Kenwood TS-890S
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| Frequency | TX 1.8-54 MHz (160-6 m ham; EU adds 4 m / 70 MHz), RX 0.030-60.000 MHz (general coverage) |
| TX power | 5 / 100 W (5-100 W on HF and 6 m (SSB/CW/FM/FSK/PSK); 5-25 W AM. EU version adds the 4 m band (70-70.5 MHz) at 50 W. 13.8 V DC, ~22.5 A on transmit.) |
| Modes | USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, FSK (RTTY), PSK31 (BPSK/QPSK), PSK63 (BPSK) |
| Weight | 15.8 kg (34.8 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 x2 (ANT1/ANT2) |
| Year | 2018 |
| antenna | ANT1 + ANT2: two SO-239 (M-type female), 50 ohm |
| rx in | RX IN: RCA phono (receive-only antenna in) |
| rx out | RX OUT: RCA phono (to an external receiver) |
| drv | DRV: RCA phono (drive output for a transverter) |
| ant out | ANT OUT (antenna signal to an external sub-receiver, e.g. a TS-590S for split) |
| ref in | REF IN: BNC (external 10 MHz reference) |
| at | AT: 6-pin DIN (external antenna-tuner control) |
| usb b | USB Type-B: PC control (CAT) + USB audio codec |
| usb a | USB Type-A (front + rear): USB memory and keyboard |
| com | COM: 9-pin D-Sub RS-232C (PC control; NOT a CI-V jack) |
| lan | RJ-45 Ethernet: KNS network remote, direct IP (no host PC needed) |
| display | DISPLAY: DVI-I (external monitor output) |
| acc2 | ACC2: 13-pin DIN (audio I/O and accessories) |
| remote | REMOTE: 7-pin DIN (linear-amplifier control) |
| mic | MIC: 8-pin metal round (locking ring), 600 ohm (front panel) |
| key | KEY: 1/4 in (6.35 mm) (straight key / PC keying, rear) |
| paddle | PADDLE: 1/4 in (6.35 mm) (front, for a keyer paddle) |
| phones | PHONES: 1/4 in (6.35 mm) stereo (front) |
| ext speaker | EXT-SP: 3.5 mm (4-8 ohm) |
| meter | METER: 3.5 mm (external analog meters) |
| keypad | KEYPAD: 3.5 mm (up to 8 external PF keys) |
| dc in | DC 13.8 V +/-15%, 4-pin |
| power req | 13.8 V DC +/-15%, ~22.5 A on transmit, ~2.5 A receive standby |
Reference-grade receiver performance from a classic down-conversion design: an H-mode mixer and a cascade of crystal roofing filters give 114 dB RMDR, 110 dB third-order IMD, and 150 dB blocking at 2 kHz, and independent lab testing ranked its synthesizer first by reciprocal mixing among all transceivers tested. An independent FPGA bandscope adds the modern waterfall without touching the analog path. It has a high-speed relay tuner, standalone CW/RTTY/PSK decode and encode, a DVI-I monitor output, 1 GB of audio recording, and direct LAN remote control with no host PC. The round 8-pin mic jack takes classic Kenwood desk mics directly.
It is a heavy (15.8 kg) full-size base station and an expensive one, around $4,400. It has a single receiver - dual-receive or full diversity means adding a second radio through the ANT OUT and RX jacks. There is no internal SDR direct sampling, which some buyers want on a spec sheet. The 270 Hz roofing filter is an extra-cost option, and availability is regional: US listings show it active while some EU/UK dealers mark it discontinued.
Kenwood's sub-flagship and one of the best-measuring superheterodyne receivers ever tested - in the same class as the IC-7610 and Yaesu FTDX101D for close-in dynamic range, and a step below the TS-990S. Standalone CW/RTTY/PSK decoding, a DVI-I monitor output, and direct LAN remote add real working value. For an operator who prizes measured receiver numbers and Kenwood ergonomics over a direct-sampling badge, it is a top choice; the weight, single receiver, and ~$4,400 price are the trade-offs.
The TS-890S is Kenwood's high-end HF radio, the one that sits just below the two-display TS-990S flagship, and it makes a deliberate choice that sets it apart from its direct-sampling rivals: it is a superheterodyne receiver, not an SDR. Signals come down to a low 8.248 MHz first intermediate frequency, where a bank of narrow crystal roofing filters - 500 Hz, 2.7 kHz, 6 kHz, 15 kHz, with an optional 270 Hz - does the heavy lifting, fed by an H-mode mixer carried over from the TS-990S.
That classic front end is there for one reason: close-in receiver performance. Kenwood rates it at 114 dB reciprocal-mixing dynamic range, 110 dB third-order IMD, and 150 dB blocking, all at a tight 2 kHz spacing - and when Rob Sherwood put it on the bench he called its synthesizer the cleanest he had ever measured and ranked it first on his receiver table by reciprocal mixing. The waterfall and bandscope are not skipped, though: a separate 14-bit converter and FPGA sample the first IF independently, so you get a modern real-time display without compromising the analog receive chain.
The rest is a well-equipped contest and DX radio. The 7-inch color screen drives an external monitor over DVI-I, the built-in relay tuner matches up to about 3-to-1, and the radio decodes and sends CW, RTTY, and PSK on its own with a plugged-in USB keyboard, no computer required. A gigabyte of internal memory records your audio. For control there is a USB-B sound-card-and-CAT port, a true RS-232 serial port, and - the part contesters like - a LAN jack that does Kenwood's network remote directly, without a separate host PC at the radio.
It is a full-size, 15.8 kg base station, and at roughly $4,400 it is priced as a serious instrument. It has a single receiver, so working split with full diversity means feeding a second radio out the ANT OUT and RX jacks. But for an operator who values measured receiver numbers over an SDR spec sheet, the TS-890S is one of the best-performing superhets ever tested - in the same conversation as the IC-7610 and the Yaesu FTDX101D, and a step below Kenwood's own TS-990S.