N7CAL.COM

ENTER THE VMSDX

After a long and anxious wait the, Voodoo Modified Kenwood TS-950 has arrived !!! !!!

This radio has been on my radar since long before I knew anything about Voodoo. The TS-950 is a radio that I have dreamt of for years. As a young radio enthusiast I first fell in love with the TS-930. As a youngster one of my childhood friends actually bought a new TS-930 for the CB band. I loved that radio. I never had one till much later in life after I got my general. I had by this time developed my attraction for the 950. I skipped over the 940, never developed a liking for it, I don't know why. But the 950, that was it for me! I figured that I would have to get a stock 950 and then get it modified. Once in a lifetime things come up. So it's here! This is VMSDX #17 and now that it is here in my shack this is where it will stay until the day I die!

This is why:

The TS-950 has always been regarded as one of the best rigs for audio. Its function on both receive and transmit are superb! It has held this reputation as a top notch radio since it first hit the air in the late 80's. It held a secret within its design however that, if discovered back then would have turned the amateur community on it's collective ear. With a simple power up procedural mod it is capable of 6.7Kc+ of transmit bandwidth!

It held this secret till 2010 when one of the original design engineers let out this little secret. It, oddly enough, was found out after the TS-950 SDX gained an even loftier status as the pre-eminent ESSB rig. It has gained that reputation almost exclusively at the hands of one entity, The VooDoo-LABS© and, WZ5Q.

As far as the TS-950 is concerned, the modifications and upgrades that WZ5Q developed into this radio are beyond amazing. They take the rig to a whole new level.

Once the VooDoo-LABS© magic has been folded into this radio, the TS-950 has a transmit bandwidth out to 6K+, the receive is out to 6K and flat. The monitor represents the transmit very accurately. Other mods to the AGC, fan and really, the entire rig have set the VMSDX

(Voodoo Modified SDX) in a class by itself.

While a "VMSDX" is a different animal when it comes to the audio side of things, it loses none of the function that hams all over the world have come to appreciate in the 950. The VOX, Mic Gain, FM Functions, notch, RIT and all other base functions still maintain their original capabilities within the structure of the VMSDX format. None of the original design is lost in the modification process at the LABS, but layered into the architecture to make a once in a lifetime rig combining function with top notch audio quality!

It also gives you the ultimate in dexterity. It not only has the capability of transmitting a quality wide signal. It can, at the touch of a button be narrowed up to accommodate crowded bands when the need to be neighborly is present. This is of the utmost importance when it comes to maintaining the peace and not giving ESSB a bad name.

I own or have owned a few pieces of VooDoo-LABS© modified gear including at one time the only Yaesu FT 1000MP MK-V ever modified by the VooDoo-LABS© and each and every piece will out shine the stock rig by leaps and bounds. The VooDoo-LABS© focus is on fidelity and eliminating or reducing line noise and other negative factors from the audio chain. And they do it exceedingly well!

The TS-950 is a rig that once Voodoo-ized, will transmit from 3k out to 6k+. The frequency response it provides is nothing short of amazing. The bottom end has a smooth, warm and defined response and will accommodate most rack configurations with definition and a texture that is singular in the ESSB world!

Simply put, the TS-950VMSDX is the king of the hill in the audio world. When combined with the analog approach to audio and more specifically, the tube approach, this radio will deliver the sweetest sound you will ever hear. It isn't just wide, it is a multi dimensional listening experience. It can deliver a spatial quality that far exceeds any other signal on the air!

I have heard many great sounding stations. Even some of the SDR rigs will deliver great audio, but for purposes of this rant, I am discounting the Digi-Wigi rigs as a whole. Any rig that layers in ANY artifact does not qualify in my opinion. Then there is the conversation of rigs that sound good on the air, the Yaesu 5000, the Icom 7800 and quite a few that will produce fine audio. But nothing like the VMSDX.

Again, how this radio handles, processes and delivers a quality audio signal is unique. The TS-850/DSP100 combos in my experience are the next best setup but lack that little thing I like to call Voodoo! And in the circles of serious audiophiles the 850 might actually garner as much or more respect than the SDX but it is fast becoming more and more difficult to maintain due to parts and age. Here is where having an SDX modified at the VooDoo-LABS© is of great benefit. Once WZ5Q has gone through this rig it is as close to new as this rig can be. If there is a weak cap, op-amp, diode or board, the VooDoo-LABS© will find it and rectify the issue.

If you are ever lucky enough to get your hands on a TS-950 that has been modified by the VooDoo-LABS© you won't be disapointed! This is it in the audio world. The VMSDX has no equal.