kenwood tuner kt 6040 not great sounding

[fillemon]

hello everybody,

i got more then a few questions, well here i go.

got myself a kenwood kt-6040, should be a very good tuner, at least reception. Well reception might be good, but not with me. I live in a crowded suburbian area. lots of buildings, cellphones, wifi....

I receive the stations, i put the narrow mode on, and the distance reception, so that i get the signal very good. But even with full strengt signal, the signal isn't clear.

1)do i need a better antenna (i have now a dipole wire antenna tuned for 100mhz).
2)is there something wrong in the tuner; a decent thing like this should be capable of getting a good signal ?
3)should i help if i try to align it ? i have found online some tips to align a tuner for dx reception
4)maybe alter the ceramic filters ?

so far recpetion, but what i receive isn't great quality.
5)i would like to change the opamps, and ouput caps. did somebody did this before on this device?
6)does someone has the service manual or sheme ?

7)oh yes, i wanna plug it into a balanced amp, will this work, or should i start considering an output stage where i make the tuner balanced?

if somebody tells me this tuner isn't worht is sonicwise, please don't hesitate.
but i have red at fmtuners, that this should be a good tuner. well it doesn't sound like one.

thanks people
greetz

[Raynald]

I ran across some info on the KT-6040 on a site from Japan:

http://tinyurl.com/3lz8ad


Click on the 6040 page for details on it and then on the first page, Vintage FM Sythesizer tuners, for how it compares to others.

It looks like it should be a killer. It uses the great LA 3450 MPX chip and has six (!) gangs. But the bottom line is he ranks it only excellent which is actually average and the lowest recommended rating. Several cheap tuners rank higher. Maybe it is not quite the sum of its parts.

I am sure you will get a lot of advice here on how to get better results. An outdoor antenna like the Antennacraft FM6 is a safe place to start. But if you do decide it is not for you, I am curious to try it and do some comparisons for TIC. You can send me a PM.

[fillemon]

thanx a lot raynald,

i'm gonna check on it.

well that's what i read everywhere: this thing should be an absolute killer, but i don't hear it. i hope it is an easy thing to solve. i'm also curieus to put a valve output stage on it. I wanna go all the way, but first i need to know if it is worth it.

i'll take your advice about the antenna. i'm gonna try that first, but i don't think the sound quality will be super. (well i most say: not that much radio stations are capable of putting out a decent sound).

well raynald i'll give you a pm

thanx

[fillemon]

i have looked a bit,

a yagi, is quite directional, that might be a problem.
i cannot rotate it, not inside not outside.

i can put my antenna outside, but not on the roof. (on my balcony).

i was thinking about a big omni, (well big: i mean a decent dipole out of copper). I'm not shure if i need the extra gain of a yagi, i need better separation i think, well extra gain is also nice of course.

i think with the vertical polarization, the antenna has to be vertical and the yagi will be on its side: so next to the wall (in or outside).

i can try to go by cable, but some things aren't on the cable, and i have heard that on air has better quality.

anyone comments on this ?

[fillemon]

well i got the problem,
1)the antenna is to small,
2)i have optimized the selectivity and gain
3)i live in the city, to much wifi, cellphones, train, metro...

but it is getting beter and better.
the machine stood still for 3 years.

great build, all caps are elna cerafine.

after all not that bad.:banana: