Kenwood TS520 for a beginner

[radiokatz]

I am currently studying for the exams. I plan on taking the Tech & General at the same time in the next few months. I have a chance to purchase a very nice condition, in original box Kenwood TS520 with a Shure mic., radio has the CW filter, extra tubes, manuals, Paddle Keyer and Keyer with speed control. Price on all this is $250. neg.

Since I'm just starting out I have very limited knowledge with any of this. Would this be a good starter radio or am I getting in over my head on this one? I really have no one local to assist me so I would really be relying on the internet for my source of info. on setting this all up & getting on the air.

Thanks so much, TJ

 

[popnokick]

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The 520 was my first transceiver.... More than 20 years ago. Had many contacts from Okinawa throughout SE Asia and even back to the States with just a rooftop vertical. It was a sturdy and reliable radio then. I assume that part hasn't changed, so yes.... A good starter. You'll always want something better, no matter what you have. Good luck on your tests!

 

[radiokatz]

Thanks for the reply. Do you feel that a complete novice can set this thing up & get on the air unassisted? Reading through the manual, it is all so foreign to me. The original owner has passed on, so no help there.

 

[N8IAA]

Thanks for the reply. Do you feel that a complete novice can set this thing up & get on the air unassisted? Reading through the manual, it is all so foreign to me. The original owner has passed on, so no help there.

Do they still ask about tuning a radio that uses tubes in the question pool anymore?
No, on getting it on the air unassisted. It took my elmer time showing me on his 101EE before I tried my Swan 350C for the first time.
I believe they are asking a bit to much for a radio that may not have been used in years. I would have someone who knows how to use a tube radio to make sure it still works. 'Cause $250 is a bit much.
HTH,
Larry

 

[radiokatz]

Hi Larry,

Thanks for that. I was referring to reading the radio manual that seems foreign to me, not the question pool. I'm finding the question pool to be relativity easy; I have a bit of radio/electronics background, but I am not at all familiar with the old Tube radio or hybrid radio.

It seems that $250 is about the going price for this radio & all the extras & in this condition, maybe even a bit reasonable. On ebay most of the completed auctions on these are in the $300-$500 range, depending on what comes with it.

It does seem like a high dollar for a 40 yr. old radio though...

EDIT:

Do you think I may be better off with a handheld as my first radio? In the Gorden West book, he is really pushing handhelds as your first radio.

 

[w2xq]

Do you think I may be better off with a handheld as my first radio? In the Gordon West book, he is really pushing handhelds as your first radio.

Apples and oranges; HF versus VHF/UHF.

IMHO pushing a handheld is a disservice to the new radio ham. If one is not within range of a repeater or the repeater is inactive at the times the handheld is being used... silence. A dual or single band (depending on the repeaters in the area) mobile radio with higher power would be preferable.

The TS-520 was a great radio in its time, but I too would be concerned about its age. Aside from getting it checked out as suggested above, parts availability is a consideration in my book. That issue led the sale of my TS-920 and TS-940. I am not suggesting to pass on the TS-520 but just to be aware of what you are buying.

Good luck. HTH.

 

[AK9R]

Tom makes a very good point in that a Kenwood TS-520 vs. a handheld is apples and oranges.

To the OP, you really need to figure out what you want to do in amateur radio.

If you are interested in talking with local hams on VHF/UHF or helping out with local public service events, then a handheld may be a good choice for you. Just understand what Tom is saying that you may have trouble reaching your local repeaters with a handheld's 5 watts and lossy antenna.

If you want to talk to people around the country and the world on HF, then the TS-520, or other HF rig, may be a good choice. Understand that for an HF rig to be effective, you will need to put up a somewhat large antenna. HF antennas run the gamut from full-size wire dipoles, to 43-foot tall verticals, to multi-band beams, and everything in between. I would also be concerned about a TS-520 that has sat unused for a period of years. The power amplifier in a 520 uses vacuum tubes, not transistors. There are circuits in the radio that generate the high voltage needed for the tubes to deliver their full potential. Those circuits may have degraded over time to the point where the radio will need some careful TLC to get it back on the air. Also, because it's a tube amp, turning it on and transmitting is not as simple as it with a modern solid-state HF radio. The transmitter will have to be tuned each time you transmit. Do some searching on Google and YouTube for transmitter tuning tutorials based on the Kenwood TS-520, TS-820, or TS-830 as they will give you an idea of what you're in for.

 

[rapidcharger]

Do you think I may be better off with a handheld as my first radio? In the Gorden West book, he is really pushing handhelds as your first radio.

