New Kenwoods?

[W3WN]

I am relaying the following as it was sent out by a 3rd party on my club reflector. No further information available & I haven't had a chance to independantly confirm or deny this yet...
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Kenwood is coming out with a NEW HF/50 MHz transceiver, and a NEW handheld APRS/Kenwood Sky Command/TNC/DX Packet Cluster/GPS transceiver in 2010.

The NEW HF/50 MHz HF transceiver that WILL be introduced in 2010 and will replace the Kenwood TS-570SG with new features, and hot receiver.

The NEW handheld will be replacing the TH-D7AG WILL also be introduced in 2010 with APRS/Kenwood Sky Command/TNC/DX Packet Cluster/GPS.

Both new transceivers will be shown at Dayton Hamvention May 2010

Another Kenwood Higher End HF/50 MHz is expected in perhaps 2011.

There is presently NO other information or NO ETA..............73

Sincerely, Leo Fahmie KJ6HI
Kenwood Amateur Radio Customer Support
Kenwood U.S.A.
2201 E. Dominguez Street
Long Beach, CA 90810
Phone: (310) 639-4200 prompts 4, and 1
Fax: (310) 537-8235
E-Mail: kcc-amateur@kenwoodusa.com

[KJ3N]

Another Kenwood Higher End HF/50 MHz is expected in perhaps 2011.

Been hearing about a new higher end HF radio from them for the last 8 years. I'll believe it when i see it. :roll:

[ka4dpo]

The problem with Kenwood is that the only decent receiver they have built in the last 15 years id the TS-480 and it uses audio DSP. The TS-2000 is almost deaf compared to other mid priced HF rigs and while it has a lot of features it just isn't a great HF radio. I will also wait and see but this new rig had better have at least triple conversion and an IF DSP at 30 KHZ as a minimum or it's not even current technology. Until they build a receiver as good as the 950SDX I'll remain a healthy skeptic.

[N2NH]

I find that Kenwood was a great marque, but has rested on it's laurels far too long. They charge top dollar for ancient technology.

Icom is a great radio, but they never guarantee spectral purity. Every ad has a disclaimer one that could cause the FCC to tell you to shut the transceiver off.

Yaesu has great radios and is constantly upgrading their line. The prices are insane on some of them, but they're getting better with the FT-450 and FT-2000. The FT-450 has IF-DSP for $700. The FT-2000 looks like the new high end rig with many of the same features of their $12.000 radio for nearly ?th the price. It's the closest thing to a modern version of the Kenwood TS-950 that I've seen.

It helps that Motorola is backing them too...

[KG4CGC]

I might agree with some of the praises for Yaesu but in the recent past they've told their customers to go fornicate themselves. They won't even fix their own radios for a price unless you have one of their newest wiz bangs.

[W3WN]

I sold my TS-140S a few months after I won my TS-480SAT (hamfest prize).

All things considered, I wish I'd done it the other way around. Outside of the auto-tuner, the 480 has proven to be less useful in the shack than the 140. It's certainly a lot deafer than the 25 year old Corsair II sitting next to it, and while the remote head would be useful in a mobile setup, it's a pain in the tuchus in the shack.

If the right offer came along, I'd swap it in a hearbeat. So far, though, no one's offered a Ten Tec Omni VII (or even a VI+)...

[W7XF]

I sold my TS-140S a few months after I won my TS-480SAT (hamfest prize).

You lucky dawg!!!! Now I'm jealous!!

[W3WN]

I sold my TS-140S a few months after I won my TS-480SAT (hamfest prize).

You lucky dawg!!!! Now I'm jealous!!

I'd been going to the Breezeshooter's Hamfest on & off for close to 30 years, predating my move to Pittsburgh way back when. Never won so much as a book of matches before [strike:1gm067of]last year[/strike:1gm067of] year before last, I keep forgetting it's now 2010.

Still... now, don't get me wrong, the TS-480 isn't a bad piece of gear. But outside of the built in auto-tuner & 6 meter capability, it didn't really have anything I NEEDED. And for that matter, now that I have an SGC tuner to mount outdoors at the base of the inverted "L", I don't really need the auto-tune function all that much.

Right offer comes along, I'll swap it in a hearbeat. I'd love to have a Ten-Tec Omni VI+, but to date, haven't found anyone who has one that wants a 480 that badly. Dagnabit.

[n6hcm]

there's been rumors of new kenwoods every year for the past few years. the rumors have, to date, turned out to be exactly that: rumors.

[W7XF]

there's been rumors of new kenwoods every year for the past few years. the rumors have, to date, turned out to be exactly that: rumors.

Agreed. Rumours get nowhere... we need to see the goods!!!!!