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Reviews For: Kenwood TS-870S

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

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Review Summary For : Kenwood TS-870S
Reviews: 164MSRP: 2399.00
Description:
The Leader Of The Pack
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.kenwood.net/products/index.cfm?AMA=open
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
251644.7
IZ0EAN Rating: 2004-08-19
The best RIG Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm using the ts-870 since 1 year, and is an excellent receiver, digital filters are very fantastic, on TX the audio is excellent with any kind of mirophone you will try, you will find the right configuration with the dsp.
The NR is excellent, a little less useful is the autonotch, i woul like the manual notch. I've compared it with Jrc 245, Ts-850, IC 756, the
TS-870 is the best rig for me.

73 de IZ0EAN
M0JPM Rating: 2004-07-21
It's the bees knees Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Forget about the Yaesu's Mp's, Field's and mV's and still not right. I Always had brilliant audio reports with Kenwood equipment. It feels good, it looks good, and is good. I just hope that now they have discontinued the TS-870 that a follow up model will come, and they don't make the same mistake as they did when they discontinued the TS-790.

Anyway, the TS790, 850 and 870 will never leave my shack

All the best and good DX 73 de Jan M0JPM/PA1JPM
M0BSW Rating: 2004-05-01
Excellent Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Ive owned several rigs before the TS870s, Then one day I bought a brand new latest serial no, not quite a year ago, I only wished I'd bought it to start with.
You can keep your big Icoms,Yaesu, and any other type, for me it's the Kenwood TS870S, this rig will grow old with me. Thank you Kenwood
Paul
KQ7W Rating: 2004-04-21
:: Reunited with the 870 :: Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had this radio for 4 years when I was active as LU9AY, awesome rig.

After a couple years hiatus on the bands I got a newer 98' serial no. unit.. signal handling has been improved, I plan on doing the INRAD IF mods in the future, it doesnt have 2 independent receivers or dualwatch, but get two 870s and you have a perfect SO2R station in my opinion. excellent dynamic range.

73 - Matt - KQ7W
W3ULS Rating: 2004-03-10
Needs Due Diligence Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The TS-870 is an excellent transceiver--one of the best. However, getting the most out of it requires diligence on the part of the operator. It depends very heavily on IF-level DSP for its selectivity and noise reduction and as a result some of the adjustments needed are counter-intuitive. This is particularly true of the RF Gain control.

Here's an example. In tuning in very weak CW signals, with the filter width setting at 400 Hz, I've found that it is best to use the "SPAC" filter, set at either 10 or 17 (menu # 15). However, with the RF Gain fully clockwise, there is a pronounced watery sound caused by the "SPAC" that is annoying and actually covers over some of the signal. The solution I have found is to back off substantially on the RF Gain (counterclockwise) to about twelve o'clock or even further. There is a critical point in this RF Gain reduction where the watery sound virtually disappears and the weak signal is significantly amplified.

Operated this way, the TS-870 is as good as, or better than, my Ten-Tec OMNI VI, which is well known for its weak signal reception capabilities. Interfering signals can be dealt with rather well using the "Shift" adjustment.

Kenwood made a siginificant modification in the receiver ciruitry and I suspect the excellent performance I have experienced is due in no small measure to this mod. Rigs with serial numbers of 807XXXXX and later have had this mod installed at the factory. My particular rig is one of those.

As others have mentioned, build quality is high. Appearance and ergonomics are excellent. Also, the TS-870 has a LogiKey K-1 memory keyer built in. Very convenient. One caveat is that working split is a bit tricky and you have to be careful that you are transmitting on the frequency you want to be on.

