TenTec
[Top] [All Lists]

[TenTec] First comments: Triton IV Model 544

To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: [TenTec] First comments: Triton IV Model 544
From: randas@mindspring.com (randas@mindspring.com)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 20:20:34 -0400
Thanks for the report Jim..I look forward to hearing more.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Reid <jreid@aloha.net>
To: Jim Reid <jreid@aloha.net>; TenTec List <tentec@contesting.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Thursday, August 05, 1999 2:43 AM
Subject: [TenTec] First comments: Triton IV Model 544 


>
>Aloha,   now it is operating.
>
>> The rig appears to be in "brilliant,  uncirculated,  mint"  
>> condition!  
>
>Oops,  when the power was applied,  all was well,  except,
>the S-meter was NOT in the window!!  It was loose,  sort of
>fallen back.  Evidently suffered a jolt in shipping;  but the
>little rig was wrapped in about four layers of bubble wrap,
>and had foam inserts on the sides of the shipping box.
>
>Bright light within the S meter lights up the area around it inside
>the case,  now visible via the window where the S meter should
>be sitting.  No sign of any mounting hardware;  wonder if the
>meter came "unglued" from its mounting case? Clear plastic
>case around the visible front of the meter appears to be in
>fine shape.  Will have to go inside in the morning and re-set
>the meter somehow up against the view window.
>
>Before I go inside in the morning, any comments about the
>S meter mounting from anyone who has been there,  done 
>this?
>
>Meter is working fine;  agress within 1/2 S unit at various signal
>levels with the same signals tuned by the Omni VI+;  Omni is
>the bit more stingy with readings,  hi.
>
>> Looks  very nice on the shelf just above the Omni VI+;  will
>> have a comparison between them in a day or so.
>> First is to compare  noise,  as that was the impetus;
>> someone was praising the "quietness" of the Triton,
>> so we'll see.
>
>Well,  they sound different.  But when listening to a quiet band,
>then switching the antenna ON or OFF to either rig,  the noise
>appears to increase the same delta in each.
>
>One quite noticable audio difference, without headphones,
>is that the Triton sounds thin,  high passed,  but the speaker
>is beneath the rig which sits close to the desk top,  whereas
>the built-in Omni speaker is on the top above which is plenty
>of space on my desk.  So that makes a very noticable sound
>difference using the built in speakersl  Just discovered two
>snap  down legs below the Triton which raise the front
>helping the audio out from the bottom speaker.
>
>Headphone audio is also a bit high passed sounding;  however,
>with my Heil phones,  audio only goes to the left ear,  so I
>turn the phone around,  hi.  Guess need to get mono phones
>for the Triton.  Unfortunately, the phone jack is on the rear of
>the radio,  so with it up where it is,  I would really need an
>extension cord for the phones.  So for now,  my comparisons
>between these two rigs will be using speaker audio.
>
>The Triton has wider pass band width than the Omni,  even with
>the Omni using cascaded INRAD 2.8 kHz filters.  On both
>CW and SSB  I can hear adjacent signals with the Trition,  
>but not with the Omni.  Cannot find a spec on IF pass band
>with using SB-N mode for the Triton.  On CW,  the Triton has
>a CW-2 mode poition which the manual describes as using
>the same bandwidth as the SSB channel except when the 
>Triton 245 CW accessory filter is not  installed,  which it is in this
>rig.  When installed,  the "CW passband curve is peaked at
>750 Hz with reduced response on either side";  this is when in
>the CW-2 mode.  In the CW-1 mode position with this filter
>installed "the full 150 Hz wide filter is connected into the
>circuit, which provides very sharply attenuated skirts."
>Quotes from the Triton manual.  
>
>Noticed that the manual I rcv'd is for the analog,  dial
>version of the Triton.  Quite a bit about dial adjustment,
>and dial cord replacement.   Not a word about the digital 
>display I have.
>
>Note that the tuning rate of this unit is about 13 kHz per
>complete rotation of the main tuning knob ( at least on
>20 meters;  quite a bit of DX tonight also).
>
>I will spend more time with this little fellow tomorrow,  after
>going in to re-seat the S meter.  Hope to have more meaningful
>comparisons between these  two fine Ten Tec rigs.
>
>Tonight I would say the Omni remains my rig of choice!!
>
>But I have to become more familiar with the greatly
>differing operating controls and characteristics of
>the Triton IV.
>
>73,  Jim,  KH7M 
>
>
>
>--
>FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/tentecfaq.htm
>Submissions:              tentec@contesting.com
>Administrative requests:  tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
>Problems:                 owner-tentec@contesting.com
>Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
>


--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/tentecfaq.htm
Submissions:              tentec@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-tentec@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • [TenTec] First comments: Triton IV Model 544, randas@mindspring.com <=