I've been saving my shekels towards purchasing a IC-7200.  But the TenTec Megasale has me itching to spend money I don't have on the Eagle package.
My primary interests (at this point) are digital/packet modes and SSB nets.  I just don't see CW in my near term future.
I've been focused on the 7200 (that would be BigDaddy's/Jupiter7200's fault) or a used Argonaut V/K2/Ic-703+ (ARJedi's Fault).
But the combination of Ten-Tec's sale and the fact that they will split the cost into four charges on your card.  Funny, Financing only shows up via the mobile interface.

-Updated - I called Ten-Tec, the 4 charge financing is not available with MegaSale pricing.  Also it could be 12 weeks before an Eagle would ship.

So, from a technical/performance/'take to the field occasionally' what are the salient points?
Are the Kenwood and Ten-Tec worth half-again/double the price of the IC-7200?
The TS-590 has an auto-tuner and the sale price of the Eagle includes an auto-tuner.
The IC-7200 does not do FM.  
The 7200 & Eagle seem more transportable.  Though I'm probably going to be hesitant to take my new $2000 Eagle outside for awhile.

-Updated question - Like MCSquared I've noticed the early trend towards the Kenwood over the Ten-Tec.  With Ten-Tec's reputation for repair service and US location I expected there is some price premium for the radio.
But I expected a better showing than 5-0.  But this is early exit polling.

Thx in advance.

TS-590




the receiver of the TS-590 blows away the 7200...QST chart....

QST Magazine Product Reviews - Key Measurements Summary
http://www.remeeus.eu/hamradio/pa1hr/productreview.htm

QST review
http://www.radioaficion.com/HamNews/images/04-2011/Review_TS-590S_QST_May_2011-20110429154018.pdf





RADCOM review..
http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/WebFiles/File/uk/download/News/Kenwood%20TS-590S.pdf

If it were in my budget I think I would have gotten the 590. Come to think of it...I may still get one someday.

I'll 3rd the TS-590 - Enjoying mine!

Color me confused.

I hear a lot of good stuff about Ten-Tec.  I see a $2,000 Ten-Tec radio package going for $1,400 and people I trust (ARFHAMs) advocating a $1,400 Kenwood radio over the $2,000 Ten-Tec, but not giving any reason.

Just looking at the dollar value of the packages and knowing the reputations of both companies are very good, I have to ask what's going on here?  Brand loyalty (i.e. y'all are a bunch of Kenwood Kool-aid drinkers ) or there's info you have that you're not sharing.

The TS-590 is just as portable as the 7200, as you can see from this pic (stolen from google)
(It was a carry handle on one side, and rubber feet on the other.)

I don't have a horse in this race, but if 6 and/or 10m FM is important to you, you can narrow your field quickly.

Vote for the TS-590.

I'm happy with my 7200, it's been a great radio for the money.  But... I could see a TS-590 in my future.  Heard nothing but good things about them.  

Yup portable enough for me. I have a padded pelican case that works nice and gives me piece of mind.


I really liked the Eagle when I played with it at TenTec. It is defiantly a quality rig. I really do like the 590 too. Something that would stay in my mind with the goal of you using it on digital is software integration. The 590, 2000, 480, 570 have nearly the exact same cat commands. Rig control software is highly supportive of this group.

In the end I would vote 590.

I'm getting a new Yaesu FT-DX1200 should be here any day now.



Gigaparts is giving one away so I'm patiently waiting by the phone for them to call and let me know I've won. I'll put up a review of it soon.

If you carefully compare the the QST chart posted by Derek45, you will see that the TS-590S beats the IC-7200 by a wide margin in the key areas of receiver performance. The Icom is a very capable radio for the money, but its an entry class rig. Its really not in the same class as the Kenwood.

The Kenwood clearly has the advantage even at a $400 difference in price. The ergonomics, features and function of the Kenwood are well worth the additional cost. I owned one for over two years prior to my Flex SDR and it was the best conventional HF transceiver I have ever owned.

