After retiring last year I purchased a new Ten-Tec Omni VI this past
summer. Prior to that I was a very satisfied Ten-Tec Delta 580 owner for
16 or so years. My ears may not be good enough to detect the chirp that is
talked about. I don't know if my particular radio has it or not. I
suppose I could have a cw contact with someone and they could tell me, but
so far, no one has given me anything but glowing reports on either cw or ssb.
I purchased the Omni because of its legendary receive capabilities. It has
far exceeded my expectations in that department. Punching the "NR" digital
noise filter on a weak signal does wonders. I don't need to use it all the
time, but it is so easy to use when I do want to use it. The signal leaps
out and the background noise drops way down.
The various combinations of 9 & 6 mhz. crystal filters, along with the pass
band tuning and the notch make for some awesome crud cutting flexibility.
Since I did not have any of these things, other than the crystal filters,
in my old Delta 580, I can't say that they are better or worse than brand
x. I can just say that they are good.
I do have a Kenwood TS50S, which I use mobile, and primarily on SSB. I
have the 500 hz cw filter for it. I virtually never use it at home because
the receiver is so easily overloaded. It is virtually useless in a CW
contest from home. Of course, it is not a $3,000 radio, and is primarily
intended for mobile use, where I enjoy it very much.
My spouse, KE4YSK, and I visited the Ten-Tec factory a few months before I
made my purchase. If I really liked the radio before the visit, I was head
over heels after seeing first hand the people who make the radios and
watching parts of the process of making the various rigs. I have no doubt
that other manufacturers do a fine job as well. It makes me feel good,
however, to know that I can drive the 5 hours from Louisville down to the
factory, drop the radio off for service, and then enjoy a shopping spree in
Gatlinburg or Pidgeon Forge. (I am not suggesting that they fix it while I
shop, just that there is a lot to do in that part of the country for a
country boy from Louisville).
Ten-Tec service has got to be worth something to those of us who like to
mess up our radios but need to have expert help to fix them when something
serious goes wrong. In addition, I suspect that if Ten-Tec comes out with
a "fix" for the chirp that can be retro-fitted, us owners will get early
consideration on an upgrade. That is not something that other
manufacturers seem to do with any regularity.
Certainly, I am no expert on radios or any other aspect of ham radio. I am
a user, and the above comments come from that perspective. The Omni VI may
not be right for everyone, but it works for me. Should you want to hear
the key clicks first hand, let me know and I will be glad to try to set up
a sked with you on CW. Also, tune into the Ten-Tec Users net on Sunday
night (at 6:00 eastern, 14.280 + or -) and ask one of the Omni users to go
up ten and do some cw. Regards, and hope you enjoy whatever radio you
decide to purchase.
Pete.
At 07:38 1999/01/07 PST, carol brannigan wrote:
>
>Subject: [TenTec] omni VI
>
>
>After hearing about the dozens of postings on the chirp in the VI I'am
>wondering if I should let that discourage me from
>buying the radio it seems this is the main fault of the radio. I used to
>own a Icom 761 and I wonder what some of your
>thoughts are?
>
>Thanks, Robert
>
>Robert:
>
>There are a host of people out there, with no lives, who will carp and
>complain about anything. I know of a guy who held up the standard
>measurement of refrigerators because he contended the volume of the wire
>trays had to be taken into account. These are the same people who write
>endlessly about whether the millenium is 2000 or 2001.
>Who gives a ____ . My new (to me) Omni VI+ is the radio of my dreams.
>Get one and enjoy !........Robert.....W2EJG
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
>
Pete, NO2D
Pewee Valley, KY
http://members.iglou.com/pinskeep
Ask about my free Linux Morse401.tgz program
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