so ive had my TS-590SG for going on 6 years now and its been rock solid honestly no complaints but i keep reading about the IC-7300 and the built in spectrum scope and SDR front end and i guess im just wondering if anyone has made this switch and whether you actually use those features or if it wears off after a month

my shack is pretty basic, ts-590 into a LDG tuner, dipole out back for 40 and 80 mostly, sometimes 20 when the band cooperates. i do some casual contesting, nothing serious, and just ragchew on 75m with a few local guys on weekends. not really a DX chaser or anything. so i dunno if the 7300 is even aimed at what i do

the price difference isnt huge right now because i can get decent money for the kenwood used. just feeling the itch i guess and trying to talk myself into or out of it before i do something dumb

made that exact swap about two years ago and honestly the spectrum scope does NOT wear off, at least for me. i use it constantly, especially on 40m to see where the activity is without having to scan around. for casual contesting its actually really handy because you can just see where the pileups are building without hunting

that said the 590SG receiver is arguably a little better in really crowded band conditions, the roofing filters are no joke. the 7300 holds up fine for what you're describing though, ragchewing and casual contesting on 40/80 its more than capable. the interface takes some getting used to, lots of touchscreen menus, but after a few weeks its second nature. if you can do the swap without losing much money i'd say go for it just for the fun of having something new to learn

i went the other direction lol, had a 7300 and picked up a used 590SG because i kept reading about the receiver performance and wanted to see for myself. both are good rigs honestly. if youre mostly on 75m ragchewing i dont think the spectrum scope will change your life but its nice to have. just depends what scratches the itch i guess