| IS0KYB |
Rating:  |
2023-08-16 | |
| One of the very best |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've got this radio for several years now and for my kind of operation is probably the best I had. I've tried so many radios, including TS-590SG, TS-950SDX, TS-870, TS-850, IC-765, TT Orion to name just a few.
But this is the radio I prefer to use: the receiver is sensitive and pleasant to listen to, everybody seems lo like the modulation of this radio even with a simple hand mic.
I really hate even the slightest trace of digital artefact and of course you wont find any here...
I bought the radio with dead PA drivers, I installed the known mod for 12V drivers with a 7812 and it's been absolutely perfect and cannot die whenever the power supply decides to send 40V to the final stage :-)
The weak spots are well known but easily fixable, especially the heat generated by the internal power supply is quite substantial and I added some new computer fans to keep it quiet and lukewarm.
Computer control is really basic and slow (4800 baud)
Filtering is good but some radios offer more flexibility like the 850.
The audio processor in this radio is probably the best I've ever used: you can tune it to produce exactly the peak power you want and with the compression you need. Excellent.
I once tried to install the power supply mod with the Quint SPS but it was a nightmare: birdies all over. People telling that the switching is quiet just live in high QRM urban areas. If you live in a quiet area, DON'T do that mod.
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| VA3VS |
Rating: |
2022-09-18 | |
| excellent |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
just acquired a 10 mill series radio. front panel/bezel, in like as new condx. not a scratch, dent or ding, as are all the panels. power supply has been updated, and all kenwood mods appear to be done.
works 100%, only issue was an upwards drift from switch on. trimmer cap cleaned, and "exercised" then zero beat. no drift now.
this is my 3rd 940. first was in 1988, then 2nd in 2004 and now this one. i totally forgot, how smooth the rx audio is on this model. i can sit in the shack all day and not feel like i have to lay down and cover my ears !!
so far on tx, im using a heil dual 10, #5 cartridge but may look at a more full range mic in the future.
she is a beauty, and this time, staying in my shack !! |
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| W6JBR |
Rating: |
2021-08-19 | |
| Classic Radio still going strong! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Update to my previous 2006 review:
Well, it is now 2021. I had my TS-940 in storage for almost 10 years after retiring, and relocating to a new QTH. I acquired a K3 as my main transceiver, with plans to restore the 940 at some point. When I decided it was time to get the 940 out of storage and back into operation, I planned to recap the power supply and add a crowbar protection circuit. Fortunately, I found out about the excellent K6IOK retrofit switching power supply kit.
I installed that kit, along with a TCXO, new batteries, and LEDs. The TS-940SAT lit right up, and is now back in operation better than ever! Flawless performance, and that great Kenwood audio quality on both transmit and receive. I have owned this rig for 25 years, and it will probably outlast me!
73,
John, W6JBR (ex-WA2OOB)
Previously:
I was out of ham radio for a nearly a decade ('87-'96) thanks to condo ownership. I had sold my trusty FT-101B. When I finally moved from the condo to a house, it was time to get back on the air! I did extensive research on available HF radio technologies. I was referred to the 940 by an associate who raved about the audio quality, selectivity, build quality, features, etc., of this radio. Based on his referral, I ended up buying a used, one-owner TS-940SAT, along with an R7 vertical, in 1996. Both have now served me well for a decade- a decade throughout which I've really enjoyed ham radio thanks to the excellent performance and reliable operation of this gear!
I recently added a CW filter, and made the FET reversal correction, which measureably improved the gain nearly 10dB. Other than that, the radio is stock. The only service issue after moves to 3 different QTHs and various Field Days, was a bad solder joint on the attenuator relay! Other than that, It has never given me a split second of trouble.
This is a well designed, well implemented, professional quality HF radio- which is now 17 years old and still going strong! My hat's off to Kenwood for making such great products- my backup TS-450SAT is another great radio! But the TS-940 is the centerpiece of my shack, and will be so for the foreseeable future.
As they are coming down in price on the used market, don't hesitate to grab one that has been taken care of and in good condition- you will not regret it!
73,
John, WA2OOB |
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| W0RDX |
Rating: |
2021-01-18 | |
| Great Radio, even today! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Won't belabor what has been said, but for a heavy older iron radio, analog, really hears and performs well. You can nearly count on reseating rf connectors, electrical connectors is shipped due to the weight, dropping and making an otherwise connectivity connector intermittent. Frustrating but you have to pack it well for any journey. Mine has 6M serial number series, two CW filters in it, very quiet receive and excellent funtionality, not sick with menus.
For the going price in today's market $500-800 you can't go wrong with a full featured radio like the 940. Two thumbs up! Heavy radio, but they work like a champ. |
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| WD9IQN |
Rating: |
2018-12-15 | |
| Solid performer !! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have two TS-940sat's. They both work great. The transmit and receive audio is excellent. A pleasure to use. Take your time and find one that hasn't been hacked up. I also recommend adding the N3BA VCTCXO Module for rock solid stability.
