Since my station has all hollow state, Heathkit, and all solid state, Icom, Yaesu etc. radios it was long overdue for a "hybrid" station. Recently picked up and have been running a Kenwood TS-830S Hybrid transceiver that is all solid state but with hollow state finals, a 12BY7A driving a pair of 6146B's.
This was Kenwoods last and best Hybrid and they got it right on all fronts. Built like a tank, excellent receive, and a warm and clear transmit audio that only tubes can produce. So far I have the transceiver with the MC-50 desk mic and the SM-220 station monitor/scope. Matching Ext VFO, speaker and antenna tuner are next on the list to round out the complete station that was available in the late 70's to early 80's.
Close up of radio and scope.
Under the covers. Chain "drive" lets get mechanical here!
Close up of the final section and of course the original boxes that always get tossed out! These are actually the "inner" boxes as Kenwood double boxed these from the factory. I don't have the radios outer box but do have both monitor boxes. Rare to have one let alone both. :)
Kenwood ad from 1981 showing entire station minus the scope/monitor and mic.
Quote from: onanparts on September 26, 2012, 11:33:40 AM
Kenwood ad from 1981 showing entire station minus the scope/monitor and mic.
what? no 922 linear? :(
Quote from: niel on September 27, 2012, 11:00:16 AM
Quote from: onanparts on September 26, 2012, 11:33:40 AM
Kenwood ad from 1981 showing entire station minus the scope/monitor and mic.
what? no 922 linear? :(
IF one were to show up locally at a reasonable price I would most likely snag it. With shipping the 922's have been hitting 4 digits on epay..... ::) Since my Heathkit SB-220 has been updated and the 3-500Z's are strong + I have a spare pair it will be the main shack amp for now. ;D
The TS-830S has been rock solid now for a week straight. Many contacts and no issues with the set. So it's time for a "recap"! :) Only 98 caps to replace.... ;D 6 down so far in the HV section as they were at the top of the list. The Kenwoods removable boards will make the job nearly painless.
Less than 5 minutes to pull the board with the 4 "small" 350V caps. About 20 minutes later it was back online. I'll attack the rest of the LV caps later this winter.
Beauty !
i don't envy you replacing the caps. how are you approaching that as i'd forget if i replaced one or not?
i agree with boB as it is a thing of beauty and very clean. kenwood makes some good stuff at more reasonable pricing and i've owned a 430 in the past (about 30yrs) that i had until about 4yrs or 5yrs ago. about the time i sold it (cheaply) it was having some problem in the finals area that was a known problem with continuity, but i wanted a newer model anyway and got a 2000x.
Quote from: niel on October 03, 2012, 01:34:30 PM
i don't envy you replacing the caps. how are you approaching that as i'd forget if i replaced one or not?
i agree with boB as it is a thing of beauty and very clean. kenwood makes some good stuff at more reasonable pricing and i've owned a 430 in the past (about 30yrs) that i had until about 4yrs or 5yrs ago. about the time i sold it (cheaply) it was having some problem in the finals area that was a known problem with continuity, but i wanted a newer model anyway and got a 2000x.
The TS series was some of their best. Looks etc. Different size knobs so you can just go right to the one you want without even thinking about it. :) Not too busy, too many buttons etc.
These radios are now 30-35 years old and the caps are well beyond the original design life. Values changed due to heat, electrical stress or leakage. Replacing at least the HV caps is a no brainer since they work the hardest. My approach to replacing the rest will be section by section so if I make an error or have a new cap that's bad I won't be scratching my head trying to figure out where it is. At least not scratching really hard!
After a section is done I'll run it a few hours, days or weeks and then move on to the next one if all is good. It will be time consuming but well worth it in the end.
Reliability is what I'm shooting for. While we are on the subject a case in point is the scope/monitor. It had been sitting for many years unused before I got it. Powered it up and it worked fine for about an hour. Then 1 of the 5 HV caps started dying, had a weak/intermittent trace. Replaced all 5 HV caps and it's been on and working great for more than a week straight now. :)
Getting closer...added the ext speaker today and an ext VFO is on the way. Also a case of double vision? Nope! Two is always better than one... :) The 830 on the left has some issues, it's sick and will need some TLC but nothing major to bring it up to speed and have a nice spare.
Almost there....
Added the Ext VFO today and it's rock solid. Also picked up the headphones that were optional with the TS series. New as in Kenwood is still supplying the identical phones today with no difference in build quality etc. 8 ohm 400-4000Hz. :)
One day I'd love to get some old tube radios... Like I had when I was a novice around 1966
boB
Quote from: boB on October 14, 2012, 03:59:43 PM
One day I'd love to get some old tube radios... Like I had when I was a novice around 1966
boB
Do tell! What rig/rigs were you running back then?
