2nd remote head for TS-480SAT

[pa3fun]

Hi All,
My remoterig-hardware arrived from Sweden yesterday and I expect the TS-480SAT to get in from Martin Lynch & Sons sometime next week. Almost ready to go !
I would like to be able to invite friends to use my remote station and provide them with the hardware needed for that.
A second control unit can be easily ordered at www.remoterig.com. As I found out via Martin Lynch, the control-head for the TS-480SAT can however not be ordered as a separate part. One would need to buy a complete extra radio to get a second control head?!
Can anyone confirm this or is there some way to obtain a spare control head?
73's Christiaan PA3FUN

[sm0mdg]

Maybe you could ask the question to Kenwood's EU office in Holland. Maybe they could consider selling the remote head as a spare part. I am sure they have been asked before in relation to theft or broken units.

Kenwood Electronics Europe B.V.
Amsterdamseweg 37, 1422 AC Uithoorn, The Netherlands
TEL : +31(0)297-519900      FAX : +31(0)297-519990

Please post any response, I am sure there are others thinking about the same idea.

73 de Björn,
SM0MDG
SE0X

[pa3fun]

All,
Today I rang up Kenwood Benelux in The Netherlands. They forwarded my call to Kenwood Benelux Belgium, responsible for import & distribution of Ham-radio gear in the Benelux.
In brief: I pointed out the motivation for hams that are into remote-operation to have more than one control-head, and brought the remoterig-system from Microbit under their attention. Kenwood's first reaction: control-heads do not have a separate article-number and can therefore not be ordered separately.
Upon my remark on how they handle service calls from Hams with stolen, lost or damaged control-heads they said there just might be some possibility.
We agreed I would send them an e-mail explaining the whereabouts of my request and they will look into it.
After my phone call, I summarized my request in an e-mail. Will keep you all posted.
73's Christiaan PA3FUN

[pa3fun]

All,

Please find enclosed KenWood BeNeLux reaction. In English/in brief: control-heads can indeed NOT be ordered separately at this time. The Kenwood BeNeLux representative has forwarded my request to the responsible person in Japan and let me know.
Will keep you all posted.

73's Christiaan PA3FUN


-------- Original Message --------
Subject:    RE: request for spare TS-480SAT control head
Date:    Wed, 26 May 2010 10:43:36 +0200
From:    Eric Severins <e.severins@kenwood.be>
To:    Christiaan J. Roselaar <c.roselaar@itsec.nl>


Geachte heer Roselaar,

 

Ik heb contact genomen met ons Europese wisselstukken-center.

Het door u gevraagde bedienpaneel is helaas niet als kit verkrijgbaar.

Ik heb voor de volledigheid diezelfde vraag ook voorgelegd aan onze product verantwoordelijke in Japan.

Zodra ik hierover meer gegevens heb zal ik u dit meedelen.

 

Met vriendelijke groeten,

Eric SEVERINS

Technical Sales Support Engineer

Kenwood Communications BeNeLux

[dj0qn]

I know of a dealer in the U.S. that has negotiated a deal with Kenwood to bulk buy some TS-480 heads. I can not announce it officially, but it should be in about a month from now. When I receive the final ok and price, I will post it here.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN/K7DX

[VE6SH]

Mitch

Any further update on this? I too would like to obtain a second remote head for the 480.

73

Tim VE6SH

[dj0qn]

Hi Tim,

Strange where we always meet somewhere ;-)

This will really happen, just that it is taking more time than anticipated. I will follow-up around August 1st and inform the group. I assume availability not before August.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN

[VE6SH]

Thanks Mitch!

Yes, had I known I would have talked to you about this at Dayton. See you next week.

73

Tim VE6SH

[dj4mz]

Hi,

looks like we can have a small Remoterig usergroup meeting at the Ham-Radio.

CU in Friedrichshafen,
Simon

[pd0swl]

Hi,

Any update on 2nd remote head availability?

73'
Paul
PD0PSB

[dj0qn]

Yes, this topic migrated to a different thread, so I guess you didn't see it at:
http://www.styrefors.se/sm2oan/remote/forum/index.php?action=sendtopic;topic=283.0

What I said was:

An update on availability of the TS-480 heads: Japan is taking longer with the order and production as was hoped. It will likely now be October until the heads are available. I was hoping to bring some along from my trip to W6 this month, but that just won't happen.

I spoke to a local German dealer about this, and they are also contacting Kenwood to see if they can order the heads as well. They would like to attach onto the U.S. order to get the heads produced at the same time. More to come.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[pd0swl]

Okay, thanks for the heads up Mitch!
Keep us posted.

73'
Paul
PD0PSB

[dj0qn]

I have an update on TS-480 head availability:

- The heads will be available sometime in October through both HRO in the U.S. and Difona in Germany. Difona will also be selling the RemoteRig series.
- The price will not be available until shortly before availability.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[kb9bpf]

Is there any new info regarding when these will be available?

73
Brad KB9BPF

[dj0qn]

I spoke to HRO this week; they should be available near the end of the month.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN/K7DX