| VK4AEF |
Rating:  |
2024-12-17 | |
| Great old radio. Even for beginners |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
When I was a fairly new ham I was given this radio and told that it didn't work. I took it home and pulled the tubes, cleaned the sockets, cleaned and deoxed everything that moved and tentatively plugged it in. After I downloaded tuning instructions and had a play with it, I was getting 120w into a dummy load. Since then I have spoken all over the world with it and had a great time. I recently ordered new HV caps as mine are getting tired.
I like it so much that I bought a ts820s. After a few years of collecting I have the line up of both radios. I love the complexity of my ic-7610 and ic-7300 but also the simplicity of the old hybrids. The line ups look and sound fantastic |
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| E78CB |
Rating: |
2023-09-16 | |
| Old but Simple and Strong |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| Analog from A to G, I just enjoy working on this unit. I found that I like more simple and straight designs, and also analog too, just to do a simple and straight QSO (I think the right expression is "More Rudimentary rig") as long as it is effective. Being "I-no-like" guy for FT8 and touch screens, I just couldn't pass this nice Kenwood Hybrid from 1976. It was refurbished before me so although it had traces of years of use and some small moisture picks, after inspection it turned out to be nothing on it to do, fix or realign. Getting nice reports, goes smooth trough pileups for its size, it has real switches and turn pots, has no menus and touch buttons and carries SWR 1:3 with smile (!) - a perfect machine to be the central head of my station, at least for some time ;-). As I also have other and more modern units I have no plans to connect this one to computer in order to keep the feel of its beauty and simplicity. |
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| HK3FJ |
Rating: |
2023-02-18 | |
| Me encanta el Kenwood TS 520 |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Soy de Bogotá Colombia radioaficionado de mas de 40 años y de todos los radios que poseo que son como 10 aproximadamente el TS 520 es uno de los que más quiero, siempre estube a la caza de un radio de estos hasta que al fin llego a mis manos estaba en manos de un medico segun parese lo trajo de EEUU y como un milagro lo veo y lo trabajo.
Me encantas los productos Kenwood y poseo TS 140, TS430, TS440, TS450 y algo muy especial el TS520 aun tiene sus válvulas originales con 120 Wts de potencia |
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| VE7JBX |
Rating: |
2016-08-30 | |
| Workhorse! |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
Recently acquired a long-neglected, filthy, TS-520 from ~1974. After (extensive) cosmetic cleaning, deoxing of controls, lubricating the VFO system and a look over the internals, I put it on the air. Once I figured out the not-clearly-mentioned step in the manual (DO NOT have the CW key plugged in when tuning up!), this old workhorse with 40+ year old capacitors - and likely original tubes - was spot on factory values for HV and iC. Hard to believe!
Major pros to my experience with this rig:
1) very easy, fast tune up procedure, simpler than on Yaesu hybrids of similar age. Seriously it's 20 seconds and you're done.
2) very good Rx
3) Excellent audio on both TX and RX. On RX, even the internal speaker is very good on the 520, noticeably better than the internal on other HF rigs I have owned (TS-130, FT-101, FT-101ZD, IC-720A, IC-730)
4) Quiet operation. I have the cooling fan on mine, but it's nearly silent.
5) Easy access to internal components / switches/ controls for service
6) HV can be directly monitored on the front meter. This is awesome, very useful information without even opening the case. All HF rigs should have this!
Cons:
1) Analog VFO; it is what it is. Use the 25kHz calibrator, and you can expect to be +/- 200Hz from where you want to be.
2) External VFO needed for split operation (assuming 5kHz split).
3) no IF shift, notch filter, adjustment on speech processor (ON or OFF is only choice), adjustment on NB
4) no AM mode
5) CW filter isn't switchable
The radio is a pleasure to use. Let it warm up 10-15 minutes for best results, then tune up on frequency and have a go. Great results in both SSB phone and CW (I have the CW narrow filter). In marginal propagation when my all solid state rigs just don't seem to make it through, this radio makes the contacts - and usually with good intelligibility both ways.
Head to head against other hybrids I've owned, I would pick the TS-520 over an early FT-101 (better RX, easier tuning, clear controls layout, superior audio). Against the FT-101ZD, the ZD has an edge in more adjustable features and - in my two units - the 101ZD has slightly more sensitive RX; but the 101ZD may be prone to display failures, and the tune-up process is much more convoluted than the TS-520.