A friend and I both entered for one of their drawings, both of us for almost every day that the dang thing ran.  Neither of us won, but I bet you will!  

I'd probably go for the 590 out of those three but the Eagle would be tempting.  The big reason is that it's much easier to operate from what I've seen.

Nearby hamfest gave away a radio last weekend. It was terrible weather and rain and the guy who gave me my test Sunday said only around 100 people turned ot for it. First place was a $1500 HF rig, I forgot what second was and 3rd was a name brand handheld. Good odds.

Looking at the chart Derek posted, the Eagle is a marginally better radio.

Would someone please give me technical reasons for the overwhelming Kenwood love here?

I don't have any skin in this fight, I'm so broke at the moment I can't even pay attention.  If I could cough up the money for the Ten-Tec Eagle at this time, I would do it without hesitation simply based on the company reputation, the QRZ review, and the price point.

The only drawback I've seen so far is that I can't find a spec sheet for the Ten-Tec.

yep....The ten tec receiver specs look great

however....

The TS-590 comes out of the box with...
500 Hz / 2.7 kHz Roofing Filters
AM and FM
noise blanker  
2 antenna ports ( SO-239's)
built-in antenna tuner
speech processor
direct freq enter
in stock and ready to ship just about everywhere

built-in USB soundcard for data communication

some of these features are optional extras you have to buy for the ten tec,....and some are just not available

yes, the tentec is US made, which is cool,  but kenwood, yaesu, etc have US warranty repair stateside also.

One thing that turned me off of the Ten Tec's is that when you vary the receive bandwidth the pass band only adjusts from one end; thus, the band pass must be re-centered, to match up the center of any filter you have engaged, every time the band width is changed. With the output spike fixed on the new TS 590 that is the way I'd go.

This is good information OP

Thank you.

The Summer Package does come with a built in antenna tuner but, as I stated previously, I can't find the rest of the specs.

Someone upthread made the comment that only one of the radios listed does 6m and 10m FM.  Which one?

My TS-590 does FM on 6 and 10 meters
My TS-480 does also

10meter FM is a lot of fun when it's open.

29.600 FM calling freq.

repeaters
29.620 ( 29.520 input )
29.640 ( 29.540 input )
29.660 (29.560 input )
29.680 ( 29.580 input )

you can skip clear across the state and end up talking to a guy driving home and talking on (linked ) 2 meters

I used to get into the Virgin Islands 10meter repeater all the time, not sure if it's still on the air or not

if the picture is accurate, it looks like the Ten-Tec Eagle package gets you the Noise Blanker, Antenna Tuner, & a filter (can't tell which from the pic).

since they announced the sale, they've changed the website listings for the radios, & have neglected to add the detailed Specifications for the radios listed as "Summer Specials."

i'd call them to get the details on what is included, vis a vis the picture posted.

ETA: Eagle will do FM/AM, if you buy an optional 15kHz filter for $125.  i believe the upthread comment about not doing FM was speaking as to the 7200's lack of ability to do so.

i think it has to do partially w/ cost.  T-T Eagle was a >$2k radio until this very tempting sale, whereas you could get an awesome receiver for $1400-1500 in the Kenwood.  now that the better receiver of the Eagle is available for less $ than the Kenwood, it is worth looking at.  it has a really clean sounding audio:



side-by-side w/ the Kenwood receiving CW:

I just looked at the Ten-Tec Eagle Summer Special and it doesn't seem quite so special to me at $1400.00.

The options included with the Summer Special are: automatic antenna tuner, 600 KHz crystal filter, and noise blanker module.

I took a look at the Eagle's owners manual and saw that it has a only three filter slots available.

You could then fill that remaining slot with either a 15 KHz, 6 KHz, 1.8 KHz or 300 Hz crystal filter.

Having only three filter slots seems kind of a design shortfall in my opinion, as it limits operating modes based on filter selection.  

To operate in AM mode you must have the 6 KHz filter installed. To operate in FM mode you must have the 15 KHz filter installed.

