[Kenwood] comments on 2000 rig

[Dave Edwards]

But then topping the sound on a TS520 is a tall order!!
I still use my 520S from time to time.
...Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Lyons" <boblyons@umich.edu>
To: "Hart Engel" <va3kis@hotmail.com>
Cc: <kenwood@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 9:47 AM
Subject: Re: [Kenwood] comments on 2000 rig


> Hart Engel wrote:
> >
> > I'm thinking of buying this rig. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of
this rig. Does it require an external power supply/antenna tuner? How is the
dsp/notch filters on the hissing sound on the HF band? Thanks
>
>
> I'll see if I can help, Hart - I'm not a particularly discerning user,
> but I can answer many of your questions, and can give you my opinions
> and experiences.
>
> I bought a TS-2000 about 2 months ago, replacing my aged TS-520. I wanted
> an all-band, all-mode rig so I could dabble in a lot of activities. My
> primary operating is fairly casual HF DXing, but I wanted to get on 2M
> SSB plus repeaters plus ... etc. Cost of an all-in-one rig is better than
> the cost of the separates, in my opinion.
>
> After two months of operating, I would summarize the rig as follows. The
> HF has been somewhat of a disappointment, the VHF bands have been
excellent
> and I've not tried UHF (no antenna yet).
>
> On HF, I appreciate the quick band changes (as opposed to retuning the
> TS520 every time I change bands or band segments). The antenna tuner works
> well, but on my ladder line/dipole antenna I definitely need an outboard
> tuner to cover the range. The DSP functions are excellent - love the fast
> auto-notch and I continually adjust the bandpass filters for best recep-
> tion.  The noise reduction works quite well. It can sound a bit hollow,
> but always suppresses the hiss and impulse noise. On CW, I can crank the
> bandpass down to 100 or 150 Hz and hear *only* the target station (with
> a bit of 'ringing' sometimes).
>
> Problem is, under A/B comparisons between the TS2000 and my TS520,
> the 520 is a bit more sensitive and MUCH less prone to IM distortion from
> adjacent stations. Yes, I could fiddle with the DSP to improve my recep-
> tion, but after minutes of optimization, I was lucky if the final result
> was as good as the '520 did by just plugging it in. The adjacent-station
> interference was the biggest problem, too. In a DX pileup, with the TS-2K
> I was all too often struggling to hear the DX through the chatter. Switch
> to the '520, and the same DX station was crystal clear. I've confirmed
> this impression many, many times now.
>
> Audio reports have all been outstanding. Several people have given me
> extremely glowing audio reports without me asking. It MUST be good! This
> is with the stock hand mike, too, not a fancy Heil or anything.
>
> Bottom line: If you are into contests or a *serious* DXer, do not buy this
> rig. If you want an all-in-one, do everything rig and are willing to lose
> a bit in HF performance, the TS-2000 is a great choice. I would love to
> hear about tweaks that reduce the adjacent-station distortion, which would
> take this rig right to the top of its class.
>
> Rememberm though, this is coming from a not-very-sophisticated ham, who
> always has trouble remembering the various receiver specs and what they
> mean exactly. I'm giving you just my seat-of-the-pants impression based on
> comparison with my old rig. Your milage may vary, blah blah blah.
>
> 73 de Bob, KI8AB
> - - -
>
> Your moderator for this list is:
> Larry Wilson KE1HZ kenwood-owner@mailman.qth.net
>
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