Part of my Handheld Radios lineup.
Out of everything in my radio bag, the Kenwood TH-D75A is the one that goes in the suitcase. It is not the radio I reach for when I am just running errands around Maricopa, but the second I am getting on a plane or hitting the road for a trip, this is the handheld that comes with me. The reason comes down to one word: coverage. This is the radio that lets me pull in almost anything, anywhere, and that is exactly what you want when you are somewhere unfamiliar.
Why It Earned the Travel Radio Spot
The headline feature is the wideband receive on Band B, which covers 0.1 to 524 MHz in AM, FM, NFM, WFM, SSB, and CW. That is not a marketing bullet point, it is genuinely useful. I can scan the local ham repeaters on Band A while listening to AM broadcast, shortwave, or airband traffic on Band B at the same time. When I am in a new city, that means I can find the local repeater activity and pick up the airport tower or a nearby AM station within a few minutes of turning the radio on.
- Tri-band coverage on 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm for transmit
- Wideband, multi-mode receive from 0.1 to 524 MHz on Band B
- Simultaneous reception of two D-STAR signals, plus Reflector Terminal mode for accessing D-STAR reflectors without a hotspot
- Built-in GPS and full APRS support, including a standalone digipeater function
- USB-C for charging, data, and IF output to a PC for a bandscope view
- Bluetooth for headset PTT and connecting to Kenwood’s companion apps
- IP54/55 rated, which has held up fine through some genuinely dusty trips
D-STAR Without Needing a Hotspot at Home
If you have been curious about D-STAR but have not wanted to deal with setting up a hotspot, the TH-D75A’s Reflector Terminal mode is worth knowing about. It connects to a D-STAR reflector directly over Bluetooth or USB from a phone or PC, no dedicated RF hotspot required. I have gone deeper on the mode itself in Getting Started with D-STAR, but the short version is that the D75A makes it approachable in a way a lot of D-STAR radios do not.
Where It Falls Short
Nothing is perfect, and there are a few things worth knowing before you buy. Battery life with the stock 1800mAh pack is fine, not exceptional, so I keep the optional larger battery in my bag for longer travel days. The antenna connector is SMA-female, which is a step backward from the SMA-male connectors a lot of other manufacturers are moving to, so double check compatibility before you buy replacement antennas. And if you are new to D-STAR, there is a real learning curve, that is more a knock on the protocol than on Kenwood’s implementation, but it is worth setting expectations going in. It is also priced like a flagship radio, so this is not the one I would recommend as someone’s first HT.
How It Stacks Up Against the Rest of My Handhelds
I put the D75A side by side with the rest of my handheld lineup, including the AnyTone, the Wouxun 9-series, and a couple of budget radios, in Six Handheld Radios Compared. The short version is that nothing else in my bag comes close to its receive coverage, but that breadth of coverage is also why it is not the radio I grab for quick EDC carry, that job goes to my AnyTone.
The Verdict
If you want one handheld that can do a little bit of everything, wideband monitoring, D-STAR, APRS, and solid analog performance, and you do not mind paying a premium for it, the TH-D75A earns its keep. It has become the radio I trust to have an answer no matter what band or mode I run into on the road, and that peace of mind is exactly why it lives in my travel bag.