●RX circuitry
Front end
As explained in the section on development objectives, what distinguishes the TS-480 Series are incomparable features and performance that result from our focus on HF. Of special note are the dynamic range characteristics in the HF bands, demonstrating the fact that, despite the compact dimensions of this transceiver, there has been no design compromise.
One of the circuits that is important in determining dynamic range is the first mixer. Now there are some compact transceivers covering HF~V/UHF that are designed to cover all frequency bands with a single mixer. Since HF~50MHz is the “home turf” for the TS-480 Series, it has an advantage as in regards to the operating conditions for the mixer. Since developing the TS-950, Kenwood has exclusively employed J-FET quad mixers, and the TS-480 is no exception. Fig.7 illustrates the mixer circuit.
Fig. 7: RX 1st mixer
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