In the mid-'80s, the competition between the large Japanese manufacturers was raging with great benefit for us amateurs and enthusiasts!
L 'American baked after the glorious Drake TR 7, had already left the field to three sisters of Japan, leaving her the undisputed queen of the market. The Kenwood
after the glory of her twins and TS-530 TS-830, kept firmly on the market the Kenwood TS-930S, gun laying equipment and advanced features.
Icom, had launched a line of equipment beautifull medium in size but big in performance, 'el Icom 745 'Icom 751, the latter the founder of a great dynasty of Icom equipment.
The Yaesu's situation was slightly behind with the Yaesu FT-980 and Yaesu FT-ONE, which had already some years on his shoulders.
In a period of major technological innovations with the increasing use of microprocessors built solid, Kenwood thought it well to update its jewel TS-930 with a new, more modern
the Kenwood TS-940S!
An apparatus impressive and beautiful, solid and heavy.
... long remained only a dream, common to many fans of the time, because of its high cost.
With the TS-940S, Kenwood left the typical s-meter white background, for a new black background, perhaps to give it a more modern impression, but otherwise is virtually identical to that of the TS-930S.
The Kenwood TS-940S is a very complex system, with continuous tuning in all modes of emission, has a receiver with 4 conversions, similar to the TS-930S. The
are many similarities with the 930S, such as the wonderful filter that allows SSB Slope Tune, with 2 concentric knobs, adjust the frequency on the average desired bandwidth.
There's also a good notch filter always MF. Other fabulous features that come from the 930 are the AF Tune and Pitch, true delights for graphic designers, plus the ability to mount 2 optional filters on the narrow 2 MF, of course the fabulous CW VBT command allows you to tighten the bandwidth in CW with dignity, even without the optional filters, but I assure you that the VBT, with 2 filters from 500Hz installed, it becomes a bomb!
The device does not have a preamp in reception, but has a 4 position attenuator from 0 - 10 -20 - 30 dB, which allow you to juggle well on the low bands.
way, it is said that taking the equipment with the Attenuator 10dB added, greatly improving the dynamic!
With the 940 you leave the selection of the bands classic jerky and you switch to the sympathetic small buttons that when pressed to announce the change of band, so when we're going to hear a nice Cw Ta Ti Ta Ti, in a nice Lsb Ti Ti Ta Ti and so on ....
Even the keyboard selection of the band has been improved, it now seems much more logical and well prepared than the 930 with the ability to directly enter the frequency.
The management of the two VFO has improved, even if you manage 40 memories is still uncomfortable with the top door.
The other functions remain the same as the TS-930, double NB, Monitor, CW full and semi, IN and OUT Processor, etc. etc. etc..
Improvements and updates are mostly on the logic of the device, making it sicuramente un apparato moderno.
Si migliorarono pure quelli che furono i mali, del TS-930, che ad esempio soffriva molto il suo inadeguato alimentatore interno, e che ora furono risolti, con una nuova progettazione di tutta la parte di alimentazione e dissipazione.
Ovviamente c'è l'accordatore automatico, (opzionale nelle prime versioni) un pò rumoroso poichè meccanico, ma sicuramente molto più efficiente di quelli a relè che troviamo oggi in molti apparati moderni.
Ma è la modulazione in trasmissione quella che rese celebre la Kenwood con i suoi apparati... e il 940 non era da meno, specialmente se accoppiato con il suo microfono da base MC-60, inoltre l'apparato eroga tranquillamente 120W.
Altra chicca era il sub display verde, vera novità per l'epoca, che dava diverse informazioni sullo stato dei VFO o del Slope Tuning o sull'ora programmata per spegnersi e accendersi, dimostrando così anche un occhio di riguardo per gli amanti del BCL e SWL.
Il Kenwood TS940S ebbe un successo strepitoso, fu prodotto in moltissimi esemplari, e venne costantemente aggiornato e migliorato nel corso degli anni di produzione.
Ancora oggi è facile ascoltare in HF qualche radioamatore che esce con questo glorioso apparato, che tutt'ora risiede operativo in molte stazioni!
Oggi si trova ancora abbastanza facilmente un TS-940S, le sue valutazioni partono dai 700 euro possono anche arrivare a sfiorare i 1000 euro.
il Kenwood Ts-940S è forse la radio Kenwood per eccellenza , la più conosciuta e amata... un apparato che non posso non consigliarvi di avere!
... visto che anch'io, nel 1985 , ero uno di quelli che lo sognava, ed ora mentre vi scrivo è finalmente qui ...nel mio shack!
iv3hls ham radio tales is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione-Non commerciale-Non opere derivate 2.5 Italia License .
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