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Reviews For: Kenwood TS-850

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TS-850
Reviews: 134MSRP: 1,999.99
Description:
High Performance HF Transceiver with full coverage receiver
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.qsl.net/sm7vhs/radio/kenwood/ts850/ts-850.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
351344.8
KL7DC Rating: 2000-01-12
One of the best ever... What a sleeper this rig wa Time Owned: unknown months.
I purchased a new TS-850S/AT in the early '90's and had it through late 1998, before I sold it. What a mistake. It's fit, form, and finish, along with it's performance cannot be beat. The receiver in this radio is the best I've run across... Sensitivity, audio quality, selectivity with cascaded filters on CW, and it's supurb ability to handle strong nearby signals makes it tops with me. The trasmitter was fine, too. The monitor circuit was the best I've ever used, and the RF speech processor was also very effective, similiar to other late model Kenwoods. CW keying waveforms were great and the break in was good, although loud with it's reed relays. The only drawback with the 850 was it's high IMD 12 volt PA when running at 100 watts. I want my old one back! If you know of a mint 850 for sale, e-mail me at kl7dc@arrl.net. 73.
K0RS Rating: 1999-09-18
The best used bargain xcvr on the market Time Owned: unknown months.
I have owned four 850's over the years (the buy, sell, trade syndrome). This was the most competant radio in its price class when current, and now that prices on used ones have fallen into the $800~900 range is one of the great used radio bargains of all time. Like its predecessor the TS-830, the rx performance is definitive, more sensitive than my FT-1000MP. No DSP, it's beginning to show its age, but solid, no nonsense performance. Doing a side-by-side with my 'MP, I could actually copy weak DX sigs on 30m that I could only just detect on the Yaesu (with an INRAD IF mod, no less). Good VOX and a superior audio monitor. Logical ergonomic layout. Excellent transmitted audio. Very good CW QSK. If you're shopping for a used radio, you could do a lot worse. Take a pass on the hordes of TS-440's and 430's out there and treat yourself to an 850. You won't be sorry.
K3AN Rating: 1999-09-14
Great when new, but developing some problems. Time Owned: unknown months.
I bought it in 1995 on the basis of the excellent review in 1992 QST. I added the Fox Tango 400 Hz CW filter and 1.8 KHz SSB filter (both in 1st IF). Seems to me that the 400 Hz unit has too much insertion loss, but it is absolutely invaluable for CW contesting. The radio has never been back for repair, but probably needs to now. There are two problems.
1. Over about a 30 degree rotation of the tuning knob, the frequency doesn't change. Over the remaining 330 degrees, it tunes normally. This problem is intermittent, so I'm afraid when I send it back, the problem won't show up.
2. It seems like the AGC attack time has slowed down. I now hear sharp cracks on the leading edge of lightning QRN and even on S9-plus signals. No, I haven't left the noise blanker on, but it almost sounds like that's the problem.
Anybody else seen either of these problems?
Finally, is the IC-756 a worthy replacement for the TS-850, or do I have to go above the $2K price range?
N5KO Rating: 1999-08-11
The best contest radio for the dollar Time Owned: unknown months.
I really like the TS-850S. My only complaint is that big pileups sounds mushy on it, just like on the FT-1000MP.