supply; the red lead to the positive (+)
terminal, and the black lead to the negative (–)
terminal.
3 Connect the barrel plug on the DC cable to the DC
IN jack of the transceiver.
Note:
u Only use power supplies recommended by your authorized
KENWOOD dealer.
u The supply voltage must be between 5.5 V and 16 V to prevent
damaging the transceiver. If input voltage exceeds
approximately 18 V, warning beeps sound and “VOLTAGE
ERROR” appears.
DC IN jack
DC 12 V
DC-DC Converter
DC-DC Converter
Fuses
DC IN jack
DC IN jack
Socket
3
YOUR FIRST QSO
FIRST QSO
Are you ready to give your TH-F6A/ TH-F7E a quick
try? Reading this page should get your voice on the
air right away. The instructions below are intended
only for a quick guide. If you encounter problems or
there is something you would like to know more, read
the detailed explanations given later in this manual.
4
3 5
21
6 7 8
q Presss and hold [ ] (POWER) briefly to switch
the transceiver power ON.
• Do not press the switch for more than
approximately 2 seconds; the transceiver will
be switched OFF.
• A high pitched double beep sounds and then
“KENWOOD” and “HELLO!!” appears
momentarily. The various indicators and 2
frequencies appear on the LCD.
w Press [A/B] to select the frequency band on top.
• Each time you press [A/B], the “s” icon
moves, indicating which frequency band is
currently selected for operation.
e Turn the VOL control clockwise to the 11 o’clock
position.
r Press [BAND] until you select the amateur radio
band you wish to operate.
t Turn the Tuning control to select the receive
frequency.
• You may further turn the VOL control to adjust
the volume level of the signal.
y To transmit, hold the transceiver approximately
5 cm (2 inches) from your mouth.
u Press and hold the PTT switch, then speak in your
normal tone of voice.
i Release the PTT switch to receive.
o Repeat steps y, u and i to continue
communication.
4
GETTING ACQUAINTED
KEYS AND CONTROLS
A/ B-band status LEDs
Tuning Control
VOL Control
DisplayPTT switch
LAMP Key
Antenna
Speaker/ Mic.
Keypad
Power Switch
MONI Key
M
Menu/Cursor
Keys
SP/MIC jack
DC IN jack
5
4 GETTING ACQUAINTED
q E L
Appears when the transmit output power is set to Low
(“L”) or Economic Low (“E L”) {pages 7, }.
w H
Appears when the transmit output power is set to
High (“H”) {pages 7, }.
e LSB
Appears when lower side band (LSB) is selected for
B-band {page 36}.
r USB
Appears when upper side band (USB) is selected for
B-band {page 36}.
t CW
Appears when CW is selected for B-band {page 36}.
y WFM/ FM/ FMN
“WFM” appears when wide FM mode is selected
{page 36}.
“FM” appears when normal FM mode is selected.
“FMN” appears when narrow FM mode is selected
{pages 36, }.
u AM
“AM” appears when AM mode is selected {page 36}.
i
Appears when a priority scan is activated {page 25}.
o FINE
Appears when a fine tuning function is activated.
!0 VOX
Appears when the VOX function is activated
{page xx}.
!1
Appears when the Automatic Simplex Check (ASC) is
activated {page 14}.
!2
Appears when the Key lock function is activated
{page xx}.
!3
Appears when the function key is pressed.
!4
S-meter (RX) and relative output power meter (TX).
!5 CT
“CT” appears when the CTCSS function is activated
{page 28}.
!6
Appears when the Tone function is activated
{page 13}.
!7 DCS
Appears when the DCS function is activated
{page 29}.
!8 +/ –/
Appears when the repeater shift function is activated
{page 12}.
!9 R
Appears when the Reverse shift function is activated
{page 14}.
@0
Appears when the Tone Alert function is activated
{page xx}.
@1
Appears when the displayed memery channel has
been locked out {page 27}.