Quote from: onanparts on October 15, 2012, 10:44:55 AM
Quote from: boB on October 14, 2012, 03:59:43 PM
One day I'd love to get some old tube radios... Like I had when I was a novice around 1966
boB
Do tell! What rig/rigs were you running back then?
What I need to do is to grab an old picture of me at my radios and then I'd remember.
boB
Time to put up some shelving! An AT-230 antenna tuner followed me home today from a local hamfest. Bench is getting crowded. :)
A look under the covers of the AT-230 tuner.
Double vision? How about triple vision?! Yet another TS-830S followed me home last weekend. :) No issues so far. Been running it all week long. OK, that's it until I give the sick one on the bottom of the pile some attention! ;D
Quote from: onanparts on December 15, 2012, 04:04:41 AM
Double vision? How about triple vision?! Yet another TS-830S followed me home last weekend. :) No issues so far. Been running it all week long. OK, that's it until I give the sick one on the bottom of the pile some attention! ;D
You got enough antennas for each of your children ?
Quote from: boB on December 15, 2012, 04:51:50 AM
Quote from: onanparts on December 15, 2012, 04:04:41 AM
Double vision? How about triple vision?! Yet another TS-830S followed me home last weekend. :) No issues so far. Been running it all week long. OK, that's it until I give the sick one on the bottom of the pile some attention! ;D
You got enough antennas for each of your children ?
They have to learn how to share......
Quote from: onanparts on December 15, 2012, 05:02:19 AM
Quote from: boB on December 15, 2012, 04:51:50 AM
Quote from: onanparts on December 15, 2012, 04:04:41 AM
Double vision? How about triple vision?! Yet another TS-830S followed me home last weekend. :) No issues so far. Been running it all week long. OK, that's it until I give the sick one on the bottom of the pile some attention! ;D
You got enough antennas for each of your children ?
They have to learn how to share......
Ahh yes. A Tri-Plexor ?? Don't know if you can transmit on more than one at a time with one of those though.
Quote from: boB on December 15, 2012, 07:16:24 PM
Quote from: onanparts on December 15, 2012, 05:02:19 AM
Quote from: boB on December 15, 2012, 04:51:50 AM
Quote from: onanparts on December 15, 2012, 04:04:41 AM
Double vision? How about triple vision?! Yet another TS-830S followed me home last weekend. :) No issues so far. Been running it all week long. OK, that's it until I give the sick one on the bottom of the pile some attention! ;D
You got enough antennas for each of your children ?
They have to learn how to share......
Ahh yes. A Tri-Plexor ?? Don't know if you can transmit on more than one at a time with one of those though.
Hybrid RF combiner. Frequency range is limited compared to a resistive combiner but the loss is much lower. All on VOX so when contesting I can get three contacts per call on three different frequency's within the same band. Big time saver! :)
Quote from: niel on September 27, 2012, 11:00:16 AM
Quote from: onanparts on September 26, 2012, 11:33:40 AM
Kenwood ad from 1981 showing entire station minus the scope/monitor and mic.
what? no 922 linear? :(
Hey Neil! It took me over 5 years....but.....A TL-922A is now in the shack and the Hybrid station is for all intents and purposes...Complete! :)
Snagged it a few days ago at a local Hamfest for much less than they go for on epay. Near mint condition and shows no signs of hard use and or abuse. :) Pics? Nobody ever wants any pics.......
More pics....
And a few more....
Tubes are the original Eimac 3-500's with date codes from 1985. Amp was sold new May of 1986 to a Ham local here in Seattle.
Front and rear.
All the little Kenny's back together again. :)
PO of this amp had replaced the HV choke with a glitch resistor. AKA a cheap HV fuse. Problem is the style used, standard rectangular cement filled, tends to explode during a HV short. Not good! Installed a much better glitch resistor that does not typically explode when shorted, plus it's pulse rated so should hold up fine. There will actually be another one in series along with a MW 1AMP 5KV fuse between the 3.2KV B+ PS and the 3-500Z tubes.
Had time this evening for some discrete RnR. :)
Filter cap kit from Harbach showed up awhile ago for my TL-922 Amp and decided it was time to fire up the soldering station and play a bit without a microscope, magnifying glass or even plain old reading glasses! Non SMD tinkering is oh so good for the soul!
Before and after pics.
Can't believe how stressful it was to mount these diodes & resistors! I really wish the manufacturers would mark the polarity on the resistors! What a pain to ID each one.... :)
The freshly made run of caps is nice. But dang it, not made in China....some crappy made in U.S.A. junk! ;D