From: flloyd@l1-a.West.Sun.COM (Fred Lloyd [Phoenix SE])
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: TS850SAT
Date: 23 Nov 1992 18:22:29 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Phoenix, AZ
Distribution: rec
NNTP-Posting-Host: l1-a.west.sun.com
Keywords: mine is great

In article <1992Nov19.215656.27363@borland.com> garnet@borland.com (Garnet Chaney) writes:
>In article <22467@drutx.ATT.COM> paul@drutx.ATT.COM (AndersonPE) writes:
>>I would not hesitate to buy the 850. I have had one for a year and a
>>half and its a pleasure to operate. Anyone that I have ever talked to
>>that owns one feels the same way I do. The only bad press that I have
>>ever heard about the 850 is from people that don't have one and never
>>operated one.
>>
>>Paul Anderson WB0ZRD at AT&T Bell Labs in Denver.
>>
>>	  
>
>The Kenwood TS850SAT has a few warts, most minor, most somewhat difficult
>to track down. But otherwise I love my rig:
>
>4) 500 HZ filter passband is out of the tuning range for use with MFJ TNC
>  on HF packet if the radio is in LSB mode. The radio must be operated
>  in the FSK mode in order to have a passband that the modem will tune to. 
>  I spent a couple of hours on the phone with MFJ tech support, as they 
>  blamed Kenwoods filter for having a passband out of their actually wide
>  tuning range, and Kenwood techsupport blaimed MFJ for a really bizarre
>  way of determining filter passband.... When I figured out to try FSK, 
>  the Kenwood tech, who claimed 13 years experienced, then asked me why
>  I didn't think of that sooner, not why didn't he think of it sooner.

I had the same problem.  I finally went full FSK using the RTTY jack
on the back of the 850.  My calls to Kenwood also resulted in no knowledge
gained.

>5) Voice with the microphone is unintelligible if a TNC is plugged into the
>  accessory jack. Some sort of mixing of audio occurs, that goes away if
>  I unplug the accessory jack cable. 

I never had this problem.  But, I run FSK, not AFSK, even on packet.

>6) Auto tuner can not be activated by remote control over the RS-232 
>  interface. This could be important for remote operations, in my 
>  opinion, to help clean up SWR at band edges.  

No, but it will return to any previous setting.

>I have a couple of other gotchas, but overall the radio is a very nice rig
>and very enjoyable to operate. 

How about these:

1. Those little buttons have a tendency to stick. On mine, the 8.33 filter
button sticks in causing the filters to continuously cycle.  Caused by
an unusually low clearance between the buttons and the case.  Happened
on my other previous 850 on the LSB button.  All 850's have this problem.

2. The auto-tuner will tune a dipole to 3.999 but not to 4.001 (MARS).
   There must be something wrong with the auto-tuner program.

3. The display is DIM at best.  Pushing the DIM button makes it more dim.
   The viewing angle is not as wide as it could be either.

4. The RX audio TONE control does virtually nothing.

And... Non bugs but needs to be improved....

1. It's too easy to have attenuators pushed in and not notice them.
   No status lights, very poor visual cue's. 

2. Setup menu can only be accessed by turning unit off, holding LSB
   button and turning back on.  Should be easier to access menus.

3. Should have had a main tuning rate adjustment.  10KHz/rev is too
   fast.  FINE button reduces this to 1Khz/Rev (good).  Would like to
   have other rates as well such as 5Khz/2.5Khz/1Khz/500Hz.

4. Linear amp keying relay switch on back panel.  Would be much more
   handy to operate from the front panel.  I don't use my amp _all_ the
   time.  I hate listening to the relay click when I'm running QSK.

5. RIT/XIT range is too small.  Should have been an optical shaft encoder.

6. All manufacturers should wake up and smell the coffee by making the
   serial interface jacks voltage compatible with RS-232 instead of TTL.


So, that's my list of gripes.  I still love the radio :-)

-fred


-- 
[ Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ                             Fred.Lloyd@West.Sun.COM ]
[ Sun Microsystems,           Southwest Area Solaris Transition Manager ]
[ Phoenix, AZ         - The future starts today! -       (602) 275-4242 ]
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc