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Kenwood TS-590S HF and 6 Meter Transceiver

1. May 2011 45 PRODUCT REVIEW Mark J Wilson K1RO Product Review Editor k1ro arrl org Key Measurements Summary Bottom Line Reviewed by H Ward Silver N AX QST Contributing Editor The ads looked attractive top class per formance at a middle shelf price so when asked about doing a review of the new Ken wood TS 590S transceiver I enthusiastically accepted I m not really in the market for one of the battlewagon radios but I need a high quality receiver with DSP filtering a good selection of the most useful operating features ease of interfacing to PCs and accessories and construction that will stand up to portable and mobile operating At first glance the TS 590 s specifications met those requirements This review covers the salient characteristics of the radio with additional features summarized in Table 1 Performance measurements made by the ARRL Lab are shown in Table 2 First Impressions The radio is surprisingly compact less than one foot across and deep and about four inches high suitable for even small home stations and mobile operation You can add it to your existing gear without overloading the shelves or desk At 16 pounds it is easy to pick up and carry to the car to Field Day or to an airplane s overhead bin as carry on luggage for an expedition The 13 8 V radio can run from a switchmode power supply weighing less than 5 pounds leaving p
2. 31 dBm 132 dBm 101 dB 20 dBm 18 dBm 97 dBm 22 dBm 0 dBm 44 dBm 22 dBm 10 MHz On 20 kHz 39 dBm 139 dBm 100 dB 19 dBm 20 dBm 97 dBm 19 dBm 10 MHz Off 5 kHz 45 dBm 132 dBm 87 dB 1 dBm 28 dBm 97 dBm 7 dBm 0 dBm 14 dBm 7 dBm 10 MHz Off 2 kHz 50 dBm 132 dBm 82 dB 9 dBm 31 dBm 97 dBm 2 dBm 0 dBm 12 dBm 6 dBm 14 MHz Off 20 kHz 25 dBm 131 dBm 106 dB 28 dBm 15 dBm 97 dBm 26 dBm 0 dBm 56 dBm 28 dBm 14 MHz On 20 kHz 36 dBm 139 dBm 103 dB 16 dBm 23 dBm 97 dBm 14 dBm 14 MHz Off 5 kHz 25 dBm 131 dBm 106 dB 28 dBm 15 dBm 97 dBm 26 dBm 0 dBm 56 dBm 28 dBm many hundreds of dollars on RF functions and then use cheap audio input and output gear Similarly I got reports of excellent and natural audio on both the Kenwood hand microphone and the boom mics Switching to the contest element for the Heil microphone resulted in reports of more punch to the audio Audio equalizer functions are available for both receive and transmit Most of the front panel labels follow common standards or are sufficiently literal as to be obvious Although the TS 590 is relatively compact the controls are easy to use and reasonably grouped I could easily use the radio either right or left handed and didn t find myself making unintended changes fr
3. 1 MHz 132 dBm 139 dBm 14 MHz 131 dBm 139 dBm 28 MHz 133 dBm 143 dBm 50 MHz 130 dBm 143 dBm Noise figure Not specified 14 MHz preamp off on 16 8 dB 50 MHz preamp off on 17 4 dB AM sensitivity 10 dB S N N 10 dB S N N 1 kHz 30 modulation 0 13 0 522 MHz lt 6 3 V 0 522 1 705 MHz 5 kHz filter 15 kHz roofing filter lt 32 V 1 705 24 5 MHz lt 2 V 24 5 54 MHz Preamp Off Preamp On lt 0 13 V 1 0 MHz 13 2 V 6 1 V 3 8 MHz 1 3 V 0 6 V 29 MHz 1 3 V 0 4 V 50 MHz 1 7 V 0 4 V FM sensitivity 12 dB SINAD For 12 dB SINAD preamp on 28 30 MHz and 50 54 MHz lt 0 22 V 29 MHz 0 16 V 52 MHz 0 18 V Blocking gain compression Not specified Gain compression 500 Hz bandwidth default roofing filter 20 kHz offset 5 2 kHz offset Preamp off on Preamp off 3 5 MHz 140 136 dB 140 120 dB 10 1 MHz 138 136 dB 125 111 dB 14 MHz 141 136 dB 141 121 dB 28 MHz 140 120 dB 125 109 dB 50 MHz 130 141 dB 130 127 dB Reciprocal mixing 500 Hz BW Not specified 20 5 2 kHz offset 120 106 91 dBc ARRL Lab Two Tone IMD Testing 500 Hz bandwidth default roofing filter Measured Measured Calculated Band Preamp Spacing Input Level IMD Level IMD DR IP3 3 5 MHz Off 20 kHz 26 dBm 130 dBm 104 dB 26 dBm 15 dBm 97 dBm 26 dBm 10 MHz Off 20 kHz
4. 14 MHz band Figure 3 Spectral display of the TS 590S transmitter during keying sideband testing Equivalent keying speed is 60 WPM using external keying Spectrum analyzer resolution bandwidth is 10 Hz and the sweep time is 30 seconds The transmitter was being operated at 100 W PEP output on the 14 MHz band and this plot shows the transmitter output 5 kHz from the carrier The reference level is 0 dBc and the vertical scale is in dB 48 May 2011 NC B www sherweng com table html you ll find the TS 590 coming in ninth Also tenth what the heck The TS 590 is a very interesting super hetero dyne that operates as either a double down conversion RX1 or triple up conversion RX2 depending on the band and filter bandwidth This allows the radio to balance sensitivity higher for RX2 with selectivity better for RX1 Both modes are quite good as evidenced by the ninth and tenth place position in the Sherwood results Moving over to Rob s column of wide spaced dynamic range data you ll find the receiver has top class numbers there Strangely aside from a single table entry this important aspect of the radio s operation is not mentioned at all in the owner s manual The more selective RX1 is used on the 160 80 40 20 and 15 m
5. iPod or iPad you ll still need to tap the screen occasionally to toggle cer tain functions such as highlighting text saving a file and so on But that inconvenience seems a small price to pay for such a lightweight wireless keyboard Distributor Azio USA 19977 Har rison Ave City of Industry CA 91789 tel 909 468 1198 www aziocorp com Suggested list price 49 95 Available from retailers such as Amazon www amazon com and Newegg www newegg com Figure 1 Pairing the Azio keyboard to a Windows 7 computer using a USB Bluetooth adapter Figure 2 The Azio keyboard worked nicely with my iPad and my Multimode app to work PSK31 and RTTY May 2011 63 Apple Camera Connection Kit available for less than 20 on eBay and elsewhere will al low you to use an external USB sound device such as the Griffin Technology iMic www griffintechnology com products imic I tried both approaches and the input and output signal quality seemed comparable On the Air Before you start Multimode connect your interface cable or USB audio device I discovered through trial and error that audio re routing must be established before you fire up the application I used Multimode to make some contacts during a RTTY contest and it performed quite well Contrary to the common technique of operating your SSB transceiver in LSB for AFSK RTTY
