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Kenwood TS-480

W5LZ

Crotchety Old Bastard
Apr 8, 2005
6,832
911
173
Oklahoma
"Oscar Siera!", as the hams say. "Oh $#^+!" as some of the rest of us say.

Got the new TS-480 all hooked up, turned it on, was amazed at the difference between it and the TS-850. Didn't think Kenwood could improve on the '850, but they certainly have. (From me, thinking anything matches the '850, much less 'improves' on it, is really praise!)

Getting the thing from 'UPS' is a long story. Problems were more in my impatience than in they're performance, but who cares, I wanted it NOW! Wasn't going to be at home when it was delivered, work. So went to UPS early, they couldn't find it, wanted to know if I was sure it was here. Told them UPS called me, and I traced it, you guys told me it was here, so I want it now. Said go get the tracking number and call me (very nice looking lady!), so I did. Called, she said let me check, did. Then, "oh shoot', you just missed it, the driver left with it on the truck. ... ... (expletive deleted). Went to work. Supposed to get off at 5 Pm. They got fed up with my impatience and sent me home at 4 Pm. Next stop, UPS. Driver returned at 7 Pm. Just thought the UPS lady was nice looking. I think the driver posed for the UPS delivery driver pictures you see on the internet! Very nice looking lady! She smiled and said to have a nice evening... ... almost asked her if she'd like to improve my evening a little bit. (Of course I didn't, I'm too chicken, and what if she'd said yes!?) Went home. Stopped along the way to brag about the '480 and show it off (took about 3 seconds). Assembled '480 on porch, who wants all those 'peanuts' in the house? Spent next hour removing '850 from desk. Set '480 on desk, connecting power etc. OH $#^+!, antenna'z down... now what? Who cares, hook it up anyway! Did. (80 M dipole hanging straight down, both legs.) My, my, it still hears stuff. What the 'hey, punch tuner button. My, my, it tuned it! Uh uh, ain't gonna try transmitting, I ain't that stupid, for now. Noodled around several bands, I know what I'm going to be doing when I get home from work today, fix antenna.
I'm really surprised by the TS-480. Works! This thing is small, as in could almost put it in my pocket. It'll fit in my truck (will wonders never cease?). Half the @#$ wiring for the VHF radio will work (power cord is different).
Sound like a kid with a new toy? Dam right, and enjoying the hell out of it! (At my age, it's called a 'second childhood'. Very nice state to be in. Makes for a very good excuse for all kinds'a stuff you'd never get away with otherwise!)
The rest of you guys, eat your hearts out! Ain't had this much fun since the pigs ate my little brother...
- 'Doc

(Not the 'HX' model, the 'SAT' model. Can't drive an amplifier with 200 watts.)
 

Doc,
I just sat down here (7:40am pdst) with a cup of coffee and read your thread.............your story put a smile on my face:) No really you got a good chuckle out of me:LOL:. You a have great sence of humor. any way good luck with your new rig,catch you on the bands.

73
 
I just went through the 'wait for UPS' dance this last week....watching the tracking and waiting for the radio to arrive....the suspense of all time!

I've got me a new baby TS-2000 here now. Been having a blast going through the menus and adding antennas over the last two days. Love this rig, it's right up my alley as the radio dabbler that I am.

Enjoy that 480, they are a great rig.
 
SR385,
The TS-2000 was one of the choices when I was picking a new radio. The reason(s) for picking the TS-480 instead were price, reviews, room on the desk, and the ability to use it portable/mobile and all the 'other' aspects of doing that. I haven't seen any 'bad' reviews about the '480,I have about the '2000. Not that I don't take those 'bad' reviews with a 'grain of salt'! Lots of 'factors' you should pay attention to when reading them. What's 'bad' for one person isn't necessarily 'bad' for the next person, that sort of deal. And naturally, being such a 'cheap' kind'a person, the price had a lot to do with it, sort of. ('Newspaper Soup' ain't really all that bad, you know?)
I'm also expecting another 'new' Kenwood shortly! I can tell that I'm gonna be soooo confused for the next 'who knows how long', and am really looking forward to it. I just love dumping all that new stuff in to a big pile, then sorting it all out! Takes a while, and keeping 'things' straight gets to be sort of aggravating till it all starts to 'make sense', but that's the fun part. Multiplying that by 2 new radios just makes it that much more fun'er (not sure that makes sense, who cares, I like it).


Completely beside the fact, we were 'blessed' with a tornado yesterday! I watched it pass over head (really!). Looked like it was taking the main street through town. It was on the ground just till it hit the city limits, then it sort of 'retracted' till it was passed. Figured it thought, "EEeuuw, don't wanna touch that!", can't really blame it, this is a nasty place. Also the first time I've seen people crowding into the restrooms in a restaurant! The manager herded them in where I work. Thought, "I ain't gonna do that!", so I left (hey, got off early, right?). Oh well. Nuff of that...
- 'Doc
 
Yeah I was already well familiar with the 2000, just never owned one. So my expectations were already set for it.

