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- 73 Review by Bill Clarke WA4BLC Kenwood 15·1 4 0 Photo A. The business end of the TS-1405 (courtesy Kenwood USA). Tcc-ct-tne-nne radios are expensive, and the prices seem ever increasing. Kenwood-Trio,however, attacks the high price of high quality HF gear with the T5-1405. The T5-14 05 is the first low-cost HF transceiver produced by Kenwood in several years. It is light weight, small-sized, full-lealured. and all solid-state. Although a line rig for mobile operation, many 1405 will find warm homes in shacks. First Impressions The r8-14O is Kenwood gray. 01 course. It weighs in at just 13 pounds. Its 36 front-panel controls are laid out in a handy manner, and the display is much more than just digital frequency reed-ou t. The nice features include ATTY, Packet, AMTOA and optional FM operation; UPI DOWN microphone buttons for scanning and tuning; tun-break keying; selectable AGC; 20dB attenuator: speech processor; VOX; and adjustable AF power output control. The built-in speaker, althOugh quite small, provides very nice audio. Operating Impressions Belore operating me TS·14O, I read the entire instruction manual, especially concentrating on the memory operations. I highly recommend a new 140 owner to do this. Every button and control operates easily and crisply on the TS-14OS. At lirst the main knob tuned too lightly for my taste, but a simple twist of the knob's collar weighted properly. The rear panel has the VOX con trols , antenna and ground connections, key and external speaker jacks. and several accessory plugs for remole control, optional antenna tuner, and other functions. Receiver The bllJeoCOlOred digital frequency read out is part of the 14O's display panel. I find it eas ier on the eyes than some of the red LEO or green 30 73AmateurRadio - April , 1988 LCD displays seen on other radios. Other information (VFO in use, memory position, AIT, mode, scan, etc.) shows on the main display in an assortment of red, blue and yellow colors. All are very readable. Kenwood still includes the option of a 1Q-Hz read-out on the digital frequency display. The usercan select this from the front panel. There is no need to open the rig and make any internal modilications. The tuni ng rate is 10 kHz/revolution of the VFO tuning control. This seemed too fast, and five kHz per turn would be suitable. Fast tun-ing is done by using the Memory Channel knob. Tuning rate for the Memory Channel knob is 10kHz per click, which is 240 kHz per turn . AI first the idea of using two knobs for tuning seemed complicated. After the initial Photo B. The RFdeck. foJds out from the main chassis for service. Note the farge heal sink. 30 minutes of use, however, I found it quite natural. The memory scheme used on the 140 is a little complicated. The re are 31 memories, broken into banks of single frequency, split frequency, programmed band marker, and scan. The manual explains clearty their use. I had no probtem programming them from the very first entry. The TS-140S has almost all the necessary fillers built-in. Only the 500 Hz CW filter is optional. IF shift is included, which works well to augment filtering for interference reduction. It is detented at the zero point. The receiver is very quiet and doesn't get 100 excited by background static . It is almosl as quiet asthe Ten--Tec Corsair. I found reducing the RF gain made receiving quieter when conditions were very noisy. This is normal with all sensitive receivers, and the 140 is very sensitive. The 140 has two noise blankers_ The first attenuates "woodpecker" noise, and the other attenuates other pulse interfe rence, like ig- Numbet" 10 on your FHdbadl card Trio-Kenwood communcaucee 1111 West Walnut St. Compton CA 90220 Price Class: T5·1405: $ 900 YK-455C- l CW filter: 90 TU-8lone unit 37 IF·1Qe interface kit 45 niUon noise. They both are very ettecuve. even with household noise generaled by nuorescent lamps and some light dimmers. The TS-14O has both band and memory scan. scan speed is adjustable from the front panel. The ope rator can also manually scan memories by pushing the UPtOQWN buttons on the mike. USBlLSB selection is made by the rig but may be over-ridden by the operator. The user can also select fast or slow AGC action. Transmitter Like most current rigs, the TS-14O has two VFOs, a nice touch for working SSB and CW splits. The two VFOs also allow split-band operation. Also, the 140 is easily modifiable for use on MARS frequencies. Modification is required, since the CPU doesn't allow transmitling outside the ham bands. The TS-140S sports semi- or lull break-in keying. a SK operation was greal. It could be broken with a dit or two. The CW note had good reports. I received consistently good audio reports on SSB. Each indicated excellent quality voice transmissions. None slated I was overdriving the rig. All contacts were made using the standard microphone supplied with the radio. I've Got Memories The TS-14OS has 31 memories to complement the two VFOs. The memories are changed from a knob on Ihe front panel or with the microphone UP/DOWN buttons. A user can program the mode in all memories. There are four typeS of memories. -Eleven single frequency memories are used lor receive and transmit. Proto C. Bottom board of the 140 shows the computer-like layout.
