[Kenwood] 480HX users - Yep, great Digital and Mobile rig!

[WD8ARZ]

The great reports abound about the TS-480SAT/HX rigs.
http://www.eham.net/articles/11471
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3821

I have the TS-480HX 200 watt rig and love it. It is a great radio to 
interface digital to, and has excellent cooling. Only complaints I have 
heard about the rig is that the front panel doesnt mount on the main body of 
the radio, no internal tuner in the HX version, and the need for two power 
supplies. Some have said it was an ugly rig come to think of it ... hi hi

However ....

Once a person becomes an owner of the rig, most of the three pre owning 
complaints go away. It is nice to mount the main body of the rig else where 
than on top the ham desk, or tucked away in the mobile. There is a plate 
that mounts on the main body that allows the front panel to be mounted to 
it, and it leaves room to use the connectors on the front of the main body 
with out being blocked by the display panel. No internal tuner gives the 
tuning range of an external tuner, and if doing digital operations, you want 
a specialized auto tuner anyway to avoid putting RF on the tuner relay 
contacts during tune up. This is a great rig to use on full time battery 
operation. About the cost of two ac power supplies, and can be used for 
base, mobile and portable operation. Did I mention it does great as an 
emergency power source?

As usual for Kenwood, the receive audio is great. I am impressed with the 
quality in particular for AM shortwave listening.

Plenty of cooling design went into this rig, and that helps it be a great 
mobile in hot environments.

Six meters through 160 meters. Not having two meters and four forty makes it 
a better HF performing radio due to front end filters being limited to HF.

I have used this radio in several ways:
* Installed in the basement, running full time digital ALE, except during 
storms.
   http://hflink.net/qso/
* Rig in basement, remote head in bedroom or living room on long cables to 
the control head and mike.
* Rig in basement accessed over the home lan or wifi.
* Installed in the rear of the mobile with control head up front with me.
* Installed in the mobile running digital ALE with GPS on a laptop.
* Remote access and remote control of the TS-480HX using Sky Command, the 
TM-D700 / D710.
* Remote access and remote control of the TS-480HX using Sky Command through 
a TH-D7AG walkie talkie.

and planning on using it one day:
* Wireless remote head interface
        http://www.w4mq.com/toolkit/index.html
* Adhock Vista computer to computer interface.
* Headphone / mike access via blue tooth.

Other emails will follow with details of the battery power system.

73 from Bill - WD8ARZ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Duke, K5XU" <k5xu at comcast.net>
To: "Kenwood list" <kenwood at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 8:56 AM
Subject: [Kenwood] 480HX users?
>

> If you own, or once owned the TS480HX, I'd appreciate your observations,
> both positive and negative, as I am considering a station upgrade.
>
> For reference, my current station is a 10 year-old TS570SG.
>
> Mike Duke, K5XU