New Kenwood TS0-590
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I finally got a chance to see the new Kenwood rig at HRO in Portland
last Saturday. Didn't get to play with it for very long as there were too many others who wanted to play with it too. Anyway, it seems like a nice radio--sounded good--looks good--but still missing lots of things we get with a K3. It does seem like an obvious attempt to compete somewhat with the K3, but it's NOT a true contender for a lot of reasons. The ergonomics were fairly good, and unlike Yaesu, for example, they don't bury everything deep in a menu system. But you still have to push buttons a few extra times. For example, setting power level and keyer speed takes a couple of extra pushes of buttons vs. the K3. Like I said above, I didn't really get to play with it very long, but I'm certain you would be giving up a lot if you opted for this vs. a K3. The folks at Pacificon probably got a better chance to look at the new Kenwood. At least it shows that Kenwood is still in the amateur radio business, which I think is a good thing. Dave W7AQK ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. I met him in Aug
2010 in Tokyo. cheers, Johnny VR2XMC ________________________________ 寄件人﹕ "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]> 收件人﹕ [hidden email] 傳送日期﹕ 2010/10/18 (一) 10:05:40 PM 主題： [Elecraft] New Kenwood TS0-590 I finally got a chance to see the new Kenwood rig at HRO in Portland last Saturday. Didn't get to play with it for very long as there were too many others who wanted to play with it too. Anyway, it seems like a nice radio--sounded good--looks good--but still missing lots of things we get with a K3. It does seem like an obvious attempt to compete somewhat with the K3, but it's NOT a true contender for a lot of reasons. The ergonomics were fairly good, and unlike Yaesu, for example, they don't bury everything deep in a menu system. But you still have to push buttons a few extra times. For example, setting power level and keyer speed takes a couple of extra pushes of buttons vs. the K3. Like I said above, I didn't really get to play with it very long, but I'm certain you would be giving up a lot if you opted for this vs. a K3. The folks at Pacificon probably got a better chance to look at the new Kenwood. At least it shows that Kenwood is still in the amateur radio business, which I think is a good thing. Dave W7AQK ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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On Oct 18, 2010, at 10:11 AM, Johnny Siu wrote: > Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. I met him in Aug > 2010 in Tokyo. I sure hope so! A good radio designer should be very aware of what the state-of-the-art is.... Bud, W2RU ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: Re： New Kenwood TS0-590
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In reply to this post by Johnny Siu
> Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. He sure made some very questionable choices if he had a K3 to copy from! The TS-590 only uses the down conversion/roofing filter system on the 160, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 15 meter amateur bands! Outside those bands and above 21 MHz it is a conventional up conversion design. Why he chose to do what amounts to a complete second receiver from the antenna to the 24 KHz DSP last IF/demodulator is complete mystery. For essentially the same parts cost he could have included a second, lower performance receiver like the FT-5000. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 10/18/2010 10:11 AM, Johnny Siu wrote: > Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. I met him in Aug > 2010 in Tokyo. > > cheers, > > Johnny VR2XMC > > > > > ________________________________ > 寄件人﹕ "[hidden email]"<[hidden email]> > 收件人﹕ [hidden email] > 傳送日期﹕ 2010/10/18 (一) 10:05:40 PM > 主題： [Elecraft] New Kenwood TS0-590 > > I finally got a chance to see the new Kenwood rig at HRO in Portland > last Saturday. Didn't get to play with it for very long as there were > too many others who wanted to play with it too. Anyway, it seems like a > nice radio--sounded good--looks good--but still missing lots of things > we get with a K3. It does seem like an obvious attempt to compete > somewhat with the K3, but it's NOT a true contender for a lot of > reasons. > > The ergonomics were fairly good, and unlike Yaesu, for example, they > don't bury everything deep in a menu system. But you still have to push > buttons a few extra times. For example, setting power level and keyer > speed takes a couple of extra pushes of buttons vs. the K3. Like I said > above, I didn't really get to play with it very long, but I'm certain > you would be giving up a lot if you opted for this vs. a K3. > > The folks at Pacificon probably got a better chance to look at the new > Kenwood. At least it shows that Kenwood is still in the amateur radio > business, which I think is a good thing. > > Dave W7AQK > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:52 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV <[hidden email]> wrote:
> > > Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. > > He sure made some very questionable choices if he had a K3 to > copy from! > > The TS-590 only uses the down conversion/roofing filter system > on the 160, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 15 meter amateur bands! Outside > those bands and above 21 MHz it is a conventional up conversion > design. Why he chose to do what amounts to a complete second > receiver from the antenna to the 24 KHz DSP last IF/demodulator > is complete mystery. For essentially the same parts cost he > could have included a second, lower performance receiver like > the FT-5000. > > 73, > > ... Joe, W4TV > > > On 10/18/2010 10:11 AM, Johnny Siu wrote: >> Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. I met him in Aug >> 2010 in Tokyo. >> >> cheers, >> >> Johnny VR2XMC >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> 寄件人﹕ "[hidden email]"<[hidden email]> >> 收件人﹕ [hidden email] >> 傳送日期﹕ 2010/10/18 (一) 10:05:40 PM >> 主題： [Elecraft] New Kenwood TS0-590 >> >> I finally got a chance to see the new Kenwood rig at HRO in Portland >> last Saturday. Didn't get to play with it for very long as there were >> too many others who wanted to play with it