[Kenwood] TS-950 SDX

Thu Jul 1 14:00:08 EDT 2004

We had a problem with the TS-950SDX at Field Day a few years ago.
When our VHF/UHF station would transmit, it would muck up the keying
on the TS-950. I never bothered to diagnose it. When the TS-950SDX
is in the club station, we have no problems with RF in the radio even at
1500 watts, and this is in a second floor shack where we have in fact
had some problems with RF getting into other pieces of equipment.
If you have RF in shack, you might try running all your cables through
a metal bulkhead, and then connecting some ground radials to the
bulkhead. I have had good luck with this technique in situations where
I have had very high levels of RF in the shack and a common mode
choke alone wasn't enough to attenuate the RF current flowing on the
coax shield. The ground radials create a low-impedance shunt RF
path for the common mode RF current flowing on the coax shield.
Good luck!
73 de Mike, W4EF........................
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Braun" <cbraun at remtron.com>
To: "Vince Shirley" <vince at blackboy1.fsnet.co.uk>; "Kenwood"
<kenwood at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 7:56 AM
Subject: RE: [Kenwood] TS-950 SDX
> Vince
>> I had a late serial # 950SDX with the same problem. My local Kenwood "not
> so guru" couldnt find the problem after two attempts. I then sent my rig
to
> Clif at Avvid only to have it arrive heavily damaged by UPS.(yes...they
paid
> the claim). Now I'm out my 950SDX and I'm back to my 930 which is where I
> plan to stay. I purchased an Orion and was deeply disappointed with the
> rig...the 930 beat it handily in the heavily touted "weak signal DXing"
> arena though the Orion did very well in CW mode...classic Ten Tec. The
fit
> and finsih of the rig was terrible and the display screen locked up after
a
> week...it was returned to Ten Tec.
>> I now have a beautiful SM230, 950SDX manual, 950SDX service manual and (2)
> SP 950 speakers if anyone on the list is interested.
>> Good luck with the SDX and you may want to get a hold of Clif at Avvid to
> see what he has to say.
>> Regards to All
>> Carl AG6X
>> -----Original Message-----
> From: kenwood-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:kenwood-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Vince Shirley
> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 9:55 PM
> To: Kenwood
> Subject: [Kenwood] TS-950 SDX
>>> Hi all,
>> For those that remember a couple of weeks ago I asked for readers views on
> the merits of a 950SDX as against a new 870 or a used 756 PRO2.
>> Well, my experiences with the 850 and the views expressed on here was
enough
> and I had the 950 which was delivered a couple of days ago, and I had the
> good fortune yesterday to have a day free from work where I could get used
> to it.
>> I concur wholeheartedly with the views expressed on here in respect of the
> receiver which is all I expected it to be. I really need a while to get
the
> best out of it but the noise floor is very low and very easy to isolate
weak
> CW signals from the crud with the used of the filtering and the AF/IF VBT.
>> On transmission I had an immediate problem - RF in both the audio and the
CW
> on all bands (raspy auroral note to the CW and audio, erratic behaviour of
> the ALC, erratic power levels etc...). The antenna I used was a Carolina
> Windom (at 35 feet), used successfully with the 850 and a 1000MP on all
> bands. After removal of all "inputs" to the 950 (external speaker leads,
> key, headphones, RS232 lead etc.,) was done but the problem persisted.
>> Some work on the antenna, changing feeders back from Aircell 50 back to
> RG58, insertion of a RF choke into the feed line and repositioning the
> TS950SDX inside the shack, a thorough check (and changing a few) of the
> patch leads and antenna switch in the shack has reduced the problem to 24
> MHz and (occasionally) 28 MHz.
>> I've taken the antenna down and I can't see any problem around the balun
or
> the choke on the vertical radiator and as night was falling that's where I
> left it. This morning, having slept on the problem, I check it before
going
> to work and initially there was no problem on 24mHz but it returned after
a
> couple of minutes. There was plenty of RF around in the shack too, the PC
> objected strongly to it and the ELCB blew out sraightaway - and that was
at
> 20 watts !
>> Both the 850 and the 1000MP don't seem to have a problem with it although
> when I crank up the power to 200 on the 1000MP there is a little RF in the
> shack.
>> Repositioning the antenna is impossible (I have a long narrow garden) -
does
> the 950 have a known issue with being susceptible to RF and can anyone
> suggest anything else I could to alleviate it. I would like to stick with
> the Carolina Windom as its been very successful for me and due to the joke
> that is the "planning consent" regulations in the UK I can't get a tower
or
> mast up. Or rather I can have a mast, but I can't put any antennas on it
> !!
>> Vince G0ORC
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