They all use relays these days.  If it's like the 570, it reads the menu
number, and the setting, but you should be able to get a reference to what
menu number does wat from www.icanworkthisthing.com  and once you set the
menus once, you more then likely won't go in the menus again.  Honestly, I
have radios with buttons like that, more then 1 function and it's not too
bad to get used to because usually they do make sense as to how they're set
up, it's not half as bad as you might think. The Menus aren't bad, once you
read up on them a little, you know like menu 1 is for brightness, I don't
know if that's true, it's just an example so you don't mess with that, for
the equalizer for the audio sound, for off it will say off, for base bust it
says BB, for conventional it says C  so it's very manageable and like I
said, more often then not, you'll set things once and never go back and you
probably wont' change much if anything from default.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Neufeld" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 10:01 PM
Subject: the ts2000 and menu read-outs


> Hello Lowell and others.
>
> I am back with a question. Today I got my first hands-on look at the front
> panel of the Kenwood ts2000, not a thing I would recommend for the weak at
> heart. It was a daunting experience, seeing all those small buttons, each,
I
> was told, having two or more functions, truly disconcerting for someone
who
> began his ham radio experience in the fifties, building simple single
> conversion receivers from the parts bin, my projects large and anything
but
> beautiful. As I examined the ts2000, I remembered that someone had told me
> that menu numbers were read out but nothing else other than frequency and
s
> meter reading. Then, tonight, my enthusiasm rose when I heard, perhaps
> wrongly, that, in addition to the menu numbers, actual menu values are
also
> read, useful if one had some reference card to know their significance.
What
> I need to know is if, in fact, actual values, defaults as well as newly
> revised settings can be heard. If so, then, the crowded panel
> notwithstanding, the ts2000 still remains one of my first choices. I was
> disappointed to learn that the rig uses reed relays rather than solid
state
> switching for transmit and receive when in qsk mode. But, perhaps all
> manufacturers do the same. If so, too bad.
>
> Anyway, if someone who has a ts2000 with speech board can tell me what is
> read and what is not, I would be very grateful. I want to buy my radio
> shortly.
>
> Again, thanks to everyone.
>
> Jerry
>