TS-480 In-Depth-Manual.pdf

Preface

This in-depth manual for the TS-480 was written by the engineers who actually planned

and designed the product. It is our hope that this guide will serve to convey the joys of HF

and all the benefits of owning and using the TS-480 to whoever reads this guide – whether

you have already purchased a TS-480, an accomplished operator, thinking of buying a

transceiver, or just thinking of taking up Amateur Radio as a hobby. We believe the

TS-480 will appeal to everyone.

CONTENTS

Design Objectives ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 2

Development Objectives for the TS-480 Series ･･････････････････････････････････････ 5

Circuitry ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 7

TX circuits ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 7

RX circuitry ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 13

Auxiliary Features ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 19

Features of the Built-in DSP ････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 21

Tips ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 28

Structural Features ･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 36

New Option: Voice Guide & Storage Unit (VGS-1) ･･････････････････････････････････ 42

New Option: ARCP-480 (Freeware) ･････････････････････････････････････････････････ 45

New Option: ARHP-10 (Freeware) ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････ 51

TS-480HX

200W output

(HF: 200W 、 50MHz: 100W)

TS-480SAT

100W output (HF: 100W 、 50MHz: 100W 、

built-in automatic antenna tuner)

Design Objectives

Determination to create a unique transceiver

The concept of a compact HF transceiver first saw the light of day with Kenwood’s TS-50. From

then on, such equipment has become an essential part of the Amateur Radio world. Equipment

has now evolved with the appearance of multi-band models.

In developing this new HF transceiver, Kenwood has boldly chosen not to follow this path, because

we wanted to develop a transceiver unlike any other available. If we had developed a product

along the same lines as the others currently in the market, the customers would not have found it a

very attractive buy and few would choose it. This is why we wanted to develop a unique and

attractive Kenwood product, something that would effectively serve to create a new market.

It was with these thoughts that we embarked on our new project and began to mull over the details.

It was not to be an easy task. After all, every engineer involved in development wants to create

something special and innovative. We had to find a way to put it into practice.

Back to basics: “The appeal of HF lies in DX’ing.”

The search for “a completely new kind of transceiver” sounds like it might turn out to be a wild

goose chase, and in truth it is in the nature of things that such ideas rarely amount to much. But as

part of our brainstorming, we went back to basics. What first emerged as a key concept was this:

“The appeal of HF lies in DX’ing.” This is simple to say, but maybe more difficult to realize. From

here the discussion moved ahead rapidly once it was decided to develop a compact HF

transceiver.

According to conventional wisdom, a compact HF transceiver is by definition a mobile transceiver,

and a fixed, base station is physically large. But we refused to stick to these stereotypes as we

fleshed out the concept for a compact HF transceiver designed to make DX’ing really enjoyable.

Even if it were to be a mobile unit, as an HF transceiver we wanted to ensure it would offer the

operating ease and basic performance needed to enjoy DX’ing.

Consequently, it should also be able to serve as a fixed station.

The typical shack today has been equipped with a computer and there is not a great deal of

room available for a large transceiver. This PC-transceiver combination would become even

more common.

Operating both as a mobile and as a fixed station, this new model would target customers

dissatisfied with the compact transceivers currently on the market.

This was the concept that we started with.

Standalone control panel

For mobile operations, a separate control panel is ideal, but what if the transceiver is also to be

used as a base station? This was the problem we faced. With a large desktop rig, it is no easy

matter to shift things around to find the best position, so perhaps it would be a good idea to have a

separate control panel that could be moved easily. Also, a desktop unit has various kinds of cables

connected to it. What with the heat the main unit produces and the noise of the fan, etc., and

considering that it does not have to be on the desk in front of you, it would surely be better to

separate the control panel and place the main unit elsewhere.

With the appearance of computers in today’s shacks, it is certainly desirable to tidy up the desktop

as much as possible. We felt that we could contribute to this evolutionary process. By opting for a

completely separate panel, we could ensure that it would be large enough to offer sufficient

operating ease, since its dimensions would not be dictated by those of the compact main unit. This

was how we arrived at the idea of a standalone control panel that is slightly larger than the main

unit.

