---
product_id: 6827641
title: "Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver"
brand: "kenwood"
price: "₪98"
currency: ILS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/6827641-kenwood-tm-281a-144mhz-fm-transceiver
store_origin: IL
region: Israel
---

# Alphanumeric LCD 65W Power IP66 Waterproof Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver

**Brand:** kenwood
**Price:** ₪98
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📡 Connect with Confidence!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver by kenwood
- **How much does it cost?** ₪98 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.il](https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/6827641-kenwood-tm-281a-144mhz-fm-transceiver)

## Best For

- kenwood enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted kenwood brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Weather Ready:** Stay informed with built-in weather alerts for peace of mind.
- • **Compact Design:** Lightweight and portable, perfect for on-the-go professionals.
- • **Rugged Reliability:** Built to withstand the toughest conditions with MIL-STD 810 certification.
- • **Powerful Performance:** Unleash your communication with a robust 65 watts of power.
- • **Smart Memory Management:** Store and access up to 200 channels effortlessly with alphanumeric labeling.

## Overview

The Kenwood TM-281A is a high-performance 144MHz FM transceiver designed for durability and efficiency. With a powerful 65 watts output, it features a user-friendly alphanumeric LCD and can store up to 200 memory channels. Its rugged construction meets military standards for environmental resilience, and it boasts an IP66 waterproof rating, making it ideal for outdoor use. Weighing just 2.5 pounds, this compact transceiver is perfect for professionals who demand reliability and performance.

## Description

On or off the road, Kenwood's TM-281A is a mobile radio you can always count on. As tough as nails, this MIL-STD-compliant transceiver delivers powerful performance, excellent audio clarity, and a host of advanced features. It offers superb operating ease day or night thanks to the large backlit LCD and illuminated keys. So the next time you take off, take the TM-281A.

Review: This is a good radio, well worth the price - This is a good radio, well worth the price, carefully and well documented and has plenty of power. In low power mode you can use the cigarette lighter (25 Watts), but to use high power mode (65 Watts) you will definitely need a battery connection. Most noteworthy is the case and construction. This is not a simple cheap device. There's a lot of aluminum and the front facing speaker is perfect. This is a product built to last, as are most Kenwood radios - the radio this replaced was also a Kenwood and was 20 years old. This one looks like it will last even longer. I highly recommend this radio over any radio from China. I bought one of those first because of the price. Its on the shelf in the shack because the documentation is terrible, the quality is substandard, and the alleged features don't all appear to function. I finally gave up trying to debug the documentation and went back to Kenwood.
Review: Kenwood Fan (biased?) - Am a Kenwood fan. Have tried some others and prefer the user interfaces on Kenwoods. For that one, good, reliable, use it all your life radio, buy a Kenwood (like this one... I like it). For a radio you will hate because it cost as much or more and it was obviously designed by a non-ham because every function you need is 20 layers deep, buy an icom. Can't speak for Yaesu, but have heard mostly favorable reports. For a fun, throwaway, almost functional toy that costs a tenth of the price and 1 out of 10 will work great out of the box, 2 will work intermittently, 4 will work great if you take them apart and resolder them, and 3 will never work and have to be thrown away, buy the really cheap Chinese things, like Baofeng. I have several and love them. It's a crap shoot, but they're fun. For that one radio you can always count on that will never frustrate you, buy a Kenwood. My opinion only.

## Features

- Rugged compact contruction, High Power= 65 Wts, Alphanumeric LCD
- 200 Memory Channel, 6 alphanumeric characters offers 100 memory channels
- CTCSS/DTCS Enconder/Decoder, Weather Alert/RX
- Meets MIL-STD 810 C, D, E, F and G environmental standards for vibration and shock

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B007470C0A |
| Additional Features | LCD Screen |
| Best Sellers Rank | #4,253 in Portable FRS Two-Way Radios |
| Brand | Kenwood |
| Color | Black |
| Compatible Devices | Kenwood two-way radios, other devices operating on 144 MHz with CTCSS/DCS support, Kenwood accessories compatible with the TM-281A's connector type |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 392 Reviews |
| Frequency Range | 144 MHz |
| Item Dimensions D x W x H | 6.34"D x 6.71"W x 1.69"H |
| Item Weight | 2.5 Pounds |
| Manufacturer | KENWOOD |
| Model Number | TM-281A |
| Number of Channels | 200 |
| Special Feature | LCD Screen |
| Talking Range Maximum | 5 Mile |
| Tuner Type | VHF |
| UPC | 019048195906 |
| Water Resistance Level | Water Resistant |
| Waterproof Rating | IP66 |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Kenwood
- **Color:** Black
- **Number of Channels:** 200
- **Special Feature:** LCD Screen
- **Frequency Range:** 144 MHz
- **Talking Range Maximum:** 5 Mile
- **Water Resistance Level:** Water Resistant
- **Product Dimensions:** 6.34"D x 6.71"W x 1.69"H
- **Item Weight:** 2.5 Pounds
- **Compatible Devices:** Kenwood two-way radios, other devices operating on 144 MHz with CTCSS/DCS support, Kenwood accessories compatible with the TM-281A's connector type

## Images

![Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/418G8KK29XL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: How do I use this in my house**
A: You need a power supply capable of putting out at least 10 amps (15 would be better) continuously at 13.8 volts. You also need a good 2-meter antenna. I would recommend building a j-pole. It's easy to build out of 1/2 inch copper pipe, it's not large, and needs no ground plane. It even works well indoors, just keep it at least 5 or 10 feet from other electronics. Also be sure to put a choke near the feed point by making a loop consisting of 4 or 5 turns of coax. Here's a plan: http://www.hamuniverse.com/jpole.html

**Q: Will this work for emergency frqs? i am a ff-emt and want one for my pov**
A: You may use this unit on emergency frequencies if authorized by your local fire/ ems agency.  You may NOT use  amateur frequencies without a tech license or higher.  Your best bet is a dedicated VHF radio programed to your agency specs.

