Ham Radio: Kenwood TS-440 Repair - is it Worth it???

Let's see if we can get my old Kenwood TS-400 Ham radio up and running again. It's got problems in the the VCO and with the attenuator - can they be fixed?
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[@mnpd3]

My TS-440s is the best radio I ever owned... a close second was the TS-520. But, the old workhorse 440s just crashed, so I'm retiring her. I got my money back on that rig a great many years ago, so I can't complain. :)

[@SevenFortyOne]

Bummer, sorry to hear your 440 isn't working. They are great radios

[@joshbowman4060]

You do a great job producing these videos. And you're a good speaker. Thanks

[@zerolabs]

My only rig is a TS-440SAT. Recently had to strip VCO-5 off the IF board and clean out all the stupid goop they used that becomes conductive with age and humidity. One thing I noted that I have not seen anywhere else is that the goop wicked itself way inside the adjustable inductor can. I had to dismantle the outer casing from the coil bobbin to get it all. Had I not, I am certain I would have still had PLL lock-up. It's a dream rig now. Added a NEDSP1061 signal processor, activated by the Voice button. Replaced CF1 and CF2 filters with a pair taken from a TS-940 IF board, CFW455-HT and CFJ455K-12 respectively. Added optional YK-88S and YK88C filters. Opened up the entire audio chain. Added the IC-10 with IF-232C. This rig is fully decked out. I get nothing but compliments from others. So yes. It was SO worth it.

[@DK5ONV]

My opinion is that no matter which radio ran defect, it's always worth it to give it a shot to repair it. If it's repairable and if you got the knowledge skills and equipment to do this yourself. To send it in to a radio doctor can ruin your budget. Work hours (labor work) plus the Money for the parts needed adding up the total bill very fast. Hey buddy, you a real tech and you love to modify, repair and bulding stuff yourself. I could see that already in the very first beginnings of watching your videos. My big respect goes out to you. Keep up good work. 73's de Uncle Günter from SW-Germany

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks Gunter, glad you enjoyed this!

[@DK5ONV]

@@SevenFortyOne You welcome, I truly did enjoyed it.

[@user-mt2qn4yp8w]

Hi Rob. Great work on the old timer. My TS 511S is still in the shop. The repair guy has found some surprises that wasn't good. He already recapped the power supply. So good luck on the rest of the repairs and looking forward to the next video. 73

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks Clark! they aren't all as easy as this one was. I hope your guy can get the radio straightened out for you!

[@kj4unxpondosinatra937]

Great job. The 440 is the main rig in my shack. A great simple radio to operate.

[@charlescocuzzi3987]

Hello

[@tommycheshire5508]

You are “the man”. That work is far over my head for many reasons. I am impressed.

[@jmtckr]

My TS440 is in storage waiting for my new home to be finished being built and can't wait to turn it back on. Great vid!

[@petmobshop9676]

Thanks for this great nice clear no nonsense video 🙂 PE1-PEL / Europe south of the Netherlands ;-) I'm also happy with my repaired TS-440 🙂

[@RadioJunkie]

Great video - I'm getting into working on radios from this era myself and I've always been a fan of kenwood.

[@K5YVY]

Excellent video. TS440 was my first HF and I still got it on the desk. Took it camping once and when the sun heated the radio went to all dots, I knew about the goop so I started scraping what I could get to out and was able to keep operating. But ever since my receive audio has a “wobble” to it.

[@SevenFortyOne]

Sounds like you need to get more of that goop out of there and it will be good to go. These radios are great when all the issues are fixed.

[@K5YVY]

@@SevenFortyOne I enjoyed mine many years before I got the 7300, still have it connected to a small rx antenna but would like to put up a wire antenna for it. 👍

[@K5YVY]

@@SevenFortyOne the wobble sound may also be because I did mess with the VFO pot because it wouldn’t lock and was drifting, got it to lock but made that slight wobble ever since.

