[CQ-Contest] Kenwood TS-590S Contesting performance question

[rin JG1VGX]

Here is my two yens worth about filters.

The 590 has roofing filters among which the narrowest one (down to
2.7KHz or 500Hz) is automagically selected according to your IF
bandwidth setting. The proIII only has a 15kHz roofing filter.

For DSP IF filters, yes the 590 has only two filter 'memory' slots not
like three in ICOMs but you can tailor them using HI/LO/SHIFT/WIDTH
pots very effectively.

After using the 590, I felt ICOM's filter controls are rather
redundant. I only needed those shaping pots not the button that cycles
between 3.0/2.4/1.8 kHz. Why use 3.0kHz in contests?
In SSB, 1.8kHz is useful, but you don't have to narrow the bandwidth
from both ends. Usually only LO cut works. If you HI cut the same
amount, the readability will suffer. If interfering signal comes from
the higher end, nothing works, perhaps. That's the time you want to
change the run freq, or even shout at them to go away ;)

My complaint is that 590's IF bandwidth control has only 100Hz steps.
I want 50 or 25Hz steps.

ICOM 7600/7700/7800 has 3/6/15kHz roofing filters which you have to
select MANUALLY. I wonder why use a broader filter when narrower ones
available? So I set everything to 3kHz.

I have no experience with the K3.

73 rin JG1VGX

Disclosure: One of my acquaintances works for Kenwood.


On Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 8:56 AM, Mike Fatchett W0MU <w0mu at w0mu.com> wrote:
>  From what I understand the 590 operates in a similar fashion to the
> K3.  Buy a K3 if you can afford it.  If not the 590 seems to be a good
> rig.  The question is will it allow you to hear or work stations that
> you otherwise could not?   Is the filtering better to remove qrm/qrn
> etc.  I don't believe there are any filter options for the 590 which I
> think was a mistake.  My K3 run rig has 200, 400, 1000 1.8 and 2.8
> filters.  The 2nd receiver has a 2.8 and 400.  My 2nd radio K3 has just
> the 2.7 and 400hz filters.
>
> J6/W0MU November 21 - December 1 2011 CQ WW DX CW
> W0MU-1 CC Cluster w0mu.net
>
>
> On 9/26/2011 3:18 PM, BRYON PAUL n0ah VEAL wrote:
>> I have heard from a few contesters that the RX performance of the TS-590S is excellent for the money, and very comparable to radios in a higher $$$ class.  We have an Icom Pro IIII.  For low band CW DX and contesting, does anyone have an opinion which of these two different radios are better performers?  Especially for 80/160M.  Feel free to reply to n0ah at arrl.net.
>>
>> 73-
>>
>> Bryon "Paul" Veal  MAED
>> FCC Amateur Radio License-N0AH
>> n0ah at arrl.net
>> Certified ARRL Volunteer Wireless Technology Instructor
>> Acres Green Elementary School Amateur Radio Club Trustee - KD0NIV
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
73 de rin JG1VGX