Thanks to all who posted on my questions on the 505,509,515, which are the
only three older 5xx models commonly found. There may have been a 515 varient
called the 525. Present 5 w Argo is a 556, and the Scout, the QRO 50 W
brother, (same but for added heatsink with final ampli.) is a 555.
Now, I got to see and try the rig for sale last nite, and found out why the
ham handling the estate was puzzled over what model it was. The front and
back panels do not have a model no., but just "Argonaut" on front, in the
traditional Ten Tec case of paint and wood grain. But there was a xerox of
part of the manual and repair tickets from factory overhaul for control board
problems of first owner in '89, definitely listing its serial no. and model as
505. So this is the phone and CW 2 watt model from what kind list members
have told me.
Now, I did not figure out this late ham's antenna cables in the dark, so of
seven coaxes going out the shack wall, could not find one that made the
receiver jump to life like it was a HF antenna. I could peak the resonate
control, but it does not point exactly to the band designator. (The coax may
have been disconnected outside the shack for storm safety.) But on about 5
feet of coax shield lying on the desk, I could pick up both sides of a SSB QSO
on 80 and could hear broadcast stations on upper end of 40, and CW on 7040.
20 seemed closed and the thing I want to ask 505 owners about are some beats I
heard tuning 15 and 10 which at 9:30 PM Central time are of course, closed
bands as far as off the air reception is concerned. These must have been
spurious responses in the receiver, but seemed more prominent than the few my
Scout exhibits on ten. The reason I wanted this rig was for our club to use
on Field Day for a QRP effort. It needs to be good enough for Novice and
Technician stations to use.
Do other 505 's exhibit several beats with no antenna on 15 and 10?
The ham who was supposed to demo the rig to me there, could not come at last
minute, so I could not sort out all the 7 antenna cables without a guide. He
supposedly knows the SK's antenna setups he said.
Lesson learned: Do your family a favor, and label all your antenna cables,
and teach them whether you disconnect outside for storm protection, in case
you become indisposed and they have to sort out your ham shack in your
absence.
The widow has a number of tube Multi Elmac AF 67 mobile transmitters, I
believe 5, with one parts unit (with green case). There was also a base
station power supply for one. Of interest to QRP and Ten Tec owners are a
couple of Bencher type paddles, and maybe a hand key.
(It is a Lionel J38, but the 7th grader son may keep that, although he does
not seem to be inclined toward CW now. He is keeping his Dad's HT's and VHF
mobile, but I am trying to spark his interest in learning CW.)
Please excuse the digression from Ten Tec topics, and if any 505 experts could
comment on typical spurious performance on 15 and 10 under dead band
conditions it would be a help. The rig was in excellent front and case
cosmetic condition. The back panel had what are probably the common mods to
access external filters, as the manual had other manufacturers info on an MFJ
filter, and magazine articles.
The labels on the back panel were hand labeled, and there were more connectors
than I expected for a 505.
Do most owners of Ten Tecs of this vintage leave the RCA antenna connectors
on, like this one had? I had trouble finding a UHF adapter to try out the rig
as it was not attached to the RCA on the panel. Lesson learned, leave an
adapter close to each rig needing one in case you are not there when the rig
is to be demonstrated or used! (I had intended to take a Power Meter, Dummy
Load and bag of adapters of my own, and forgot to pick them up from my shack.)
Finally, this 505 had made two trips to the factory in 1989- one for extensive
transistor replacements in the Control Board, and later for a second
replacement of I believe Q7---is this a problem common to the 505?
Parts of $4 but labor of over $100 had been required for whatever this problem
was in '89. Does make one a bit wary, so again THANKS to all the list members
who sent me private email, and I thought perhaps these details might help
others who see a 505 or Argonaut labeled rig for sale.
73, Stuart K5KVH
rohre@arlut.utexas.edu
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