[@kevinmccool3719]

You still have the glue causing the wobble in the pll. A little more cleaning up of the glue should fix it. Don't start turning the pll inductor adjustments hoping for a fix. Get the glue completely out, then align the pll stages per the service manual and all should be good. Look it over as he says about cold solder joints with a good lit magnifier. These radios can have numerous bad joints. Good luck, 73.

[@K5YVY]

@@kevinmccool3719 thanks Kevin it I decided to get back in it I’ll dig some more out. 👍

[@K2CTC]

So cool but I wish you got video of the whole re-soldering process! Smart and clear narrative. Again, I could watch ALL the details. Very informative, man! k2ctc

[@Radiowild]

The TS-400 is a nice rig. There even better when they work! lol Your perseverance will allow you many hours of fun! 73's de KC2RDU

[@SevenFortyOne]

73 Bob!

[@christopherbosse4754]

I enjoy my TS-440S/AT. It is a workhorse that is built like a tank. Massive heat sink can handle 100% duty cycle on digital modes.

[@SevenFortyOne]

I like mine too...its a joy to use

[@ERICtheLATE]

Cool circuit board jig!

[@allenskaggs6567]

I bought a used Kenwood 440SAT from a ham about a year ago from ebay. I sent to radio to a repair shop and they worked on it to remove the factory glue and prevent band jumping or skipping when using changing bands. I have noticed during operation that the squelch circuit does not seem to be working correctly. Do you have any videos on fixing the squelch circuit? I like this video and it was very good and informative.

[@SevenFortyOne]

Sorry I don't....I'll bet you have a bad solder joint somewhere. Or maybe a bad capacitor if the shop you sent it to didn't replace all of them

[@JnJTrueOutdoorAdventures]

Great video!! I need to send you my Kenwood TS-440S and see if you can get my "dot" issue I have on 10, 12 and 15 Meters fixed!! LOL When I got the radio from the widow of a SK, and it had the "dot" issue from 10 to 30 Meters. Someone had removed the old glue from the circuit board, but in doing so I found 3 diodes that were either cracked or broken. I found replacements, one I had to order from China cause couldn't find it in the US. I got everything working again except the circuit that controls 10, 12 and 15. I checked the voltage on the High and Low side on that circuit and both sides had the same voltage. One side, I can't remember which, is suppose to be 5 to 6 volts and I can't get it there. Could be bad solder joints, I need to disassemble again and reflow all the components there. I will get to it sometime. Your video gives me hope to get mine working fully again. The TS-440S is a great radio, the receive is so great on them!! Thanks again for sharing. Juddie - WD8WV

[@SevenFortyOne]

Hi juddie...I'll bet you've got bad solder joints too. Or, you may need to replace the memory battery. One easy thing you can also try is to do a factory reset....that might clear it up too. The procedure vis in the manual...just hold down two buttons while turning on the radio. They are awesome radios

[@IZ0MTW]

Nice video, thank you for sharing. Another thing you might want to do is to cut a wire inside and get the extra digit on the frequency readout. .00 instead of .0 at the end. Also for what I’ve seen in the video looks like the meter was not calibrated maybe? It was always on 0… All the best and 73

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks for the tip! The meter may have been on ALC mode or maybe it does need calibration...not sure.

[@ianwalker3922]

Top repair I've got an old radio that needs someone like your self to get checked out like your doing with yours but I'm not going to be even trying what you did it would never work again lol but I like to watch people who know what they are doing like your self my friend anyway 77 my friend Ian ps keep your vids coming your very interesting and easy to understand...

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks for the support Ian! I hope you can find someone to help you get that radio sorted.

[@elliotspencer2648]

I also own the 440 and mine has the 'damn dots' problem which i need to sort but when it behaves it's a really good radio!. Pete G1SFS.

[@buckeye5704]

You're braver than I am Rob! lol Maybe I should send you my 2nd 440 nicknamed Dotty. I do have a nice old oscilloscope and other rigs that I'm helping a widow dispose of.

[@1crazynordlander]

You are amazing! Good job. I have to do catch up on KZbin.

