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ready to pull the trigger on a Kenwood TS-440SAT why shouldnt I?

romakdaddy

Member
Jul 2, 2009
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i can get it for little under 500 shipped with a bunch of filters and the tuner plus all mars/cap mods done.

talk to me.
 

Because it is old and may soon need repairs ('electrolytic caps').
Because you can buy a new Icom IC-718 for about the same price.
Because they have a history of the 'dot problem' (look it up on Google).
Because you may not know how to repair a radio yourself.
Because - after shipping & insurance - it will be ~$550.

Other than that - yeah . . .
 
ok...
but..sure its old,i know a radio tech that works on hams if i cant figure out the problem.
but..cant find an Icom IC-718 for less than 600 plus...no FM
but..dot problem has supposedly been fixed.
i may not know how to repair it,thats true.
and..price is 494 shipped.

im still trying to talk myself out of it but ive been wanting a rig like this for a while.
 
Because 15 years ago that would have been a decent price. But not now even with all those mods. It's just not worth that much. I'm sure someone will buy it though. Do yourself a favor and find a TS-850, there's no comparison.
- 'Doc

I've owned both, wouldn't turn down a cheaper '440, but only as a 'last resort' radio.
 
Get a 430 if you are determined to get one of this series.

I sold mine at the end of last year for only about 260$ with the FM board, MARS/CAP and 0khz to 30Mhz mod. A loss, since I paid 435$ about 3 years before, they seem to be coming down in price.

They seem to be less prone to the "dot disease" than the 440 and have just a bit less features.

The tuner has very limited range. An LDG is much better.

I seem to remember asking less for the whole 430 station (radio, custom desk mic, one AM filter, power cord, like new SP430 speaker and an Astron RS20A PS). I think I was ignored asking about 450$!!!

If you insist on getting that rig, let us know how it worked out.
 
ok...
but..sure its old,i know a radio tech that works on hams if i cant figure out the problem.
but..cant find an Icom IC-718 for less than 600 plus...no FM
but..dot problem has supposedly been fixed.
i may not know how to repair it,thats true.
and..price is 494 shipped.

im still trying to talk myself out of it but ive been wanting a rig like this for a while.

What is it that you want?

List the things you want in a HF rig, and I'm sure you will get plenty of advice from those that have been/are owners of transceivers in the under 500$ range.

Don't let your loot burn a hole in your pocket.:D
 
The price is slightly high but I'd rather have a 440 than a new surface mount radio at the same price.


The 440 does a lot of things the 430 doesn't. The 430 is a nice radio and has a slightly better ssb filter. The 440 really wakes up with a few changes.

If there's no hope that you will ever do any of your own repair work buy a new radio with a warantee.
 
Because 15 years ago that would have been a decent price. But not now even with all those mods. It's just not worth that much. I'm sure someone will buy it though. Do yourself a favor and find a TS-850, there's no comparison.
- 'Doc

I've owned both, wouldn't turn down a cheaper '440, but only as a 'last resort' radio.

I agree with this 100%. You don;t want to pay more that $300 (regardless of crazy eBay prices) for a rig that old even in excellent shape. 440's are now showing lots of issues and you may wind up spending another $200+ to repair it. Save your money for a few more months and get a used Yaesu FT-450. I just sold my two year old 450 in perfect condition for $650. You'll be glad you bought a newer rig.

The TS-430S had quality control issues with soldering, especially on the PA board. The last two I owned I had to rework ALL the solder joints on the PA section. Not an easy job.

By the way the MARS mod is not a selling point. It's merely one diode that has been clipped to open up the TX on the radio.
 
Everything you that has been posted in this thread is so correct.

I have a 440sat that was bought at Orlando Ham fest, guaranteed no issues.

Right, after rebuilding the VCO's and replacing the control unit I now have a nice rig. the tuner is OK on the rig but not great.

I could have bought a much newer rig for the amount of money I sunk into the 440.

It is a fun rig to play with, it has sensitive receive, the notch filter is an audio type and basically sucks.

There is better rigs on the market.
 
And just to throw another little kink into things, which doesn't really apply to what I said before, a friend got an IC-7000 yesterday and I got to play with it a little. That's a nice little radio! It's just a tad smaller than I'm comfortable with, but it's still nice.
It's 'used' and he paid about what that '440 is going for. I really think I'd do some more looking around before spending anything. Who knows what you might find...
- 'Doc
 
What is it that you want?

List the things you want in a HF rig, and I'm sure you will get plenty of advice from those that have been/are owners of transceivers in the under 500$ range.

Don't let your loot burn a hole in your pocket.:D

echo,talkback,hot mama/tarzan noise toy,multi tone roger beep.........kidding.

i want all the 440 offers.AM,FM,SSB,allmode/band coverage,good audio even on AM and yes i want to have 11 meters available.basically i like all the bells and whistles(knobs,buttons and switches) type tranceivers.
i saw a yaesu ft-900at for about 550 shipped but it seems like a small radio footprint wise.any opinions on the yaesu 900?
 
If it's a Kenwood you want, then only a Kenwood will do. However, as you've noted the FT-900 is a small footprint radio. It was an evolution of the FT-890 and is essentially the same radio with a detachable control head. IMO, a good clean FT-890 is head and shoulders above a TS-440. The TS-450 would be closer, but despite its size and limited filter options, my FT-890 gave my TS-850 a run for its money. I still have the FT-890 and the '850 left 11 years ago.
 
FYI
Most TS-440s with the VCO-5 glue problem can simply be left turned on all the time. The heat made by the rig is enough to keep moisture out in a lot of cases.
 
echo,talkback,hot mama/tarzan noise toy,multi tone roger beep.........kidding.

i want all the 440 offers.AM,FM,SSB,allmode/band coverage,good audio even on AM and yes i want to have 11 meters available.basically i like all the bells and whistles(knobs,buttons and switches) type tranceivers.
i saw a yaesu ft-900at for about 550 shipped but it seems like a small radio footprint wise.any opinions on the yaesu 900?

You asked for and got opinions from hams here with a LOT of years and radios under their belts. We're trying get you to understand whay you should avoid a 30+ year old radio that has been valued at a price far beoynd it's worth. Newer, better choices have all the same bells, wistles and buttons you're looking for. But, at the end of the day you'll buy what you want. Good luck!
 

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