Equipment / Base transceiver · Kenwood
discontinued

Kenwood TS-590SG

$$$$·

160m – 6m
Bands
100 W
Output
2014
Introduced
FrequencyTX: 160–10 m + 6 m (incl 60 m), RX: 0.03–60 MHz
Bands160m, 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m
TX power100 W (5-100W SSB/CW/FM/FSK. 5-25W AM.)
ModesUSB, LSB, CW, FSK, AM, FM, Data
Weight7.4 kg (16.3 lb) - 7.4 kg (16.3 lb) per Kenwood. Desktop base station.
ConnectorSO-239
Year2014
Connectors
antennaSO-239
mic8-pin round with retaining ring (hand mic included; MC-43S/MC-60A compatible)
keykey/paddle
usbUSB (PC control + firmware)
serialDB-9 serial
accaccessory connector
ant outANT OUT (drive output)
ext spkrexternal speaker
dc inDC 13.8V
power reqDC 13.8V.
Kenwood's former mid-range HF/6m (discontinued) — TS-990S DSP technology at mid-range price, best-in-class DR 32-bit floating-point DSP with TS-990S IF AGC algorithms (trickled-down flagship technology!) 500 Hz + 2.7 kHz roofing filters STANDARD (both included — not optional!) Excellent dynamic range in its class against off-frequency interference advanced IF AGC: DSP-based from IF stage onward — non-tiring audio even in long contests level-optimized AGC: works even when interference slips between roofing filter and DSP filter built-in automatic antenna tuner (160m-6m — also works on receive!) CW Auto Tune + Beat Cancel (BC1/BC2) CW Morse code decoder (new on SG — scroll display on 13-segment + ARCP-590G window) dual noise blanker: NB1 (digital) + NB2 (analog) dual noise reduction: NR1 + NR2 IF notch filter (auto + manual) passband control: Hi-Cut/Lo-Cut in SSB/AM/FM, Width/Shift in CW/FSK/SSB-DATA (user switchable in SSB!) TX/RX equalizer configurable per mode speech processor TS-990S style split setting functionality ANT OUT function (drive output for external PA/transverter — inherited from TS-990S) USB + Serial DB-9 ports (PC control + firmware update + memory programming) ARCP-590G control software + ARHP-590 Radio Host for VOIP Sky Command II ready programmable PF1/PF2 + MULTI/CH push switch (CW and non-CW configurable separately) tri-color LED backlight (10 gradations amber to green) dual 60×60 mm fans (more airflow at lower RPM — quieter cooling!) ±5 ppm stability (±0.5 ppm with optional SO-3 TCXO) DISCONTINUED
Strengths

TS-990S IF AGC DSP technology at a mid-range price, with 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz roofing filters included and best-in-class adjacent dynamic range. It has a CW decoder, a built-in ATU (which also works on receive), an ANT OUT for an external PA, USB and serial control, dual quiet fans, and a tri-color LED. It was former production with non-tiring contest audio.

Weaknesses

No color display, spectrum scope, waterfall, or touchscreen. ±5 ppm without the optional SO-3 TCXO. No VHF/UHF. An LCD (the TS-890S has a 7-inch TFT). A single antenna port. Production of the TS-590G series ended in 2024 (the TS-1000 is the announced successor, ~2025); the higher-end TS-890S is Kenwood's flagship HF/6m.

Verdict

Flagship DSP technology at a mid-range price. The TS-590SG takes the TS-990S's IF AGC DSP algorithms, which produce Kenwood's non-tiring contest audio, and puts them in a mid-range radio with 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz roofing filters included. The CW decoder, ANT OUT function, and TS-990S split setting add flagship utility at a mid-tier price. For Kenwood contest audio without the TS-890S price, this is the radio.

The Kenwood TS-590SG is a high-performance HF and 6-meter base transceiver that earned a reputation for receiver performance well above its price class. It covers 160 through 6 meters (including the 60-meter allocation), delivers 100 watts (25 watts AM), and is built around a 32-bit floating-point DSP with IF-stage AGC. The 'SG' is a 2014 refinement of the 2010 TS-590S, sharpening an already excellent design.

Its calling card is close-in dynamic range: narrow roofing filters — 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz fitted as standard — sit early in the receive chain, letting the radio reject strong adjacent signals that overwhelm lesser rigs, a quality that made it a contest and DX favorite. It also includes a built-in CW Morse decoder, automatic antenna tuner, advanced noise blanking, DSP noise reduction, an IF notch, and beat cancel. For many operators it hit the sweet spot of performance, features, and value.

It is a discontinued model. See the earlier TS-570DG and the flagship TS-890S.