[@walesunt]

Ive got a ts440s and all works well except the signal meter reading is very weak , cant find a video on how to adjust!

[@fredbissnette3104]

im picking up one tomorow im excited

[@mauldulated302]

i have the dot problem. i need to get in there someday. worked great when i first got it. the AT has some problem too.

[@DerrikMorales]

Thanks!

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thank you!!!

[@DerrikMorales]

@@SevenFortyOne for what video is well put together. I appreciate your work keep it coming. I wish I can give you more. Money is pretty tight right now. 73

[@Davidjb37721]

Good job

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks!

[@scratchdog2216]

I still haven't changed the battery in my '90 R-5000. Might have to clean out the VCO as well. New dial light too.

[@SevenFortyOne]

You've had that a long time

[@daveanddee4962]

Hi, my atu motor is not working,do you know if theres a fuse in it? all conections are good all ideas would be welcome many thanks.

[@SevenFortyOne]

I'm not sure, you'll have to check the schematic

[@OldF1000]

The local club I belong to had a TS50 donated to them clamed that the finals were out. I had it dropped in my lap to work on. Turns out the poor thing had been hit by the golden screw driver The finals were ok the power rollback saved them. No telling what kind of load it had been seeing But a diode had been cut so that it would transmit on 11 meters. The output power had been jack up to 180 watts It also need a memory battery I got every thing back to factory so the old girl has some more years left

[@SevenFortyOne]

Awesome!!!

[@OldF1000]

@@SevenFortyOne The funny thing is I have been out of the hobby and the club for a number of years. No sooner than I walk in the club house door for a meeting to rejoin. One of the old time club members that I knew from the past said hey your back! And handed me the TS50 I had to go looking in dark corners and blow off dust from what test gear I still had and was working off a card table Welcome back to the wonderful world of Ham radio LOL ; )

[@TangoOscarMikeN3WS]

Well done.

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks Tom!

[@bientumbling1563]

Sir i have a ts440s The problem is no tx in AM.all band and no tx /rx in 27mhz.and 28mhz. How can fix it sir i cant used in 11m. And 10m. Thanks sir

[@TheNoCodeTech]

You need to add some RGB. Lol JK. Great video man. Love this stuff. Keep it up man.

[@k2cjbradio]

Great fix!

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks Chris!

[@tjdufresne9276]

I have a question about the 440s. Just purchased one and apparently during shipping something came loose. I have cw transmit, buy no mic out on LSB or USB- no power adjust. Any special areas to look at? WB5MTR

[@SevenFortyOne]

Mic gain control or maybe a loose or broken wire in the mic?

[@K4SRF]

Hat's off to you. I don't have the time or patience for this type of repair. Maybe one day after I retire. :-)

[@SevenFortyOne]

I enjoy this sort of thing but like you said I don't have as much time for it as I'd like.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Taking notes...

[@temporarilyoffline]

That blue line will come off with IPA. No worries. I do that all the time.

[@temporarilyoffline]

3.741... sneaky

[@SevenFortyOne]

Easter egg 😁

[@just_in_time5518]

Nice fix!

[@kj4mfw]

I have the same rig. I am not gonna fix it myself. Do you have someone you would suggest to repair it? 73

[@SevenFortyOne]

I've heard good things about the following service but I believe there are a few reputable repair companies out there on the internet. jahnkeelectronics.com/product/kenwood-ts-440-dot-repair-service-free-return-shipping-in-contiguous-u-s-states/

[@kj4mfw]

@@SevenFortyOne Thank you sir!

[@gregmve6gcm]

Nice job!!

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks!

[@charlescocuzzi3987]

Can u tell me what diodes to cut so I can get my440 transient be low ch 40

[@donsatman2273]

Hey Rob. Do you know if the goop can cause a “no display” situation as well?

