Kenwood TS-480
N0RQ’s brief notes on the Kenwood TS-480
One of the unsung heroes of smallish HF+ rigs is the Kenwood TS-480. The price/performance is worthy of consideration. (Yes, I know, it is becoming an older model…) It isn’t a competition-class radio, but it is a good-performing little rig, better than most of the similarly-priced radios. The receiver is (apparently) better than the TS-480′s big brother, the TS-2000. It has very good computer control capability, which is why we have it for our remote station as well as our home station. It is designed to be good both base and mobile/portable, with a control head that is neither too big nor too small.
If you use a TS-480, here are a few links that may be of interest:
- Firmware: firmware update info , how to check your firmware version , and firmware update instructions (follow them carefully!)
- my remote station using a TS-480
- eham.net reviews of the TS-480: TS-480/SAT (autotuner); TS-480/HX (high-power) — you can see it is a very well-liked rig
- Donner sound card interface for the TS-480
- HRD forum for TS-480
OK, how about some video?
- youtube video of AI4QT giving his analysis of the TS-480
- youtube video of N4LS TS-480 mobile installation
- youtube video of a guy using a TS-480 and RemoteRig
- youtube video of a guy in Taiwan operating his remote TS-480 in Sweden
Read the manual(s):
- TS-480-Instruction-manual
- TS-480-PC-command-control-reference (useful for HRD users)
- TS-480-in-depth-manual
- TS-480 service manual (30mb, too big for me to upload)
- TS-480SAT-brochure
- TS-480-Radcom-review (from 2004)
- Kenwood’s online info
