I love mine, Paul, and it's the pre-TenTec Chinese version. I also use
the PFR-3 and while I like both, the HB-1A feels more like "radio" to
me, if that makes any sense. The PFR-3 tunes with up/down switches
(not really a big deal) but it is a brick - literally. Super solid but
you could put two of the HB-1As on top of it sideways (well, not
quite, but nearly). as it is that much smaller. Needs a tuner or
resonant antenna (Looking for a ZM-2 here).
And, I didn't say it before, but I seriously doubt TenTec would have
taken the rig and put their name on it if it was not okay
quality-wise. Made me feel better about my non-TenTec as I was a
little hesitant about it being Chinese. Does the three bands, receives
SSB, has good filters (for a small portable rig), puts out 5 watts
with 12v and 3 with 9, is small, and has a keyer built into it. The
only negative comments are about the receive audio being a little low
(mine is not but it's a factor of impedance match with phones/buds). I
put an iPod plug-mounted battery-powered speaker on this one and the
audio is really loud. And it gives me another place to rob of
batteries should I need them in the field. Only thing to look out for
is that there are some HB-1s (not the A revision) out there and some
kit-builts.
Best of all, I paid $160 for my HB-1A as new. They are anywhere from
about that to $200 and most are never portable and like most qrp rigs,
they haven't been used a lot. Pretty good value to me. I think it's a
keeper here.
And there is a yahoo group.
Michael Goins, k5wmg
Professor, Writing
University of Texas at San Antonio
Northwest Vista College
Mike
Pipe Creek, Texas
Fast cars, slow boats, big dogs, little yellow radios, and summers off to write
Michael Goins, Editor/Publisher
Natural Awakenings-San Antonio/Hill Country magazine. Currently
distributed throughout Bexar, Kendall, Comal, Bandera, Kerr and
Gillespie counties - with 20,000 magazines in 450+ locations and a
online edition that gets emailed across the globe every month!
As of May, 2010, there are now 73 Natural Awakenings, printing
1,212,610 magazines monthly that are distributed at 37,924 locations.
We are read nationwide by 3,031,525 people.
2010/5/24 Paul Gates <kd3jf@hotmail.com>:
>
> I agree with all you said! I plan to have one of those little rigs as soon as
> they are available.
>
> Paul Gates
>
>
>
>> From: wn3vaw@verizon.net
>> To: tentec@contesting.com
>> Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 22:00:09 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] New TT website
>>
>> I've been doing a little checking, and I have yet to hear or read anything
>> significantly bad about the BD4RG HB-1A rig.
>>
>> So let's do a small reality check. Ten-Tec wants to introduce a new QRP
>> radio, they come across this design, they find out that they can have a
>> version of it built for them at an affordable price. So what's not to like?
>>
>> Would I have preferred that it be built in Tennessee? Certainly. But for
>> the company to survive, it may have been inevitable that some of their
>> manufacturing would be out-sourced, just to stay competitively priced.
>>
>> We don't know all the details, we may never know them, and for that matter,
>> it's probably not all for the public ears anyway. It could be that they are
>> currently so busy with equipment (amateur, commercial, and military) that
>> they couldn't squeeze something else into the production line schedule, for
>> example. So this is not necessarily a bad thing.
>>
>> And let's be realistic. Let's say Ten-Tec decides, for example, to
>> introduce a small mobile HF rig... imagine an updated Argonaut V with 100 W
>> output, for example. [I used to talk about such a possibility with Scott,
>> way back when, and the answer I got was that it wasn't cost effective for
>> Ten-Tec to do so -- the interest was there, but they couldn't price it in
>> such a way as to be affordable (and competitive with others) and
>> profitable.] If this new radio works out, and the opportunity presents
>> itself, let's say that the new rig CAN be built at BD4RG's facility... and
>> the retail cost to you is $599 or less. Would you buy that radio, even if
>> it were made overseas? [I know I'd strongly consider it if I had the
>> shekels to spend at the time... and probably would] And the alternative
>> is... no radio at any price?
>>
>> My biggest concern however... well, a few of you on the list remember the
>> Drake TR-22. Which was built for them with their design by a company called
>> Trio. What happened next? Well, do you remember the Trio-Kenwood TR-2200?
>> The rest I leave as an intellectual exercise for the curious.
>>
>> The bottom line is that this is going to be very interesting. I hope for
>> Ten-Tec's sake (and for ours, for that matter) that it works out well. We
>> shall see.
>>
>> And with any luck, come this fall, I will be able to get my hands on one
>> myself.
>>
>> 73, ron w3wn
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
>> On Behalf Of Bwana Bob
>> Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2010 2:32 PM
>> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] New TT website
>>
>> It looks like it was designed to compete with the Elecraft KX-1 and the
>> Hendricks TFR. Personally, I would prefer a kit radio.
>>
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Bob WB2VUF
>>
>> Michael Goins wrote:
>> > Yep. It's the Chinese rig by BD4RG with TenTec's name now on it. If
>> > you pull up the manuals for the rig the schematic is still the same
>> > and it has HB-1A on it.
>> >
>> > This is a really a fun little rig and the price is pretty good built
>> > and ready to go. The audio is a little raspy on the original ones and
>> > a little low. Wonder if it was corrected for this version and hte
>> > schematic just hasn't been changed on the instruction sheets. Again, I
>> > wonder why they split it into 20/30 and 30/40 when the original is
>> > 20/30/40. Find that a little odd.
>> >
>> > Mike
>> > Pipe Creek, Texas
>> > Fast cars, slow boats, big dogs, little radios, and summers off to write
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > 2010/5/21 Fotis SV8ING <sv8ing@yahoo.gr>:
>> >> It's www.tentec.com
>> >> and I see there a new TT site!
>> >>
>> >> 73
>> >>
>> >> Fotis SV8ING Papadellis
>> >>
>> >> GREECE
>> >>
>> >> --- Στις Παρ., 21/05/10, ο/η Kris Merschrod <Kris@merschrod.net> έγραψε:
>> >>
>> >> Από: Kris Merschrod <Kris@merschrod.net>
>> >> Θέμα: Re: [TenTec] New TT website
>> >> Προς: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
>> >> Ημερομηνία: Παρασκευή, 21 Μάιος 2010, 14:37
>> >>
>> >> Good afternoon Fotis,
>> >>
>> >> Please tell us where the new T T website is. That is, please send the
>> www.
>> >> address or URL.
>> >>
>> >> 73,
>> >> Kris KM2KM
>> >> Merschrod
>> >> 123 Warren Road
>> >> Ithaca, NY 14850
>> >> www.merschrod.net
>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>> >> From: "Fotis SV8ING" <sv8ing@yahoo.gr>
>> >> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
>> >> Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 10:25 AM
>> >> Subject: [TenTec] New TT website
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>> A new TT website is out there!
>> >>>
>> >>> 73
>> >>>
>> >>> Fotis SV8ING Papadellis
>> >>>
>> >>> GREECE
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> _______________________________________________
>> >>> TenTec mailing list
>> >>> TenTec@contesting.com
>> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>> >>>
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>> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
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>> >>
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>> > TenTec@contesting.com
>> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
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