• You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
  • Click here to find out how to win free radios from Retevis!

My Latest Project...

ButtFuzz

Anti-BS Advocate ● WO0WOO ● Reverend Doctor
I Support WorldwideDX.com!
Aug 11, 2005
587
425
173
Sunny Salem, VA
robco.ath.cx
... almost done.

Kenwood TS-520SE Hybrid re-build and detail. I had one of these circa 2001 and have been kicking myself for letting it go. Got an outstanding deal on one that works but needed a little TLC. So I applied same. She'll do about 120 watts on 20 meters and looks pretty dang good, too. Only thing left to do is detail the faceplate. I love this radio. No bells and whistles. Turn the knobs, tune it up, push the button and talk. Good audio reports all around!

ts_520_se_blue.jpg

Backlight bulbs were burnt out, so I freshened up the look with hi-intensity blue LEDs running at about 80% rated voltage. Should last a while.

ts_520_se_blue_002.jpg

Took the whole thing apart, and stripped, sanded, primered and painted the case in black satin. Just came out outstanding!!!

ts_520_se_blue_003.jpg

Cleaned up the carry strap and apparatus a bit, replaced all the missing case screws.

Next thing to do is detail the faceplate. Maybe tomorrow? Only modification left to do is do the relatively simple mod that will allow it to transmit on AM. Still will only receive in SSB after this mod, though, but careful receive tuning will allow me to talk to those old farts on the lower HF freqs. Oh, and I need to get a D-104 for it... That mic and this radio were made for one another.

Hope you like it!

73 de KG4ZPN.
 
Last edited:

Looks good. The only thing I don't like is the black case,Kenwood grey/green would have been better. I have the TS-820S myself along with the SP-820 matching speaker with filters,VFO-820 external VFO,AT-200 tuner, and MC-50 microphone, all of which is in near mint condition.It looks great and sounds great as well. The older Kenwood hybrids are pretty much the best of the best of the older radios of that era.Due to the voice quality many times people actually tell me I am on a classic Kenwood even before I tell them. :thumbup1:
 
The only thing I don't like is the black case,Kenwood grey/green would have been better. :thumbup1:

Agreed. This was done with parts I had readily available* and the matching paint would have been a better fit.

Since I don't play on getting rid of this one anytime soon, I'll deal with paint matching in the (very far) future!

Thanks for all the input, everyone.

Rob
KG4ZPN

* My wife had put me on a strict "allowance" / "budget":
I get nothing and like it!
 
* My wife had put me on a strict "allowance" / "budget":
I get nothing and like it!

I'm on one of those too......:bored:

I had the TS-580 hybrid, but she just didn't want to perform for me. It had spent it's entire life in front of a heavy smoker, the whole radio was coated in nicotine. I contacted a couple different outfits that specialized in restoring the old Kenwood hybrids, and both told me to sell it on eBay as a parts radio because the nicotine had probably done too much damage to revive it.
A guy up state from me was the winning bidder at $200.00, and he drove down, picked it up in person, and paid me cash. The guy looks for old radios that don't work cause he loves to restore them.
I cleaned up the outside and made it look brand new, I just lack the talent to tackle what's wrong on the inside.....

You did a great job on that one ButtFuzz, it looks like it just came out of the box......:thumbup:

BTW.....the Heil GM-5 sounds great through my TS-130S, don't know if it would beat a D-104 on a tube rig, but it sounds better than a D-104 on the TS-130S.....
 
Very nice work!

I still have my 520SE, the only thing about it is it does drift just a bit now until it's been on about 45 minutes, other than that and probably a new driver (only about 80W out on 10m), it does great. Now if I could just get the creaking out of the MC-50 switch...


Rick
 
WX2MIG,
I know what a Ten Tec '580 is, but I never heard of a Kenwood TS-580. There really was such a thing?
- 'Doc
 
ts520

Looks great , I had one about 20 years ago, hit by lightning, but was a great radio.

How did the astro plane antenna workout.

DOCTOR/795
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • @ Crawdad:
    One of the few times my tiny station gets heard on 6m!:D
  • @ Galanary:
    anyone out here familiar with the Icom IC-7300 mods
  • @ Crawdad:
    7300 very nice radio, what's to hack?
  • @ kopcicle:
    The mobile version of this site just pisses me off
  • @ unit_399:
    better to be pissed off than pissed on.