An HX for the car/truck? I am jealous. Good for you. They are so easy to use and have great audio. I get great unsolicited reports often.
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Kenwood TS-480 HF Models questions?
- Thread starter Mr. Doug
- Start date
Own an HX myself.
I have a 480HX myself. I have two 50 Amp power supplies here in the shack, so I just split it between the two of them, and then have all the VHF/UHF rigs (6 of them) powered by one power supply and the other HF rig (A 100W Icom IC-720A) powered off the other.
Keeps everything nice and happy. Now if I can just figure out what kind of antennas to put up. I have plans to put 2 towers up here, just haven't gotten around to it. I have a Alpha Delta DXCC up currently, and then an SGC-230 sitting in the corner waiting to have a 43 Foot vertical wire attached to it and placed up in a tree. (I'm too cheap to spend $500 on the aluminum version.)
So far, I really like the rig.
I have a 480HX myself. I have two 50 Amp power supplies here in the shack, so I just split it between the two of them, and then have all the VHF/UHF rigs (6 of them) powered by one power supply and the other HF rig (A 100W Icom IC-720A) powered off the other.
Keeps everything nice and happy. Now if I can just figure out what kind of antennas to put up. I have plans to put 2 towers up here, just haven't gotten around to it. I have a Alpha Delta DXCC up currently, and then an SGC-230 sitting in the corner waiting to have a 43 Foot vertical wire attached to it and placed up in a tree. (I'm too cheap to spend $500 on the aluminum version.)
So far, I really like the rig.
I have 2 HX's - one mobile, the other base. I like the HX version ($979 + shipping from R & L). I have the voice guide in the base. I use tuned antenna's and the HX model is built a lot more rugged than the SAT. I use a single IOTA DLS-55 for the base - $100 + $15 all day long on fleabay. Homemade base mic is a HC-5 element on a baffle board in a base mic stand - $30 (I get compliments everytime I shoot DX), and the mobile mic is a ratshack NC power mic that I have modified to use the +8v from radio and eliminated the battery.
The RJ-45 mic plug is super easy. Get a couple of sheilded CAT5 cables and cut one end off. Wire up mic with the cut end and presto - you have a sheilded RJ-45 mic cable with a strain relief to boot.
The best thing about the HX is that it TALKS much better on AM (hint: use the processor) than the SAT version. With my stock HC-5 mic I run 40/40/40.
Here is the pin out for using a standard 568B CAT5 cable:
pin1 - White/orange - up
pin2 - orange - +8v
pin3 - white/green - mic gnd (TS-480 only)
pin4 - blue - PTT
pin5 - white/blue - system/chasis gnd (TS-480 only)
pin6 - green - mic audio
pin7 - white/brown - NC
pin8 - brown - down
Normally, Kenwood has pin3 as system gnd and pin5 as mic grnd on their RJ-45 mic jacks, but in the 480, they were flipped. The stock handmic comes wired correctly.
If you use a NC mic that has a metal screen for RF protection or internal foil sheilding, you can wire it and the sheilded CAT5 drain wire to pin5 for chasis gnd.
I use my HX in the mobile to drive a TS sweet16 and it works perfectly. People can't tell if I am mobile or on the base.
The RJ-45 mic plug is super easy. Get a couple of sheilded CAT5 cables and cut one end off. Wire up mic with the cut end and presto - you have a sheilded RJ-45 mic cable with a strain relief to boot.
The best thing about the HX is that it TALKS much better on AM (hint: use the processor) than the SAT version. With my stock HC-5 mic I run 40/40/40.
Here is the pin out for using a standard 568B CAT5 cable:
pin1 - White/orange - up
pin2 - orange - +8v
pin3 - white/green - mic gnd (TS-480 only)
pin4 - blue - PTT
pin5 - white/blue - system/chasis gnd (TS-480 only)
pin6 - green - mic audio
pin7 - white/brown - NC
pin8 - brown - down
Normally, Kenwood has pin3 as system gnd and pin5 as mic grnd on their RJ-45 mic jacks, but in the 480, they were flipped. The stock handmic comes wired correctly.
If you use a NC mic that has a metal screen for RF protection or internal foil sheilding, you can wire it and the sheilded CAT5 drain wire to pin5 for chasis gnd.
I use my HX in the mobile to drive a TS sweet16 and it works perfectly. People can't tell if I am mobile or on the base.
I use the same 55 amp Iota on my HX on the base. Love it. The Iota gives the HX all it wants and doesn't even work hard.
What do you mean by: "I have the voice guide in the base". ??
What do you mean by: "I have the voice guide in the base". ??
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