Kenwood TS-990S TS-890S my favourites radios

I’m going to buy a new radio soon. I think to buy one the my favorites ones Kenwood TS-990S TS-890S.

I’m using Kenwood radio since 1985. First the TS-430S, i bought it new and later i added the options: FM module and the CW filter. Whit this radio i performed a lot of QSO mostly in CW mode specially in the conests. I won two ARI International Dx Contest in the 1986 and in the 1992. I taken it with me, for mobile operations, during my holliday in Greece in the 2005 and i used it from Elafonissos Island with the call SV8/I3FDZ/P during the IOTA Contest. I taken with me also in the 2008 during my holliday in Favignana Island from where i have partecipate to IOTA Contest with the call IF9/I3FDZ/P. More two fast mobile operations from Monaco 3A in the 1994 giving me another thousand QSO from there. I think yhe Kenwood TS-430S is a rock. Always used at full power. Always worked perfectly. Never repaired. Still used in my station as spare radio.

For this reason in the 1999 i bought another Kemwood the TS-850S. Few years later, I added the external Digital Signal Processor DSP-100, the narrow cw filter YK-88C-1 and the DRU-2. This one i keep fixed in the radio station for general use, normal QSOs, Dx stations, but especially in contest, both,barefoot at full power for Single Operator Low Power and with reduced power 50 W output followed by a power  amplifiers for High Power category. I had to change the capacitors gone bad. this is the unique repairing. I’m still using it  as main radio and it’s working very well indeed. I’m completly satisfied of this radio too.

Nevertheless, I think now it is time to get a new radio. I want to try the new capability and potentiality of modern transceiver. I wish to stay faithful to the Kenwood brand because i have a lot of confidence in these radios. Therefore i have to decide which one i prefer: The TS-990S with fully potentiality, and 200 Watt output, or his small brother the TS-890S, with 100 Watt output and less potentiality and a little beet cheaper. I’ll tell you which one i chose and how it works.

Fiorino/i3fdz