Focus on basic performance

The appeal of HF lies in DX’ing those places near and far. For this reason, we put a priority on

operating ease and basic performance. At this point the project team had already excluded any

idea of incorporating the V/UHF bands. Our approach was this: “Rather than spending

development money on the V/UHF bands, let’s spend money on HF performance.” “If someone

needs the V/UHF bands, then they can buy another product that is tailored for these bands.” This

meant we had confidence that our product would offer more than enough punch to perform well

even on grueling DX’peditions.

The 200W challenge

As explained, our initial starting point was a desire to create a transceiver like no other. But we

would not have succeeded in meeting this objective with just a standalone control panel and an

emphasis on basic performance. We needed something more if we were to make the product truly

special and stand out from the crowd.

The answer was to be found in the realization that DX operations depend on basic performance

and power. Real “power” in a transceiver is something that many people look for. So a radical

proposal was made: “Rather than making the output 100 watts, let’s go all out for 200 watts!” But in

fact the only transceivers on the market with 200W output were the expensive high-end models.

What we were developing was a compact transceiver.

We seemed to have run up against a wall: Did this mean that in terms of size and cost we would

inevitably end up creating a high-end transceiver? After long discussions, we made a

straightforward decision to challenge the status quo: If conventional wisdom dictated that a 200W

output was only available from a high-end transceiver, then we would change that dynamic.

At this point we could not see how this could be possible, but we stuck to our conviction that a

200W transceiver did not have to be expensive. We were determined to provide the customer with

a 200W transceiver at a reasonable price. As a result of our single-mindedness, we were

eventually able to achieve our goal, creating a product of about the same size as the TS-50 and, of

course, it had heavy-duty specs.

Adding appeal to fixed station operations

It is now increasingly common to see a PC sitting beside the transceiver in the shack, but we

wanted to expand the interaction between computers and transceivers. It was with this in mind that

Kenwood came up with the idea of an Internet remote-controlled transceiver. You may be away on

a business trip, but you want to operate, or you may want to use a large Yagi antenna out in the

suburbs from your downtown apartment. In these and many other ways, fixed station operations

are becoming more varied and more difficult. However, laws governing radio transmissions vary

from country to country. In Japan, we had just about resigned ourselves to the fact that this could

only be implemented as an RX feature when fortunately the law changed: starting January 13,

2004, both TX and RX operations became possible. This made all our development work

worthwhile for our market in Japan and worldwide.

Overview of the TS-480 Series

The product concept for the TS-480 Series, as outlined, can be summarized thus:

Not simply a compact HF mobile transceiver like the TS-50 and other transceivers on the

market, the TS-480 is a completely new type of powerful compact HF transceiver offering the

performance and features required for HF DX operations.

TX output of 200W (HF), an astounding figure; and up till now, only available from the

top-of-the-line models.

Transceiver remote control

In order to realize all three of these, we started the design process with the following planning

objectives:

1. Priority on basic performance that stresses the 1.8 ~ 50 MHz range;

2. Dynamic range on a par with the TS-950;

3. Uncompromising RX performance, AF DSP as standard;

4. A control panel design that ensures top-notch operating ease, so that desired functions

can be accessed instantly;

5. Support for a range of different operations as a mobile station and as a full-fledged base

station, allowing the user to enjoy HF DX as much as with a conventional fixed station;

6. A quantum leap in power output in a compact chassis, generating 200W even when

working off a DC 13.8V supply (in the USA there are no limitations on the power output of

mobile transceivers, so it is being described as a “power mobile”);

7. Internal automatic tuner for the 100W model to make it more versatile and expand the

range of possible applications; and

8. Remote control via the Internet.

As for the name of the new series, which was intended to reflect our planning objectives, we

decided on the 400’s in order to express continuity with the popular TS-450 workhorse transceiver.

This was because the new product was not simply a compact transceiver but would offer the sort

of performance and features Kenwood fans would expect of a 400-series model. A workhorse

transceiver that could prove its worth in a variety of places – in the shack, in a vehicle, in the field --

this was the TS-480 Series being planned by Kenwood.

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