The TS-870 is no longer in production. IMHO it never gained the reputation it deserved during its production run as a top-grade ham transceiver, probably due to the need to learn how to take advantage of its pioneering (at the time) DSP circuitry.
M0NIQ Rating: 2004-02-12
One of THE BEST Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Now after more than 12 months of owning the rig I can really write a decent review.
It's one of the best sounding rig I've ever operated (and I operated quite a few) on both RX and TX. It can transform audio from a cheapy PC headset into a very decent signal. Hook up your TS-870 to a large stereo speaker (mine is about 90W capable - a bit overkill to be honest) to appreciate the received audio. All internal options you may need is the DRU-3A voice recorder/player (it has the memory CW keyer built already in as default) and a high stability unit (which I found not essential).
I operate my TS-870 with Yaesu MD-100a8x mic and according to many, that's a very good marriage.
No need for special PC control cable - a straight DB9-DB9 will do fine business.
Great for phone modes and maybe even better for CW.

The only downsides (to me) are:
- very lightweight RIT/XIT knob
- inablility to combine different DSP modes (one at a time is the only option)
- short display (it would be better if there were separate spaces to display slope tuning/VBT/shift
figures and VFO B freq.
- no direct band push buttons (only band up/band down) - like in TS-940
- no 50MHz (6m) band

Overall it a real gem. That's why you don't see that many of them on the 2nd hand market (just like old IC-765 or 775DSP). It's definitely a keeper and in few years it's going to be a classic (along with Elecraft K2) just like FT-1000D now is. If 6m/2m/70cm is not your thing it's much better choice than TS-2000. And it looks much better too...
W6BWS Rating: 2004-01-10
Fine Business Rig! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just bought a brand new one (Yes, they are still are still in production). I've been using a TS-850 for several years and decided it was time to treat myself to a new radio. I looked around at what's available on the market these days and kept coming back to Kenwood. The TS-2000 looks interesting but I just can't get past the weird look of it. So I decided on a TS-870S. I like everything about this radio. Excellent receiver, great transmit audio. I love the DSP and the flexability that it gives you. I guess the reason that the TS-870S wasn't more popular, was because of some design deficiencies in early models and the price (I believe they were over $3000 when they first came out). Well, as far as I can tell they've made updates to the design and updated the DSP and the price has come down (I paid $1859) so as far as I'm concerned this is one of the best kept secrets around right now.
SP1EK Rating: 2003-12-12
What a great RADIO!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second Kenwood rig.I used to TS 450s and two Icom`s IC 756 and IC 706MKIIG.In TS 870s I miss only 50MHz band and spectrum scope which helped me during the contest to find clear frequency or another station and during making DX find split frequency.

Now I have all filters so more money in the pocket (HI HI).The RX and TX audio is really great.I have never heard better audio.I started in CQ WW CW 2003 Contest.This rig so easy work with PC especially when I use it in contest with N1MM Contest Logger.You need only connect a plug and make settings in logger.So radio read frequency ( wiew band scope )etc.I really love this rig.I hope when I make some mods for this rig ( www.mods.dk ) this radio will really good DX and Contest machine.
G0WSP Rating: 2003-12-06
Full Circle Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Remember the saying don`t knock it till you`ve tried it ? . - Well, after parting with my first TS870 I have gone through a number of top notch rigs which I have been able to evaluate carefully on the same antenna.
I`ve now gone full circle, after missing the quality RX and TX audio of the TS870 - I couldn`t get back quick enough !! - if this TXR had dual recieve it really would be quite excepional !!
Hhmmm -what should I try next ?
Phil g0wsp
MM1DPC Rating: 2003-12-06
The class winner Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Having owned a Icom 756pro from new,I bought a used TS-870S,and run them using the same antennas etc.Mutch to my surprise the audio on rx and tx on the TS870S was better.Mic on the Icom SM20, on the Kenwood MC-60 and a Heil Goldline on both with the recomended DSP settings.The TS870S always had the edge, and that was switching between the Icom and the Kenwood during the same QSO.I sold them both and bought a Kenwood TS2000,and some other new equipment.The TS2000 is good,but the TS870S is a better rig,and with this in mind, I sold the TS2000, and now have a new TS870S.At last I have in my opinion a rig that is realy good,I have owned a few others mostly Icom,and one Yaesu.They cant match the TS870S on both tx and rx.