6. of the keyboard Windows picked up the KB333BM in short order and asked me to type in a code to pair the keyboard to the computer Figure 1 After the units were connected it was smooth sailing In fact this review was typed using the KB333BM keyboard Applications The Azio keyboard is definitely small enough to toss into an Emcomm go kit The case is fairly rugged as well The KB333BM is powered by two AAA batteries Peak power consumption is only 6 mA so you can expect to use it for quite a while on a fresh set of batteries When you are not using the keyboard it enters its sleep mode where it draws only 500 A An LED indicator on the top of the keyboard warns when battery power is waning This keyboard also has potential for portable digital operating I paired the KB333BM with my iPad and used IW2NDH s new Multi mode app available in the iTunes store to work low power PSK31 and RTTY The keyboard worked flawlessly Figure 2 And yes I tried it with my primary station as well Even when running 100 W to my antenna which is some what close to my operating position there were no problems whatsoever That s in contrast to my wired key board which carries a Type 43 ferrite core on its cable to keep RF from ren dering it useless The only downside to the KB333BM is the fact that it lacks a mouse You ll have to keep a mouse nearby perhaps a wireless one or if you are using an
7. were omitted from the IARU Adminis trative Council operator list on page 82 G3PSM made 312 QSOs with 144 multipliers for a score of 127 296 LA2RR made 297 QSOs with 138 multipliers for a score of 123 114 LZ1US made 27 QSOs with 15 multipliers for a score of 915 In 75 50 and 25 Years Ago Apr 2011 p 102 the first paragraph under April 1986 should have said The cover photo montage shows members Texas DX Society s Great Armadillo Run of 1986 putting all Texas counties on the air during the Texas Sesqui centennial Feedback May 2011 57 Steve Ford WB8IMY QST Editor sford arrl org Azio KB333BM Wireless Keyboard SHORT TAKES Wireless computer keyboards have been around for years They re popular because they are extremely convenient no cords to tangle and lots of ergonomic freedom to sit and type in almost any position you de sire When it comes to Amateur Radio use wireless keyboards offer another attractive feature reduced interference to and from transceivers Most amateurs have a horror story or two about a wired keyboard that suddenly locked up or went virtually insane due to RF pickup Some wired keyboards can also have a tendency to radiate an noying interference from their con necting cables Lately Bluetooth wireless key boards have been all the rage Key boards using the ubiquitous Bluetooth digital protocol commonly operate between 2 40
8. 2 and 2 480 GHz They are relatively immune to RF interference and appear to generate little interference themselves The only issue for ham applications is the size a Bluetooth keyboard is usually the same size as a normal keyboard or even larger when you include a touchpad or trackball That can be a bit unwieldy when you re using the key board in a crowded busy environment such as an emergency operations center a Field Day site etc The Azio KB333BM keyboard offers an interesting alternative It is a Bluetooth keyboard but in a small thin package The KB333BM is only 13 inches long 5 inches wide and less than an inch thick at its widest point It weighs slightly more than a pound with batteries installed Not Just for Macs The Azio package carries a label declaring that the keyboard is specifi cally for use with Macintosh comput ers The instruction booklet states the same This is certainly true but the KB333M s usefulness extends much further The KB333BM can also be used with Apple iPads iPod Touches if iOS4 is installed and Windows computers My first experience with the KB333M was with my primary station computer which runs the Windows 7 operating system All I had to do was plug in an inexpensive Bluetooth USB adapter less than 15 on eBay Once the adapter was installed I instructed Windows to begin searching for devices and then pressed the recessed CONNECT button on the underside
9. C 5 element Manufacturer Heil Sound Ltd 5800 N Illinois St Fairview Heights IL 62208 tel 618 257 3000 www heilsound com Price Pro Set Elite 182 Pro Set Elite iC 193 AD 1 radio adapter if needed 22 foot operated PTT switch 44 hand operated PTT switch 32 Figure 4 Close view of the left side showing the new headphone hinge and pivot arrangement The structure of the new mic boom and its flexible gooseneck is also clearly visible Clarification The review of the Shake speare PL 259 CP G Coax Connector Short Takes Mar 2011 p 64 was the result of an investigation undertaken and written up by ARRL Lab staff It was triggered by a manu script submitted by ARRL International Mem ber John White VA7JW but we managed to overlook his manuscript when we prepared the item for publication Our investigation should have been a sidebar to his submitted article Our apologies to John for this oversight John offered some additional information about the connector line He notes that while Shakespeare offers the solderless PL 259 connector the manufacturer CenterPin Tech nologies offers other RF connectors using the same mechanical arrangement Included are Type N RG 58 size only BNC TNC and cable splicers These products are distributed by Gemeco Marine Accessories at 1141 South Ron McNair Blvd Lake City SC 29560 or at www ge
10. DX fre quency or worse out of the US band for all to hear and comment upon TFSET switches frequencies too but only until you take your finger off the button it s much harder to make a mistake that way The radio s triple band stacking registers for search and pounce operating are very use ful It s easy to tune up and down the band loading the registers then hop back and forth between three pileups until you get through It can more than double your search and pounce contact rate over just using one VFO Getting all the various connections and software actors configured properly for op erating in the CQ WPX RTTY Contest was a bit of a challenge The radio s User Manual gives little guidance in the practical issues of getting the USB audio interface to work and I had to rely on third party websites thank goodness for Google Eventually though I was successful using MMTTY as my RTTY engine with audio connections to the radio over the USB interface controlled by the TS 590 menu settings for DATA VOX and DATA GAIN transmitting LSB AFSK The radio s DATA mode selection configured the DSP filters correctly for the mark and space frequencies This was definitely not plug and play operation but I was successful in making RTTY contacts The rear panel ACC2 con nector has all the analog signals you need for audio based data operation On 6 meters in the January VHF Sweep stakes I made a limited num
