[Kenwood] TS-870S Test Drive

[STRutledge@aol.com]

I was in AES in Orlando this morning and tried out a TS-870S.  It sounded 
pretty nice.  I am a TS-850S owner with two 500 Hz and one 270 Hz Kenwood filter 
(s) installed.  I operate primarily CW.  The filtering on the 870 sounded nice 
and adequate on CW although the band was in the pits.  AES reportedly had me 
on their CC A4S but the signals seemed to be incredibly attenuated.  I could 
nothing on 15 meters as well as 17 meters.  Those bands usually have SOME 
activity even though conditions are not good right now.  I guess it could have been 
the radio or the antenna.  They couldn't find the manual but I was able to 
figure most of it out.  The say the coupon for the $300.00 discount is good 
through the end of the month although the discounted price doesn't appear on the 
HRO web site.  Not a bad deal for a radio that was pretty expensive in the 
beginning.  

BTW, a friend of mine works for HRO and he seems to like the Icom 756PROII or 
whatever version is out there now.  I don't doubt his comments but Icom 
scares me to death after all the problems they have had with the 746PRO and the 
910H.  The SN on the 870 I played with was 9xxxxxx something or another.

Steve, N4JQQ