You should write for Kenwood.
###
BRETT WINCHESTER
[log in to unmask]
208-639-8386
###
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lou Kline
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 6:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Antenna switches.
No, Kenwood never made a TS611. The radio that was made in that time
period was the TS670S, and it was the follow up to the TS660 and the
predecessor to the TS680S.
A blind friend of mine had the TS670S, and it was quite a nice radio,
especially if you ran it into a Mirage A1015 amplifier. You could get a
good solid 150 watts on 6 meters that way.
Kenwood actually took a big step backwards when they made the TS680S.
While the TS680S had full HF coverage, and it had 31 memories (that was
a lot in 1988), Kenwood fumbled the ball on both receiver design and
accessibility. The TS680S had no provision for speech whatsoever, and
the pots for power, RF Gain, and NB level used really cheesy slide
controls that were okay when the radio was new, but quickly degraded as
the radio aged. The HF receiver was a double conversion receiver and
suffered from insufficient rejection of signals from the FM broadcast
band which was a real problem around 17 meters and the 16 meter
broadcast band. As you can tell, I owned a couple of them before I lost
the rest of my vision, so I'm well acquainted with their strengths and
their foibles.
In my opinion, Kenwood really redeemed itself when they replaced the
TS680S with the TS690S. The '690S is a TS450S with 6 meters added (50
watts on 6 meters). If you are lucky enough to find one with the AT450
auto tuner installed, and the VS2 voice synthesizer, they are a pretty
accessible radio and the receiver sounds much better than the receiver
in the TS680S did. I still have my TS690S, which is a testament to how
well I think Kenwood did with that radio. The TS690S was introduced in
1992, by the way.
If you find a TS690S, but it doesn't have the AT450S, don't sweat it.
Both MFJ and LDG make tuners with Kenwood interfaces that can be
controlled from that radio, and will do nearly as well as the original
AT450 auto tuner. They will do better, if you want to operate 160
meters as the AT450 did not cover 160 meters.
I don't think Kenwood sold very many of the TS670S radios. 6 meters
wasn't nearly as popular in the 1980s as it is today, mostly because of
the prevalence of TVI issues before a large number of people switched
over to cable TV. In fact, there was about a 4 year period in the early
1980s, when Kenwood didn't offer a radio at all that would operate on 6
meters--that was the time between when they discontinued the TS600S and
when they introduced the TS660. For a while, it was the Icom IC551D, or
nothing!
There, that should give you about a 30 year history on Kenwood radios on
6 meters.
73, de Lou K2LKK
At 06:24 PM 10/4/2007 -0400, you wrote:
>I don't know about the 71 series but the 75 series had speech. I think
>the 6 meter Kenwood we're thinking of was the TS-611. I saw the TS-600
>for sale the other day, 6 meter version of the TS700, wow!! can that
>thing bring a price!! but it's the first one I've ever seen for sale
>so that's probably why.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Brett Winches" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 6:21 PM
>Subject: Re: Antenna switches.
>
>
> > You are right but I too forget the model number. Wish I had a pair
> > or better yet the Icom of that era. The receivers were reputedly
> > (by those in my area working weak signal satellite or
> > moonbounce)better on the Icom but I forget if the 271 471 had
> > speech. I do think that they had a GasFet preamp option which
> > explains the receiver difference. =20
> >
> >
> > ###
> > BRETT WINCHESTER
> > [log in to unmask]
> > 208-639-8386
> > ###
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: For blind ham radio operators
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Miller
> > Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 2:39 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Antenna switches.
> >
> > I think there was a 6 meter version of that too but good luck
> > finding one.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dave Marthouse" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 4:18 PM
> > Subject: Re: Antenna switches.
> >
> >
> >> The 711 is a two meter all mode rig. Make sure the radio has the
> > speech
> >> board and the pl board. I had one and its companion the 811 for
432.
> > The
> >> radios worked very well and were real workhorses.
> >>
> >> Dave Marthouse N2AAM
> >> [log in to unmask]
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----=20
> >> From: "Chris Schulte" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 4:12 PM
>
>
>
>--
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.1/1050 - Release Date:
>10/4/2007
>5:03 PM
Louis Kim Kline
A.R.S. K2LKK
Home e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Work e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Work Telephone: (585) 697-5740
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