Kenwood TS-530S / TS-530SP
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| Frequency | TX/RX: 160–10 m (incl WARC) |
| TX power | 100 W |
| Modes | USB, LSB, CW |
| Weight | 12.8 kg (28.2 lb) - 12.8 kg (28.2 lb) per specs. Dimensions: 333×133×333 mm. Built-in AC PSU + tube finals. |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 1981 |
| mic | Kenwood 8-pin round |
| key | 1/4 inch phone |
| antenna | SO-239 |
| ac in | AC mains (built-in power supply) |
| power req | 120/220 VAC via built-in power supply |
The refined TS-520S with a digital readout and improved receiver performance. Hybrid design (solid-state driver + a pair of 6146B tube finals). 160-10m + the WARC bands (30/17/12m), with RIT/XIT, IF shift, and a wide/narrow switch. Kenwood's mature hybrid at a time when all-solid-state was arriving but tube finals still had a following.
Hybrid design means both tube and transistor maintenance. Heavy. Superseded by the all-solid-state TS-430S within a few years. The 6146B finals are expensive to replace.
Among the last Kenwood hybrids. The TS-530S was a refined endpoint of Kenwood's hybrid line (the flagship TS-830S, ~1980, is most often called 'the last of the hybrids'). Operators who preferred tube finals bought these; operators who wanted all-solid-state waited for the TS-430S.
The Kenwood TS-530S is a refined later member of Kenwood's celebrated hybrid line, a solid-state transceiver with tube finals that added modern conveniences and broader coverage to the proven TS-520 formula. It covers the 160 through 10 meter amateur bands including the 30, 17, and 12 meter WARC bands, with a digital frequency display, operating SSB and CW, and uses a pair of 6146B tubes in the final amplifier rated at 220 watts PEP input on sideband (180 watts DC on CW) for roughly 100 watts of output.
By keeping the forgiving, smooth tube final while modernizing the rest of the radio (including the digital readout and WARC-band coverage) the TS-530S offered the best of both worlds and became a favorite of operators who wanted hybrid character with up-to-date features. Reliable and good-sounding, it is among the most desirable of the Kenwood hybrids and a frequently recommended vintage HF station.
It is a discontinued classic. See the original TS-520 and the higher-end TS-820S.