[Kenwood] Kenwood TS680 noise blanker

[N4ch at aol.com]

Hello John (AF5CC).......
 
Altho I don't use my TS-680 as much as I once did, I too was  VERY pleased 
with its noise blanker whenever I used it.   Back 15-20  years ago (when I 
was a lot more active on 6) I tried quite a few  radios........and the less 
expensive radios seemed to be as good as (if not  better in some cases) than 
some of the more expensive gear, at least as far as  attacking the noise at 
my QTH was concerned.   Even the old Yaesu  FT-620B's blanker (as well as 
the one in the TS-680) ran circles around the ones  in the Icom IC-551, the 
Icom IC-726, the Yaesu FT-650, and a couple of other  more expensive radios.   
The Kenwood TS-690 (which came after the  TS-680) had a lot more features 
(not to mention 5 times the power output on 6),  but I never thought its 
blanker worked as well as the one in the  680.   I worked DXCC with the FT-620B, 
and got the TS-680 shortly  after that (and added a few more countries with 
that radio before I went to the  IC-746, which is my main radio for 6 these 
days).   Am interested in  what others have experienced.   I still see 
fairly nice TS-680s for  sale at hamfests a few times a year (usually in the 
$350-$450 range for a nice  "stock" radio........no extras, such as a power 
supply, speaker, CW filter,  etc.)........think this is a reasonable price, as 
long as the radio works  properly.   Good luck.
 
73, Herman, N4CH.
 
 
 
In a message dated 4/18/2013 4:16:46 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
af5cc at fidmail.com writes:

A couple  of years ago I overhead two big 6 meter stations
talking on .125 and one  mentioned a radio that had the best
NB he had ever seen. I missed what  radio he said so I
emailed him to ask, and he said it was the Kenwood  TS680. As
someone who lives in a noisy location, I am always  interested
in trying radios with good noise blankers. I have owned a  TS690
and a TS570S and their NB are fair at best. From those of you  who
have used them, does the Kenwood TS680 really live up to  the
reputation of having an outstanding NB?

73s John  AF5CC
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