**Q: Does this radio have a scan feature?  If so, does it scan fast or slow?**
A: Yes! The memory scan is incredibly fast and using priority scan enables you to have it monitor a single channel every three seconds while scanning. The VFO scan speed is based on the step used.This is MUCH faster than the Chinese radios.

**Q: Will I be able to communicate with my buddy who has a cobra CB?**
A: Most likely not since the CB freq is 26.9MHZ to 27.4MHZ

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a good radio, well worth the price
*by M***S on April 17, 2016*

This is a good radio, well worth the price, carefully and well documented and has plenty of power. In low power mode you can use the cigarette lighter (25 Watts), but to use high power mode (65 Watts) you will definitely need a battery connection. Most noteworthy is the case and construction. This is not a simple cheap device. There's a lot of aluminum and the front facing speaker is perfect. This is a product built to last, as are most Kenwood radios - the radio this replaced was also a Kenwood and was 20 years old. This one looks like it will last even longer. I highly recommend this radio over any radio from China. I bought one of those first because of the price. Its on the shelf in the shack because the documentation is terrible, the quality is substandard, and the alleged features don't all appear to function. I finally gave up trying to debug the documentation and went back to Kenwood.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kenwood Fan (biased?)
*by N***E on June 24, 2015*

Am a Kenwood fan. Have tried some others and prefer the user interfaces on Kenwoods. For that one, good, reliable, use it all your life radio, buy a Kenwood (like this one... I like it). For a radio you will hate because it cost as much or more and it was obviously designed by a non-ham because every function you need is 20 layers deep, buy an icom. Can't speak for Yaesu, but have heard mostly favorable reports. For a fun, throwaway, almost functional toy that costs a tenth of the price and 1 out of 10 will work great out of the box, 2 will work intermittently, 4 will work great if you take them apart and resolder them, and 3 will never work and have to be thrown away, buy the really cheap Chinese things, like Baofeng. I have several and love them. It's a crap shoot, but they're fun. For that one radio you can always count on that will never frustrate you, buy a Kenwood. My opinion only.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Radio at a Great Price !
*by S***L on May 24, 2020*

I havn't been on Ham Radio for almost 20 years but with the stay home due to Corona Virus, I started to get bored with the internet so I started to see whats going on with 2 meter radios these days. I was pleasantly surprised to see this Kenwood full feature transciever for only $150 so it was a no brainer to order it. It arrived in a few days and I was surprised to find that the entire chassis is a heat sink. Years ago you did not have to go thru all of the programming that todays radios require to get it on the air so I spent some time with the well written instruction manual and in about an hour I had two repeaters programmed into it although I have to admit it seemed a bit confusing at times. I bought a programming disc and cable from RT Systems ( reviewed elsewhere ) that made the rest of the programming a snap. At the time I did not know that Kenwood has a free download program for this task and an accessory cable ( not supplied ) for about half of what I paid for the RT Systems disc & Cable. I am using this radio with an Astron RS-12A power supply which is fine for the 25 watt output. I am using this radio with a Diamond x200 dual band gain antenna that has been on my roof for about 30 years, with 50 ft of 9913 cable. The SWR was a bit higher than I felt comfortable with at 2 to 1 and the radio folded back to about 18 watts on the 25 watt output setting. I knew either the cable or the antenna or both had to be replaced. I replaced the cable with new RG8X and that brought the SWR to a more respectable level of 1.4 to 1 at the band edges and 1to 1.1 at 146 Mhz. This enabled the radio to output 25 to 28 watts at the low power setting. The build quality seems quite good and I would expect nothing less from Kenwood after owning other Kenwood products for many years. The front panel layout is nice, the illumination for the digital display is adjustable. The front facing speaker is quite good when used in a relatively quiet area and the audio seems to be contoured for best possible vocal quality from a speaker of that size. Provision for an external speaker is available from an 1/8th inch phone jack on the back of the radio. Two items that make me give this radio 4 stars instead of 5 is the amount of heat radiated from the near wrap around heat sink on the back and bottom of this radio. Even with transmissions of 1 minute or less, after being in a qso for a while the heat sink is extremely hot. I installed the mobile mounting bracket to act as a bit of additional heat sink and even that gets quite warm, and this is only at the 25 watt setting. I dont think you would ever get a 100% duty cycle from this radio. The instruction manual does mention that when using the 65 watt output to keep transmissions shorter. I am going to have to use this radio with some kind of fan or other form of forced air cooling. To me, solid state and extreme heat are not a good match. The other item that causes me to give this 4 stars and not 5 is that the minimum ( Lo power ) setting is 25 watts. I think, considering the heat situation when running at this power lever, a 10 watt setting would be more appropriate. There is no internal adjustment to lower the power below 25 watts. I would have much more preferred power levels of 10 w low and 25 high which I really feel would be better for this radio considering the heat situation at 25 watts. I have not even attempted to try it at 65 watts even though I have a 35 amp power supply that I could use it with. I feel this is a good radio for the price and I hope to get many hours of enjoyment from it. I did buy an extended warrantee with it and I am glad I did in case it fails from the high heat it generates. It appears that this model has been available for quite a few years which indicates that it is popular and reliable. Yes, I would recommend this radio to others.

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*Product available on Desertcart Israel*
*Store origin: IL*
*Last updated: 2026-03-08*