TM-D700/710 Tips and Tricks
My D700/710's are all identically programmed using Kenwood's D700 programming software. I have APRS running on the left bank, and voice freqs all loaded up and running on the right bank. I love these radios, and consider them perfect for my amateur radio interests, which are primarily voice and APRS.
I have the 100 hertz CT programmed on the APRS frequency and this allows me to hear APRS packets when they are within direct range (not digipeated), and if the other person has a D700 and similarly programmed. I can make a voice contact with him and invite more chat on another simplex frequency. So when you are out driving around and you have the APRS freq on the left bank, with the volume up a bit, and you hear APRS packets, then you should look to see if the contact was logged, and try calling that person on the APRS frequency. Remember, no long QSOs, just make contact and move to a voice freq.
When I transfer the radio settings from the software program, I sort the frequency database alphabetically. That way when I tune the channel knob I have all the stations sorted from A-Z. It's much easier than looking for a particular frequency.
This just recently mentioned, in addition to entering an APRS freq with the 100 hz CT, you can program another APRS freq w/o the CT, and then choose either one. If you sort alphabetically, the two entries will be one after another.
For those of you with the new Kenwood TM-D710, one neat feature is the TUNE button. If you look through your LIST of APRS stations received and see a frequency listed, perhaps part of a club announcement or net meeting announcement, you can select that OBJECT and choose TUNE. The right side of the radio will select that frequency, offset, and tone in VFO if it's properly formatted. This is handy so you don't have to adjust frequencies and enter a non-programmed freq into VFO while driving.
The ECHOLINK functions built into the D710 allow you to program the DTMF code into the selected ECHOLINK node, then after going to that frequency you hit the DTMF key and it automatically sends the tone to connect to the distant station.