Handhelds may have been ok in the good ol' days in southern california where Gordon West is from where you're in a treeless valley surrounded by huge peaks with repeaters on the tops of them but nowadays people are living farther away than ever from repeaters. The noise floor is higher than ever. They need more oomph. They need antennas and power and unfortunately in my observations, the new hams that start out with HTs have a hard time making contacts. They don't hear as much and nobody wants to come back to them because they've always got a weak, barely intelligible signal. So they put down the radio and say "well that was a lot of fun, on to the next hobby". Get what you'll get the most amount of use from. I'm guessing that would be this old HF rig.

 

[MTS2000des]

Apples and oranges; HF versus VHF/UHF.



The TS-520 was a great radio in its time, but I too would be concerned about its age. Aside from getting it checked out as suggested above, parts availability is a consideration in my book. That issue led the sale of my TS-920 and TS-940. I am not suggesting to pass on the TS-520 but just to be aware of what you are buying.

Good luck. HTH.

I'll second this

Any vintage radio (HF or VHF/UHF) if not restored properly is not going to be a fun experience for a new ham. The TS-520 is a great radio, as are most rigs from that era: but anything over 20 years old is going to need attention, even if it's "new old stock" and sat in storage. Electrolytic capacitors, even good ones, have a finite life span. When they get old, bad things can happen. Radios like this need a good alignment, and those who do this kind of work are becoming fewer and fewer, and charge accordingly. As was mentioned, any parts other than of the shelf stuff like caps and resistors are going to mean scavenging from donor radios or substitutes.

All of this is not gonna be fun (or cost effective) for a new person who wants to start off learning how to operate and not deal with piecing a 25 year old radio together. You don't have to spend two grand on a TS-2000, there are lots of good basic HF rigs from 10-15 years ago with lots of life left in them, like a Yaesu FT-840 which can be found in the $400-450 range.

Don't get me wrong, I love classic 80s radios like the Kenwood TS-440, but if it hasn't been gone over it's a crap shoot. Same goes for VHF/UHF rigs. Anything over 15 years old needs good preventative maintenance. Things like memory batteries, dial backlights, and capacitors need to be checked. A good alignment is also advised. Any mobile radio that has been used, especially mobile, will have components that drift in value over time and affect tuning and performance.

 

[radiokatz]

Thanks guys,

I appreciate all the replies. I guess I'll pass on this one for now, at least until I gain more experience in the hobby. This unit gets great reviews at eham & other sites, but since I am unfamiliar with the tuning process and the possibility that it may need a good going over, it's best to let it go to someone more knowledgeable than I.

 

[rapidcharger]

It doesn't take an expensive HF rig to make distant contacts anymore like it did 20 years ago.
Why not start out with a good vhf/uhf radio that you cam use to access IRLP or echolink nodes or maybe even dstar?

 

[N8IAA]

It doesn't take an expensive HF rig to make distant contacts anymore like it did 20 years ago.
Why not start out with a good vhf/uhf radio that you cam use to access IRLP or echolink nodes or maybe even dstar?

I second this comment. Find out what clubs are in your area. They will give you a much better idea of which frequencies are the most popular. You can talk around the world on D*Star with a dongle and a PC. But, a good dualband mobile radio is a much better way to start out than a handheld.
HTH,
Larry

 

[radiokatz]

Yeah, I'm sure a handheld is out in my area, would have very limited use. I live in "river hills" country, so a clear shot to a repeater would be hit & miss for sure. I will contact the local clubs/hams & talk with an Elmer for some local recommendations.

BTW, is the Alinco brand considered "cheap", as in low quality? I see some fairly full featured Alinco's for more reasonable money than some of the other brands.

 

[MTS2000des]

Yeah, I'm sure a handheld is out in my area, would have very limited use. I live in "river hills" country, so a clear shot to a repeater would be hit & miss for sure. I will contact the local clubs/hams & talk with an Elmer for some local recommendations.

BTW, is the Alinco brand considered "cheap", as in low quality? I see some fairly full featured Alinco's for more reasonable money than some of the other brands.

Alinco has always been one of the weaker Japanese brands- kind of like Mazda was before Ford got behind them.

When they first started being sold in the USA in the mid 1980's, the first rigs (ALX/ALD series) were quirky, and service was non-existent. In the early 1990's, their radios suffered some quality problems (DJ-580...we used to call them Darn Junk 580's). However, by the late 1990s, they really improved their quality to match the other "big three" Japanese radio companies' in terms of quality and performance. They brought out their first HF rig (DX-70).

I'd say they stack up just as good as Yaesu, Icom or Kenwood- most of their radios of today are still made in JAPAN, whereas Yaesu and Kenwood have shifted production of much of their VHF/UHF gear to China (Yaesu and some Kenwood), Singapore (Kenwood) and Malaysia (Kenwood). I think Icom is the only one left who produce their stuff exclusively in Japan, and it is priced accordingly.

GRE America provides warranty support and service for Alinco USA products. Their service is great BTW.