Kenwood TS-600 LED Panel Lights

A 6 meter transceiver from the 1970s with every panel light burned out, relit with LEDs in an afternoon.

A black Kenwood TS-600 6 meter all mode transceiver on a wire shelf with its meter, main dial and two small band windows lit up, below a red N7WDZ call sign plaque — The TS-600 with all of its new LEDs installed

The Kenwood TS-600 is a 6 meter all mode transceiver that was made in the 70's. The panel lights are all incandescent, and on mine they were all burned out. In the winter of 2025 I spent an afternoon replacing them with LEDs.

4 LEDsin place of the old bulbs

Whiteall of them

12 Vrated, like the bulbs

1970swhen the radio was made

1. Before

These two short videos show the radio before the work. It powers up and runs, but the meter and the dials stay dark.

2. The new LEDs

All of the LEDs are white and 12 volt rated, and all of them came pre-wired with resistors:

A bayonet type LED for the main dial
A 10 mm LED for the meter
Two 5 mm LEDs for the BAND and FIX CH dials

New LEDs laid out on a cutting mat next to the old bulbs they replace: a bayonet LED beside a bayonet bulb, a large round LED on wires beside a frosted bulb, and two small LEDs on wires beside a tiny bulb and pieces of broken glass — The new LEDs next to the original bulbs

3. The main dial

The main dial uses a bulb with a bayonet base, so it twists out of its socket and the LED twists in.

A small clear incandescent bulb with a metal bayonet base lying on lined paper — The original bayonet bulb from the main dial

The inside of the radio seen from above, with a bright white LED shining in the opening behind the main dial — The new LED lit behind the main dial, before adding the diffuser

4. The meter

The meter bulb is different. Its wires are soldered right to the bulb, and it sits in a rubber holder. It is interesting that Kenwood would use a soldered bulb for the meter but a bayonet bulb for the VFO dial.

A frosted bulb pulled out of a cream-colored rubber holder inside the radio, hanging on two thin white wires — The original meter bulb, out of its holder

A close view of the frosted meter bulb with its two wire leads soldered straight onto its metal base — Its wires are soldered right to the bulb

The 10 mm LED went into the original holder, and its wires were then connected to power.

A large clear LED fitted into the cream-colored rubber bulb holder, with a black and a white wire, lying on the bench next to wire strippers and a brass clip — The 10 mm LED fitted into the original holder

The radio upside down on the bench with its covers off, showing circuit boards and bundles of colored wire, and a long black and white wire pair hanging out the front waiting to be connected — The meter LED installed, with its wires waiting to be connected to power

5. Lit up again

What's interesting is that the CAL and P. DOWN lights are red LEDs from the factory. I guess back in the 70's LED technology wasn't quite all there yet for panel back lighting.

A close view of the radio's frequency dial glowing green behind its window, with two small red lights above it marked CAL and P. DOWN — The main dial lit again. The red CAL and P. DOWN lights are the factory LEDs

Parts

1 white 12 volt LED with a bayonet base, for the main dial
1 white 12 volt 10 mm LED with wire leads, for the meter
2 white 12 volt 5 mm LEDs with wire leads, for the BAND and FIX CH dials