Hi Curt.
I don't have a 707 so I can't try this out myself, but I did notice that Kenwood's MCP-2A software will open G707A files, which you may then be able to export as a .hmk file, which Chirp will import. Not sure if this will do a better job of keeping your locked out channels, but it may be worth a shot if you get tired of pulling your hair out.
-------- Original Message -------- From: Curt Phillips W4CP via chirp_users chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com Sent: August 8, 2018 12:49:49 AM UTC To: Discussion of CHIRP chirp_users@intrepid.danplanet.com Subject: [chirp_users] Using CHIRP w/Kenwood TM-G707A- problem with lock out/scan function
I have a couple of Kenwood TM-G707A 2 meter/440 radios, and I'm using CHIRP and a cable I bought from eBay for programming.
The combination is working for most things, except there is one big problem. It has to do with programming channels to SKIP (or locked out) when scanning. When I first downloaded the existing programming on one of the G707s to CHIRP, I noticed that there was a column for "SKIP", or indicating which channels would be skipped, but that NONE of the channels were marked to skip.
So I reconfigured the database to program the G707 with new frequencies, with designed channels to be skipped when scanning using the column marked for that. I used "S" to mark the channels to skip, which I learned from two sources was the proper way to mark them. I then caused the database to transfer to the G707, and everything was fine BUT no channels were marked to skip.
Over several tries, every time I transferred a new frequency list to the G707, it totally erased the channels to be skipped. The unit has 180 channels, it's not terribly easy to program from the front panel to have a channel skip and I generally want most channels to be skipped while I am scanning. So wiping out the skip function for all the channels in the radio is not good. In fact, because of the effort to program all the needed channels to skip, it renders CHIRP almost useless with this radio.
This is an old Kenwood program that works, but it's not as easy to use as CHIRP and I can't import the frequencies that I have already programmed via CHIRP on my other radios. Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a solution?
Thanks for your input.
73, Curt W4CP Raleigh, NC USA