Kenwood took out a full page back cover ad in this month’s QST hinting at a new HF rig being unveiled at Dayton. What could it be? Another super multi-kilobuck uber contester rig? A KX3 competitor? A fun little rig like the Yaesu FT-817? Inquiring minds want to know!
I know I’m over-analyzing this, but the photo they chose for the ad might imply the new rig would be a mobile one, maybe an update to the TS-480 line. I wish Kenwood would make a rig to compete with the Yaesu FT-817/857/897 (I say that as a FT-857D owner, I think Kenwood does controls and interfaces better than Yaesu).
I’ve always thought Kenwood made cleaner controls and interfaces than Yaesu and Icom. I love my Yaesu FT-897, but Kenwood would never put cheesy knobs on its HF rigs like this rig has and the thing with scrolling through softkey menus with the F button and the MEM knob is a real pain.
Contact at a major ham dealer confirms $5000 class rig…. Kenwood needs to replace the OLD TIRED TS-2000 with a refreshed radio at a less than $2000 price… it would beat the heck out of the Icom 9100…. de KK8ZZ
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My bet is a high end, elite class, or more expensive desktop than the 590. Something with a panoramic display.
I know I’m over-analyzing this, but the photo they chose for the ad might imply the new rig would be a mobile one, maybe an update to the TS-480 line. I wish Kenwood would make a rig to compete with the Yaesu FT-817/857/897 (I say that as a FT-857D owner, I think Kenwood does controls and interfaces better than Yaesu).
Price, Size and Availability: a Kenwood TS-990S update
Posted on April 5, 2012 by k4swl
LINK: http://qrper.com/2012/04/price-size-and-availability-a-kenwood-ts-990s-update/
I’ve always thought Kenwood made cleaner controls and interfaces than Yaesu and Icom. I love my Yaesu FT-897, but Kenwood would never put cheesy knobs on its HF rigs like this rig has and the thing with scrolling through softkey menus with the F button and the MEM knob is a real pain.
A 990 would make sense. It’s out of my price range though. I’ll pick one up on eBay in maybe 2022 🙂
Kenwood’s getting their HF mojo back!
Contact at a major ham dealer confirms $5000 class rig…. Kenwood needs to replace the OLD TIRED TS-2000 with a refreshed radio at a less than $2000 price… it would beat the heck out of the Icom 9100…. de KK8ZZ