I am having trouble programing my Kenwood TK-280, I have tried on two computers (Apple Macbook and a Windows Laptop) and the software should work on both but it doesn't come up like it should when I plug in the radio, I have tried moving the cables around on the USB ports to see if that changes it and it doesn't. Does anyone know of any cheap/Free software for a Kenwood TK-280? I am trying to do this for a lower cost so just an all radio software or something that works on many radios would be great.
How olde is the radio? Much of the programming software won't work on post-Win98 machines, or with USB - SERIAL adapters.
^Agreed. I use an XP partition with an actual two-port serial card for my programming needs, except for the few instances where I've found that using the USB cable works better.
Additionally, what USB-to-serial driver are you using? If it's a PL2303, that driver has become the unfortunate victim of a wave of counterfit hardware. There's only one working driver I've been able to find. I can provide it if needed, or I'd recommend getting a Keyspan. Bit pricer, but works almost always: http://www.tripplite.com/high-speed-usb-to-serial-adapter-keyspan~USA19HS/ (http://www.tripplite.com/high-speed-usb-to-serial-adapter-keyspan~USA19HS/)
Also, getting back to XP vs Windows 7, it could be a software issue, like SarDragon said. A lot of the programming softwares don't like 64-bit operating systems.
I bought it refurbished about half a year to a year ago. I can not tell you exactly how old it is but all the buttons and stuff look brand new but that might be apart of the refurbishing... And the cable is brand new so I am unsure..
Was this radio placed in service prior to Jan 2006? If not, it is no longer suitable for CAP use.
That said, the software appears to be compatible with either serial or USB use. Are you using a direct USB cable, or a serial cable with an adapter? If it's the direct cable, have you installed all the necessary drivers?
When you start up the software, have you checked to see which Com port it is seeing? Is it seeing a Com port at all?
Is the baud rate set correctly? Some radios and software are very picky about that.
I'm not sure I can offer any more suggestions right now.