The Kenwood TS-890S is a flagship HF/50MHz transceiver designed to meet the demands of serious amateur radio operators and contesters. Renowned for its exceptional performance, advanced features, and rugged construction, the TS-890S represents the pinnacle of Kenwood's HF transceiver lineup, offering unparalleled capabilities for long-distance communication, DXing, and contesting.
At the heart of the TS-890S is its advanced triple conversion receiver architecture, which delivers superior sensitivity, selectivity, and dynamic range across the HF and 50MHz bands. The receiver features a high-performance roofing filter and a down-conversion IF stage, ensuring excellent performance even in the presence of strong nearby signals or challenging RF environments. With a wide range of filtering options, including adjustable DSP filtering and IF shift, users can tailor the receiver's characteristics to their specific operating preferences, minimizing interference and enhancing signal clarity.
The TS-890S boasts a powerful transmitter capable of delivering up to 200 watts of RF output power on HF and 6 meters, ensuring reliable communication over long distances. The transmitter features a robust final amplifier stage, precision DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) oscillator, and low-noise synthesizer, resulting in clean and stable RF output across the entire frequency range. With its adjustable speech processor, RF speech clipper, and microphone equalizer, the TS-890S allows users to optimize audio quality and maximize signal punch, making their transmissions stand out in crowded band conditions.
One of the standout features of the TS-890S is its large, high-resolution color touchscreen display, which provides users with intuitive access to a wide range of functions and settings. The touchscreen interface allows for easy navigation of menus, adjustment of parameters, and selection of operating modes, making operation of the transceiver straightforward and efficient. Additionally, the TS-890S supports external display connectivity, allowing users to connect an external monitor for expanded display capabilities and multi-view operation.
In addition to its exceptional performance and advanced features, the TS-890S offers a wealth of convenience features to enhance the operating experience. These include built-in automatic antenna tuner (ATU), USB connectivity for remote control and data transfer, Ethernet connectivity for LAN remote operation, and SD card slot for recording and playback of audio signals. The transceiver also supports multiple digital mode capabilities, including RTTY, PSK31, and CW, allowing users to explore a variety of operating modes and digital communication techniques.
Despite its advanced capabilities, the TS-890S maintains a user-friendly design with an emphasis on intuitive operation and ergonomic controls. Its large knobs, buttons, and dials provide tactile feedback and allow for precise adjustment of settings, even in low-light conditions or while wearing gloves. With its rugged construction and attention to detail, the TS-890S is built to withstand the demands of continuous operation in the most challenging environments, making it a reliable companion for amateur radio enthusiasts seeking the ultimate HF transceiver experience.
Strengths:
Exceptional Receiver Performance: The Kenwood TS-890S boasts superior receiver performance with triple conversion technology and a high-performance roofing filter. This design ensures excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and dynamic range, allowing operators to receive weak signals even in crowded band conditions.
Powerful Transmitter: With up to 200 watts of RF output power on HF and 6 meters, the TS-890S delivers reliable communication over long distances. Its robust final amplifier stage and precision DDS oscillator ensure clean and stable RF output across the entire frequency range, making it ideal for DXing and contesting.
Advanced Features and Connectivity: The TS-890S features a large, high-resolution color touchscreen display, providing intuitive access to a wide range of functions and settings. It supports USB and Ethernet connectivity for remote control and data transfer, as well as an SD card slot for recording and playback of audio signals. Additionally, the transceiver supports multiple digital mode capabilities, including RTTY, PSK31, and CW.
Weaknesses:
Premium Price: The Kenwood TS-890S comes with a premium price tag compared to other HF transceivers in its class. Its high cost of acquisition may be a deterrent for budget-conscious operators, especially those who do not require its advanced features or high power output.
Complex Operation: While the TS-890S offers advanced features and capabilities, its operation may be complex for novice operators or those unfamiliar with its menu structure and functions. Navigating through menus and adjusting settings on the touchscreen display may require a learning curve, especially in fast-paced operating environments.
Limited Availability: Due to its high demand and specialized nature, the Kenwood TS-890S may have limited availability in some regions or markets. Operators may experience difficulty obtaining the transceiver or encounter longer lead times for delivery, particularly during periods of high demand or production constraints.
Here are the specifications of the Kenwood TS-890S HF/50MHz Transceiver:
Frequency Coverage:
- Receive: 0.030-74.800 MHz (guaranteed range)
- Transmit: 1.800-1.999, 3.500-3.999, 5.255-5.405, 7.000-7.300, 10.100-10.150, 14.000-14.350, 18.068-18.168, 21.000-21.450, 24.890-24.990, 28.000-29.700 MHz (amateur bands only)
- 50 MHz Band: 50-54 MHz
Mode: USB, LSB, CW, RTTY, PSK31/63, AM, FM
Frequency Stability: Less than ±0.1 ppm (0°C to 50°C)
Operating Temperature Range: 0°C to +50°C (+32°F to +122°F)
Power Supply Requirement: DC 13.8V ±15%
Current Drain (at 13.8V DC):
- Transmit (HF/50MHz): 24A (maximum)
- Receive (HF/50MHz): 3A (maximum)
Antenna Impedance: 50 ohms (unbalanced)
Dimensions (W x H x D): 424 × 134 × 342 mm (16.69 × 5.28 × 13.46 inches) including projections
Weight: Approximately 21.5 kg (47.4 lbs)
Transmitter:
- Output Power: 2-100W (HF/50MHz), adjustable in 1W steps
- Modulation System: SSB: Balanced modulation, AM: Low level modulation, FM: Variable reactance modulation, Digital modes: PSK31/63: Digital phase modulation, RTTY: Digital frequency shift keying
Receiver:
- Receiver System: Triple conversion superheterodyne
- Sensitivity (HF/50MHz):
- SSB/CW/RTTY: 0.1 μV (1.8-29.999 MHz, preamp on)
- AM: 13 μV (1.8-29.999 MHz, preamp on)
- Selectivity:
- SSB/CW/RTTY: More than 2.0 kHz/–6 dB, Less than 4.5 kHz/–60 dB
- AM: More than 6.0 kHz/–6 dB, Less than 15 kHz/–60 dB
Supplied Accessories:
- Hand microphone (MC-43S)
- DC power cable
- Spare fuse
- Spare fuse holder
- ACC cable
- Mounting bracket kit
These specifications highlight the TS-890S's wide frequency coverage, multiple operating modes, high-power output, and advanced receiver system, making it an ideal choice for amateur radio operators seeking top-tier performance in HF communication.