[CQ-Contest] TS-850SAT -- interesting rig for contesting

[k8gt at mi.rr.com]

OK, I'll post this one last time since this thread is getting long in the tooth, but to help newcomers that are financially challenged find a good rig.

First, the TS850 that I bought used, had a serial number in the 50,000,000 range and was produced near the end of the run, and had the CAR board with the new 66312 DDS chips, not the old 6631's that would fail (there are 4 of them).

Besides Tree's excellent pages on TS850 repairs, VE1FA, TK5EP, and DK Mods have good TS850 repair and needed modifications webpages.  Some have good hi res pictures of the repairs/mods.

Like Tree, I'll replace the 850 with a K3, when I am able, hopefully before I retire.

Good luck,

73, Gerry, K8GT



---- jpescatore at aol.com wrote: 

=============
I bought a TS-850 new in 1991 and it was my only HF rig since then until I bought a K3 in January of this year.
The 850 spent many years at W3LPL doing multi-multi duty, as well as being dragged on many Field Day efforts
back in the mid-1990s. Some thoughts on it at http://wiki.contesting.com/index.php/Older_radios#TS-850S


When I bought the K3 I wired the 850 in as a secondary radio but mostly used the K3. The K3 is the only receiver
I listened to that was the equal of the 850, and the filtering and flexibility is much better. However, a few weeks ago
the K3 main VFO knob optical encoding stopped working and I had to return the K3 back to Elecraft for warranty
repair, so I was back on the 850 for playing around a bit in WPX SSB.  Before the contest started, I thought "wow,
I actually think the 850 sounds better on SSB RX" but once the contest started, I really missed the K3 filtering. The
Inrad roofing mod would probably close the gap in selectivity, but that's a lot of money to throw into a 20 year old
rig, and still be stuck with the 850's hokie filter changing controls.


John K3TN



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