11. L for the main VFO Since lower noise sidebands are generated by the DDS VFO less reciprocal mixing occurs with adjacent signals to raise the apparent receiver noise floor Kenwood has managed to mini mize the spurious products often associated with DDS signal sources as well One small spur was noted during ARRL Lab receiver blocking testing at a level so low as to be inaudible in actual use Transmit composite noise as seen in Figure 1 is very low better than some radios costing quite a bit more making your neighbors on the bands happy For those of you who don t chase DX or enter contests why do dynamic range and re ciprocal mixing and transmitted noise matter during noncompetitive operation The answer is that it matters any time there are strong signals on the bands Being able to carry on a contact even next to a strong local signal or in the middle of a big contest makes a lot of difference in your ability to operate under any conditions If you can acquire that capability without having to spend top dollar to get it you ve made a good purchasing decision All users will appreciate the adjustable noise blanker NB and noise reduction NR systems NB1 is an analog noise blanker based on the output of the first roofing filter NB2 is a digital noise blanker that uses signal envelopes I found both to be effective on different types of noise and neither responded excessively to strong in band signals as with
12. S meter sensitivity Not specified S9 signal at 14 2 MHz preamp off on 48 7 14 4 V Squelch sensitivity 28 30 amp 50 54 MHz FM At threshold 14 MHz SSB 2 V lt 0 2 V at 14 MHz SSB lt 1 8 V FM preamp on 29 MHz 0 08 V 52 MHz preamp on 0 12 V Receiver audio output gt 1 5 W into 2 W at 10 THD into 8 W 8 W at 10 THD THD at 1 V RMS 0 6 DSP noise reduction Not specified NR1 NR2 10 20 dB Notch filter depth Not specified Manual notch 51 dB auto notch 60 dB Attack time 180 ms IF audio response Not specified Range at 6 dB points bandwidth CW 500 Hz 315 927 Hz 612 Hz Equivalent Rectangular BW 596 Hz USB 2 4 kHz 53 2253 Hz 2200 Hz LSB 2 4 kHz 52 2252 Hz 2200 Hz AM 5 kHz 147 2350 Hz 4406 Hz IF rejection gt 70 dB First IF rejection 14 MHz 84 dB 28 MHz 100 dB 50 MHz 100 dB Image rejection gt 70 dB Image rejection 14 MHz 91 dB 28 MHz 100 dB 50 MHz 92 dB Transmitter Transmitter Dynamic Testing Power output 5 100 W 5 25 W AM CW SSB RTTY FM typ 4 8 99 0 W AM typ 4 8 25 5 W Spurious signal and harmonic suppression Worst 56 dBc 1 8 MHz 2nd harmonic 1 8 29 7 MHz gt 50 dB 50 54 MHz 60 dB Meets FCC requirements SSB carrier suppression gt 50 dB 55 dB Undesired sideband suppression gt 50 dB 62 dB Third order intermodulation distortion IMD 3rd 5th 7th 9th order
13. Suwanee GA 30024 tel 310 639 4200 fax 310 537 8235 www kenwoodusa com 50 May 2011 Microphone Boom The mic boom extends out from a fixed position on the left headphone transducer through a short goose neck Earlier headset mics had a swiveling fixture that allowed the mic boom to be moved out of the way for listening without transmitting or for CW or digital mode operation I suspect that the new ar rangement provides a more reliable mic connection ar rangement with less fatigue applied to the mic wires The new arrangement has a shorter boom ending up near the corner of the opera tor s mouth with easy adjustment for vertical or horizontal position from there It is far enough from front and center that it doesn t take much change in position to have it out of the way and not be particularly noticeable I was able to drink coffee for example without interference This new arrangement seems to work well for me and I wasn t bothered by it during my mostly CW operations Headphone Design The headphones are also constructed dif ferently from previous models Other Heil headsets that I have encountered perhaps all but certainly most used a ball and socket arrangement to attach the headphone transducers to the headband The Elite uses a new dual hinge and pivot arrangement This is more typical of what has been found on other headsets As can be seen in Figure 4 an upper in a
14. ber of contacts due to poor conditions but the radio was plenty sensitive and I received good audio reports on the band PC Host Software and Firmware Kenwood also provides free PC host soft ware the Radio Control Program ARCP 590 that provides a remote front panel and configuration of the radio and the Network Command System ARHP 590 See www kenwood com i products info amateur software_download html VoIP software for voice over the remote link is available from third parties I prefer to operate the radio directly but if you like using your PC the software makes all controls easily available via the USB interface You can also operate the radio from a VHF or UHF radio using Kenwood Sky Command II remote control The radio s firmware the internal micro processor s program can be upgraded by downloading a compressed file from Ken wood s website and using either the RS 232 or USB interface with your PC A stand alone control program then leads you through the steps to load the new firmware and reset the radio that s it The ability to upgrade firm ware in your shack will extend the useful life of the radio and allow Kenwood to provide better customer support without anyone hav ing to ship radios back and forth The review radio originally shipped with firmware rev 1 00 but was upgraded to firmware rev 1 02 for final testing What s Not There This is a mid range radio so you won