@2
Full dot-matrix display (76 x 16 dots). It displays
various informations, such as the operating
frequencies, menu settings, and etc.
DISPLAY
14
1
15
21
22
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
16 17 18 19 20
6
4 GETTING ACQUAINTED
BASIC OPERATION
SWITCHING POWER ON/ OFF
1 Press [ ] (POWER) briefly to switch the
transceiver power ON.
• Do not press the key for more than
approximately 2 seconds; the transceiver will
be switched OFF.
• Upon power up, a high pitched double beep
sounds, followed by the frequencies and other
indicators.
2 To switch the transceiver OFF, press [ ]
(POWER) again.
• When you turn the transceiver OFF, a low
pitched double beep sounds.
ADJUSTING VOLUME
Turn the VOL control clockwise to increase the audio
output level and counterclockwise to decrease the
output level.
• If you are not receiving a signal, press and hold
[MONI] to unmute the speaker, then adjust the
VOL control to a comfortable audio output level.
ADJUSTING SQUELCH
The purpose of the Squelch is to mute the speaker
when no signals are present. With the squelch level
correctly set, you will hear sound only while actually
receiving signals. The higher the selected squelch
level, the stronger the signals must be, to receive.
The appropriate squelch level depends on the
ambient RF noise conditions. You can configure
independent threshold squelch levels for the A-band
and B-band.
1 Press [SQL].
• The current SQL level appears.
2 Turn the Tuning control or press [ ]/ [ ] to adjust
the level.
• Select the level at which the background noise
is just eliminated when no signal is present.
• The higher the level, the stronger the signals
must be, to receive.
• 6 different levels can be set (OPEN: unmuted ~
|| || || || || || : maximum).
3 Press [sssss] or [MNU] to store the new settings or
press [ttttt] to cancel without changing the current
setting.
SELECTING A BAND
By default, two frequencies are displayed on the
LCD. The frequency on top is called the A-band. The
bottom frequency is called the B-band.
Press [A/B] to select the A-band or B-band for
operation. Each time you press [A/B], the “s” icon
moves, indicating which band is currently selected for
operation. Usually, select the A-band to operate the
amateur band and select the B-band to receive the
various broadcasting stations, such as AM, FM, TV
(audio only) or another amateur band {page 35}.
CURSOR KEYS
This transceiver has a 4-way cursor key with a MENU
(“MNU”) key in the center.
/ keys
The / keys function in the same way as the
Tuning control. These keys change the frequencies,
memory channels, and other selections.
Note: You can use the Tuning control in place of the / keys for
most of the controls.
s/ OK key
Press to move to the next step or complete the
setting in various modes, such as Menu mode,
CTCSS frequency selection, and DCS code selection.
t/ ESC key
Press to move back or cancel the entry in various
modes, such as Menu mode, CTCSS frequency
selection, and direct frequency entry.
MNU key
Press to enter the Menu mode.
In Menu mode, you can select the desired menu
number by turning the Tuning control or pressing
[ ]/ [ ].
A-band
B-band
7
4 GETTING ACQUAINTED
TRANSMITTING
1 To transmit, hold the transceiver approximately
5 cm (2 inches) from your mouth, then press and
hold the PTT switch and speak into the
microphone in your normal tone of voice.
• The status LED on the top panel lights red and
bar-graph meter appears.
• If you press [PTT] while you are outside of the
transmission coverage, a high pitched error
beep sounds.
2 When you finish speaking, release the PTT switch.
Note: If you transmit countinuously for more than 10 mintues, the
internal time-out timer generates a warning beep and the transceiver
stops transmitting. In this case, release the PTT switch and let the
transceiver cool down for a while, then press the PTT switch again to
resume transmitting {page xx}.
n Selecting Output Power
Selecting lower transmission power is the best way to
reduce the battery consumption, if communication is
still reliable. You can configure different power levels
for transmission {page xx}.
Press [LOW].