Finally the Ten-Tec does not have a built in sound card for digital modes......that mean you have to spend more money to buy a digital interface.

That would be a deal breaker for me.....so again I would opt for the Kenwood TS-590 as opposed to the Ten-Ten Eagle.

Regarding the Ten-Tec pricing, they are merging with R.F. Concepts and plan on an expanded facility in or near their present location of Sevierville, TN. They're wanting to reduce inventory to facilitate the move, thus the reduced prices.

While I don't have an Eagle, I do have a Jupiter, and it is a wonderful radio!  The filtering / NR is fantastic.  I can
hear on noisy nights when everyone else on the bands are complaining of lightning crashes and other noise.  I
can hear all of their complaints.  On more normal times, it is like listening to FM.

If the Eagle's filtering / NR is on par with the Jupiter, then it is a fine radio, indeed!

Though the Kenwood and IC-7200 are about the same size, as far as portability, I think the 7200 is the more
rugged of the two.  I know I would not take my Jupiter outdoors for a special event, but would not hesitate with
the 7200.  It's built like a tank.

I can tell you, having operated them side by side, the Jupiter vs. IC-7200 the Jupiter still has the better NR of
the two.  I have not operated the Kenwood 590 side by side with other radios, so can't give an opinion on that.

Ten-Tec should sell a lot of Eagles at that price.

This brings up some important points.  That I don't fully understand.
If purchased I will be using the 15 Khz filter to enable the 6M/10M FM modes (yeah magic band!).  How important are additional hardware filters in a system with DSP & Noise Blanking?  

Digital modes: So even if a radio, like the Eagle, does have a USB interface I may still need something like SignalLink to do digital modes?

I don't know... For that price, you can get a KX3 and be well on your way to a Elecraft Amp.

From all the talk on here, I'd rather go with that.

I wasn't going to say it...

But yes it is practically 2 radios in one.

There have been two rigs in the shack. First was a TS-2000. One of those DC to Daylight rigs that does everything. 2m FM/SSB/CW at 100w down to 160m. Not a bad rig and did DXCC with it. However when it hit around 130 entities I hit a brick wall. I couldn't hear anything new. Didn't matter the mode. This went on for about six months.

Read up on the receiver specs and found the TS-2K had an OK receiver but not a great receiver. The TS-590 is in the top tier. Up there with the Elecraft K3. Well, you can't work 'em if you can't hear 'em.
Took a chance with the credit card and got a TS-590. All I can say is OH WOW. The guys on the ARFCOM forum are right. It is one sweet rig with an excellent receiver. If you can't hear 'em now you can't blame the rig.

The TS-2K will be brought back in the shack as a satellite and VHF rig.

One thing I've figured out is that transmitters are easy. The receiver is the hard part. Get one that is sensitive and selective with filters that will cut out the QRM and QRN as your pocketbook will allow.

comparo of Ten-Tec Eagle vs Icom 7600 (a $3400 radio), in the presence of S9+20 broadband noise from nearby arcing powerline:

WOW!
Since I have the local power lines running along the back side of my house, approx 40' from where the radio will go, this is a powerful demonstration for me.

And to answer one of my own questions, yes something like a USB soundcard adaptor is needed to run digital modes with the Eagle.

I used a TS590 on air for a while on Field Day this year and was very impressed with the receiver performance.  There's not much more severe test for HF than Field Day.

Another operator was there for a while with an Omni, I should have tried it out I guess.

I studied broadcast electronics in the 70s and worked for a surveillance/measurement radio company for several years before going into manufacturing process controls. Been into electronics for a long time, but only recently got my ham ticket. When I bought my first HF radio last year, I focused on receiver performance because I have seen first hand how important it is to be able to hear.

I bought the TS-590 about a year ago and have been VERY pleased with it. Very flexible and easy to use.

If you want, you are welcome to play with my Eagle.  PM if interested.

Seeing that Jupieter on sale for $700 ish makes me think maybe I should have looked into it when I bought my radio. I did read that ten tec got bought out. Dunno if that matters.



