John,
look on the Ten Tec support knowledge base for TT using the phrase
"Omni D series C". They use it for the 546C!
<http://kb.tentec.com/>
For example, "Identifying the Omni D series A, B or C" where they use
that name several times.
<http://kb.tentec.com/index.php?article=41>
Better still a Google site specific search finds them all ...
<http://www.google.com/search?rls=en&q=site:kb.tentec.com+%22Omni+D
+series%22>
including their General Repair FAQ (this is a PDF file).
<http://kb.tentec.com/pdf.php?category=7>
It is true that the manual (and the radio) don't have this name on
them but that doesn't mean that TT never called them by that. I
suspect they didn't realize how convoluted their product names had
become until after they shipped them and people would call in with
problems.
Of course this naming scheme also explains how the Omni V, VI and VII
got their names if you count A, B, C, D, 5, 6, 7.
Last time this came up a guy (it wasn't you John, was it?) just
wouldn't believe me until I provided him with the links to the
tentec.com site. Then he stopped emailing me! Very odd.
On Nov 9, 2007, at 9:10 AM, John/K4WJ wrote:
Carl,
What you wrote sounds logical. However, I've never seen any reference
to an Omni D series C until some guys started posting this in their
messages to this group.
I have researched all of the sales brochures I have and even went
back to 1979 to look in QST for any reference to an Omni D series C.
I did not find any reference to it.
If TenTec wanted to call it an Omni D series C they never made this
public, at least as far as my research has determined.
Omni Announced in October, 1978
The October, 1978 QST has a TEN-TEC advertisement that announces
on pages
128 and 129,
"there's a world of difference in TEN-TEC's all new hf
transceiver--
OMNI"
The Omni was avaialble with either a digital or an analog frequency
readout. The specifications for both OMNI models were the same
except for
the readouts
" ANALOG OR DIGITAL READOUTS . OMNI A features an analog dial
with 1 kHz
dial markings. OMNI D has 0.43" LED readouts with the 5 most
significant
in
red and the 6th in green to show 100 Hz increments."
The price for these beauties was "Model 545 OMNI-A $899" and the
"Model
546
Omni D $1069".
Both transceivers pictured in this advertisement have digital
readouts and
have "OMNI D" printed above the TEN-TEC logo on the front panel.
In other
advertisements I saw pictures of the Omni A and it had an analog
dial and
"OMNI A" above the Ten-Tec logo on the front panel.
August, 1979
It appears that this is the first time Ten-Tec advertised the
series B.
This advertisement announced,
"New OMNI/SERIES B Filters The Crowd". The advertisement claims
"NEW I-F
RESPONSE SELECTION" and "NEW NOTCH FILTER" and new prices.
The prices were, "Model 545 Series B OMNI-A $949" and the "Model 546
Series
B OMNI-D $1119". Pictures of the digital model show OMNI-D
printed above
the logo on the front panel. Ten-Tec continued to offer an analog
and a
digital version of the Omni.
May, 1980
In QST on page 109 I found the first Omni - Series C
advertisement. It
said, "new features, new performance + all 9 bands". The price
line says
"Model 546 Omni - Series C...$1189" The front panel has "OMNI"
printed
above the logo and the A and D were dropped.
The digital "Model 546 Omni - Series C" replaced the analog
"Model 545
Series B Omni-A" and the digital "Model 546 Series B Omni-D" in
May, 1980.
In summary, the Ten-Tec OMNI models were as follows,
Omni Analog Models
Model 545 OMNI-A $899 announced around October, 1978
Model 545 Series B OMNI-A $949 announced around August, 1979
Omni Digital Models
Model 546 Omni D $1069 announced around October, 1978
Model 546 Series B OMNI-D $1119 announced around August, 1979
Model 546 Omni - Series C $1189 announced around May, 1980
I don't know why some folks refer to their 'Omni C' as the 'Omni-
D Series
C' because the latter never existed. If anyone has information
that it
did, then I sure would like to see it. Since there was no analog
version of the
C series, calling it the Omni C meant that it had a digital readout.
TenTec referred to it as Model 546 Omni - Series C and NOT as the
Model 546 Omni-D series C. I assumed they dropped the Omni-D in order
differentiate the series C as a new line of digital readout
transceivers not to be confused with the older models. There was no
analog version of the series C so there was no need to continue to
use Omni-A or Omni-D in the name.
Back in the old days hams would refer to their older TenTec rigs as
a an Omni B with a digital readout or an Omni B with an analog
readout. This differentiation was not necessary with the series C so
it was referred to as an Omni C even though there is no mention of
the Omni C in TenTec's literature or manual.
Over the years I've beaten this subject to death. I've accepted Omni
C as the name for my transceiver even though it is not the official
TenTec name for this model. So, I will accept the fact that the
TenTec newbies refer to it as the Omni D series C.
73..de John/K4WJ
At 06:40 PM 11/8/2007, you wrote:
The Omni C was short for Omni D series C. They were only made in
digital.
So obviously Omni C series B is impossible. In the Original mode,
there was
an Omni A for analog and an Omni D for digital display. Then
later both
these models were enhanced to the series B level. Hence the Omni
A series B
and the Omni D series B. Then finally, they came out with the
series C,
which was only digital. It was an Omni D series C which got
shortened to
Omni C.
Carl Moreschi N4PY
121 Little Bell Drive
Bell Mountain
Hays, NC 28635
----- Original Message -----
From: "John/K4WJ" <k4wj@bellsouth.net>
To: <roncasa@verizon.net>; "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment"
<tentec@contesting.com>; "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment"
<tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] For Sale Omni A/B and power Supply
Ron,
I challenge you to find an Omni C, series B in any TenTec sales
brochures, magazine ads or any magazine reviews. I've owned a C
since
1981 and I've never seen or heard of an Omni C, series B until some
guys invented it on the Internet.
73..de John/K4WJ
At 03:48 PM 11/8/2007, roncasa@verizon.net wrote:
Hi,
I have for sale a Ten Tec Omni A/B in good condition.
I have to ask, but what is A/B? I've seen Omni listed as A, and
as B,
even C
and D. But never as "A/B".
I also know it was TT fault for confusing us naming these models
(smile).
Like, "Omni C, series "B".
(maybe I was out that day)
Ron, wb1hga
"the 516 is a keeper"
73..de John/K4WJ
ex K8PXG 18 Jun 1959 to 11 Feb 1997
K8WJ 12 Feb 1997 to 08 Apr 1997
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--
73 DE N7WIM / G8UDP
Kevin Purcell
kevinpurcell@pobox.com
BIRRGRMP BRU ROTARY GE GE UGERUMF OM WITH MY SET RETTYSNITCH SPITTY
TONE HIT IN POTIMUS? BK
|