too. Anyway, it seems like a >> nice radio--sounded good--looks good--but still missing lots of things >> we get with a K3. It does seem like an obvious attempt to compete >> somewhat with the K3, but it's NOT a true contender for a lot of >> reasons. >> >> The ergonomics were fairly good, and unlike Yaesu, for example, they >> don't bury everything deep in a menu system. But you still have to push >> buttons a few extra times. For example, setting power level and keyer >> speed takes a couple of extra pushes of buttons vs. the K3. Like I said >> above, I didn't really get to play with it very long, but I'm certain >> you would be giving up a lot if you opted for this vs. a K3. >> >> The folks at Pacificon probably got a better chance to look at the new >> Kenwood. At least it shows that Kenwood is still in the amateur radio >> business, which I think is a good thing. >> >> Dave W7AQK >> >> >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: Re： New Kenwood TS0-590
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Looks like I missed a few other "tricks" (not treats) in the TS-590. I refer the reader to Kenwood's own brochure for the TS-590 at: <http://www.kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File/UnitedStates/Communications/AMA/Brochures/TS-590.pdf> and their ad on the rear cover of QST for November 2010. The brochure and the manual are at odds about "down-conversion" on 60 meters. The manual (Specifications, pg 82) says the 5 MHz band uses down-conversion, the brochure (pg 3) omits 60 Meters in the list of bands that use down-conversion. Both sources and the ad are clear that down-conversion is not used when the receive bandwidth is more than 2.7 KHz (can you say ESSB), in AM or FM. Instead the rig switches to the "conventional" up-convert to VHF system. The brochure also makes another strange claim ... the TS-590 uses a "bare" DDS to drive the down-conversion mixer (pg 3) and claims that architecture is "cleaner" with less reciprocal mixing than a conventional PLL/VCO synthesizer. The brochure shows a picture of an Analog Devices AD9951 DDS ... I haven't checked recently but last I heard the Analog Devices and similar DDS products had some serious close-in spurs which resulted in poor wideband SFDR and *MORE* reciprocal mixing than a well designed PLL/VCO synthesizer, not less. Taken with the lack of a sub-receiver, no input for a separate receive antenna, no wideband IF for a panadapter, a 12V power amplifier, etc. the TS-590 is looking more and more like a warmed over TS-2000 with a "gimmicky" (partial) amateur bands only front end and not the serious, higher performance transceiver it was made out to be. When the serious testing begins, I hope independent engineers like Rob Sherwood, Peter Hart and the ARRL Labs will compare performance on 20 vs. 17 meters and check other issues like reciprocal mixing and IMDDR3 for *both* "front ends." 73, ... Joe, W4TV > On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 10:52 AM, Joe Subich, W4TV<[hidden email]> wrote: >> >> > Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. >> >> He sure made some very questionable choices if he had a K3 to >> copy from! >> >> The TS-590 only uses the down conversion/roofing filter system >> on the 160, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 15 meter amateur bands! Outside >> those bands and above 21 MHz it is a conventional up conversion >> design. Why he chose to do what amounts to a complete second >> receiver from the antenna to the 24 KHz DSP last IF/demodulator >> is complete mystery. For essentially the same parts cost he >> could have included a second, lower performance receiver like >> the FT-5000. >> >> 73, >> >> ... Joe, W4TV >> >> >> On 10/18/2010 10:11 AM, Johnny Siu wrote: >>> Believe me or not. The designer of TS590 also a K3 owner. I met him in Aug >>> 2010 in Tokyo. >>> >>> cheers, >>> >>> Johnny VR2XMC >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ________________________________ >>> 寄件人﹕ "[hidden email]"<[hidden email]> >>> 收件人﹕ [hidden email] >>> 傳送日期﹕ 2010/10/18 (一) 10:05:40 PM >>> 主題： [Elecraft] New Kenwood TS0-590 >>> >>> I finally got a chance to see the new Kenwood rig at HRO in Portland >>> last Saturday. Didn't get to play with it for very long as there were >>> too many others who wanted to play with it too. Anyway, it seems like a >>> nice radio--sounded good--looks good--but still missing lots of things >>> we get with a K3. It does seem like an obvious attempt to compete >>> somewhat with the K3, but it's NOT a true contender for a lot of >>> reasons. >>> >>> The ergonomics were fairly good, and unlike Yaesu, for example, they >>> don't bury everything deep in a menu system. But you still have to push >>> buttons a few extra times. For example, setting power level and keyer >>> speed takes a couple of extra pushes of buttons vs. the K3. Like I said >>> above, I didn't really get to play with it very long, but I'm certain >>> you would be giving up a lot if you opted for this vs. a K3. >>> >>> The folks at Pacificon probably got a better chance to look at the new >>> Kenwood. At least it shows that Kenwood is still in the amateur radio >>> business, which I think is a good thing. >>> >>> Dave W7AQK >>> ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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I'm also underwhelmed by the TS-590 but the TS-590 does have a clearly labeled rx ant on the rear panel. 73, Barry N1EU |
Re: Re： New Kenwood TS0-590
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> the TS-590 does have a clearly labeled rx ant on the rear panel. My mistake. What it lacks is a complete RX Ant loop and the ability to insert RX bandpass filters or a RX antenna switch and preamp like the KD9SV unit: http://www.radio-ware.com/products/svdx.htm In addition, like every Kenwood transceiver the TS-590 fails to provide band data for automatic antenna/amplifier band switching. 73, ... Joe, W4TV On 10/19/2010 7:43 AM, Barry N1EU wrote: > > > Joe Subich, W4TV-4 wrote: >> >> >> Taken with the lack of a sub-receiver, no input for a separate >> receive antenna, . . . >> > I'm also underwhelmed by the TS-590 but the TS-590 does have a clearly > labeled rx ant on the rear panel. > > 73, Barry N1EU Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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