Hi Pat.

Yes, about all that seems to go bad on those TS850S is that the litium 
batteries are notorious for leaking and destroying the board in that radio, 
so you might want to be proactive and have it replaced on general principle 
every few years, but other than that, I'd call that radio a keeper.

73, de Lou K2LKK



At 09:12 PM 1/29/2008 -0600, you wrote:
>Hi Lou,
>And now that I think about it; unless I used the 2000 regularly the
>learning curve never went away.  I haven't had a lot of time to
>operate recently, but when I sit down in front of the PRO it all
>comes back to me and is pretty intuitive.
>I've played radio for fifty years and the newer ones are certainly
>problematic although the performance is great!!  And I could replace
>tubes and solder a lot of the things which needed soldering in the
>old days but I don't want to re-open that whole can of worms!!
>And I still own a TS850 which I probably should sell, but it is truly
>a classic, intuitive easy to use transceiver.  One of those older,
>topline Kenwoods.
>Pat, K9JAuAt 08:19 PM 1/29/2008, you wrote:
> >Hi Pat.
> >
> >I've never had an Icom IC746Pro, but I can absolutely echo your comments on
> >the TS2000S.  Were it not for the accessibility aspects of the radio, I
> >would have given up on it because of the receiver shortcomings probably at
> >least a year ago.  I'm getting kind of concerned that Kenwood doesn't seem
> >to really be doing much of anything with weak signal VHF/UHf or with high
> >end HF transceiver design, which is starting to make me wonder if ayear or
> >three down the road they will just up and announce that they are getting
> >out of ham radio, or at least confining their work to 2 meter and 70 cm
> >mobiles and portables.  Much as I dislike Yaesu, I find that there is a lot
> >more innovation coming out of Icom and Yaesu than I see coming out of
> >Kenwood, particularly with respect to HF.  Really, the only kind of recent
> >product for Kenwood outside of VHF/UHF FM has been the TS480 series radios.
> >
> >Maybe it is just me, but I feel that Kenwood had some truly great pieces of
> >equipment in days gone by, and they are falling way short of the
> >performance they used to design into their stuff.
> >
> >73, de Lou K2LKK
> >
> >
> >
> >At 07:37 PM 1/27/2008 -0600, you wrote:
> > >Hi Keith,
> > >I have been busy and unable to respond to your question.  I had a
> > >TS2000 which I have replaced with a 746PRO.  I agree with all that
> > >has been said.  The PRO is less accessible than the 2000 - on its
> > >side, the Icom has what Icom calls triple register stacking - each
> > >band allows three keystrokes when you switch to it.  So, you can
> > >configure a 75 meter SSB setting, a CW setting and perhaps an AM
> > >setting.  Then you could "tab" through those settings and reach the
> > >desired mode or filter setting you would prefer.  The preset
> > >arrangement makes the receiver a bit easier to use.  And the filter
> > >settings are actually not hard to use.  As several people have said,
> > >many of the menu items can be set and mainly forgotten so a bit of
> > >initial help would be of benefit.
> > >Bottom line, however is that the receiver, in my opinion is far and
> > >away better than the Kenwood.  What troubled me about the Kenwood was
> > >that the receiver had a rushy, watery synthesizer sound which is
> > >absolutely missing on the Icom, whose receiver really performs.
> > >Hope this doesn't muddy your decision making!!
> > >Pat, K9JAu At 03:10 AM 1/26/2008, you wrote:
> > > >Hello,
> > > >
> > > >     I'd like to hear from anyone who has a 746PRO.  How do you like it,
> > > >and how accessible are the various functions?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >No virus found in this incoming message.
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> > >Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.13/1246 - Release Date:
> > >1/27/2008 6:39 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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>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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>1:50 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