Kenwood TS-590SG
Kenwood's TS-590S came out in 2010. The TS-590SG followed in 2014, made in Malaysia, and Kenwood's catalog calls it the evolution of the 590S. Kenwood built the SG around its receiver. On 160, 80, 40, 20 and 15 m it drops to an 11.374 MHz first IF with 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz roofing filters fitted as standard, which holds up when a strong signal sits close to the one you want. The SG added the IF AGC developed for the flagship TS-990S, a CW decoder that scrolls across the display, a drive output for transverters and the 135 kHz band, and a backlight you can shade from amber to green. The tuner is built in. Kenwood kept updating the firmware until 2020, and the version is one menu item away.
TS-590S (2010, the original)TS-590SG (2014, revised receiver and AGC, CW decoder)
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- Kenwood
- Type
- HF transceiver
- Launched
- 2014
- Covers
- 160 m to 6 m incl. WARC; receives 130 kHz–30 MHz and 50–54 MHz
- Modes
- SSB, CW, AM, FM, FSK
- Power out
- 5–100 W (5–25 W AM)
- Receiver
- 11.374 MHz down-conversion on 160, 80, 40, 20 and 15 m (passband 2.7 kHz or less); up-conversion otherwise
- Roofing filters
- 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz, standard
- Power supply
- 13.8 V DC, 20.5 A on transmit
- Weight
- 7.4 kg
- Also listed as
- TS590SG, TS-590 SG, TS 590SG
- Typical eBay ask (Oct 15, 2026)
- $2,400–$4,325
Bench check
Power, receive, finals and supply
- Transmit power
- Kenwood rates it at 5 to 100 W on SSB, CW, FM and FSK, and 5 to 25 W on AM. Ask for a wattmeter reading into a dummy load on 160 m, 20 m, 10 m and 6 m. Full power on each is what you want.
- Receiver
- On 160, 80, 40, 20 and 15 m it switches to an 11.374 MHz down-conversion first IF with 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz roofing filters, whenever the passband is 2.7 kHz or less. Other bands and wider settings use up-conversion. Ask whether it hears signals on every band, on both ANT 1 and ANT 2.
- Finals
- Kenwood's manual and catalog don't name the PA devices. The manual says transmitting without an antenna or matched load may damage the radio, and that its protection cuts in above 1.5:1 SWR. A pair of 60 mm fans cools the heat sink, and owner notes on mods.dk cover fan noise on the SG.
- Power supply
- It needs a separate regulated 13.8 V DC supply rated for at least 20.5 A, wired through the supplied DC cable with its 25 A fuse. Kenwood's matching supply is the PS-60 (22.5 A). Ask what it ran on.
- Dial and display
- The LCD backlight can be shaded from amber to green in 10 steps, and the 13-segment area scrolls decoded CW. Menu 00 shows the firmware version. Kenwood's last update is 1.07, and 1.04 fixed a tuner that might not work correctly.
- Filters and options
- The 500 Hz and 2.7 kHz roofing filters and the automatic tuner are standard, so there are no filters to buy. The options that matter are the VGS-1 voice guide and recording unit and the SO-3 TCXO. Ask the seller whether either is fitted.
Should come with it
- The supplied hand microphone
- DC power cable with its 25 A fuse
- Instruction manual
- PS-60 power supply, if included
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
What to check
Kenwood's firmware notes list a tuner that might not work correctly under some conditions, fixed in version 1.04, so check Menu 00 for 1.04 or later. The manual warns that transmitting without an antenna or matched load may damage it, and owners on mods.dk have written up fan noise.
- 01Power out: Ask for a wattmeter reading into a dummy load on 160 m, 20 m, 10 m and 6 m. You want about 100 W on each.
- 02Receive on every band: Ask whether it hears signals on every band from 160 m to 6 m, on both ANT 1 and ANT 2. Even signals on every band and jack are what you want.
- 03Display and firmware: Ask for a photo of the lit display on Menu 00, which shows the firmware version. An even backlight and version 1.04 or later, with Kenwood's tuner fix, are what you want.
- 04Built-in tuner: Ask the seller to run the tuner on a few bands and report the SWR. It should tune quickly and settle low.
- 05Antenna history: Ask whether it was ever keyed without an antenna or into a high SWR. Kenwood warns that can damage it, so a clean history is what you want.
- 06Options: Ask whether the VGS-1 voice unit or SO-3 TCXO is fitted. A photo inside the cover confirms it.
- 07Mic, cable and supply: Check the photos for the hand mic, the DC cable with its fuse and the manual. Plan on a 13.8 V supply rated 20.5 A or more, like Kenwood's PS-60.
- 08MARS mod: If the title says MARS or CAP mod, it was changed to transmit outside the ham bands. That's only for authorized MARS or CAP stations, so ask what was changed.
- 09Model number: Check the label and panel read TS-590SG. The older TS-590S looks similar and takes different firmware.
New to used rigs? How to check a used ham radio covers power out, receive, the finals and the display, and what power supply a used rig needs explains the 13.8 V supply most rigs need.
Buying guide
Which one to buy
§ Oct 15, 2026There's no TS-590SG here we'd buy as listed, and three listings aren't a market read. The two from Japan ask $2,289 and $2,517 delivered, but one shows only a taped-up box and calls itself a 590 Series set with a 100 V step-up/down unit, and the other uses Kenwood's stock photo, so ask either seller for photos of the actual radio, its rear label and Menu 00 before you offer. The only US one is a 70th Anniversary edition titled READ at $6,096 delivered, about 2.4 times the $2,517 median. Whichever you buy, it runs on 13.8 V DC at 20.5 A, so budget for a supply like Kenwood's PS-60, and ask for a wattmeter reading into a dummy load on 160, 20, 10 and 6 m.
- Listed now
- 3
- For parts
- 0
- Typical ask
- $2,400–$4,325
- Full range
- $2,097–$6,000
Snapshot
For sale on eBay
3 of 3 listedChecked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
New- Check the seller
Kenwood 590 Series Monitoring 100W JP 100V NTI-200 Step-Up/Down Unit Ref TS590SG
$2,288.88delivered
$2,288.88 · free shipping
Buy It Now$2,288.88
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
A Japan-market 590 set with a 100 V step-up/down unit, titled only Ref TS590SG. The only photo is a taped-up box. Free shipping from Japan.
Seller: mebb.dr-9
98.7% positive
New- Check the seller
Kenwood TS-590SG HF/50MHz Band Transceiver Amateur Ham Radio 100W Black
$2,517.00est. delivered
$2,097.00 + $420.00 shipping
Buy It Now$2,097.00
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
The photo is Kenwood's stock image, not this radio. Ships from Japan for $420.
Seller: dniex_tokyo
98.2% positive
Used- Priced high
Kenwood TS-590SG 70th Anniversary HF Amateur Radio Transceiver 117/250 READ
$6,096.38est. delivered
$5,999.99 + $96.39 shipping
Buy It Now$5,999.99
Offers accepted
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Priced high
70th Anniversary edition titled READ, at about 2.4 times the median. Photo shows a hand mic, cables, manuals and what looks like a supply.
Seller: michellsand6
99.4% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 15, 2026.
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