[Boatanchors] Twins -

Sat Jan 28 10:07:00 EST 2017

Hi Bill,
Check out my TS-900 and particularly the Kenwood brochure that takes direct aim at  Drake:
http://www.parelectronics.com/vintage-kenwood-ts-900.php

Their biggest competitor  at that time I suppose.

Dale W4OP

-----Original Message-----
From: Boatanchors [mailto:boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bill Cromwell
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2017 9:43 AM
To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Twins - was: Like new Drake C line for sale, 160M-2M

Hi Roger,

I have had (and use) my Kenwood Twins (no nickname) since the mid 80s. 
The best I can tell they were built at the end of the 60s. Kenwood initially had 11 meters on the receiver and some of the transmitters were modified (dealers?) for 11 meters as well and they were quite illegally put on the Citizen's Band. Kenwood removed this when they attracted attention from FCC. I saw the bulletin from them. That left an empty slot that is labeled "EXT" on the bandswitch. That is what mine has. I have been thinking it would be a perfect place to install a crystal and coil set to give 17 meters. It already has 30 meter coverage
(Pre-WARC) thanks to the happy accident of giving an entire 600 kc wide band to 10 Mc WWV.

Mine has a step attenuator in place of the blanker controls on the later A and D sets and it is needed because the front end is far too "hot" - overloads quite easily. That attenuator is just part of being a "radio operator" and understanding how it works. Mine has the two meter converter instalIed. I have been working on a compatible transmitter to provide 160, 30, 17, and 12 meters. I have an extra plug for the cable for that and I also have an external VFO (that can be installed in the
transmitter) from a TS-520 set. More likely I will just leave the R-599 in charge. I already have an I.F. filter for the SSB generator, too. 
After more than 45 years of regular use those VFOs are still smooth and reliable.

Other manufacturers have offered "twins". They give us the best of "separates" and "transceivers" all in one set. Compared to other gear of that time they are reasonably compact. <heresy alert> I have an Atlas
180 that came out around about 1970 that gives about 100 watts of CW or SSB on 160 through 20 meters, at a fraction of the desktop real estate and is practical for mobile operation. They were preparing to market a set of "twins" too - much smaller. Those are all - ahem - solid state. I have the documentation on the Atlas Twins and I am considering building a set on that pattern </heresy alert>. I also have an interest in the Heathkit Twins as well as a receiver that matches my Apache. I have the
DX-60 and HR-10 too but those and the TX-1/RX-1 do not "transceive". 
Also a HW-16 - just one step short of twins with transceive (and less complicated).

This is already getting lengthy so I will forgo the "war story" about how I acquired my Kenwood Twins. That will be for another day.

73,

Bill  KU8H

On 01/28/2017 08:40 AM, Rodger Singley wrote:
> But there was a TR-4C transceiver with a later TR-4CW version which also had a CW filter and even later RIT was added.  There was also a 2C receiver which was mostly a cost reduced version of the earlier and very fine 2A and 2B receivers.  The Drake TR-22C was a rebadged Trio/Kenwood  2 meter portable FM transceiver.
>
> I have rarely heard of anyone refer to the Drake twins as the 4 line twins although the variation iterations of the Collins are always referred to as the S line regardless of the final number.  An underappreciated set of twins is the Kenwood R-599/T-599.   The A suffix version is much improved over the original and electronically equivalent to the later D line with its slightly different cosmetic styling.
>
> The Kenwood twins have a beautifully smooth VFO mechanism, are very compact, the receiver has all 4 IF filters (includes FM), calibrator, and noise blanker as standard so the only options are 6 and 2 meter internally mounted converters.  The transmitter has real transmitting tube (6146B) finals and a cooling fan and either VFO can control transceive operation or they can operate both split and reverse split.  The only criticism I could offer is unlike the receiver the transmitter doesn’t cover 160 meters.  My first experience with a R-599A receiver was at my first Field Day event and when I switched it to 10 meters I thought the receiver had poor sensitivity because it was so quiet.  I quickly found out how well it really worked and unlike my Heathkit SB-102 it was very quiet on 10 until you tuned across a signal.
>
> I always had thought the Yaesu 101 twins were quite attractive and I have a couple of sets now but operationally I much prefer the Kenwood 599 twins.  The Yaesu 400 twins are some of the nicest looking of that era while the early FR/FL-50 twins are cute but the receiver uses a band switching VFO and the transmitter doesn’t have a built in VFO.
>
> There are a lot of interesting sets of twins out there.
>
> Rodger WQ9E
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for 
> Windows 10
>
> From: Rob Atkinson<mailto:ranchorobbo at gmail.com>
> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2017 5:58 AM
> To: Glen Zook<mailto:gzook at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Boatanchors<mailto:boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Like new Drake C line for sale, 160M-2M
>
> Okay, I guess there was never anything like a TR3C or a R7C.
>
> Thanks 73
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Boatanchors mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
>
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email 
> list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

--
bark less - wag more

______________________________________________________________
Boatanchors mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net

List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html