15. duct Review QST Dec 2003 pp 61 63 Bottom Line The Heil Pro Set Elite is a worthy addition to the popular Pro Set line of headsets It offers comfortable wider range earphones combined with a wide range high fidelity dynamic mic element The mic element is intend ed to be tailored by radio or external audio equalizers to provide just the desired voice characteristics May 2011 51 On the Air Since I am mostly a CW operator the use of the headphones without the mic is of significant importance to me I found the headphones quite comfort able and good sounding The earpiece pads ride on rather than around the ear I found them comfortable including during extending operating periods such as some fairly long stints in the 2011 ARRL CW DX contest I did not find the presence of the mic and boom bothersome perhaps because it is at the corner of my mouth Pushing it down just a bit avoided any encounters with my coffee cup In voice modes the mic was just as ad vertised a very flat response Those who know what I sound like found this agreeable since it sounded like me A check in on the Sunday afternoon 75 meter Antique Wireless Association 75 meter AM net got generally good but flat reports Some broadcast sound oriented audio buffs reported a lack of articulation just as expected from a flat response I then tried using the communications oriented equalizer s
16. e 1 add a capacitor to the right of C2 and label it as required to tune It could be around 270 pF depending on the actual value of L1 Also in Figure 1 T2 should be flipped to the right so that the low impedance connec tion goes to the final output coupling capacitor C35 D1 the NTE618 varactor tuning diode is shown correctly on the schematic but is missing from the parts list The Mouser part number is 526 NTE618 In the paragraph entitled Mixer and IF Amplifier the mixer IC U1 is identified as an SA612 while Figure 1 indicates it as an SA602 The SA612 is actually a newer version of the 602 and either can be used without change The Mouser website indicates that the version of Q8 the IRF510 power FET specified in the parts list for the 7 5 W power amplifier is now obsolete They do list a number of other versions in non lead configuration such as the 844 IRF510PBF Similarly D4 the 7 5 V Zener diode listed part number has been superseded by 78 TZX7V5B In A Line Voltage Monitor for Your Shack Apr 2011 pp 43 44 Figure 1 is missing a ground symbol at the bottom of R2 If you wish to power the unit from a 12 V dc supply rather than from the ac line as mentioned in the article break the connection from the top of R1 to the top of R3 and pin 7 of the op amps Connect the 12 V supply to the top of R3 In 2010 IARU HF Championships Results Apr 2011 pp 81 84 G3PSM LA2RR and LZ1US
17. e response characteristics the way operating conditions and voice char acteristics require Its specified response 3 dB points at 100 Hz and 12 5 kHz should support most applications with appropriate equalization The Heil website offers a set of starting point settings for many popular radio equalizers with all of its current mic elements In a similar vein the headphone transduc ers are also full range high fidelity response type Thus this headset can perform double duty as a stereo headset for music if you wish Again for Amateur Radio or other commu nications use this will be most useful if the receiver or receive equalizer can limit audio response to communications bandwidths Some older equipment can provide audio hiss above communications bandwidths and it s better not to have to eliminate that with your gray matter The Elite does continue to provide the popular phase reversal switch that can move the apparent sound source out from the middle of the operators head Mechanical Arrangement Both the headphone and microphone me chanical designs are different from earlier Heil headsets in ways that I found agreeable 2 3 Heil Pro Set Elite Headset others prefer a non coiled version perhaps Heil will consider a version for those folk at some time in the future Connector Arrangements The Elite comes equipped with a 3 5 mm stereo plug for the stereo headsets and a 3 5 mm mono plug for the m
18. et tings for the K3 s eight band equalizer as recom mended on the Heil website significant reduction below 400 Hz and even heavier boost above 1 6 kHz I was fortunate to run into Dick Kalt W1FYI on 20 meter SSB Dick a pro fessional broadcaster lives about four miles away and with his six element Yagi we had excellent signal to noise ratios each way Dick agreed that the HC 6 without equal ization sounded flat and that with Heil s suggested K3 equalizer settings sounded much more articulated He did talk me through some other settings that made it sound even nicer picking up on the low and high ends and pushing down the middle He played me recordings and I had to agree careful adjustment can make a big difference an advantage of using an equalizer rather than a pre equalized mic element During the adjustments Dick thought I was using a desk mic As we were wrapping up he was quite surprised to find that I was using a boom mic headset He stated that it was the best headset he had ever heard He was not used to hearing a headset that didn t include close breathing and popping sounds He attributed this to the design of the mic boom which kept the mic a bit off to the side One possible downside of this arrangement is that I found I had to move the K3 s MIC GAIN to the high range to get sufficient drive not a problem just different from the settings of my straight on mic with H
19. eter bands when the IF bandwidth is 2 7 kHz or less for SSB CW and FSK The crowded large signal segments of these traditional DXing and contesting bands are where receiver dynamic range is most important Depending on the mode selected a 2 7 kHz or 500 Hz roofing filter follows the first mixer at the 11 374 MHz first IF stage On other bands including 10 meters and for wider IF bandwidths such as for AM and FM the more sensitive RX2 is used A 15 kHz roofing filter is used at the 73 MHz first IF followed by 15 6 or 2 7 kHz filters at the 10 7 MHz second IF The transmitter chain always uses the up conversion mode The final IF for both RX1 and RX2 is at 24 kHz where sharper filtering is performed by a 32 bit floating point DSP The IF is where the AGC system is implemented an important part of the radio s performance I found the adjustable AGC action to be quite clean no clicks thumps or pops It s possible for a very close signal to be inside the roofing filter but outside a narrower DSP filter causing the audio level to fall dramatically but the signal has to be really close I did not try the receiver on the receiving end of a big pileup I offered to fly to the Caribbean for the ARRL DX CW contest but no so I can t speak to the radio s ability to handle many signals inside the passband at once Another feature is the use of a direct digital synthesizer DDS instead of a phase locked loop PL
