TenTec
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TenTec] SOTA RADIO

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] SOTA RADIO
From: Bwana Bob <wb2vuf@verizon.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2016 21:20:59 -0400
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Yes, and bring back the AN/TRC-77, too: receive current drain only 20 mA!

Seriously, I never had the opportunity to operate a 509. For a long time I coveted the 515, but couldn't get 'round the price tag, which I think was $400. I never see vintage Argonauts for sale, a testimony to their enduring popularity.

                73,

                Bob WB2VUF

On 3/17/2016 3:28 AM, rick@dj0ip.de wrote:
BRING BACK THE 509!

With the dial lamps switched off, it drew only 160 mA on receive.
There was a slide switch on the back panel for switching the lamps on or
off.

I added a mod to my Omni (A - analog) that did this.
It drew only 350 mA on receive.
A 24 hour contest (CW) was just doable off of a motorcycle battery.
Always had to push-start the bike afterwards.

If you are doing long term battery operation, this makes a huge improvement
in battery life.
I ran my Omni off of batteries for 10 days while on a DX-pedition.
Ran it at 50w power with the dial lamps switched off.

Many of today's "cool" radios such as the ELAD FDM-DUO are real Current Hogs
and draw an amp or more on receive.

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)


-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Carl
Moreschi
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 11:31 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] SOTA RADIO

The Argonaut VI draws 550 milliamps on receive.

Carl Moreschi N4PY
58 Hogwood Rd
Louisburg, NC 27549
www.n4py.com

On 3/16/2016 7:38 AM, Barry N1EU wrote:
Besides its 3.6lb weight, what is the receive current consumption?

Barry N1EU

On Wed, Mar 16, 2016 at 7:31 AM, Carl Moreschi<n4py3@earthlink.net>
wrote:
What's wrong with the Argo VI for SOTA.  It will run on as little as
8 volts.

Carl Moreschi N4PY
58 Hogwood Rd
Louisburg, NC 27549
www.n4py.com


On 3/16/2016 2:33 AM, rick@dj0ip.de wrote:

(changed the subject:  was Service, overhead   and the future A/K...)

Barry,

I did a lot of reading in the past day and I believe you are right.
The KX3 is exactly the radio I described. PERFECT.

Unfortunately it's beyond my budget.

The basic KX3 costs $1500 here in DL.
Add in a tuner and roofing filter and paddle and it's over $2K for a
10w radio that I might use 5 or 6 times per year on a mountain top.
The ROI just isn't worth it.

For home use, say as my 2nd radio, I would need an amplifier.

Bottom Line:  It's a champagne dream on a Budweiser budget.
For that money -(at this point in my life)-  I would get more bangs
for my buck out of playing with something else, such as a 7300 or an
Annan, etc.
I need a Plan B for SOTA.  Maybe it's just "bite the bullet and
carry my Scout up the mountain."

I don't mind spending $500 or so but I would sure like to know how
the radio is going to perform BEFORE I buy it.

My primary bands for portable have always been 40 and 20.  15 will
be dying soon.  Do I really need 17m for SOTA?

QUESTION FOR YOU ACTIVE SOTA Ops:  What bands do you mainly operate
when you are on a mountain top?

I've only been on one SOTA outing together with a buddy and we
operated
40/20/17/15 making a lot of QSOs on each band.  Perhaps not quite as
many on 17.

I think I will take a second look at the LNR offering.
It is indeed an SDR with DDC - so not an NE-605 type of radio.
Unfortunately they don't show much detail; just a block diagram.
There is a box called SDR-RF BPF.
This is a make or break component.
Some SDR radios have ham band BPFs (good), others have an LPF, with
0-12MHz (useless).


73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)



-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Barry N1EU
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 5:48 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Service, overhead, and the future. A/K/A/ I've
got my
2 cents!

Rick, I'm not sure if you would be satisfied by the KX1 or the MTR
radios.
Unfortunately I don't know the answer to something better but not
too expensive.

I suggest you try to borrow an MTR-5B.  That's the only lesser
expensive radio that will do 40-15M inclusively.  And you'd have to
search around to find one for sale currently although LNR should be
bringing it out soon.
Or, just stick with the FT-817.  I like the radio, although it
really needs an external speech processor to work well on SSB.

73, Barry N1EU

On Tue, Mar 15, 2016 at 11:50 AM, rick@dj0ip.de<Rick@dj0ip.de>   wrote:

Hi Barry,
I'd love to have a KX3 but it is much too heavy.
It's weight would place too big of a dent in my wallet!

For SOTA I really only need 40/20/17/15m.
10 is dying and by the time it comes back, I doubt that I will
still be running up any mountains.

My next scheduled SOTA operation is 1-April.  "Fool on a hill" -
that's

me!

I don't know yet if I'll try carrying my Scout up the mountain or not.
I can borrow an FT-817.

How good is the KX1?
We have some heavy challenges on our receivers here in EU.
A weak DR3 destroys 40m, especially at night, and a weak DR2 makes
working 20m difficult - especially at night.  You guys in the
states can't appreciate that.  You have to see/hear it to believe it.

I once built a 20m QRP rig based on a design by Rick Littlefield.
Had some kind of IC mixer.
It was marginal.
I ran a QRP CW contest using a home-brew magnetic loop antenna.
Sitting in my living room with radio, mag loop, and battery, I
worked

dozens of QSOs.

Thought it was great.  Then I put it on a big antenna and all hell
broke loose at night.

So I bought the MFJ 20m QRP CW rig.
It was no better than the one I built.
I sold both.

I want something better than that - but not too expensive.
But I don't know the QRP radios at all, except for the Argonauts.


73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)



-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Barry N1EU
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 12:25 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Service, overhead, and the future. A/K/A/
I've got my
2 cents!

On Mon, Mar 14, 2016 at 9:40 PM, rick@dj0ip.de<Rick@dj0ip.de>   wrote:


My Scout is a bit too heavy and over-powered, but the FT-817 just
isn't enough radio for me.
I'm looking for something in between.  I'd like to see a 10w or
20w radio with a good RX.
I want it to have both SSB and CW.



It's called a KX-3

I've got one, but I usually carry a much lighter KX-1 or MTR-5B
when I actually hike up a mountain.  (200 SOTA activations here)

73, Barry N1EU
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec



_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>