- Splitlrequency. There is a frequency in this memory for transmit and another tor receive. This is most useful lor t o-meter FM repeater operalion, and split OX . li the same frequency is entered for both transmit and receive, then a split memory wilt function as a normal memory. There are 10 split memories. -The programmed band marker . The user enters upper and lower band limi ts in this memory. A Novice, lor example, may wish to enter 28.300 MHz and 28.500 MHz as the two band limits. From that time forward, when thai memory is selected, turning the VFO knob will change frequency, yet excursions wilt automatically be kept within the limits 01 the programmed band markers. Continuous tuning will cause the Irequency 10 stop at the end of the programmed limi t and restart at the other end or the limit. There are ten pro g ra m med band ma r ke r memories. - The last memory contains band scan limits. These are the highest and lowest fr equencies that will be scan ned. 0 1 course this memory may be used as a standard memory il both frequencies entered are the same. There is only one scan memory. Inside the 140 The inside 01 the T5-14O is a complete departure from all Kenwood HF equipment built to date. The unit is made of two circuit boards and an AF deck. The tatter hinges away from the main chassis for service. The first thing I noticed upon opening the 140 was that there we re very few inte rconnect wires. Most interconnections are handled with ribbon cable. This results in a very uncluttered interior. Atthe side of the top beard is a place to msran the optional CW filter. The computer-styte in terconnections and well-planned circuit board will lead to excerlent reliability . At the very least they promote easy service. Bench Testing Bench testing is the only method of checking a transceiver's specifications againsl those published by the manufacturer. I completely c hecked the 140, and it met or surpassed all published specifications (see sidebar). The fo llowing equipment was used in checking the performance of the TS-1 40S: Leader LDC 8243 Frequency Counter Marconi Instruments 2022 Signal Generator Hewlett Packard 606 HF Signal Generator Hewlett Pac kard 65 1A Audio Generator Bird 43 Wattmeter Hewlett Packard 8551Bf851B Spectrum Analyzer Cushman CE-5 Monitor recuoncs 475 Oscilloscope Remember that the performance of currently available amateur transceivers generally exceeds the capabilities 01 Ihe human ear. propagation, and atmospheric conditions. Draw backs The instruction manual for the 140 is complete and contains many charts and diagrams. It's generally easy to understand, A few instructions, however, are written incorrectly. I was particularly disturbed at the incorrect instructions lor IF SHIFT, Tuning Knob VFO, KENWOOD T5-140 SPECIFICATIONS (as stated in the manual) GENERAL Frequency Coverage: Receive: Modes: Frequency Control: Frequency Stability: Antenna Impedance: Power Requirements: Dimensions: Weight: RECEIVER Circuitry: IF Frequencies: so kHz to 35 MHz Transmit: 1.8 2.0 3.5 4.0 7.0 7.3 10.1 10.15 14.0 14.35 18,068 18.168 21,0 21.45 24,89 24.99 28.0 29.7 SSB/CWfFMJAM CPU-based 10 Hz step digital PLL synthesizer ± 10 PPM (parts per million) (14 to 140 degrees F) 500 121016 VDC (std. is 13,8 VDCI 11 '/'. x 4"/"12 x 12 inches 13.4100 SSB AM CW FM FM Deviation: Spurious Emissions: Carrier Suppression: Unwanled Sideband Suppression: Microphone Impedance: Double conversion superheterodyne tst IF 40.055 MHz 2nd IF 455 kHz Sensitivity: SSBICW for 10dS SIN 500 kHz-1.62 MHz less than 3.981N 1.62 MHz-30,0 MHz less than .251JV AM lor 10dbSfN 500 kHz-l .62 MHz less than 39.81JV 1.62 MHz-JO,O MHz less than 2.51JV FM for 12 db SINAD 21.5 MHz-3Q,O MHz less than .35 1JV Squelch Sensitivity: less than .321JV Selectivity: SSBICW 2.2 kHz! - 6dB 4.4 kHz! - 60 dB AM 6kHz! -6dB 18kHz! - SO dB FM 12kHz! -6dB 25kHz! -50dB Audio Output: 1.5 W at 10% distortion into an aonm load RIT Range: ± 2.5 kHz (20 Hz step) TRANSMITTER Output Power: 110W PEP (160-15 meters) l00W PEP (12-10 meters) .ow 100W (160-12 meters) 95W (1 0 meters) 50W(10meters) ± 5kHz less than - 40 dB greater than 40 dB greater than 50 dB 500-SOkO and Mobile Antenna Tuning _Even worse was the mention of bonding the accelerator lor mobile noise reduction. The latter could prove to be very dangerous. Kenwood USA is now aware of these conditions. Hopefully they will soon improve their manual lor the 140. The 140 has no notch liller, but I didn't miss it. Past experience has shown me that notch filter controls are too sensitive to set quickly. In lieu 01 built-in notch liltering, I use the Datong Automatic Notch Filter. The later is something no modern station should be without. Keypa d direct frequency entry is another modern innovation I have come to like on another rig (ICOM IC-761). I plan to use the Stone Mountain Engineering aSYer for keypad direct lrequency entry on the T5-14OS. The slide controls on th e right side are delicate to oper ate, but they are usually only irregularty adjusted. Amplilier users need to open the rig and set a switch to the ON positio n. This switch acttvales the relay coil for the remote con tacts. Kenwood says they leave it in the OFF position to reduce operational noise. Even when on, however, neither the relay nor the cooling Ian on the final amplifier is very noisy. Its operation is barely noticeable. Many of the front panel selections provide feedback with beeps, which I found annoying. The beeps are CW for the modes and alarms. Blind operators may find this leature a bonus, however. Some can be turned from the panel. All can be silenced by an internal eojustment. Wrap-up Would I rec o m mend the TS-140S? Yes! It has all the necessary features of the heavyweights and is certainly a very capable transceiver, yet the price is remarkably low. Don't think low price means low q uality. The 140's price brings the featu res and capabilities of expensive rigs 10 financial reality. Would I personally purchase a TS-1401 As a mailer of fact, Idid. Thanks to the folks at the Electronic Equipment Bank 01 Vienna, Virginia, for the loan of a new Kenwood T5-140S, and the use of their very complete test bench,OJ Bilf WA4BLC regularly reviews amateur equipment for 73 MagaZine. His address is Box 2403, Falls Church VA 22042 73AmaleurRadio - April. 1988 31
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terent and possibly incompatible un
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Special Events listings will be pro
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73: Are there a lot of female hams
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