20. gle com site kh6tyinterface One word of caution These Apple de vices are designed to sense when an external microphone has been plugged in and they automatically reconfigure the audio signal pathways accordingly Depending on the interface you ve chosen its audio output circuitry may not be recognized as a micro phone which means that the iPhone iPod or iPad will not make the connection when you start Multimode I ran into this issue with the KH6TY interface and the solution was to add a 2 2 k resistor in series with the audio input line of the iPod Touch iPad connector cable That created a high enough impedance to trick the device into behaving as though a microphone had been connected If you are the owner of an iPad you can take an entirely different approach The Steve Ford WB8IMY QST Editor sford arrl org Multimode for the iPad iPhone and iPod Touch SHORT TAKES If you re the proud owner of an Apple iPad iPhone or iPod Touch you probably know that there are a number of Amateur Radio apps applications for these devices When you shop through the apps in the iTunes store it seems as though more appear every month Luca Facchinetti IW2NDH was among the first hams to harness the processing power of the iPod Touch and iPhone to send and receive HF digital transmissions His I PSK31 app remains popular today and was recently updated to include a waterfall display W
21. ic Also pro vided is a 3 5 mm to 1 4 inch stereo adapter to allow the phones to plug into the usual 1 4 inch front panel headphone jack Heil offers their AD 1 series of adapter cables to match the miniature mic connector to the round or modular plugs used on the front panels of most radios The adapter also includes a 1 4 inch socket intended for a foot or hand switch for transmit receive TR control if VOX isn t used Many will opt for the AD 1 adapters but they are not needed for all radios For example my Elecraft K3 can accept the na tive plugs into rear panel connectors making for a neat arrangement It also has a rear jack that can be used for a foot or hand TR switch The length of the coil cord is really a better fit to front panel connections but it worked satisfactorily for me using the rear connec tion points Heil also offers a version for most modern ICOM radios the Pro Set Elite iC This uses a wide bandwidth electret mic element with similar response to the HC 6 The electret element requires 5 V dc bias provided at the mic connector of ICOM radios We did not test this model 1J Hallas W1ZR and N Hallas W1NCY A Look at Noise Canceling Headphones Product Review QST May 2010 pp 52 53 2D Patton NN1N Heil Pro Set Quiet Phone Noise Canceling Headset Product Review QST Jun 2006 pp 71 72 3J Hallas W1ZR Heil Pro Set Plus Headset with Boom Microphone Pro
22. ie cast frame there are three PC boards transmitter on top receiver underneath and a front panel Don t tell the folks at HQ but I gave the TS 590 a casual thump test setting it down abruptly on all sides except the front panel no problems resulted Even while I was search and pounc ing on RTTY the fans rarely came on and were quiet when they did Transmit output is 5 to 100 W and set table on a band by band basis useful on 10 and 6 meters for setting drive to amplifiers The microphone circuits offer adjustable high low response cut and a six setting audio equalizer IMD performance is very clean as shown in the ARRL Lab Measurements table especially for a 13 8 V radio The REMOTE connector on the back panel provides a complete amplifier control interface Low band enthusiasts will be glad to hear that CW waveform is nicely controlled with adjustable rise times as shown in Figure 2 The keying sideband performance in Fig ure 3 is really good below 60 dBc at 1 kHz spacing The radio features an internal antenna tuner with setting memories for 25 frequency ranges and that is specified to match up to SWR of 3 1 I found that it worked well with a nonresonant 105 foot doublet although at higher SWR my external tuner was needed A separate receive antenna input is provided on the back panel Trans verter operation is supported by a 0 dBm 1 mW output signal to extend coverage beyond 6 meters to the lowe
23. ing 97 dBm reference Measurement was noise limited at the value indicated Default values bandwidth and cutoff frequencies are adjustable via DSP CW bandwidth varies with PBT and pitch control settings For SSB DSP set to 2600 Hz for high and 200 Hz for for low for a width of 2400 Hz Frequency in kHz fc fc 4 fc 2 fc 2 fc 4 Reponse dB QS1105 ProdRev03 Figure 1 Spectral display of the TS 590S transmitter output during composite noise testing Power output is 100 W on the 14 MHz band The carrier off the left edge of the plot is not shown This plot shows composite transmitted noise 100 Hz to 1 MHz from the carrier The reference level is 0 dBc and the vertical scale is in dB Figure 2 CW keying waveform for the TS 590S showing the first two dits in full break in QSK mode using external keying and default settings Equivalent keying speed is 60 WPM The upper trace is the actual key closure the lower trace is the RF envelope Note that the first key closure starts at the left edge of the figure Horizontal divisions are 10 ms The transceiver was being operated at 100 W output on the