• Each time you press [LOW], the indicator cycles
between “H” (high), “L” (low), and “EL” (economic
low).
Note:
u You can store different output power setting for the A and B-band.
When you change the output power, it is reflected to all available
amateur bands for A or B-band.
SELECTING A FREQUENCY
n VFO mode
This is the basic mode for changing the operating
frequency. Turn the Tuning control clockwise to
increase the frequency. Turn the Tuning control
counterclockwise to decrease the frequency. Or,
press [ ]/ [ ] to change the frequency.
If the desired operating frequency is far away from
the current frequency, it is quicker to use the MHz
tuning mode.
1 Press [MHz].
• A MHz digit blinks.
2 Turn the Tuning control or press [ ]/[ ] to select
the desired MHz digit.
3 After selecting the desired MHz digit, press [MHz]
to exit the mode and return to normal tuning
mode.
4 You may further adjust the frequency using the
Tuning control or [ ]/[ ].
n Direct Frequency Entry
In addition to turn the Tuning control or press [ ]/[ ],
there is another way of selecting the frequency.
When the desired frequency is far away from the
current frequency, you can directly enter a frequency
from the numeric keypad.
1 Press [VFO].
• You must be VFO mode to make the direct
frequency entry.
2 Press [ENT].
• “– – – – – – ” appears.
3 Press the numeric keys ([0] to [9]) to enter your
desired frequency. [MHz] can be used to
complete the MHz digits entry.
• Pressing [ENT] fills the remaining digits (the
digits you did not enter) with 0 and completes
the entry.
• To select 145.000 MHz for example, press [1],
[4], [5] then press [ENT] to complete the entry.
Example 1 (100 MHz < f < 1000 MHz)
To enter 438.320 MHz:
Key in Display
[ENT] – – – – – –
[4], [3], [8] 4 3 8. – – –
[3], [2], [0] 4 3 8. 3 2 0
Note: You do not have to press [MHz] when you are entering 3-
digit MHz number.
8
4 GETTING ACQUAINTED
Example 2
To enter 439.000 MHz:
Key in Display
[ENT] – – – – – –
[4], [3], [9] 4 3 9. – – –
[ENT] 4 3 9. 0 0 0
Example 3 ( f > 1000 MHz)
To enter 1250.500 MHz (B-band only):
Key in Display
[ENT] – – – – – –
[1], [2], [5], [0] 12 5 0. – – –
[5] 12 5 0. 5 – –
[ENT] 12 5 0. 5 0 0
Example 4 (f < 100 MHz)
To enter 10.500 MHz (B-band only):
Key in Display
[ENT] – – – – – –
[1], [0] 1 0 – – – –
[MHz] 1 0. – – –
[5] 1 0. 5 – –
[ENT] 1 0. 5 0 0 0
Note: When pressing the last [ENT], the FINE tuning function is
automatically activated for 10.5000 MHz.
Example 5
To enter 810 kHz (B-band only):
Key in Display
[ENT] – – – – – –
[0] 0 – – – – –
[MHz] 0. – – –
[8], [1], [0] 0. 8 1 0
Note:
u If the entered frequency does not match the current frequency
step size, the frequency is automatically rounded up or down to
the next available frequency.
u When the desired frequency cannot be entered exactly, check
whether the FINE function is ON or not and confirm the
frequency step size {page xx}.
u Some frequency ranges are blocked, due to government
regulations. Refer to the specifications for the TX/ RX coverage.
u If you turn the Tuning control or press [ ]/ [ ] while entering
the frequency, the transceiver clears the entry and recovers the
previous frequency and mode.
9
MENU SETUP
WHAT IS A MENU?
Many functions on this transceiver are selected or
configured via a software-controlled Menu, rather
than through the physical controls of the transceiver.
Once familiar with the Menu system, you will
appreciate the versatility it offers. You can customize
the various timings, settings, and programming
functions on this transceiv