Pairing the TH-D74 or TH-D75 with your iPhone / iPad over Bluetooth

[Georges WH6AZ]

Aloha everyone,

I've improved the adapter I created to pair the Kenwood TH-D74/TH-D75 radios with iPhones and iPads over Bluetooth.

Meet B.B. Link – your solution to connection blues. It lets you use the radio's KISS TNC with apps like APRS.fi and RadioMail.

For a detailed how-to, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLze6qDOLww

Ready to dive in? Visit: https://github.com/islandmagic/bb-link/

Enjoy and stay connected!


Georges WH6AZ

[Heikki Hannikainen]

On Sat, 3 Feb 2024, Georges WH6AZ wrote:

> I've improved the adapter I created to pair the Kenwood TH-D74/TH-D75 radios with iPhones and iPads over Bluetooth.
>
> Meet B.B. Link – your solution to connection blues. It lets you use the radio's KISS TNC with apps like APRS.fi and RadioMail.
>
> For a detailed how-to, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLze6qDOLww
>
> Ready to dive in? Visit: https://github.com/islandmagic/bb-link/

Awesome! I hope you don't mind, I shared the links a bit on social media.

Judging by the number of emails I've received about the D74 not working
with the iPhone, I suspect that if someone printed a batch of enclosures
and sold them + the boards as a kit, there might be a few buyers out
there.

In reality some might find the programming steps a bit too difficult, so
an option for a preprogrammed board, for a little extra price, might be
good.

I think I'd like use this on direct USB power in the car instead of
embedding a battery.

- Hessu

[Georges WH6AZ]

I understand that the programming aspect can seem daunting, but embracing new challenges is the essence of our hobby :)

Using direct USB power should be quite effective. When the adapter detects USB power, it will remain active and won't enter sleep mode. You might still want to think about including a battery — it would charge while USB power is connected and ensure the board stays operational if the USB power is cut. Plus, if the adapter isn't being used, it will automatically shut itself down after 5 minutes.