Kenwood TS-50
Kenwood TS-50 transceiver information and reviews
The Kenwood TS-50 is a compact HF transceiver popular with operators for mobile and portable operations. Despite its age, many hams still use the TS-50 for everyday QSOs, DX chasing, and even some contest activity across the HF bands. Its small footprint and robust design make it a good choice for field day setups or as a secondary rig in the shack.
Operators often look for resources to enhance their TS-50, including various modifications to expand TX coverage or boost power output, such as the high-power mod by DK0WFC. There are also numerous projects for building CAT interfaces to enable computer control for logging and digital modes like FT8, addressing the lack of built-in data ports. Additionally, hams can find detailed specifications and user reviews to help them get the most from this classic Kenwood rig.
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Circuit of the Kenwood IF-10D interface for the TS-50 transceiver. -
Eham users Kenwood TS-50 review -
RigPix Database: Kenwood TS-50, pic and specifications, link to user manual -
Official Kenwood page about the TS-50 HF Transceiver -
Collection of TS-50 mods, LCD display dark, TS50<-->AT50 communication, TS-50 Power Mod for QRP, TX Coverage mod TS-50, CAT control for TS-50S -
List of modifications for the kenwood TS-50 -
Cat interface for Kenwood transceivers, tested with TS-850 and kenwood TS-50 but should work with all Kenwood rtx -
Using bencher and Kenwood TS-50 -
The Kenwood TS-50 is a reliable 25-year-old mobile HF radio, widely used in DX operations but lacking CAT and DATA ports for modern logging or contest software. To overcome this, a custom CW interface was built using an USB to TTL module (FT232/FT232RL) and an optocoupler (e.g., 4N25, H11A1) for galvanic isolation. This setup enables the TS-50 to connect with a computer via USB, facilitating integration with software like LOGGER32 and Win-Test. The interface is cost-effective and driver-free for Windows XP and 7, making it an accessible solution for enhancing the TS-50's functionality.