Yes, I also saw all the filter choices for the Triton IV (540) and the
model 544 so I wrote George at INRAD and about how someone actually uses
one of these. His reply was he didn't have any specifics... that his
chart was just reporting what users had told him.
The good news is that folks have modified their Triton IVs in the past.
Reason why? For anyone who really understands Ten-Tec gear and its
history they would know that the 540/544 are regarded (especially by
Ten-Tec themselves) as one of their best achievements. I have a lot of
Ten-Tec gear here... and no longer have some that I had bought
previously.... A Jupiter came and went real fast as did a Pegasus... My
Paragon and my Omni-VI+ have new homes to make room for my Orion (jury
is still gathering facts on the Orion). Of all my remaining equipment I
have two favorites by far are my Corsair II and my Triton IV.
I don't agree that there is no point in updating a $200 rig. It is not
about money... or what value the world attaches to something 'older'....
it is about what value you attach to what you have. Regardless of the
fact that I spent $3000 for the Orion (far too much), $600 for the
Corsair II, VFO, PS, filters (a great value), and but a mere $225 for
the darn close to mint, one owner,Triton IV and PS (sweet) my favorite
for the past two months has been the Triton IV ( I owned one of these
babies 30 years ago and have always regretted selling it off in 1980 to
buy a vastly inferior but fancy 'import' rig). I use my Triton IV about
90 % of the time. Why? Because it sounds that much better! If I am going
to run a contest or try to break into a hard core DX pileup I'd probably
choose the Corsair II or the Orion, but for nearly everything else it is
all about 'hearing comfort' and lack of noise. Errr, should I say signal
to noise ratio? I have yet to find a 'weak' signal on the Orion or the
Corsair II that I could not also hear on the Triton IV with less
background noise and more pleasing overall audio. So if you should find
a well taken care of 540 or 544 and you are not a do-it-yourself tech
like I am, then I'd have Ten-Tec bring it back to spec and enjoy a great
rig....
So can you add another filter? Yes, in fact I have in my notes a
schematic provided by Ten-Tec that detailed the circuit they recommended
(basically a lift from the first Omni series). I've collected a Ten-Tec
500 Hz filter for the job and I am considering, but I haven't done it as
yet. First of all I haven't encountered an honest need for it and I am
not fond of filter 'ringing' either (remember what I said about my
desire for a good sound?). Now I find that the Ten-Tec provided audio CW
filter does an excellent job (it is within the AGC loop too) with the
sharpest setting providing quit good single signal reception... but even
it rings a bit too much for me. My answer was to add an outboard Idom
Press SCAF-1 audio filter which allows me to tighten the output audio to
a ridiculous point without ever incurring any ringing. So I use the
Ten-Tec audio CW filter in position CW-2 for AGC signal peaking and the
SCAF-1 to tighten the passband when needed. A great combo. If I had only
one rig and it was the 540 I would add a sharp crystal filter for more
demanding CW work. However as the 540/544 does not have WARC bands I
would have a hard time letting the Corsair II go as well so I will
probably keep the Triton IV as it was designed and enjoy one of the
quietest, most sensitive, easy on the ears transceiver ever to come out
of Tennessee.
73,
Jerry, KG6TT
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