TopBand: TS-870 Comments

[km1h @ juno.com]

On Mon, 01 Dec 1997 22:14:42 +0100 Lars Harlin <lars.harlin@pocab.se>
writes:
>At 14:29 1997-12-01 EST, you wrote:
>>Lars, you were consistently one of the loudest stations  from MOST of
>>Europe; not just Scandanavia. Plus you could hear very well also.
>>I'm very interested in hearing your comments about the TS-870; what 
>were
>>your impressions in a contest enviroment?
>>
>>73   Carl   KM1H
>>
>>
>>
>>On Mon, 01 Dec 1997 16:41:35 +0100 Lars Harlin <lars.harlin@pocab.se>
>>writes:
>>>Hi guys!
>>>
>>>Had a, as usually, very joyfull experience working cqww - topband 
>this
>>>weekend. Conditions were not the best from our location 63 deg. 
>>>north...
>>>But nevertheless we managed to match the goal we put up before the 
>>>contest,
>>>1000 QSO.
>>>
>>>Total raw score was 1008 QSO, 83 countries and 27 zones. We used my 
>>>Kenwood 
>>>TS-870, AMP and 4-square. Callsign used was SL3ZV. I am very curious 
>
>>>to know
>>>how copyable we was out there.... We worked quite a few JA`s and W`s 
>
>>>and
>>>carebean stations.
>>>
>>>So, anyone with comments how our signals from SL3ZV did compare with 
>
>>>other
>>>stations in EU and preferably SCANDINAVIA?
>>>
>>>73 de Lars /SM3BDZ
>
>
>Hi Carl and all others!
>
>Thanks for all the positive comments on our signals and receiving 
>capabilitys
>during CQWW.
>
>Regarding TS870, I`ve had the rig for abt one year now, and by now 
>feel
>very comfortable with the piece of gear.
>
>The first month I used the 870 I discovered some shortcomings. There 
>were IMD
>problems in the receiver, especially on low bands - wich I favour...
>
>I mailed kenwoods technical staff and got some suggestions for
>modifications wich
>they already had implemented in models with later serial no.
>
>In short, the idea was to reduse gain i 2:nd mixer and compensate that 
>with
>increased
>gain i MF stages.
>
>After I did that mod the problems with IMD totally disapeared! In our
>contest environment (multi/multi, 6 stns in the same floor with rugged
>amps) the 870
>performed very well. Myself I had no interferences from the other 
>bands and
>they
>did`nt seem to be that bothered with my spectrum either. No treats, 
>and at
>least
>moderatly happy faces when we run in to each others for food and coffe
>breaks....;)
>
>Ofcourse we, as topband-operators, benefits from beeing on the lowest 
>band
>with
>no second harmonics from other stations. Nevertheless, my opinion is 
>that
>the 870
>handled the broadband noisespectrum very well!
>
>Hope to CU all on THE BAND this season!
>
>73 de Lars /SM3BDZ


Lars, thank you very much for your TS-870 comments. 
I had one here, on loan, during the CQWW SSB in 1995 and the operator,
KQ2M, fell in love with it. He set a new USA 20M record of over 1M
points. However when I used it on 40-160M after the contest the IMD was
very bad. 
I am glad that the modifications worked and maybe I will get a Christmas
present!

73   Carl   KM1H

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