Edit nm, didn't realise it was 10w maximum.

The Eagle is tempting but I don't have the coin right now. Probably when I do, it will be back up to regular price.

A test drive for the Win......That would be a great way to see if you would like the Ten-Tec.

am interested in your thoughts on the Eagle, homie, if you would like to share them.  have not seen one in real life, but reviews online seem very positive, & a couple of Youtube videos show what sounds like pretty amazing audio/receiver characteristics.  like Jupiter7200 said on the previous page, it almost sounds like FM.

have been impressed w/ some of the older Ten-tecs i have seen.  how does your Eagle compare to other previous/current rigs you had/have?  am thinking of pulling trigger on the Eagle.

I'll start with what I've owned in the past: Kenwood TS690, 530, 570 and Icom 718. I am a 99% digital operator.  I was looking for a small radio with minimum menus, 160m-6m, 100 watts, simple computer interface and an outstanding receiver.  The Eagle ticked all of those boxes.  What really put it over the top was the TenTec service and support. The first Eagles had an issue with 6m and a recall was issued.  Conveniently, I was vacationing in Pigeon Forge at that time so dropped off my radio at the factory and they had it ready by the end of the week.  The audio is very good with this radio and the filtering is designed for SSB.  For example, when you turn the bandwidth down, it acts more like a high roll-off which can be seen on an analyzer or waterfall.  This keeps the fidelity of the station you are listening to.  I'm able to turn it down to 1K and still understand the other station.  Which brings me to the filters: Amazing, simply amazing.  The IF DSP filters are very good and the addition of tighter mechanical filters is available, although I haven't found the need to add any.  I have added the 15k filter so I can use AM and FM if I need.  You will find you will actually use the RF gain more than the volume.  Generally my volume is set at 9:00 and I use the RF gain to lower the noise.  RF gain is set between 10:00 and 2:00 mostly.  The receiver is hot!  With my previous radios the RF gain was usually set wide open.

Another great thing is the 30 day trial period.  If you don't like your Tentec, send it back within 30 days.  Also check out the Tentec Eagle yahoo group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/TenTec_Eagle/info


Chris,
K4RCH

looked at & joined that Yahoo group, to learn a bit more about the radio.  appreciate that excellent reply, bro.  

IMO, you should spend as much, or more, money and time on the antenna than on radio.  The best radio with a poor antenna won't hold a candle to a cheaper radio with a great antenna.  For me the IC-7200 was already more than I really wanted to spend (up from my original minimum $500 Alinco concept).  Add in remote automatic tuner, power supply, coax, connectors, crimp tools, wire, rope, tree supports, insulators, etc and I've more than doubled my original price limit.

But now I've got a big gun antenna (160m full wave loop), great receiver, 100w and built in sound card for digital modes.  Much better than a $1,500-$2,000 radio and a cheap antenna with no PS, coax, etc.

Due to covenants, the best antenna I could get was a Par 40/20/10 end-fed (25w max).  So I built the rest of my station around that, slowly upgrading what I can.

Flag pole antenna, buried radials and remote automatic tuner at the base with buried coax.  Lots of stealth options for HOA's that can do much better than a trapped end fed 25w antenna.  Buy a cheaper radio (Ic-7200) and spend the rest on improving your antenna(s).  6m yagi and rotator on the roof usually pass as a legal TV antenna too.

