Rudi's

Comments on Kenwood equipment used by ZS6DX

TS-120S

Likes:

Compact and easy to use for its age.

Dislikes:

Lack of frequency stability, worse than much older rigs, this also go for newer TS-130S.
TX sometimes go spurious, known problem but can destroy finals ! (fixed by replacing 3 diodes)

TS-690S

Likes:

Well build robust rig.
Easy to use, similar to TS-450.
6m a real bonus, even if it is just 50w.
Internal tuner tunes almost anything !

Dislikes:

RX not very sensitive, on 6m a pre-amplifier is a must if you want to work weak stations.
Internal tuner not standard but an option.

TS-440S

Likes:

Well build robust rig.
100% duty cycle TX with huge heat sink.
Internal tuner tunes almost anything, eventually !
Good audio on TX and RX.

Dislikes:

Keypad can cause problems but a good clean normally solves that.
Lack of finger hole in VFO knob, all older Kenwood radios lack this very convenient feature !

TS-870S

I have used this radio for quite a while as my primary contest rig and I must say it is superb !. If it had a dual RX and spectrum scope it would have been the best radio on the market.

Likes:

Fantastic solid RX !
Solid Front-end, might be industry best !
DSP works well, even 50Hz on CW is actually useful.
Lots of user configurable options allows you to really customize the rig.
Often used controls can be assigned to "function" keys.
Great sound on RX and TX with options to tailor the TX sound to your voice.
VERY Fast tuner that tunes just about any reasonable antenna.
Robust construction internally and externally.
Finals that loaf at 100W (they are quite capable of 150W!), I never even had the fan switch on.

Dislikes:

Would have been great if it had dual RX and spectrum scope!
To change the DSP aggressiveness you have to go into a sub menu, clumsy !

TS-2000

Likes:

Lots of bands and options.
Adjustable bandwidth works well on CW.
Compact.
Cross band repeat.
Build in TNC.
Fast tuner, even if it is just a "switching" tuner using relays with limited matching capability.
Sub band receiver independent of main receiver. (see note below)

Dislikes:

I really wanted to like this radio but the more I used it the less I liked it !
Flimsy/plastic feel with keys very closely spaced.
RX terrible, wide open front-end gets crunched by anything, this was the one thing that really put me of the radio !.
Second RX only VHF/UHF FM. CRAZY !, it is almost like Kenwood added a dual band hand held as an afterthought to a HF radio.
VHF/UHF RX not sensitive (even though on paper it looks good), next to a IC-746 or FT-847 it is deaf !
DSP a bit of a joke, filters almost useless in the real world on SSB, ok on CW.
Plastic/hollow sound on RX, not what I would expect from Kenwood.
TNC is not 100% TNC-2 compatible causing problems with some software.
Price (locally), way to expensive for a radio like this.
Installing the 1296 module not simple, the sample I tried was done but the local Kenwood reprehensive and it did not work !

Here is what someone else have to say about this radio, I AGREE 100% (Taken from the equipment review at eham.net)

by G7TOK	Rating: 0/5
Fancy Functions - Poor Receiver
A great friend of mine recently sold his FT847 to "upgrade" to this radio, suffice to say he has now sold the TS2000 and bought back his FT847. Fancy software does not a great radio make, I decided to do a test drive myself. The front panel suffers from the same lack of focus and terrible aesthetic design that the FT847 has, but to a much greater margin. Functions: menus, menus, menus, built in packet, LIMITED dual band functionality. But by far the worst crime, the receiver stinks, my £150 handheld wideband scanner has better performance, utterly, utterly unacceptable at this price point. Hang your head in shame Kenwood for trying to blind us with pretty lights and snake oil ! The FT847 receiver is light years ahead on VHF/UHF, no IMD squawks, no hash from strong nearby stations on DIFFERENT bands, no pager breakthrough. If you are blinded by techo-babble, buy one. If you want a rock-solid VHF/UHF performer the FT847 has no peers.

TS-520SE

Likes:

Good solid old workhorse !
Very well build and robust, the general feel is one of real quality, far better than contemporaries like the FT-101
Frequency stability great for its age, better than some radios years younger.

Dislikes:

For its age, NONE

TS-180S

Likes:

Nice old radio well build

Dislikes:

Lack of frequency stability, worse than older TS-520.
Tuner would have been great.

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