ARLA/CLUSTER: Kenwood TS-590

[João Gonçalves Costa]

[http://www.radiocronache.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/TS-590_Display.jpg]

Executive Summary. Its the best all round performance orientated HF radio available on the market at an affordable price.

First let me say that I approach reviews from 2 angles. The first angle is the ultimate raw performance and the 2nd is how much fun the radio is to use.

This second angle of how you like the radios ergonomics and its general appeal. The other important aspect of how well laid out the controls are, are just as important as the ultimate receiver performance. In a general purpose station radio you should ideally have all these aspects correct. In this regard the TS590S is a winner.

I own many radios. The 3 that are on my main operating desk are the K3, FT5000 and IC7700. Sold recently were the Orion2 and Icom7800.

The performance angle.

There is doubt that Kenwood has delivered a wonderful high performance radio. On the bands where contest receiver performance counts it gets a 5/5. I could not detect a single of case IMD dynamic range problems on a band like 40 meters using a big 3 element Yagi. Yet on the IC7700 these problems could be detected and the receiver
was bordering on collapsing. The TS590s has excellent filters and the roofing filters are better than the Icom 7700(Doooh) and so close to the K3 that it hardly matters. The K3's narrow roofing filters of 1.8khz and lower are impressive. For most operators the difference would not matter. For economy of performance the TS590S is a real winner and a bargain. You would be hard pressed to justify a radio like a IC7700 and IC7800 which basically only has 200 watts and a bandscope with a less than impressive receiver performance when compared to the TS590s operating in the down conversion mode. Up conversion radios will never beat down conversion radios any time soon!

The TS590S and FT5000.

The TS590S has better image rejection performance than the FT5000 and sounds just as good. There was not a single time on the air where my new FT5000 could embarrass the TS590S. They both sound just as good.

The FT5000 is a radio with a superb transmitter that has the best processed audio that I have encountered. The transmitter with its 200 watt PA has world class PA performance with the best available TX IMD performance. If you want to run a clean signal the YAesu FT5000 is a winner in this area of TX IMD.

The TS590S in the 160meter CW contest was a winner and I had no trouble switching from the FT5000 and the TS590S running stations. Never once did I lament that I wished that the TS590S has this or that control or feature. It is a professional radio in a small box that gets the job done. It does have that annoying birdie on 160meters!

The TS590S and the K3.

Well the TS590s has much better ergonomics and construction. It also has a much better sounding receiver than the K3. The K3 has a noisy receiver in comparison to the TS590S. The TS590S also has less INBAND RX IMD so sounds much better and warmer. Ergonomics on the K3 stinks and having dedicated marked band and mode switches makes the
TS590S a real winner. Tuning around the bands or bandhopping was a joy and so easy on the TS590S, something that turns into mental gymnastics with the the K3!

I also found the Kenwood’s noise blankers able to deal with a broader range of typical noise better than the K3. The K3's blankers both analog and digital seem to need a very specific noise signature for them to work. On the most effective settings they always introduce distortion. You can use the TS590S noise blanker on moderate
settings without excessive distortion. I could for example blank an electric fence and leave the blanker engaged on the TS590s without problems. On the K3 strong signals even when lightly set caused distortion.

The K3 does have features that the TS590S does not have and is an incredible bargain for features and performance. The TS590S has better transmitter IMD performance than the K3 however the TS590S does generate ALC splatter. This problem seems to be a design problem in every Japanese radio; even my IC7700 and IC7800 had ALC
overshoot issues. If you run a modern tetrode amplifier like a ACOM2000 do not be surprised if you are told that you are splattering because you probably are. This ALC overshoot so common on many JA causes a lot of splatter with tetrode amps. You need to very carefully monitor the TS590s ALC, no ALC action is better! The K3 despite its poor TX IMD has a properly designed ALC that does not cause splatter problems on TX.


The K3's receiver when compared to the TS590S is very weak in none dynamic range areas. The amount of birdies in the K3 that can be noticed is very high. Birdies on the K3's receiver especially on the high bands and the warc bands are terrible. It’s almost like Elecraft have parked all the birdies on the WARC bands. 12 meters on the K3 is full of birdies. The TS590S has the advantage here because of the up conversion process on the higher bands where ultimate performance hardly matters.

The real surprise for me was this. I have a nearby CB operator who runs illegal power that splatters right into meters with his Class C amplifier. I thought the K3 with its tight bandpass filters would be the winner, NO! The TS590S for whatever reason seems to reject this out of band CB splatter much better. I have no explanation for this. However I am happy. There seems to be something in the K3s receiver that makes it more susceptible to the CB 27 MHz transmissions.

