TenTec
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [TenTec] Omni D issue

To: tubsc66@aol.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Omni D issue
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson" <geraldj@weather.net>
Reply-to: geraldj@weather.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 23:49:42 -0500
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Mike has good advice.

Here's another way to do that test if you have a manual tuner. Tune the 
antenna with another radio on 20m. Then connect the Omni D. If it won't 
show the same SWR, then you know the radio has spurs. And if the OMNI D 
shows output on a separate SWR meter while connected to a dummy load and 
with the drive turned down, it has a spur. The SWR should not change 
with drive up on a dummy load but it will through a tuner.

Beside oscillation there are less common possibilities like messed up 
band pass filters because of trimmer capacitors that have gone open at a 
sliding contact, a broken coil winding wire, or bandswitch shaft that's 
been installed with a wafer or two on the wrong position or bandswitch 
contacts that aren't making connection.

In two models of Kenwood, they will oscillate on 10, 15, and 20 if the 
RF board mounting screws aren't tight because they depend on those 
boards for grounding. I think Tentec boards can also depend on the 
mounting screws, so its a good check to simply tighten them. Some take 
the screws out one at a time and add shakeproof lock washers to get a 
better bite. That may last longer than just the screw, but since plastic 
flow under pressure, board mounting screws do need tightening every few 
years even with shakeproof lock washers.

And in Tentecs, dirty cable connections have been know to cause odd 
radio performances. If the grounds were not good on a driver or PA board 
on both ends it might oscillate where the gain was highest. So a bit of 
DeoxIT (quarter drop) per pin and sliding the connectors off and on a 
couple times sometimes cures ills.

73, Jerry, K0CQ

On 9/10/2010 9:49 PM, tubsc66@aol.com wrote:
> Thanks so much for the advice Jerry. Im fairly new to Ten Tecs and the
> older Omni's in
> particular. I realize my problem sounds unlikely to most people, but it
> is there... I just
> wondered whether this was a new twist I wasnt aware of, have a great
> weekend!
>
> 73,
>
> Chris KC5IIE
>

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

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