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Author Topic: 991A vs 590S/G  (Read 642 times)

K0UA

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2022, 10:28:04 AM »

Band scopes are becoming less important anyways, as most people hang around on one frequency anyways, one that ends in .074.

73 John AF5CC

The 160 meter frequency ends in .840 the 80 meter frequency ends in .573 and the 17 meter frequency ends in .100.  and the 6 meter frequency ends in .313..  You can thank me later for setting you straight. :)

So your comment failed on several levels. not the least of which was authenticity.    :)
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73  James K0UA

AF5CC

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #16 on: June 27, 2022, 02:36:22 PM »

Why is the 80 meter FT8 frequency on 3.573 instead of 3.574?

73 John AF5CC
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VE3WMB

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #17 on: July 02, 2022, 07:04:37 AM »

I currently own an FT-991A and a TS-590SG and both were purchased new. I primarily use the FT-991A for VHF/UHF and the TS-590SG is my main HF rig. 

Frankly I was quite surprised at how good the receiver on the FT-991A is on HF. However, the TS-590SG is superior in both performance and ergonomics. What I do really like about the TS-590SG is how well the controls are laid out. It is very easy and intuitive to operate. Everything you need is right there on the front panel. Operating the FT-991A involves a lot more time spent in the menu system during normal operation of the rig and sometimes it is a bit frustrating.

I don't care about a lack of panadaptor/waterfall on the TS-590SG as I use an SDRPlay RSP1A connected to the TS-590SG's DRV port as a panadaptor. This gives me point and click tuning on a waterfall via SDRplay running on a large monitor which is great for CW contesting and DXing.

I think that both radios are good choices but for HF/6m the TS-590SG wins hands down IMHO.

Michael VE3WMB

P.S. I previously owned a Yaesu FT-897D, which was a similar "shack-in-a-box" type radio that was easily transportable. The FT-991A is a much better radio than the FT-897D.
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N3WTK

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #18 on: July 02, 2022, 10:21:30 PM »

P.S. I previously owned a Yaesu FT-897D, which was a similar "shack-in-a-box" type radio that was easily transportable. The FT-991A is a much better radio than the FT-897D.

That's interesting; so did I!
As I said, when I got the 991A I felt like I could hear so much more than I could previously -- that was in comparison to the 897D.
I found a used 590S for sale and I decided I'm going to buy it, and will sell the one I like least; stay tuned.
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Dave / N3WTK

AF5CC

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #19 on: July 07, 2022, 12:23:14 PM »


Frankly I was quite surprised at how good the receiver on the FT-991A is on HF. However, the TS-590SG is superior in both performance and ergonomics. What I do really like about the TS-590SG is how well the controls are laid out. It is very easy and intuitive to operate. Everything you need is right there on the front panel. Operating the FT-991A involves a lot more time spent in the menu system during normal operation of the rig and sometimes it is a bit frustrating.

I found the same thing.  The receiver in the FT991 was actually pretty good, but the tuner sucked in it also.  Probably the worst internal tuner I have ever seen, even worse than the one in the Yaesu FT450.  The tuner in the one I had quit working on 17m, got it working again for a few months, then it quit again.  My antenna has a good SWR on 17m so that wasn't the cause of the failure.

The FT450 I have now also beats the heck out of the FT991 for ergonomics.  Like the TS590, everything you need is on the front panel.  And like Kenwood, Yaesu includes free rig control software on their website, which makes remote operating easy as well.  They didn't make rig control software for the FT991, unfortunately.  With the FT991, it always seemed like I was on the wrong screen.  Whatever I needed done was on a different screen than the one I was currently on.

Still, for a portable sized HF/6m/2m/70cm radio with a built in tuner it is a good performer.  I see Yaesu is coming out with a FTDX-710 model soon. Not sure what all it includes but it doesn't include 2m and 70cm unfortunately.  Not sure which model it replaces.

73 John AF5CC 
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AI5BC

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #20 on: July 07, 2022, 12:46:38 PM »

Owned a TS-590SG, it is OK. One thing I would be very concerned about is the Dynamic Range of the FT-991 RX. The Kenwood is not great at 92 dB, but the Yaesu weighs in at 72 dB, a full 20 dB lower.

Kind of a No-Brainer decision.
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K6BRN

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Re: 991A vs 590S/G
« Reply #21 on: July 07, 2022, 02:44:10 PM »

As with all radios, if you actually spend the time to get to know it (many DON'T) including the menus, you'll get the best out of it.   But this takes time/operating hours on the modes you are intersted in.  The FT-991/A is a great little radio with a few idiosyncracies (like the VFO A/B indicator silliness) and a slightly obtuse menu system.  But once I got to know it, it works fine - and is very handy in portable ops.

As mentioned above, the FT-991/A and TS-590S are an apples-to-oranges comparison, as the FT-991/A includes multimode (AM/SSB/FM/digital) VHF and UHF, which, by itself, is worth the price of the radio.  While the TS-590S is HF/6M ONLY.

So it's really a matter of size/ergonomics vs. VHF/UHF capability.  Because both are pretty good (though not stellar) on HF.  For "stellar", go get the FTDX-10 or -101.

That's pretty much the long and short of it.

Brian - K6BRN
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