The TS590S has a soft warmer sounding receiver that does not sound so harsh on RX like the K3. The TS590S sounds like the Icom 7700/7800 Radios soft and warm. Don’t know what it is about the K3 that makes its sounds like someone is hack sawing off your right ear while receiving. This is especially so when the bands have static on them.

The TS590S in up conversion is a great general purpose shortwave receiver when tuning around.

TS590S is a winner in terms of raw performance and value for money.

Many hams probably have old legendary Kenwood radios like the TS430S, TS440s and TS450s. Millions of these general purpose radios were sold. If you have these radios and are considering the TS590S, it would be the perfect radio for you. Despite these old Kenwood’s legendary performance and reliability, they are like old antiques compared to a Ferrari. The TS590S is a Ferrari like performing radio that comes at a bargain price. The TS590S is not your grandfather’s radio! So if you want to clean your shack of all the failing rubbish with no parts availability get the TS590S. You cannot buy at this moment such a high performance radio for the price. Heck even the expensive IC7700 and IC7800 have crap receiver performance numbers when you compare it to the TS590S. These two expensive Icoms don’t even have a better transmitter performance their IMD performance is so average and equal to the TS590S and no better! For the price you pay for the Icoms you would expect better performance, yes?

The ergonomics of the TS590S are very good for such a compact radio. The 3 things that ham does when hamming, spin the VFO knob, use the mode switch, work split and use the band switch to change bands. You do this millions of times. If a radio can’t do these basic things well and without thinking you don’t have much of a radio.

The TS590S is a winner in this regard. Its ergonomics are fine and does the basics fine without causing heartburn or needing to pull a manual out. The K3 by comparison is an ergonomic disaster. The tuning on the shortwave bands messes up your ham band tuning, you can’t do band splits on VFOA VFOB. I always like having VFOB on a different band and switching quickly between bands. Cant do this on the K3. You can on all the old great Kenwood radios and most other brands you can do this, not on the K3. The K3 is an
ergonomic mess when tuning and band jumping. Having to cycle through every band or mode is a PITA!!! Yeah sure there are shortcuts on the K3, well I don’t want to use shortcuts I want to use dedicated controls that are clearly labeled on the panel. Same goes for split the TS590S is a winner. The K3 is awful awkward radio to use on
split. Even using an old IC735 you can work split in more efficient manner than the K3. Oh, did I mention proper bandstacking registers, Kenwood worked this out decades ago not other manufacturers!

TS590s is nicely balanced well thought out radio that does not give you heartburn or make you feel like you need a radio with more knobs like you feel when using the K3. The K3 gives me heartburn every time I use it its so frustrating how poorly laid out the front panel is, and how poor the general ergonomics are. This is not to say that the TS590S is the worlds best ergonomic radio, it’s just a whole lot better than the K3. I can drop you in front of a TS590S and you will be using it without using the manual. Try that with a K3!

TS590S winner in general ergonomics!

I use a lot of wire antennas with balanced tuners at a portable holiday location with a small amplifier. I used to use the K3 for this with a huge balanced antenna tuner. If I used my K3 with tuner on the shelf above it bringing the balanced and end fed wires into the tuner the K3 would have a huge spasm and freeze up. I had to constantly pull the power and do a reset. The K3 would also drive the amplifier very badly with RF coming off the feeders. I basically had to stop using open wire antennas and high power with my K3; it was sensitive to RF on TX and lacked RF immunity.

Fast.... Forward...... others radios including the IC7700 and TS590S. Wellll ermmm the Ft5000 was OK; The IC7700 threw a fit and died on 2 occasions. Icom was not sure if it was "RF or Static" and tried blaming me because their radio design was so terrible and sensitive because the radio blew up because of RF indigestion. OMG can you believe that a radio dying because of static and RF!!! OMG hams get rid of your RF it will hurt the radio, static too!! Needless to say the Icoms cost me close to another TS590S in repair bill costs! Anyway the TS590S plugged right in and worked flawlessly. 1kw into the balanced coupler above the radio, full pep, no drive issues and the radios not freaking out.

Well what more can I say and think. WOW I did not need ferrite, call in a RF ground expert or get rid of my antique electric wire aerials, or hear excuses of why a radio cant cope with Rf floating around, AMAZING. Wonder why a TS590S can handle this situation and other radios can’t? I must just hate those other brands eh? Unfortunately not, look inside the K3 and compare it to the construction of the TS590S. Look particular at the shielding around the electronics and look at how the PA is constructed. You ham right? And you know about shielding and bypassing? Why is this missing in such expensive radios that are supposed to be the best? Why cant a Icom IC7700 handle RF and static fields? ask Icom that question. TS590S is winner in not being RF sensitive and well constructed and shielded.