Because a good person loaned me a ft-857 last fall I still have 254 feet of windom style home brew antenna hanging up in my trees.  I think I've got a good start there.  
Your math matches mine.  I've said for a couple of years that if you don't have a thousand dollars to spend you're not going to get into HF without learning code.
Your same math though is why the Eagle during the sale was such a good deal.  Typical going price of an IC-7200 = $900.  Plus $200 worth of tuner. Yields $1100.
Since the ongoing wisdom here is usually buy once-cry once.  Realistically the HF radio I buy is the one I'm going to live with for quite some time.
Thus my question for people with real world expertise.  A KX3 plus amp is >> $2000 and that just is not going to happen.  A K2/10 could happen but it comes in at the same price as the 2 main radios of this thread and much more than the IC-7200.
Again showing that I listen and learn from the tribal wisdom here, QRP is considered a poor choice for a person's introduction into HF.  Because I have a strong interest in digital modes I'm still willing to risk it if I find myself in a position to get either an Argonaut V or IC-703+.  But those models tend to sell for $650-750 when they do make the rare appearance on qrz/qth/eham classified.  And once again we're within spitting range of a NEW IC-7200.
At $400, the new Youkits TJ5A is very distracting I mean tempting.  And will leave me money to get a Beaglebone Black and tnc-x cape.

Could the discounted price on the Ten Tec be a start of the anticipated September moving sale?
Following the merger earlier this year.

I'm sitting with a IC-7200 and a FT-857D for my HF needs.

Price on the Eagle now up to $1,499.

concur w/ your post above.

also, if you wait a few weeks until my Eagle comes in, you may find yourself in a position to buy my lightly used Argonaut VI i put up for sale, offered w/ the ARFHAM discount.  

K3

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that's exactly what the sale was for, an inventory reduction while moving to their new facility.



 

But what's strange about that theory is that there's a 8? week wait before shipping an Eagle.  
I don't remember the amount of time because the deal was dead to me when I couldn't do the payment plan.
And a personal update - I got an email that RedHat is offering $3000 of training and certification exam for the cost of the exam alone - $600.
I'm probably going to hit the savings account for that expense to improve my ability to stay employed over getting a radio.
Income to maintain the roof over the heads of my family has to come first.  
Maybe I should just learn CW.  Then I could use cheaper radios.

I think that the other forum members has already covered the attributes of the Kenwood TS 590 over the ICOM and the
TEN TEC Eagle.  The Eagle is basically a Mobile or a good QRP rig - made for taking outdoors or Field Days.
It does not have the options available standard on the Kenwood 590...

The 590 does not have discreet filters that can  be bought and sold or changed, it is more of a software defined radio,
the range of the filters are infinite - you can adjust them in the menu.
The only thing I can add to it is that when I bought mine, I didn't even read the owners manual.
I opened the box, connected the radio to the power supply and antenna's, turned the power up to 100 watts,
pressed the auto tuner button, adjusted the mic gain and checked my audio with the talk back and was on the air in about 4 minutes.

The hardest part was trying to use a Signalink with the 590, not knowing that it already had a built in sound card.
Windows XP at that time gave me fits until I was able to find someone that told me to get rid of the Signalink and to have the radio turned on and connected to
the computer when you turn on the computer, and then the computer would find the sound card for you and it would work as long as you knew how to go
through the settings and set everything properly to do digital modes.

ICOM around here is a dirty 4 letter word, usually associated with the acronym - I Can Only Monitor....
The one thing that most people misses is that they don't understand that unless you can filter out the noise and can hear the other person,
what good is the radio?  There are lot's of people with 600 - 1000 watt amplifiers, that has their amplifier hard wired to the light switch in the shack,
that thinks that they must broadcast a big signal for everyone to be able to hear them, and that everyone must broadcast a big signal in order for you to
be able to hear them!  It takes a mental attitude adjustment when you use the Kenwood because with 100 watts - and a resonant antenna, most times if you can hear them, they can hear you.  And even if they are only 4/7 - your signal might be 5/9 or better into their receive.
It is very tempting to use the processor all the time, but the processor distorts the audio.
Once you find out that a clean signal is easier to comprehend then a signal that is LOUD, then you can start to play real ham radio...

You aren't ever going to get that kind of performance out of the TEN TEC or the ICOM....

The Kenwood TS 590 compares to the ICOM 7700 or 7800 rig costing 5 times as much or more!

The TS 990 uses the 590 components for the second receive and has a even better first receiver.
If you was into serious contesting you would want to have the 990 and not the 590 - since you would get the second receive...