the very definition of Vintage

The TS120s is a first generation all solid state ham transceiver. due to its age, it is somewhat different design than newer gear. however the fact that it is still available used indicates the quality of its construction. it is essentially an all analog circuit except for the frequency counter display. just 80/40/20/15/10 meters, no WARC bands. for those used to digital transmitters, note that there are no memory channels, and the vfo frequency stays the same when changing bands. but it does change bands and frequency with agility, unlike the tube rigs it replaced which require constant retuning. it is just a basic unit, no bells and whistles, no automatic antenna tuner, no split operation, no built-in power supply. mine came with the Kenwood PS50, large, heavy, and linear so it does not add hash to the receiver. you will need a 20 amp PS for this. mine did not come with a 4-pin mic, so i had to wire up my own. it does not work with the CB type 4-pin mics, if you are technically challenged, there is an eBay seller that has the Kenwood hand mic for $40 plus shipping. switching to transmit mode is by VOX, PTT, or Send/Receive switch. the operating manual is available on-line. operating is simple. you might find the tuning knob to turn fast, but you will adapt to that after a day or two. unless it has the optional CW filter, it won't be useful on that mode. while the filter yk88c is widely available it is also expensive. my recommendation is you use an external dsp speaker, (the Radio Shack one will do, timewave is better) which helps both modes CW and voice. in voice modes it does not have a manual notch filter but the band pass tuning sometimes helps in crowded bands. the noise blanker is reasonably effective. while the final does not have to be tuned when changing bands, it needs to feed an antenna load that is 1.5 swr or less. i got a cheap CB swr meter to measure my antennas, in CW mode the power out is easily adjusted down to 2 watts carrier to protect the meter. my actually works fine at full power out voice on the 20/15/10 meter bands, and i suspect that would be true generally of CB meters. last, but not least, there are NO menus. i got mine up and running and have a 2-way contact to prove it. can't wait for field day. i was looking at first generation rigs because i needed one that is low cost. older tube rigs on eBay sell for ridiculous comparative price, perhaps because they are easily retuned to the CB band.Read full review