24. ith his new Multimode app Luca offers the ability to send and receive not only BPSK but also QPSK and RTTY Even though Multimode wasn t developed with the iPad in mind it also functions well on this device when enlarged to take advantage of the iPad s display Getting Signals To and From For this review I tested Multimode on both an iPod Touch and iPad The new iPad 2 had just been released but I didn t have an opportunity to try one before press time Based on what I ve learned about the iPad 2 I think Multimode should be fully compatible The trick to using an app like Multimode is routing the audio signals to and from the transceiver iPod Touches iPhones and iPads all feature a combination headphone microphone jack that requires a 1 8 inch 4 conductor plug This plug is available from a number of sources including DigiKey part number CP 354S ND The wiring diagram for the plug is shown in Figure 1 Apple uses an odd configuration where the top portion of the plug sleeve the part that is commonly ground is actually the audio input connection Once you have the cable plug assembly taken care of you need an interface to handle transmit receive switching The Digital VOX Sound Card Inter face by Skip Teller KH6TY described in the March 2011 QST page 34 is ideal Since it initiates the transmit receive switching function when it hears audio from the device you don t need
25. lenty of spare baggage capacity for all of the other gear for a station on the beach Kenwood TS 590S HF and 6 Meter Transceiver It is easy to set up and start making QSOs Only three connections are required power supply antenna and either a mic or key If you have experience with modern transceiv ers you ll quickly figure out the primary receiver and transmitter controls as they use common terms For the unfamiliar buttons you will look up their meaning in the user manual later like most hams And yes it has that new radio smell The default settings on most functions are reasonable the CW sidetone setting was too loud I found no need to access the menu until I was setting up the radio for AFSK RTTY Connecting to a PC was straight forward using an external USB to RS 232 adapter although the radio defaults to 9600 baud while most software seems to assume the 4800 baud rate for the generic Kenwood in terface My contest logging software N1MM Logger recognized the radio right away and others using Writelog N3FJP Amateur Radio Software CT WinTest and other packages would likely have no problems The receiver output audio sounds great in my headphones both Yamaha CM500 and Heil Pro Set with full bass response crisp highs and no hiss I m dismayed at the lack of attention paid to this crucial stage of some other receivers why spend all those resources creating a fabulous front end and IF syste
26. m if you re not going to carry through to where the operator actually gets to hear it The same goes for operators why spend Kenwood s TS 590S is a compact package of high performance radio with an exceptional receiver for the price and well suited for today s op erating modes and styles It has a useful package of features that are thoughtfully organized and easy to access PR058 30 M 20 M Dynamic range and intercept values with preamp off Intercept values were determined using 97 dBm reference Key Off Scale 20 70 TX Transmit 9th order IMD dB 52 20 35 TX Transmit 3rd Order IMD dB 29 40 35 2 2 kHz 3rd Order Intercept dBm 22 2 40 35 20 20 kHz 3rd Order Intercept dBm 26 22 50 110 2 2 kHz 3rd Order Dynamic Range dB 97 82 50 110 20 106 101 20 kHz 3rd Order Dynamic Range dB 70 140 121 111 2 kHz Blocking Gain Compression dB 2 70 140 141 138 20 kHz Blocking Gain Compression dB 20 46 May 2011 Table 1 TS 590S Miscellaneous Features General TCXO available Direct frequency entry Variable tuning step rate with fine step setting 110 memory channels with 8 character alphanumeric labels Quick access memories 10 channels Full scanning features range or channels CTCSS and subtone scan Configurable for crossband repeater operation Receive 30 kHz 60 MHz recei
27. meco com Joel R Hallas W1ZR Technical Editor QST In Product Review Wouxun KG UV2D and KG UVD1P Dual Band Handheld Tras ceivers Nov 2010 pp 52 54 we stated You can listen to two frequencies at once This is incorrect The Wouxun handhelds are of dual band single receiver design The user can monitor two different bands but can only receive one band at a time If a transmission is present on one band the other band is muted until the first transmission ceases In Digital VOX Sound Card Interface Mar 2011 pp 34 36 the parts list in the caption of Figure 1 shows VR1 as a 10 kW unit The cor rect value as shown in the diagram is 500 W The listed Mouser part number is also correct Kits are being supplied with the correct part In A Near End Fed Antenna for Low Power 20 Meter Operation Mar 2011 pp 46 47 the next to last paragraph should have said A change in its the coax length also changes the apparent SWR due to common mode current on the outside of the coax In the paragraph prior to that one the 25 W represents the inductive reactance of the unloaded winding As a loaded transformer it should be expected to work as intended In addition the word counterpoise is not the best term to describe the short section of a very off center fed antenna A few errors crept into The W7JI Low or Lower Power 40 Meter Transmitter Apr 2011 pp 33 37 In Figur
28. most analog noise blankers NR1 is optimized for use with SSB signals and NR2 for use with CW and data signals I found both to be quite effective particularly when trying to dig weak DX signals out of the various noises an urban residence inflicts on the amateur When either NR system is turned up to its most aggressive setting audible artifacts are created NR2 arti facts sound like the band is boiling but both are far better than the noise they have replaced The four NB1 NB2 NR1 NR2 adjustable noise fighters are a pretty powerful tool box for fighting atmospheric noise If you haven t used good DSP IF filters you are in for a treat Response of the TS 590 filters is adjustable in steps a little coarser than I would prefer but perfectly adequate Operation of the filter controls is linked to the mode in use For SSB AM and FM filter adjustments are for the high and low cutoff frequencies Using CW FSK and data modes the same controls adjust center frequency and bandwidth This is a little odd but you get used to it right away Two sets of filter settings can be stored as IF A and IF B selectable by a front panel pushbutton creating a pair of customizable narrow and wide filters Along with the band pass filters there are a pair of filters that cancel steady tones plus manual and automatically tuned notch filters Basic Performance Elements Mechanically the radio is solid and com pact Built around a d