The FT-1000MP I traded for this one was amazing on HF, but I really wanted the all mode VHF/UHF and 6m so my choices were down to the IC-7000 which has high duty cycle issues of its own with heat and I run digi modes so it would get hammered. So the TS-2000 was at the top of the heap.

Been very very happy with it so far, it does so much...the filtering is fantastic too. I believe the 480 has some inheritance from the 2000 and the menu system is supposed to be similar.

Kenwood really does the menu system thing well. I like their logic for the layout a lot better than others.

I think some of the bad reviews were due to people not knowing how to work all the features. Filtering confuses a lot of people.

The other points, somewhat weak VHF SSB receive that are common with it can be fixed pretty easily too.

Also when you go by the numbers and start worrying over microvolts of sensitivity....and I look at my antennas and feed lines...I'd never notice them. ;-)
 
How dare you! I work really hard to get to be this cheap. It takes lots of skill and discipline to even pretend to this much of a miser. I had to learn to keep secrets, not tell anyone about stuff, keep things quiet, sort of. It ain't easy 'living down' to this level, I'll tell you.
OOooo, but it's worth it! The look on people's faces when you tell them something that they think you have no chance of even knowing. And then the looks on their faces when they find out that what you said was really real. You can hear'em thinking, "That C.O.B. was right, @#$ it!". Scoff if you like, oh one of little knowledge...
- 'Doc

Definitions;

C.O.B. = 'Crotchity Old Bast_ _ _". (Have the certificate, can't remember the number.) Level 3 of this award.
C.A.C.O.B. - 'Cheap Ass Crotchity Old Bast_ _ _". (Working on it.) Level 2 of this award.
S.O.B.C.O.B. = (Can't print it here with out being banned) Level 1 of this award. Fairly easy to decipher though. Very limited membership, highly sought after, seldom achieved.

There's also a Canadian version of these awards. They are broadly defined, but they all start with either "Newfy", or "Blue Nosed". Not sure how all that works...Eh eh?

Almost forgot, there's one higher award. Very seldom ever talked about. Very limited in number. The 'S.S.O.S.' (Sorry Sack of S_ _ _). Maybe some day...
 
How dare you! I work really hard to get to be this cheap. It takes lots of skill and discipline to even pretend to this much of a miser. I had to learn to keep secrets, not tell anyone about stuff, keep things quiet, sort of. It ain't easy 'living down' to this level, I'll tell you.
OOooo, but it's worth it! The look on people's faces when you tell them something that they think you have no chance of even knowing. And then the looks on their faces when they find out that what you said was really real. You can hear'em thinking, "That C.O.B. was right, @#$ it!". Scoff if you like, oh one of little knowledge...
- 'Doc

Do you offer classes via internet?? :D
 
QRN,
Sorry, you can't apply. You have to be nominated. And besides, I'm not qualified to instruct Canadians... Eh eh?
- 'Doc

;)
 
Lazybones1222,
Yes, still have it. Haven't used it all that much, still procrastinating about getting an antenna up. After making a pass through the yard with my new riding lawn mower, I had to oder some more feed line (oh shut up, I know you're supposed to watch for that stuff.). Got it last Friday, probably have something in the air by the beginning of next week, maybe. Also looking for a spot to put it in the truck, working on it. I've 'played' with it a little, can't say I'm super enthused about 'menus', but think I have things about right sort of, maybe. I'll find out shortly.
I typically use a headset in the house, but has the wrong type of mic connector on it. I'm either going to find an adapter, or learn how to deal with those @#$ new style connectors. Not too sure I want to do the learning to put them on thingy, oh well.
Also finding that I may get one of the little 'cheat-sheet' thingys, can't remember the name of them. Sure beats trying to work the computer to get the manual display (to cheap to print the thing!). I used the '850 long enough that I'm always reaching for the wrong knob. 'Nuther one of those , 'oh well' thingys.
So what do you think about it so far? Not the 'good' stuff, but the stuff you wish were just a little bit different.
- 'Doc
 
After making a pass through the yard with my new riding lawn mower, I had to oder some more feed line (oh shut up, I know you're supposed to watch for that stuff).

Been there done that! Took about an hour to untangle the ladder line out from under the mower.
 
Lazybones1222,
Yes, still have it. Haven't used it all that much, still procrastinating about getting an antenna up.
- 'Doc

:O

Doc, it's been almost a year! A guy at work is about the same. Bought a new IC7000, leaves in the box in his closet, waiting until he gets a new truck to put it in.

Who are you people?
 

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