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| KJ4KBC |
Rating: |
2017-11-03 | |
| Still my favorite! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've had my 940 series at least 8 years. It's serial number is in the 8000 range. I've had very few issues and I was able to repair those myself. I have several radio's to compare it with and I always go back to it for maximum enjoyment! To me there is just something about the quality of build, the knobs, and the audio of this fine radio. I even find myself passing my 990 up not because it's not a fine radio itself with many bells and whistles, but the 940 audio and Transmit quality using an MC-60, is just hard to beat. 73's
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KJ4KBC on 2013-06-25
Kenwood made a lot of TS-940's. Although they had a few issue's on the earliest run's, all were fixable and as the serial numbers grew the issue's went away. By no means would I purchase one based on the serial number though. But would purchase it on how well it worked now. If it's an early serial number and all feature's are working as intended I would have to believe that all fixes were done years ago. My current 940(I've had a few) is a 50 thousand range number which is one of the earliest. It works as well as 8-9 mill numbers I've had, maybe better. 130 watts out, really don't need to use the processor and puts out a clean signal. Although it's a pre-DSP rig it still has a great receiver. If your looking for a great classic and are willing to spend 6-$800.00 you won't go wrong purchasing a working TS-940. Well worth the investment. 73's |
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| WB4IVG |
Rating: |
2017-10-31 | |
| I own 2 NO Intention to sell. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I currently own 2 of these radios. I wanted one the second that they debuted, however alas I had one, then two, and then a third little mouth to feed. I have always owned the best radio gear I could find, including Collins and others. But I was a young father when this radio came out. Several friends older than I bought these new but such was not my lot. I worked on many of these radios adding Mods, Upgrades, and options. I heard of failures but never encountered any myself. Many years later I came up on a complete station Mics 922A Amp and many other options. This was a well loved radio by it's owner whom I am told said it had a permanent home and did so until his death. None of his family being Hams, they wanted it all to go to a good home where it would be used and not to a dealer to sell, so I bought it all right down to the ground rod from the Antenna. I bought it thinking I would use it while living away on a job and when I got back home maybe set it up at my Radio Shop. But once I got home and saw again how well it performed I knew it had a permanent home once again. Liking it so well I ran into a second radio setup from another estate and purchased that whole setup as well. I am now the proud Second owner of two of these Great Radios and will likely never sell them, at least at this time nothing that I have used will displace them. I suppose that someday my son who is a Ham will get the pleasure of operating them from his home QTH. |
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| W0EAJ |
Rating: |
2016-06-01 | |
| good quality, with a couple of direction issues |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Having just experienced PLL unlock & drop-out of TX + failure of the sub display (PLL loss will do this), I opened up this 7mil s/n radio I inherited fm my Stepdad (W0KI sk). There are pretty close to 80 mini-molex connectors and you MUST pull each one, administer a SMALL amount of DeoxIT to the pin-holes, then reconnect. Yes, it took me a while, and you MUST remove a module or two, but your reward is a fully-functioning radio again, and it'll most likely NEVER fail again. They're famous for this problem, so as Nike says... "Just do it". |
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| M0KKW |
Rating: |
2015-07-21 | |
| Love it |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Had the rig a couple of weeks. Had intermittent sensitivity which was cured by cleaning the contacts of three of the attenuator relays. Gave the master oscillator a slight touch to put it smack on frequency and it's good to go. 1987 rig, everything works fine and they aren't at all difficult to work on.
This one's had the front end FET mod and the PSU pass transistors uprated but I think it's pretty standard otherwise.
I operate it alongside my FT1000D and I've found myself using it a lot...maybe that's because of the novelty of a different rig but in side by side comparisons, the two receivers aren't far apart. Close in against big signals, it's very strong and the tools are all there to help if it gets rough. Auto notch would be nice but this is 1987 so a Datong ANF is handy. If anything, the Kenwood has more pleasant received audio than the Yaesu's which is quite sharp and aggressive.
The transmitted audio on the stock fist mic isn't quite as good to my ear as the FT1000D on a Heil HC5 but pretty good all the same and I get great reports.
I'd wanted one of these for a long time just because they're known to throw up a few issues with joints and connectors which adds a bit of technical interest but presently, mine's behaving well...time will tell if this continues.
The autotuner does a great job on small mismatches which is all I'd want it to do.
Is it my all time favourite? No, that's still the TS850 because they're so easy to use for so many jobs, has a great receiver and the best transmitted audio in my opinion. Having said that, it's growing on me all the time and it's leagues ahead of these new sets in the quality of construction and ease of maintenance.
Sherwood Engineering's table gives a good idea of relative performance biassed towards CW operating and 2kHz spacing BUT...if you know how to use the AGC switch, attenuator, RF gain, notch and bandwidth, these figures don't mean an awful lot and I still hear new "top of the range" sets giving up a QSO when my old crystal filtered superhets are doing just fine. |
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| KK4CIR |
Rating: |
2015-01-09 | |
| Keeps on going |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| A very respectable rig in every meaning of the word. It is an old radio with over 30 years of service since inception. Very easy to operate and a true joy to listen with that well known warm kenwood audio. If you like a radio with all these ammenities and a BIG and heavy base station with knobs that you can actually play with this is a solid candidate for you to consider. The price in the market still going for $650-$1,200 depending the condition. IMO a very solid performing rig! |
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