[Kenwood] Re: Kenwood customer service (Hart)

[Fred Adsit]

The only repairs two of my Kenwoods (TS-440S/AT, TS-570DG) have needed were 
the result of a storm which literally soaked and then electrified my ham 
shack. Service for the 440 was done by Avvid (gone now) and was excellent. 
The 570DG suffered a smashed front panel. I sent that rig to Kenwood Service 
Center East, in Virginia Beach. Their service was quick, thorough and 
excellent. The rig came back in a brand new box, gratis as best I could 
tell. Both rigs look, frankly, like they just came from the factory. They 
work like new, as well.

I bought a TS-2000 which proved defective right out of the original carton, 
a VERY rare condition. I sent it back to AES, who sent it to Kenwood East. 
It came back via AES, who UPS'd it to me. This was all under warranty and 
cost me a week or so of using the 570DG, still one of the best cheap boxes 
ever built. Everything that was done was fully documented for me.

The TS-2000 is working like a charm. I really don't expect any of the three 
rigs to fail for a very long time. The most I might have to do is replace 
the small battery in each one, sometime down the line. That I can do myself.

Unlike some companies known for their excellent service (and that they do 
have), you will not likely NEED service on a rig the likes of a TS-2000. If 
you DO need help, you will find Kenwood East does top-notch work, and does 
not keep you waiting.

The US company with the legendary service does stand behind most of its 
older rigs, as best it can. I like their gear. I owned three of their rigs. 
I love their CW. Basically, though, I see them as inferior - in design and 
construction - to Kenwood gear. I would not turn one down, but for me, the 
TS-2000 has such broad capabilities all in one box that I now realize it was 
worth learning how to use the multi- function controls on the front panel. 
Practice makes perfect. Some rigs are better, for much more money. The 2000 
is not much of a compromise, IMHO.

Bottom line. You won't likely NEED service, and if you do, you will like 
Kenwood East. Buy from a big dealer. I have always been treated like a 
personal friend by AES. They have competitive prices, a huge line, great 
catalogs, rapid reaction time, and what more could one ask for. I have no 
stock in the company. I have just liked them, for decades. I see some nasty 
comments on eHam, but I have not had such experiences. These outfits prosper 
because they keep the customer happy and satisfied. If they didn't, they'd 
have been gone long ago.

Happy New Year, and enjoy that new TS-2000 you have decided to get. :-)

Fred Adsit NY2V - ex-W2ZOJ 1948

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 19:44:22 -0500
> From: Hart <hartengel at sympatico.ca>
> Subject: [Kenwood] RE: Kenwood customer service
> To: <kenwood at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID:
> <20060101004423.XGXJ1595.tomts46-srv.bellnexxia.net@[209.226.175.82]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> I'm thinking of buying the 2000 but everybody is telling me that kenwood's 
> service reps are bad. Any thoughts on this before I go out and buy this 
> rig next year.
>
> Hart
> ------------------------------
> Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 22:08:33 -0500
> From: <k8vf_mark at centurytel.net>
> Subject: Re: [Kenwood] RE: Kenwood customer service
> To: "Hart" <hartengel at sympatico.ca>, <kenwood at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <003101c60e80$a6bd1490$0200a8c0 at Compaqs3000z>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> Buy the rig.
>
> Odds are you'll never need service on it.
>
> In 29 years of hamming, I have had to service ONE of my kenwoods, other 
> than
> bulbs, loose connections, dirty contacts, etc.
>
> My ts2000 runs along every day as does my 570, and 599 twins(from 1976)
>
> k8vf
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