TS-440s AM Mods - any interest??

After having been on AM with a rather muffly sounding TS440s (as many know) for some time I got around to delving into the box, and finally found my 440s service manual. I also looked at the mods.dk site as well. (and all the others that took the same info off mods.dk). Put two and two together.

Came up with what I think are at this point fairly reasonable results, and definitely way better than the stock version and better than the mods.dk version.

- we'll call this "step 0" for clarity, just an improved AM filter AND xmit audio chain parts value changes -

There are two more steps possible: 1) front panel switchable "wide" & "not-as-wide" positions, 1a) available in receive only, xmit being fixed and 2) the aforementioned switching in concert with an optional "YK" series Xtal fiilter. These two selectivities being related to the 455kc IF not the 8.33mHz. IF where the "YK" filters go...

The 440 has *no* present provision for using a YK filter in xmit, it could on recieve, if you use the M2 position... but that could be modified (it is after all logic and PIN diode switching...)

So, the question is simply this:

- anyone out there need/want the "better" 455khz IF filter? (I already did this part - it's good)
- anyone out there want the switchable recv/xmit selectivity or recv only selectivity switchable filter (would require a small PCB to be fabb'd) - the options are: +/- 6dB and +/- 4.5dB or perhaps a +/- 2.5dB

I have the +/-6dB in there now and it is a bit wider than I might want all the time on receive... that's a 12db wide AM receive & xmit. I think the 4.5 might be ideal. While the 2.5dB has better skirts than the stock AM filter, which is actually nice on receive most of the time, but impossibly tight on xmit. So the 2.5 would *require* the option of xmit/recv switching of filters... unless you just want a better skirt slectivity filter, which is fine if that's what you want.

- anyone out there want the 455khz options AND the 8.33khz mods??

The 8.33 khz mod I haven't fully looked at implementing, but that would mean that the xtal filter's bandwidth would have to be considered in light of the 455's bandwidth, AND I it appears that it works only in the recieve mode, so the xmit bandwidth will depend on the other filter entirely.

They all require lifting the IF board out of the radio, or off the "tray" it sits in, and desoldering/soldering some eyeloupe size small stuff, etc... if there are a whole bunch of people with 440s that want this done only then does making up a PCB become an option... etc... I'm doing mine point to point on some perf board I expect... not that difficult, but time consuming.

IF ur interested email me privately - I expect to have a few extra filters available right off the bat no matter what else gets done. (just AM filters, not switching)

Anyone who is moderately curious or interested please email me even if you post here as well.

Thanks,

_-_-bear WBear2GCR