Kenwood TS-2000X (2000–2018)

One box that covers 160 meters through 23 centimeters. Satellite operators no longer had to juggle two radios.

Overview

The TS-2000X is Kenwood's answer to every band question at once. It's an amateur HF/VHF/UHF transceiver, manufactured in Singapore/Malaysia from 2000 until it was discontinued in 2018. The owner's manual applies the "all mode multi-band transceiver" designation across the TS-2000, TS-2000X, and TS-B2000 family. The X is similar to the standard TS-2000 but ships with the 1200 MHz option already installed, which is why it earned its reputation as a satellite operator's rig.

On transmit it runs 10-160 m plus WARC, 6 m, 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm. On receive it opens up to 0.03-60, 118-174, 220-512, and 1240-1300 MHz. That's general coverage, well past what any single-band operator will need. Tuning steps run from 1 MHz down to 1 Hz, so the same knob that crosses the spectrum can also land you on a weak CW signal.

Modes cover AM, FM, NFM, SSB, CW, and FSK. Memory runs to 300 regular channels with alpha tags of up to seven characters, all held in non-volatile EEPROM storage, so nothing is lost when the power comes off. Frequency stability is rated at ±0.5 ppm across -10 to +50° C (14 to 122°F). Drift that tight means the rig holds its place on a satellite pass or a long digital session without constant correction.

Power output depends on the band. SSB (PEP), FM/NFM, and CW/FSK all deliver 5-100 W on HF, 6 m, and 2 m, dropping to 5-50 W on 70 cm and 1-10 W on 23 cm. AM is the outlier: 5-25 W on HF/6 m/2 m, 5-12.5 W on 70 cm, 1-2.5 W on 23 cm. Maximum FM deviation is factory-set to ±5 KHz in FM and ±2.5 KHz in NFM. Spurious emissions are held better than -50 dB on HF and better than -60 dB from 6 m through 70 cm.

It's a desktop rig at 281×107×371 mm (11.06×4.21×14.61") and 8.2 Kg (18.1 lb). It draws 13.8 VDC ±15% through a 6-pin Molex connector, pulling 2.6 A squelched on receive and a maximum of 20.5 A on transmit. That last number is the one to use when sizing a power supply. Antenna connections are three SO-239s and two N-jacks, with the built-in autotuner handling 16.7-150 ohm on HF/6 m. Audio output is 1.5 W at 10% distortion into 8 ohm, and there are two 3.5 mm external speaker jacks.

Key Features

1200 MHz Already Inside

What separates the X from its siblings is the factory-installed 1200 MHz option. On the TS-2000 and TS-B2000 that capability required the optional UT-20 all-mode unit, and the manual is blunt that the UT-20 can only be installed by a qualified technician. The X skips all of that. The factory 23 cm coverage is why the TS-2000X became the satellite operator's default. It arrives able to work the bands satellite work needs, with no bench visit or accessory order.

Dual DSP for IF and AF

Kenwood's own documentation describes the series as featuring dual Digital Signal Processing units to process IF and AF signals. Filtering and interference reduction happen in the digital domain rather than through a chain of analog cans. That lets a single chassis cover this many bands without the selectivity falling apart. The main receiver's SSB selectivity is specified at 2.2 KHz at -6 dB and 4.4 KHz at -60 dB, with a low-cut of 300 Hz and high-cut of 2600 Hz. That's the shape you want when a weak signal sits next to a strong one.

Main Receiver Plus a Sub Receiver

The main transceiver is a quadruple-conversion superheterodyne design (except in FM). The first IF is 69.085 or 75.925 MHz on HF/6 m, 41.895 MHz across 118-512 MHz, and 135.495 MHz on 1240-1300 MHz. After that come 10.695 MHz, 455 KHz, and a 12 KHz fourth IF. The sub-receiver is a separate double-conversion section with a 58.525 MHz first IF and a 455 KHz second IF. Two receivers in one box is what makes satellite duplex operation possible. You listen on the downlink while you transmit on the uplink, both at once.

Built-in TNC and Autotuner

There's a built-in 1K2/9K6 TNC on board, along with CTCSS/PL, DCS, and DX-Cluster functions. The autotuner covers HF/6 m and will match 16.7-150 ohm, a wide enough window to forgive a lot of real-world antenna compromises. Owners who've run the rig on a random wire or a marginal vertical will tell you the tuner earns its keep.

Operating It Your Way

The rig can be operated via computer or through the optional RC-2000 control head. The manual notes the transceiver is equipped with a bail on the bottom so it can be angled on the desk. A classified listing for a TS-2000 example also mentions the ARCP-2000 Radio Control Program bundled in as a bonus, which is the software side of that remote-control capability.