[@SevenFortyOne]

It might. But try doing a reset and check the memory battery as well

[@donsatman2273]

@@SevenFortyOne thanks for the info Rob. I did the reset but the display still did not come on. I tried tapping the top of the 440 rather aggressively & the display came back but it is constantly flickering. I’m able to tune to any frequency but that flashing display is driving me nuts 🥜 Unfortunately my eyes aren’t good enough to do the battery job but I’m hoping to find a local amateur that could replace it for me

[@timothykulawczyk5824]

Great videos!!! I have no volume on LSB & USB but, great volume on FM mode!!! Help???

[@SevenFortyOne]

Not much info to go on...check your squelch setti to start...other than that I have no idea

[@MrJudohead]

Mine started doing the same thing last night. Did you figure out what the problem is?

[@Stop-driver]

👍👍👍

[@rodneyriccitelli4655]

How can I make a dummy load to test the transmitter

[@cyclecamp1]

I have an inductor assortment if you want to replace that bad inductor.

[@SevenFortyOne]

Thanks Bill! That board is a pain in the bitch to remove and the inductor in question wasn't even in the schematic so I think they added it for EMI suppression after the fact and it really doesn't do much. You'll see all that in the next video on this radio. If I need any for when I fix the tuner though I'll give you a call!

[@fredwester5705]

I just repared my 440s after standing on the shelf (in box) for like 6+ years... It's working great after removing the glue stuff. But I have 1 major problem, and no idea how to fix this...it's got a frequency offset/shift of 40khz.. if I tune to like 14.000 it does rx/tx on 14.040.. already replaced the main clock 36mhz crystal and (broken) trimmer but can't get it lower than 30khz offset...any idea how to fix this ?

[@SevenFortyOne]

Is vco5 tuned correctly? Mine had a 1mhz offset before it got flaky

[@fredwester5705]

@@SevenFortyOne checked it...and yes it's vco 5..on the varicap diode (d35) stands the full 7,8volts..something is wrong around Q34 and Q35..All voltages acording to schematic are there. So, wierd it's not working. Going to change them and see what happens.. Pll (ic18) seems to be working, if I tune the vco I see the voltages (pin 8) changing. Pin 2 of pll looks like a "lock" pin. when pll is in lock it gives 4,8V..when not it's between 0 and 4V.. Checked this out with with an other vco, tuned it off and same behaviour... Don't have the original parts, going to try it out with some other transistors I've got (bf199)...let you know if this works.

[@throwaway-ds6yg]

@@fredwester5705 did you ever fix this issue?

[@fredwester5705]

@@throwaway-ds6yg replaced the transistors (for a bf199), varicap (bb104) etc in the vfo section...changed the x-tal for a TCXO..Set works perfect. Hand it over to a friend and he did some very nice connections with teh rig.

[@robertmethia7080]

741 is that your cb numbers?

[@SevenFortyOne]

No

[@mikemorris5730]

Who is the manufacturer of the board holder that you are using at 6:20 in the video? Thanks in advance. de WA6ILQ

[@SevenFortyOne]

I don't know.. .I got it on Amazon. I think there is a link to it in my Amazon store which you can find in the video description

[@joehanlsko8542]

I should have you go through my ts-440/s

[@oldpreach]

Hi. Great job Just discovered your channel through a POTA video you did a few months back. 73 de nx1q Don

[@SevenFortyOne]

I never think to give it in my videos. My call is N1NUG

[@SevenFortyOne]

I'm glad you enjoy my videos too, thanks for the support!

[@oldpreach]

What's really funny is that a few weeks back I was looking at someone's POTA POTA activation video, and you were one of the stations calling. I said to the kids...oh, that's super cute, his call sign is N1 NUG...nug, like nugget. Nug is a nickname for chicken nuggets here in the South, so you hear nug here a bit. 73

[@SevenFortyOne]

Same here actually. It's not a vanity call...that's what the fcc gave me in 92

[@cactusladysouth1000]

how can i protect my ham radio from an EMP?

[@SevenFortyOne]

I'm not sure...check with k6uda...he might have some tips on his channel

[@cactusladysouth1000]

@@SevenFortyOne how do I find k6uda

[@SevenFortyOne]

Search KZbin for k6uda