TS-990S is another unremarkable radio that is using dinosaur concepts with bells and whistles.
I have read all the available material on the TS-990S and I read nothing that makes me excited about the radio.
While Kenwood has had a history of producing radios using rather clean PA's, and selecting linear PA devices, it excels at very little else.
The TS990S looks like its just going to be another pig in lipstick radio with the usual shortcomings.
Old technology
Birdies in the receiver
Poor transmitter design with the usual poor transmitter ALC. There is no reason whatsoever to have ALC in a modern transmitter as implemented by ham radio manufacturers.
A PA using excellent FETS that will not be optimized on all ham bands. Adaptive pre-distortion should have been the new standard.
Uncalibrated S-meter
A bandscope that wont have enough dynamic range and controls to be a useful tool.
A radio with a 2 watt distorted 20% distortion audio amplifier.
Poor receiver in band IMD.
Yes, its exciting that they have re-entered the ham radio with a big radio. Projects like the HPSDR transceiver will very shortly be blowing all these expensive white elephant radios out of the water. Kenwood
and the other Japanese manufacturers really should get with the program and design radios using the latest DDC/DUC architecture designs. This technology can deliver all the performance required that does not require obsolete dinosaur technology that will become obsolete when the Chinese manufacturers stop manufacturing the crummy parts.
There is not one killer feature in the TS-990S design that can be considered leading edge, its just another new radio that will do little for the ham radio masses.
Its a good radio for milking the baby boomers of their retirement savings. Nothing like a big box with knobs that does very little to help the average ham enjoy his hobby that cant be done with any available transceiver already available.
Excuse me I need to have a snooze!
