The Spencer Family Web

TSTALK Version 2.6

TSTalk is a program to control Kenwood transceivers it has been tested on a Kenwood TS590SG, thanks to many hours spent by Gena M0EBP testing the software and should also work on many other Kenwood transceivers, such as the TS590S, TS570 and TS2000. At the bottom of this page is a link to the TSTALK package. I have written this program to run under windows and it is designed to  be fully accessible for the blind.  It isn't a program written for the  sighted and made accessible for the  blind. It has some information in a window on the screen but the whole  operation is designed to be controlled by single key presses for easy accessibility and everything is spoken.

The program needs no libraries such as hamlib etc. but is a stand alone program you put the TSTalk folder anywhere you want on your computer and just start the exe file. When you start the program it will announce the program name and version and you will know it is successfully communicating with your Kenwood Radio because it will then say  connected, if it doesn't then something is incorrectly set in the radio or the configuration file. Many Kenwood radio's have a standard 4800 Baud com speed which although the program will run it is too slow for the program to work reliably, especially if you hit several keys quickly the com may not be able to keep up and I recommend 38400 Baud which needs to be set in both the radio and the configuration file. In the configuration file you can set a number of different things such as com port speed and a number of other features covered in the documtation. The program offeers a large range of simple to use functions such as tuning the radio, changing bands, setting up a rpeater, using CTCSS or DCS tones and codes, controlling option and the menu and much more.

As an example of how the program works if you press the F key then you are in frequency mode and the program will voice the mode and exact frequency. If you tune the radio with the cursor keys or the tuning knob on the radio and stop on a station then hitting F will again announce the mode and frequency. If you hit the B key the program is in band change mode and you can go up or down the bands using the  cursor keys or jump to a band of choice with the number keys. All of  these single key controls are explained in the PDF file which is part of the download and you can also download an MP3 file and hear an explanation of how the program works and a demo

v1.9 of the program contains all of the standard features Listed in the Help PDF file..
v2.0 of the program includes the added features of reading and writing menu items in the radio and split frequency operation for working DXPeditions or setting up repeater splits. 

There are three downloads, the first is that MP3 file as a demo of FTTALK which works in the same way as TSTALK, the second is a zip file with the V2.4 package for Kenwood Transceivers which contains the folder with the complete package of program, config file and User manual plust things like CTCSS/DCS code lists. Please note that Windows Defender can produce a false positive with version 2. There is no virus and you can add the TSTALK folder to the Defender exclusion list or tell Defender to restore it and it will run normally. If you don't want to do this then below there is also a copy of V1.9 but of course without the added V2.0 features.

TSTALK and FTTALK DEMO

TSTALK V2.6 COMPLETE PACKAGE

TSTALK V1.9 COMPLETE PACKAGE