[Kenwood] keep your Knwd TS-950SDX

[N8GMB@aol.com]

Keep your Kenwood TS-950SDX as it was one of the best radios for dxing, 
ragchewing, SWLing ever made.  I also like the built in power supply and dual 
band listening.  It has easy to use ergonomics, lighted key pad, and you can 
always use an outboard dsp unit like the JPS-12 or the MFJ equivalent and it 
has it all plus wonderful transmit and receive sound.  I have the TS-870 and 
950SDX and intend to hold on to them.  The TS-870 give you the possibilty of 
full dual band receive by adding a receiver on the receive out connector on 
the back of the rig.  I do that myself and it is a great feature to hunt 
stations while talking to listening to another station. 

I had a TS-850 that was great but I sold it since I do more SWL than ham 
radio and a still have a TS-50 in the closet if I ever do mobile HF again.  I 
have more HF receivers than transceivers and not enough time with my work to 
really have enough time to use and enjoy them properly.  I sometimes have to 
go back to the instruction manual to remember how to use a feature properly.  


Often operators do not know how to use a rig properly, then put the rig down 
as inferior when really they do not have it properly adjusted .  These  
modern  rigs can sound really terrrible if improperly adjusted with their dsp 
menus out of wack or the noise blanker on with strong signals on the 
band/frequency they are listening to.
It is easy to have a control out of adjustment when you are very tired and 
have not checked the rig recently.  I know, I have done the same myself too 
often.  I felt stupid with the rig sounding terrible only to find out I 
turned a knob in the wrong direction or was switched on and when it should 
have been off.  Too many rigs were sold because the owner did not know how to 
adjust it.  Many of the modern rigs with non-dedicated buttons that have 2-4 
functions may save space but totally frustrate many of us.  I like a rig that 
I can operate most of its functions and get on the air without having to use 
the manual.  Too many of the really tiny rigs are like that and I never can 
remember how to use them.  The Radio shack HTs are good in being simple to 
use and are overload resistant.  Simpler the better is for me.  All in one 
rigs often give you mediocre everything.  The TS-2000 is an exception to the 
rule, but its looks are not conventional and turn off a few.  For an all in 
one box rig it would satisfy all but the hard core dxers with  their giant 
antennas to match.  

The Icom 756 Pro II is great in many ways and hard to beat for dxing and 
listening.  On the other hand, your Kenwoods are already paid for.  If it is 
not broken, why try to fix it?

Food for thought,

Chuck
n8gmb



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