This isn't a contest rig, or portable by modern standards; but if you want a cheap but reliable HF rig to rag chew, and don't miss the WARC bands, I'd highly recommend one of these. I can only second another review of this on here "using one of these will put a smile on your face". Yes, it will!
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| ZL1BAK |
Rating: |
2016-08-02 | |
| Great old Hybrid |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I have 2 of these great old rigs. 1 is in excellent condition and came with box, manual all cables and spare plugs etc, it works perfectly and puts out full power on all bands from its original s2001 tubes. The other one is tidy but it drifted up and down radically. I dismanteled the vfo and cleaned all mechanical parts and re lubed them, now its stable. I have owned many modern radios over the years but soon get fed up with them and revert back to tube rigs. These radios are simple to operate and its nice not to have to step thru several menus just to change the mic gain etc. Try one you might be surprised how good they are. |
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| AD5QP |
Rating: |
2016-06-18 | |
| Great radio |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
Picked up a TS-520 at Belton for $125 with a handheld mic and power cable. The finals are original japanese 2001 tubes. Puts out full power, even on 10 meters. Now using it for 10 during eseason... Great analog receiver. Very quiet without the digital phase noise. Get one if you can...
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Earlier 5-star review posted by AD5QP on 2005-09-30
This is my backup radio. I have about $250 in it with new finals and a speaker. It is a grab and go radio, what with the AC and DC power supplies built in. New finals put out full power on all bands. It is easily serviced, parts are available, reliable, sensitive, and sounds good on the air. If I could only have one radio, this would be it..... |
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| AJ6G |
Rating: |
2016-02-02 | |
| Awesome hybrid |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I am like several who now have two of the Kenwood Hybrids, mine are TS-520s. A good friend sold me his as part of his getting out of the hobby and it was in immaculate shape. A few months later he stumbled upon a "parts" TS-520, as it did not work. I found a couple of wires either cut or shorted inside and got it running perfectly. Now I have two wonderful rigs that work for base station use or portable. I also found a wonderful universal digital display and that helps make it more modern-like. I found that the noise blanking/filtering was not to my liking and I found a Timewave DSP9 that does wonders for the receiver. It was an older version and I just found an updated software one that is headed my way. I am fine with keeping one for each rig. I also just got a remote automatic antenna tuner and that does wonders for allowing easy 5 band HF operation. Sure the Kenwood weighs a ton, but with the on-board 12 volt inverter, I am fine with that. It is built like a brick and seems very reliable. I spent the time and money to recap the high voltage supplies to make it even more reliable. They are wonderful machines and with some little accessories have many of the performance features of modern rigs. |
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| WA6JGM |
Rating: |
2014-09-08 | |
| Take's a lick'n and keep's on tick'n |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Used one for mobile cw operating in the 80's and the radio never failed. Worked a lot of dx on 10 and 15 meters. Sold it years ago and it is still being used on a daily basis in TX today.
The rig never gave me any grief, it just took it. I do have a 520S and a 820S in the shack, great for late night jump in and chew sessions.
Great sounding audio on both TX and RX. Yes you have to tune it up when you QSY, so what! At least it's not a spectrum polluter due to its very good IMD products. How come there are so many great transceivers out there that have excellent receivers but have crummy transmitters?
If you are looking for a cheap starter rig this is one of the many way's to go.
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| ZL1PWR |
Rating: |
2014-06-14 | |
| Kenwood nuff said |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
What a radio no way will I sell this old classic a real find at a bargain price it needed new tubes when I got it which were donated to me by a new radio friend Tim VK2AOS so its now running a premium grade matched pair 6146 and will probably still be running when I am well gone I use it with a mc-50 mic and the audio reports I get are always good my other radio is a ts-930s but find myself strangely drawn to this one I wont be one of the other hams saying wish i never sold it a real keeper for sure if you see one grab one it will make you smile every time you use it.
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| N0PL |
Rating: |
2014-03-01 | |
| Work Horse |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I've got 2 of these rigs. One has the DG5 digital readout. When this rig first came out, I had just started my family and could not afford one. I did get to operate one on a FD excursion and I knew that one day I would own one (or 2). I work CW primarily but do move up the bands on occasion to SSB. I have over 30 HF rigs of all different makes and models. The tubes add a little heat into the shack which is welcome here in MT in the winter time. Outstanding basic rig that is truly a work horse. I'll have one in my collection until the day I'm planted in the ground. |
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