29. nd out hinge joint is followed by a pivoting connection and then a fork that attaches to each transducer Somehow they managed to thread the wire for the right hand transducer through all that so that it all comes out with the mic wiring as a single coiled cable on the left side It all works for me In my earlier review of the Pro Set Plus I noted that the long uncoiled cord kept get ting tangled in the wheels of my desk chair I definitely prefer the coiled cord I m sure Reviewed by Joel R Hallas W1ZR QST Technical Editor The new Heil Pro Set Elite headset is designed for either amateur or professional use This Pro Set Elite represents a bit of a departure from recent Heil headsets in a num ber of ways First both the headphones and microphone are designed for wide frequency response with a flat response characteristic across the band unlike the tailored com munications response of earlier headsets Second the mechanical design is different from earlier models Transducers The Elite headset employs the new HC 6 microphone element that we discussed in the review of the Heil Quiet Pro headphones and MB 1 boom microphone 1 The HC 6 s flat microphone response instead of the choices of HC 4 the pileup buster or HC 5 with highly articulated response for regular communications is in recognition of the fact that many modern transceivers have built in transmit audio equalizers that can be used to set th
30. nging modes produces a Morse code annunciation too There are two front panel programmable function keys four on the optional MC 47 mi May 2011 49 crophone including a tune function As with nearly every radio sold today configuration of many items is menu driven and the TS 590 has 88 settable parameters The items are logically grouped and easy to access You can save two full sets of parameters and there is a quick menu for commonly adjusted settings Contest and DXing Performance My first experience with the TS 590 was in the CW Sweepstakes from W1AW Since the radio s main performance selling point was its receiver you can be sure that I gave it every opportunity to fold under the onslaught of S9 signals but it did not complain Even deliberately tuning close to strong signals I detected not a single receiver generated arti fact or product with the preamplifier and noise blanker turned off The DSP filtering could make adjacent signals disappear in most cases The only problem I encountered was a sig nificant power overshoot on the leading edge of a first dot or dash before recovering to the intended level That caused the ACOM 2000 amplifier to trip offline unless we reduced drive dropping amp output to 800 1000 W The problem was eliminated by a firmware upgrade from Kenwood and verified by testing with the same amplifier at W1AW at the legal limit See PC Host Software and Firm
31. om bumping too small or too close buttons Although there are only six control knobs the AF RF GAIN FILTER control and NOTCH SQUELCH controls are concentric including the VFO I did not find myself wishing for more Most of the keys have a logical dual function such as the VOX ON OFF button that for press and hold brings up the VOX GAIN adjustment In short it was easy to use the radio effectively Receiver The radio s top feature undoubtedly is the receiver performance As you can see from the ARRL Lab measurements table and the comparative indicators in the Key Measure ments Summary you get a lot of receiver per formance for your dollar In fact if you check Sherwood Engineering s ranking of receiver close spaced dynamic range Rob Sherwood May 2011 47 Measured Measured Calculated Band Preamp Spacing Input Level IMD Level IMD DR IP3 14 MHz Off 2 kHz 34 dBm 131 dBm 97 dB 15 dBm 18 dBm 97 dBm 22 dBm 0 dBm 65 dBm 33 dBm 28 MHz On 20 kHz 33 dBm 133 dBm 100 dB 17 dBm 16 dBm 97 dBm 25 dBm 50 MHz Off 20 kHz 31 dBm 130 dBm 99 dB 19 dBm 17 dBm 97 dBm 23 dBm Second order intercept point Not specified 14 MHz Preamp off on 63 63 dBm FM two tone third order IMD dynamic range 20 kHz offset Preamp on 29 MHz Not specified 86 dB 52 MHz 86 dB 10 MHz offset 52 MHz 100 dB
32. r VHF and UHF bands The radio s display can be configured to display the transverted signal s frequency as well Another welcome feature is the USB serial data interface in addition to the classic 9 pin RS 232 interface Not only can you control the radio and use the USB interface for FSK data you can also use the USB interface for send and receive audio As with most USB implementations however the audio on the USB interface is delayed by many millisec onds and that may be unsuitable for certain modes or types of operating The delay was quite noticeable but tolerable especially dur ing RTTY operation Using the USB interface requires the installation of a virtual COM port driver and the ARUA 10 USB Audio Control ler software both available at no cost from Kenwood I urge all radio manufacturers to offer a USB interface as soon as practical along with standard USB class definitions and implementations It is bad enough that mi crophones aren t interchangeable but having to manage incompatible proprietary drivers would be a huge problem for most users and create customer service headaches Please standardize The radio has a generally uncluttered display quite visible at all angles I liked the choice of variable brightness green or amber backlight While filters are adjusted a tem porary value is displayed and for menu selec tions the scrolling labels long enough to be meaningful are a nice touch Cha
33. t find high end features such as a spectrum scope or a second receiver The roofing filter selection is fixed by mode but with the DSP filtering this isn t a huge issue It would have been nice to have separate control lines for indi vidual HF and VHF amplifiers FM repeater shift is accomplished by using dual VFOs in split mode A USB memory stick interface for storing configurations or receive audio would be useful The ARRL Lab noted that 60 meter op eration is not channelized This rig transmits from 5 250 to 5 500 MHz on all modes Other radios we have tested only operate USB on the five specific frequencies allocated for amateur use It would be easy for an operator to operate on the wrong frequency or mode We recommend that operators carefully pro gram the 60 meter channels into memories to avoid accidentally transmitting on unallocated frequencies Summary In summary I d say this radio gives the most bang for the buck I ve seen in quite a while Download the User s Manual from the Kenwood website and explore on your own The TS 590S would make a good home station or mobile radio With transverters it could be the foundation of a 160 through 432 MHz station Higher UHF bands really need a 144 MHz IF for transverters to be ef fective Stations using a top of the line radio would find the TS 590S a very cost effective second radio as well Manufacturer Kenwood USA Corp 3975 Johns Creek Ct Suite 300