Receiver Sensitivity Across the Bands

The published sensitivity figures vary band by band. On the main receiver in SSB/CW/FSK at 10 dB S/N, the rig is specified at 2 µV from 1.7-24.5 MHz, tightening to 0.13 µV from 24.5-30 MHz and on 50-54 MHz, 0.16 µV on 144-148 MHz (K-type), and 0.11 µV on both 430-450 MHz and 1240-1300 MHz. FM sensitivity at 12 dB SINAD runs 0.22 µV on 28-30 MHz and 50-54 MHz, 0.25 µV on 144-148 MHz (K-type), and 0.18 µV on 430-450 MHz and 1240-1300 MHz. AM is the least sensitive mode by nature: 2 µV from 1.7-24.5 MHz, 1.3 µV from 24.5-30 MHz and 50-54 MHz, 1.4 µV on 144-148 MHz (K-type), and 1 µV on 430-450 MHz and 1240-1300 MHz. The sub-receiver is a step behind the main section, as you'd expect: 2.25 µV AM and 0.40 µV FM on 144-148 MHz (K-type), 1.55 µV AM and 0.28 µV FM on 430-450 MHz.

Transmitter Section

Modulation is low-level for AM, reactance for FM, and balanced for SSB. The microphone input is 600 ohm optimal through an 8-pin metal locking ring connector. Inside, the RF chain is built around a 2SK2596 HF/VHF pre pre-driver, a 2SC1971 HF/VHF pre-driver, two 2SC1972 drivers, two 2SC5125 HF power transistors, and two 2SC2694 144 MHz power transistors. Anyone who has to source replacements for a rig they intend to keep running will want that list.

Historical Context

Kenwood built the TS-2000X in Singapore/Malaysia from 2000 through 2018, when it was discontinued. It sits in the TS-2000 series alongside the TS-2000 and the black-box TS-B2000, all three listed together in the owner's manual under the same "all mode multi-band transceiver" heading. The X's distinction within that family is the factory-installed 1200 MHz capability, which makes it suited to satellite operation with its downlink/uplink split.

Kenwood sold the model in regional variants: K for the Americas, E for Europe, and E2 for Spain. The sensitivity specs differ between types. The K-type 144-148 MHz figures are not the same as the E-type 144-146 MHz figures, so a buyer comparing published numbers across regions can easily get confused about which radio they're looking at.

Collectibility & Value

Based on historic price data, the estimated value of a TS-2000X in Good condition sits around EUR 1,128 to EUR 2,125. That's a wide range, and it reflects the usual variables: condition, accessories, whether the original boxes and manual survived. One classified listing for a TS-2000 example (serial 81100048) described the radio as excellent working, coming with the hand mic, power cable, original manual, original double boxes, and the ARCP-2000 Radio Control Program as a bonus. Another listing simply noted "Price Reduced" with no figure attached.

Owners report the rig does a great deal well without being perfect at everything. One long-term user described it as covering HF, VHF, UHF, and L-band all in one box, doing everything well much like a Swiss pocket knife. Another called it a must-have if bench space is limited, since it covers "zero to the moon" in a single radio.

Known trouble spots show up in the modification and repair literature. There's a documented fix for a 1.2 GHz TX distortion problem on the TS-2000X specifically. Other reported issues include hot interrupted reception on the TS-2000, a multi-channel encoder repair that's been written up as a DIY job, and a PA problem that's been the subject of at least one repair video. A common service question involves the rig powering on to "14.000.00 MHz USB" with all data lost. Check for that before you assume a dead radio. A modification reference for MW sensitivity also exists.

Documentation is well-supported: the user manual (2.9 MB), service manual (7.5 MB), and service supplement (18 MB) are all listed as available. That's a meaningful advantage for a 2018-discontinued rig, because it means alignment procedures and adjustment data don't depend on forum archaeology. The service documentation notes that manual adjustment is possible, and that a service adjustment mode covers menu items No. 00 to 126 with data saved to the EEPROM.

The accessory list is long: the ARCP-2000 Advanced Radio Control Program, DRU-3A Digital Recording Unit, HS-5 and HS-6 headphones, LF-30A Low-pass filter, MB-430 Mobile mounting bracket, a range of microphones (MC-43S, MC-47, MC-52DM, MC-60A, MC-80, MC-90), PG-2Z DC cable, PS-53 Regulated DC power supply at 22.5 A, RC-2000 Mobile remote controller, SP-23 and SP-50B speakers, and the VS-3 Voice Synthesizer Unit. A rig with its original accessories is worth more than a bare one. The PS-53 can deliver the 20.5 A the transmitter wants.