Kenwood TS-2000

One chassis, five bands, two receivers, and an amber LCD that set it apart from other HF rigs.

Overview

Kenwood built the TS-2000 to put everything in one box. According to the manual, the main transceiver covers 0.03 to 60.0 MHz for all types. K-type variants extend to 142-152 MHz, 420-450 MHz, and 1240-1300 MHz with the optional UT-20 module installed. The sub-receiver adds 118-174 MHz and 220-512 MHz on K-type units, or 144-146 MHz and 430-440 MHz on all E-types. One radio replaces a shelf of them.

The architecture backs it up. The main transceiver runs a quadruple-conversion superheterodyne for SSB, CW, AM, and FSK, with a triple-conversion FM path. The sub-receiver uses double conversion for FM and AM. First IF for the 0.03-60 MHz range is either 69.085 MHz or 75.925 MHz depending on band, stepping down through 10.695 MHz, 455 kHz, and a 12.0 kHz fourth IF. The sub-receiver's first IF is 58.525 MHz, second IF 455 kHz. That layout is what lets it pull weak signals out of a crowded band without folding. As High-Fidelity (October 1982, p.44) noted in its survey of advanced receiver circuitry, designers were already exploring continuously variable IF bandwidth to automatically optimize tuner operation across changing reception conditions.

Sensitivity figures are good too. On the main band in SSB/CW/FSK at 10 dB S/N, the manual rates it at less than 4 µV from 500 kHz to 1.705 MHz. It drops to less than 0.2 µV between 1.705 and 24.5 MHz, and less than 0.13 µV from 24.5 to 30 MHz and 50 to 54 MHz. At 144-148 MHz it's less than 0.16 µV. At 430-450 MHz, less than 0.11 µV. At 1240-1300 MHz, less than 0.11 µV. AM sensitivity on the main band is less than 31.6 µV at the low end, tightening to less than 2 µV from 1.705 to 24.5 MHz and less than 1.3 µV from 24.5 to 30 MHz. FM sensitivity at 12 dB SINAD is less than 0.22 µV at 28-30 MHz, less than 0.22 µV at 50-54 MHz, less than 0.25 µV at 144-148 MHz, and less than 0.18 µV at 430-450 MHz.

Squelch sensitivity is similarly tight. On FM, the main band opens at 0.2 µV or less from 28-30 MHz and 50-54 MHz, 0.16 µV or less at 144-148 MHz, 0.1 µV or less at 430-450 MHz, and 0.1 µV or less at 1240-1300 MHz. On the sub-receiver, FM squelch sensitivity is 0.23 µV or less at 144-148 MHz and 0.18 µV or less at 438-450 MHz. AM squelch on the sub-band is 1.1 µV or less at 144-148 MHz and 1.1 µV or less at 438-450 MHz.

The manual describes the transmitter as delivering up to 100 watts on HF, 50 MHz, and 144 MHz, with AM output capped at 25 watts on those bands. On 440 MHz it's 50 watts, AM 12.5 watts. On 1200 MHz, with the UT-20 installed, it's 10 watts, AM 2.5 watts. Minimum output is 5 watts for HF/50/144/440 MHz and 1 watt for 1200 MHz. A built-in TCXO holds frequency stability to ±0.5 ppm from -10 to +50°C, except in FM mode.

The feature list is long. IF-DSP on the main band and AF-DSP on the sub-band handle filtering and interference reduction. Satellite mode uses the main-band circuits, so it gets the same DSP, with ten dedicated memory channels, manual Doppler effect frequency adjustment, and selectable normal or reverse shift for the trace. CW operators get auto tune, full or semi break-in with adjustable delay (50-1000 ms in semi, 150-3000 ms in VOX), pitch control from 400-1000 Hz, a side tone monitor with ten-step volume, DSP-based rise time adjustment, and CW reverse. FSK operators can select shift frequencies of 170, 200, 425, or 850 Hz, switch KEY polarity and Hi/Low tones, and use FSK reverse to match the other station's transmission method. FM includes switchable narrow/wide deviation, CTCSS with 38 EIA-standard sub-tones plus 1750 Hz tone burst, DCS with 104 codes, crossband and fixed-band repeater operation, and 1200 MHz ALT.

Underneath it all sit two 16-bit DSP chips, double-precision computing, a 100 MHz CPU, and 24-bit A/D and D/A converters. Kenwood's Skycommand System II Plus, the built-in Transporter function, lets the rig be operated remotely with one handheld transceiver. There's a built-in auto antenna tuner, DX cluster tune, and an antenna terminal dedicated to HF low-band reception. The large amber LCD and backlit keys on the front panel were a deliberate design choice.

The TS-B2000 is the black-box variant. It's the same radio with no front panel, meant for computer control or vehicle use with the optional RC-2000 mobile controller. The TS-2000X has the UT-20 1200 MHz all-mode unit factory-installed. On the TS-2000 and TS-B2000, the UT-20 is an optional module, and the manual is explicit: only a qualified technician can install it, and Kenwood advises against attempting it yourself.

The dual-channel receive pairs an all-mode main receiver with a 144/440 MHz FM/AM sub-receiver. That means you can monitor two frequencies at once, including two on the same band. For satellite work that's the whole point. The IF-DSP on the main band and AF-DSP on the sub-band keep the receiver clean when the band is crowded.

Collectors and operators note that the TS-2000 sits in an odd spot in Kenwood's lineup. It's not a pure HF rig, and it's not a dedicated VHF/UHF box.

Common points of discussion among owners include the UT-20 installation, which is not a user-serviceable upgrade even though the module is sold separately. The TCXO stability spec of ±0.5 ppm is main-band SSB, CW, FSK, and AM only, so FM mode doesn't get that guarantee. The sub-receiver's coverage varies by region: K-type units get 118-174 MHz and 220-512 MHz, while E-types get 144-146 MHz and 430-440 MHz. That matters if you're buying used and don't know which variant you're looking at.

The TS-2000 is not a collector's item in the way a boat-anchor HF rig is. It's a working radio that still does what it was built to do. If you find one with the UT-20 already installed and the TCXO holding steady, it covers five bands at once.