34. to worry about Figure 1 Pin assignments for the Apple iPhone iPod Touch and iPad headphone plug
35. ve Switchable 12 dB or 20 dB preamp Switchable attenuator Transmit 60 meter band transmit enabled Paddle and key inputs electronic keyer Four CW messages no external control Optional voice recorder and playback unit VGS 1 RIT XIT with clear Transmit monitor CW auto tune Eight character text tags for memories Table 2 Kenwood TS 590S serial number B0900113 Manufacturer s Specifications Measured in the ARRL Lab Frequency coverage Receive 0 03 60 MHz Receive and transmit as specified transmit 1 8 2 3 5 4 5 25 5 45 7 7 3 10 1 10 15 14 14 35 18 068 18 168 21 21 45 21 21 44 24 89 24 99 28 29 7 50 54 MHz Power consumption at 13 8 V dc receive no Receive no signal default lights 1 19 A signal lt 1 5 A transmit max lt 20 5 A receive max volume and lights 1 27 A receive no signal no lights 1 16 A transmit 6 1 A at 5 W RF output 15 A at 100 W RF output Operation confirmed confirmed at 11 7 V dc 90 W output Modes of operation SSB CW AM FM FSK As specified Receiver Receiver Dynamic Testing SSB CW sensitivity 10 dB S N N Noise floor MDS 500 Hz bandwidth 0 13 0 522 MHz lt 0 5 V 0 522 1 705 MHz default roofing filter lt 4 V 1 705 24 5 MHz lt 0 2 V Preamp Off Preamp On 24 5 54 MHz lt 0 13 V 0 137 MHz 130 dBm 137 dBm 0 505 MHz 132 dBm 140 dBm 1 0 MHz 114 dBm 122 dBm 3 5 MHz 130 dBm 139 dBm 10
36. ware The radio was shipped to my home station where I tested it further albeit without an amplifier I was consistently pleased with the radio s performance on all bands On SSB using the Yamaha and Heil boom mics audio reports were good including contacts with the speech processing turned on Note that it is possible to turn the compression up too far as on almost any radio distorting your voice and making the power supply fan sound like a jet engine The default microphone gain was a little high for competitive voice levels but no other adjustment was required for satisfac tory reports On CW I am pretty picky about not want ing to hear any switching transients during full QSK full break in keying at high speeds above 30 WPM Both semi and full break in were fine during the Thursday night sprints and other CW contests The radio has an amplifier keying delay menu items 53 and 54 that can cause choppy keying if acti vated default value is OFF while operating in full QSK DXers will find TFSET to be a why didn t I have this before feature While operating split it s common to jump back and forth between the A and B VFOs to see what s happening on your transmit frequency find a clear er spot in the pileup or see who the DX is working A common error in the heat of the moment is to forget to switch back or to press the A B switch twice so that your call sign rings out loud and clear on the
37. with Multimode you must operate in USB Multimode inverts both the input and output signals so despite the unusual flip flop everything works normally To tune in a RTTY signal you press and slide the tuning bar until the left hand portion is positioned over the lower of the two signals the Space signal Decoded text appears in the window below If you tap twice on the spectrum display the main window peels back to reveal a number of macro buttons which are handy for contests and DX pileups Tuning PSK31 signals is a more delicate operation I found that it helped if I zoomed the spectrum dis play before sliding the center of the tuning bar over my signal of choice Once I was on target Multimode decoded the signal well even under somewhat noisy conditions Portable operating was a delight with Multimode just a Yaesu FT 817ND QRP transceiver the KH6TY interface and my iPad Yes typing on the iPad s on screen keyboard can be a pain but I soon became proficient Later I used an Azio Bluetooth wireless keyboard You ll find its Short Take review elsewhere in this issue Luca has a winner in Multimode and for 4 99 it is hard to beat It is certainly prefer able to lugging a laptop around the house or into the field Just go to the iTunes online store and enter multimode in the search window supplying a separate switching signal or dc power for that matter Kits are available at sites goo
38. worst on HF 10 m products Not specified HF 100 W PEP 29 32 42 52 dB 6 m 100 W PEP 34 34 48 56 dB CW keyer speed range Not specified 4 to 55 WPM CW keyer iambic keying mode Not specified A or B menu selectable CW keying characteristics Not specified See Figures 2 and 3 Transmit receive turnaround time PTT S9 signal AGC fast 30 ms release to 50 audio output Not specified Receive transmit turnaround time tx delay SSB 14 ms FM 14 ms Not specified Composite transmitted noise Not specified See Figure 1 Size height width depth 3 8 10 6 11 4 inches weight 16 3 lbs Price 1800 The TS 590S operates as either a double down conversion receiver RX1 or triple up conversion receiver RX2 depending on the band of operation and filter bandwidth selected See text for details RX1 with 500 Hz roofing filter was used for receiver tests at 3 5 and 14 MHz RX2 with 15 kHz 1st IF filter and 2 7 kHz 2nd IF filter was used for testing on other bands Exceeded figures indicated test results shown measured with 10 dBm maximum output from test fixture ARRL Product Review testing now includes Two Tone IMD results at several signal levels Two Tone 3rd Order Dynamic Range figures comparable to previous reviews are shown on the first line in each group The IP3 column is the calculated 3rd order intercept point Second order intercept points were determined us

Kenwood TS-590S HF and 6 Meter Transceiver

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