Just to be sure I parked a SGC230 on top of the TS590s plugged in a random bit of wire ran off a short ground current return and tuned on all bands, click, clack buzz prrrr worked perfectly and no rf in the audio, even got a RF bite and the radio did not blow up or go berserk. Cant do this on the K3, and well on the Icom IC7700 I did not want to try this with this expensive radio and blow it up a 3rd time! One repair and shipping bill for a Icom 7700 will make you lock it it up in vault for life with your grandfathers war medals and gold watches!

When I got the second receiver into the K3 the birdies drove me nuts. Elecraft support suggested moving cables a bit here and there to move and try and reduce the level of the birdies, say what! Is RF shielding still a patented process or what? The K3's second receiver causes birdies no wonder it cant handle the RF off open
wire feeders! I am impressed with the TS590S general RF immunity, its well designed.

TS590S Extras features such as Skycommand, REMOTE HF and voice announcement are all enjoyable bonuses.

What I don’t like on the TS590S.

The receiver seems too sensitive to pulses like electric fence noise and every electric device that switches on and off in your house. It causes clicks as it should.

The K3’s feature of allowing the AGC to reject these pulses is great. In fact the K3 is only radio which I don’t have to use a noise blanker on all the time to reject electric fence pulses. The IComs and Yaesu also have this problem. The K3 is winner in this area.

The TS590S has a 12 volt PA with less than spectacular high order TX IMD suppression. Why Kenwood did not use high voltage FETS is beyond me. Such a high performance radio like the TS590S needs a PA with less TX IMD not a CB radio PA like in most rigs. Its 2 tone IMD numbers are better than the K3 however the TS590S ALC overshoot problem causes IMD and splatter. The Japanese manufacturers need to clean up their act in this area and the TS590S is poor in this area which is a shame.

No IF output for a bandscope. These days this is a must, why Kenwood crippled the radio by not providing this is a big question.

TXCO should not be an option these days. If the radio had the TXCO and IF output it would have been a complete radio.

The S-meter is not calibrated and is the usual flickering guess meter worth nothing! K3 is a winner in this area.


The TS590S is a great all round radio that packs performance and features. A lot of thought and features have been put into this radio, this combined with its excellent ergonomics and constructions make it a best buy bargain in ham radios at the moment. Its key attribute is its performance at a bargain price that can’t really
be matched by other brands. I give it 5/5 despite it only deserving a 4/5 because it’s less than impressive TX IMD performance.

The K3 is a perfect comparison with which to compare the TS590S with. If I wanted the ultimate big box radio that delivers K3 performance, I would select the FT5000 Which is my main contesting radio. The TS590S sits on top of the FT5000 and is almost an equal. If Elecraft ever produced a K4 with better ergonomics and front panel I might look at it again as my main station radio. For the moment between the FT5000 and TS590S I have everything that I need without question. I just can’t get into the K3 because of all the issues that I have with its ergonomics. I turn it on now and then to check the performance of other radios. Since I have the TS590S I hardly use my K3! The K3 is a mission specialist radio that you will either love or hate, I mostly hate its ergonomics. It does pack features and performance thats hard too equal. Since the TS590S has come along, the K3 is only a nose in front, you would feel like a happy loser with a TS590S in front of you because they so close.

If Yaesu produced a version of the TS590S that is laid out like a FT950 and had equal or better performance it would be runaway success. I am generally not a fan of small radios. I would like to see Kenwood producing radios like the old TS930S and TS940S. These radios had good receivers, good layout, well designed PA's and built in power supplies. The FT950 is reminder of these radios, but unfortunately the FT950's performance sucks. Anyway more dreams!

TS590S is a small radio performance wonder box that would please the most fastidious HF radio user,,, go get it you wont be disappointed! Thanks Kenwood for a great radio.


--
António Matias

CT1FFU - CR5A

www.dxpatrol.com<http://www.dxpatrol.com>

QRV: HF, 6m, 4m,2m,70cm,23cm
SSB, CW, MGM
DX, EME, Contest,Sat.

Fonte: ct-comunicacoes-e-tecnologias  googlegroups.com<mailto:ct-comunicacoes-e-tecnologias  googlegroups.com> Em nome de Antonio Matias

-------------- próxima parte ----------
Um anexo em HTML foi limpo...
URL: http://radio-amador.net/pipermail/cluster/attachments/20110221/6b3b9bd4/attachment.htm