Just found a DEAL, on FleaBay, for a NEW to ME, Kenwood TS-480HX Radio...

Just WON a bid on FleaBay, for a Kenwood TS-480HX 200 Watt 2-54Mhz Transceiver.... The guy stated he got this radio in a BOX, with a bunch of wires, Speaker, and T/R Unit, but NO Control Head, in the picture... So I figured that was why he was selling it CHEAP... Starting Bid was $200US , with $50US for shipping, and I Bid $300US... Figured without a Control Head, No one would bid more than that.... Well I got it for $256US so just a bit more than $300US with shipping... Now you gots to understand, that I already have the 100Watt version of this System, in my White Toyota 4X4 Pickup Truck, and I have a Second Control Head, here in Alaska, so I can work on the Radios, and program them, while they are here, while NOT disturbing the Mobile Installation in the Truck... So I have everything I need, to make this second Radio, Operational... Plan is to replace the TS-690 here in the Cabin, with the TS-480HX and mount the T/R Unit out of sight, near the 12 Vdc Battery System, and have the Control Head, next to the TS-590, and Antenna Tuners, for the Antenna Farm... and thinking of duplication the Mic Switch System I have in the Truck, so I can just have a single Mic for the TS-590, TM-D710A, and the TS-480HX.... All three have Computer Control, operational, all ready, so I can switch between any of them, all under software control, from anywhere on my Network, or thru the VPN Connection, from anywhere, in the World... Very Cool Deal... Pictures when it gets here and installed...

 

Yup, You pays your Money, and you takes your chances....

 

Let me know if you need that filter back, I've looked and the soldering skill resides elsewhere.

 

OK, once it gets here next Wed. I will open it up, and see what it has, in it.... I have an extra Voice & Recording Module, for it already... So, if it has Filters in it, Cool, and if not, maybe... I will let you know... It also looks like I will have, a Surplus to my needs HF Transciever, soon, as the TS-690 will become the FARADAY Cage Spare, and the TS-450, in there now, will become surplus... The last two TS-430s that came out of the Cage, were given to deserving Monkeys, and I suspect this Radio will, also head that direction...

 

Hoooooow Raaaaa It arrived today, on the Mail Plane.... (Mail Plane didn't come yesterday, as we had HIGH Winds and Cars & Dogs Rain) Just as advertised, everything but the Control Head... and it is an TS-480HX 200 Watt Version.... NO Options installed... YET (High Stability Osc, CW Filter, or SSB Filter) but everything else looks Pristine.... Just finished doing the MARS Modification... One very tiny Chip Resistor, removed, and placed on a shield, with a piece of tape, should I ever want to reinstall it... Tomorrow, it goes over to the Winter Shop, and we will see If I really got a DEAL, or a LEMON... Lucky for me, i do have a 50Amp Regulated Power Supply, over there... If it is a DEAL, I will load in the latest Firmware, and the same Setup as the TS-480sat, from the White Toyota 4X4 Pickup Truck, and then start looking at how to install in in my Office/RadioRoom... This Unit does NOT have the AutoTuner built-in, as it was replaced with the Second 100Watt PA, so I will be using a Manual Tuner with it... Same one that now is connected to the TS-690, that to will be replacing...

 

Okey Dokey, We Gots us a RADIO, that actually works, as advertised.... Took it over to the shop and swapped out the TS-480sat that was on the bench, and setup the new to me TS-480HX... turned on the Power Supply and hit the ON Button... It lite up just like NEW with Factory Default Settings, and VFO Frequency of 14.00000Mhz USB.... Hit the Mic Button just to see, and got a small reading, and a HIGH SWR Flag... Normal... Waited for the Cushman to warm up and PLL Lock, and then tested the TX into a Dummy Load... Pulled 40Amps @ 12.6Vdc and 175 Watts out on CW... Found out the Cusman Service Monitor was NOT Working, No SigGen function, so I couldn't test the Receive... OK, Back to my Office to hook it up in place of the TS-690, and see if I can hear anything... That took FOREVER, 2/5 hours at least, but I have it installed, in a TEMPORARY Setup... Fired up the Virtual Machine on the iMac, plugged in the USB Programming Cable, and loaded the Kenwood Remote Control Software... Looked at the Memories, *which were at Factory Defaults) and then loaded up the RT Programming Software and loaded up the same setup I have in the TS-480sat Radio... Scanned 20 & 40 Meters... Totally DEAD... got OnLine and looked at the Aurora Map..... Yup, Big Aurora happening today, so played around with it, and the manual Tuner, on 40 Meters getting ready for the 40 Meter Net tonite... Listened to 20 Meters on theTS-590 and finally found a guy in 5 Land, yapping away at S2... Switch the Antennas between the two Radios... I have a BIRD Dual Poll/Dual Throw Antenna Switch to switch the Two Radios between the 80 Meter Dipole (Main Antenna) and the 5BTV Vertical on the peak of the Steel Roof, in the middle of the Cabin... (BackUp Antenna) Could hear the Dude just fine on the TS-480HX at S2 still... Then about 10 minutes later, 20 meters opened up... Got signals all over the place.... So tomorrow I will clean Up the Install, and get everything back to normal... I got a Great Deal, on this Radio... About half the going Rate for them... Looks like a WIN, WIN, wIN FOR THIS MONKEY...