B.B. Link Adapter Frequently Asked Questions

In the TH-D74/5, Kenwood uses the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) to expose the internal KISS TNC. Apple does not allow applications to use the Bluetooth SPP on iOS and only permits Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This combination results in a frustrating incompatibility.

No, the adapter only requires power from USB-C; all data exchange is done via Bluetooth. If your iPhone is from a generation earlier than the iPhone 15, it has a Lightning connector instead of USB-C. Using a Lightning-to-USB-C adapter does not enable the phone to function as a power delivery host and will not power the adapter. To use the adapter with an older iPhone lacking USB-C, you can use a portable power bank. Additionally, your vehicle may have a USB-C power plug, or you can use a USB-C car charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter.

Older generations of devices with a Lightning connector won’t power accessories. Lightning-to-USB-C adapters will not provide power to a connected device; they only allow USB-C cables to be used for charging the phone. To use the adapter with a previous generation iPhone, you can use a USB-C portable power bank instead. Additionally, your vehicle may be equipped with a USB-C power plug, or you can use a USB-C car charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter.

Yes, the adapter works with the Kenwood TH-D74 and TH-D75 radios.

The Android and macOS operating systems allow applications to access the Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) and can pair natively with the radio, so no adapter is necessary in this case.

The adapter is designed to work only with the Kenwood TH-D74 and TH-D75. To date, they are the only known radios that expose a TNC via Bluetooth.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