Thanks, Albert, WA7FXB
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2014 8:18 AM
Subject: Re: Kenwood TS-590 ALC mod


> Albert,
>
> Sorry, I should have mentioned that.  There is a  sticker or plate or
> something on the rear.   I think it is between the antenna jacks and the
>  usb/serial ports.  It might also be on the sales receipt.  I got mine
> off the box.  No sighted help here, so i was able to put the box on a
> scanner and  do an OCR to read it.   It will be on a sticker on the box.
>  One of the short ends of the box.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
> On 7/3/2014 1:04 AM, Albert Sanchez wrote:
>> So, Steve, where do you find the s/n?
>> Albert, WA7FXB
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Steve Forst" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2014 10:35 PM
>> Subject: Re: Kenwood TS-590 ALC mod
>>
>>
>>> Dave,
>>>
>>> Again, anything I say should be confirmed.    My understanding is that
>>> units made after Jan 1 2014 had the mods done at the factory.  At least
>>> that's the story  going around.
>>>
>>> You can find production date from the s/n.   First character will be a
>>> "B".  Kenwood went to a new s/n system a few years ago and "A" would
>>> stand for the first decade of this century and "B" for the second
>>> decade.   No 590's were made prior to 2010, so all should start with a
>>> "B".
>>>
>>> Second character is a number that indicates  year of production: 0 =
>>> 2010, 1 = 2011, etc., to 4 = 2014.
>>>
>>> Third character is month of production: 1 = January through 9 =
>>> September, A = October, B = November, and C = December.
>>>
>>> After that are some  zeros and last, some digits that indicate actual
>>> production that month.
>>>
>>> So it is the first 3 characters that tell  when it was made.   Mine
>>> starts with B14, which means made in April 2011.  makes sense since I
>>> bought it new in June 2011.
>>>
>>> Again, you should confirm all this junk and decide if you want to  go to
>>> the trouble of resolving a problem that may or may not be there, and may
>>> or may not apply to you.
>>>
>>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>>
>>> On 7/2/2014 10:00 PM, David Weigel wrote:
>>>> Hi, Steve:
>>>> Thanks for the information and commentary on the alc mod for the TS
>>>> 590.  I purchased my TS 590S on February 8th from H R O at the Orlando
>>>> Hamcation, and the transceiver was sent to me from the H R O Delaware
>>>> office, arriving at my home about February 15, 2014.  Without 
>>>> additional
>>>> information, I do not know if my TS590S was manufactured in the latter
>>>> part
>>>> of 2013 or early 2014, just before my mid-February 2014 shipment.  How
>>>> does
>>>> one come to know when the rig was manufactured?  Is there some
>>>> informational
>>>> sticker or other telltale sign on the rig itself?  Or does one just 
>>>> need
>>>> to
>>>> contact the vendor to learn of when the rig came to the vendor, taking
>>>> into
>>>> account some time for transit from Japan? (or was it China or 
>>>> Indonesia?)
>>>> I am hoping that the special Kenwood TS 590 and VGS-1 sales campaign
>>>> from last November/December "exhausted" the supply of pre-alc mod TS
>>>> 590s,
>>>> so that any TS 590s sold in February 2014 then had the factory alc
>>>> So, please let us know of the secret of identifying the date of
>>>> manufacture of the TS 590.  Thanks.    Dave Weigel (pronounced: why
>>>> gull)   KD4JEZ     Naples, Florida
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>>> On Behalf Of Steve Forst
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2014 2:10 PM
>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>> Subject: Kenwood TS-590 ALC mod
>>>>
>>>> Not sure if anyone else on the list has had this done, but figured I
>>>> would share my experience.
>>>>
>>>> First, don't take anything I say as Gospel, confirm with another 
>>>> source.
>>>>
>>>> The 590 has had a known issue of ALC/power spike and Kenwood is now
>>>> offering a free mod to fix.   You need to send the radio to a Kenwood
>>>> service center at your expense, and Kenwood covers the mod and return
>>>> shipping.
>>>>
>>>> If this spike exists on a particular radio, it could cause a solid 
>>>> state
>>>> amp (or some high end tube amps) to trip their protection circuit.
>>>> Many solid state amp owners  have reported no problems and all works
>>>> well.   others, like me, found the amp tripped with only modest drive.
>>>>
>>>> in my case my THP 1.2kfx which  should put out 750 watts pep, with a
>>>> drive between 75-90 watts, would trip off with  much less.   On 10
>>>> meters I was limited to about 35 watts drive, 40 watts on 15, and 50 or
>>>> so on 20 meters.   Lower bands could handle 60 watts.    More drive and
>>>> the amp would trip.
>>>>
>>>> Sent mine  out in  June to the Virginia Beach service center and had it
>>>> back in 12 days.   Have had it back for a week and have run it with the
>>>> ss amp and no problems.    Played some in the Canada Day contest on 
>>>> both
>>>> 15 and 20 meters running 70 watts drive and no problems.   THP is out 
>>>> of
>>>> business now and this amp would be expensive to repair, so I will
>>>> probably limit drive to 65-70 watts and  hopefully the extra headroom
>>>> will give it a longer life. I'll treat it like a 550 - 600 watt amp
>>>> instead of 750.
>>>>
>>>> So I was happy with the result.   Your mileage may vary.  The mod
>>>> consists of some hardware changes and some changes in the alignment
>>>> procedure.   If your 590 was built starting in January 2014, the 
>>>> changes
>>>> were implemented at the factory.   Anything built from 2010 - 2013  can
>>>> get the mod if you desire.    Obviously most of these radios are long
>>>> out of warranty, but kenwood is  treating this as a warranty repair.
>>>> Mine was built in April 2011 and purchased in June 2011.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, that's my long winded story.
>>>>
>>>> 73, Steve KW3A
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>