K2, 180-250 mA receive
Curt KB5JO
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP" <Rick@DJ0IP.de>
To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2013 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] A Fun Day with Ham Radio,and a Question about Portable
Operating
Jeff,
What other rigs are there out there that work 80/40/20/15/10 and possibly
even 160, yet require only a couple hundred mA on RX?
I only know of the KX3, with its 250mA.
I'm sure there are loads of rigs with only a couple of bands, but I don't
know of any other all band rigs like that.
73
Rick, DJ0IP
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Herr
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2013 5:27 PM
To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
Subject: Re: [TenTec] A Fun Day with Ham Radio, and a Question about
Portable Operating
This is an outdated perception. Look at the kx3.
No "portables" draw much more than 250mils on recv these days....and a lot
do with less.
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bwana Bob
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2013 07:15
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Cc: Jack Emerson
Subject: Re: [TenTec] A Fun Day with Ham Radio, and a Question about
Portable Operating
Jack:
Great story!
The radio of choice for portable operation seems to be the Yaesu FT-817.
It runs 2.5W on internal battery and 5 W on external power People seem to
really like them, though I hear that the receiver overloads in the
presence of very strong signals, and some folks do not like the menu
structure. I've never tried one myself. Most of the other amateur
radios advertised as "portable" draw 1 to 1.5 amps on receive, not too
good for a battery power budget. At the other end of the spectrum are the
military packsets, like the AN/PRC-104. They are cool, rugged, and
expensive, even on the surplus market. Good for spot frequency use, but
tuning the band won't be that much fun using the frequency selection
switches. Again, I've never tried one. In the middle is Ten Tec. While
they don't seem to be marketing the Argonaut VI as a portable rig, Ten Tec
has made efforts to keep the receive current drain down and 10 W is a more
practical level that 2.5 or 5 W, especially for working SSB. A lower cost
alternative, if you can find one would be the T-T Scout or Argosy. I have
successfully used my Scout portable on several occasions. I crank the
power back to 25-30 W and it will run fine on CW on a 7 Ah battery for at
least a couple of hours. A bigger battery, like those automotive jump
starting packs, will give you longer run time.
Running the Scout at lower power will also make it run cooler, which helps
prevent VFO drift. The receive current drain for the Scout is 600 mA. I
think that the Argo VI would be better, especially if one can buy or
fabricate a pack or handles for it.
What do you use for antennas? My portable preference is simple dipoles
instead of the short, loaded dipoles and verticals. I made a reel-out
dipole from surplus AN/CRT-3 antenna reels and a smaller version using
plastic "campers clothesline" reels. Here are some antenna ideas from
N6CC: http://www.n6cc.com/antenna-system-ideas
73, and let's hear more stories!
Bob WB2VUF
On 4/6/2013 10:10 PM, Jack Emerson wrote:
Hey de Jack W4TJE in Fancy Gap, VA. Radio-wise, today has been a
blast. You know it’s going to be a good radio day when ur working a
strong Russian station on 15m cw just after ur sunrise, and he tells you
that he is running a ten tec stn (Omni V). I think in all my years on
air, that is the first Russian ever worked running Ten Tec gear. Note to
Ten Tec: Send me an e-mail, and I will send you his call sign. He
deserves a mug, or at least a cap.
Then, at mid-morning, my buddy Todd, N4LA, drove up from NC with his
backpacks and portable gear, and he and I then drove a few miles up the
road, parked, and climbed to the top of Buffalo Mtn in Floyd County, VA.
Todd and I are the same age (49), from the same town originally in NC
(Siler City), grew up together, both learned radio together, and even
have common relatives by marriage. After school, he joined the Navy,
while I joined the Marine Corps, so it did my heart proud today to show
the U.S. Navy how a Marine humps to the top of a mountain peak (SINGING
THE MARINE CORPS ANTHEM WHILE CARRYING BOTH BACKPACKS).
So a full hour after I (USMC) had made it to the top carrying all of the
gear, Todd (Navy) finally arrived, and we were ready to get on air. We
set up at the summit at 3970 feet, with me (USMC) doing all the work,
while Todd (USN) drinking coffee and telling sea stories (LIES) about how
rough life at sea was for him.It was then that I was introduced to the
world of the Summits On The Air (SOTA). IT WAS AWESOME.!! We operated
both phone and cw and put that peak on the air for only the second time.
We had stns calling us from Europe to the West Coast, and put over 70 of
them in the log before shutting down and climbing down the mountain ( I
had to carry Todd, he had ran out of both coffee and sea stories ((LIES))
by then).
So now, I’m all pumped about operating SOTA, and checking their web site
tonight tonight I see that there are quite a few peaks near me that are
rare or have never even been activated. I’ve never been into qrp, but am
intrigued by the Argo 6 for use as a SOTA portable rig, but am also
interested in the Eagle for the same use. So any Argonaut 6 or Eagle
owners, pse tell me any pros and cons for portable use. I am very
interested in knowing what ur opinions are, esp with respect to battery
use/power drain.
And finally, tnx to Todd for introducing me to SOTA today, and don’t get
mad when you read how I picked on you here on this reflector.
73 de Jack W4TJE
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