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Re: [TenTec] Pimp My Eagle

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Pimp My Eagle
From: denton sprague <denton@oregontrail.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2016 11:20:33 -0800
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
analyzer….for those that use manual transmatches…and to tell also what antenna 
impendences are when anything changes. 
> On Jan 7, 2016, at 10:37 AM, Louis Ciotti <lciotti1@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Do you mean Tuner not analyzer?
> 
> On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 1:16 PM, denton sprague <denton@oregontrail.net>
> wrote:
> 
>> no
>>> On Jan 7, 2016, at 9:22 AM, Tony <va3dwi@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I hope you are joking about that!!
>>> 73, Tony VE3DWI.
>>> 
>>> Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Bell network.
>>>  Original Message
>>> From: denton sprague
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2016 12:13
>>> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
>>> Reply To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Pimp My Eagle
>>> 
>>> A built in antenna analyzer also, please...
>>> 
>>>> On Jan 7, 2016, at 8:52 AM, rick@dj0ip.de <Rick@DJ0IP.de> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD FOCUSED ON THE “EAGLE.”
>>>> 
>>>> (feel free to start a new thread on O7+ or O3)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I agree with Brian . . . let’s talk about radios again.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> It seems the current tentative plan is:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 1) OM7(+) gets a new front plate and face plate, but not a lot of
>>>> changes
>>>> 
>>>> 2) (super) Eagle gets new DSP and _ _ _ _ _ _
>>>> 
>>>> 3) Argonaut 6 will more or less resume production unchanged
>>>> 
>>>> 4) An O3 is in the making, details unknown
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I want to make a suggestions about the future Eagle.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> IMO TEN-TEC made a mistake with the Eagle.
>>>> 
>>>> They tried to address three market segments with one product.
>>>> 
>>>> 1) A simple easy to use computer for old folks (including me) who
>>>> usually prefer not to even turn the computer on, just because we want
>> to get
>>>> on the radio – but do want high performance.
>>>> 
>>>> 2) The mobile hf market
>>>> 
>>>> 3) The entry level 100w hf transceiver market
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Result: Jack of all trades, master of none.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> If you read the wish list in the Eagle group, since the beginning there
>> were
>>>> clearly representatives of all three groups expressing wishes for
>>>> improvements. What might benefit one group is often counter-productive
>> for
>>>> the other.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> If Ten-Tec is to succeed, they need to identify the market segment for
>> each
>>>> product and optimize for it.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Of the three segments I have listed above, I believe Ten-Tec’s best
>> chance
>>>> is in no. 1.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I don’t think any US based OEM can go big in the entry level segment
>> because
>>>> it is primarily driven by price.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I also believe a mobile rig today MUST have a removable front panel.
>> Sure
>>>> some people don’t mind having the radio occupy the front passenger
>> space,
>>>> but I prefer to keep it for my XYL. (In fact I have no choice ;-)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> My wish is for the Super Eagle to focus on number 1 above.
>>>> 
>>>> As such, I can propose some changes:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 1) And most important: a bigger box. In all my 15+ years
>>>> participating in Ten-Tec groups, I can’t recall a single instance of
>> anyone
>>>> asking for a smaller box. Yet ALL OEMs seem to think that’s what we
>> want.
>>>> Lots of important things suffer when you reduce the size of the box. You
>>>> have less knobs, more menu adjustable items, smaller loud speaker,
>> smaller
>>>> S-Meter, coils are smaller (lower Q), heat sinks are smaller and fans
>> are
>>>> smaller so you have more noise. Less room for working on the radio, less
>>>> room for back panel jacks (so we must use plugs with 75 pins!). DON’T
>> NEED
>>>> ANY OF THIS. I NEED THE FOLLOWING…
>>>> 
>>>> 2) Larger knobs. Concentric knobs are only ok if they are large
>>>> enough.
>>>> 
>>>> 3) Larger S-meter. Prefer a true meter, but if not, then at least a
>>>> color-coded LED meter.
>>>> 
>>>> 4) ¼ inch connections for things like key and headphones;
>>>> 
>>>> 5) Separate jacks for paddle and straight key
>>>> 
>>>> 6) PTT and AMP KEY should be RCA Phono (again)
>>>> 
>>>> 7) Dedicated RIT control (not the multi-knob)
>>>> 
>>>> 8) Simplified VFO mode (i.e. getting in and out of split)
>>>> 
>>>> 9) Buttons should have a max of dual function. Push once to enable
>>>> main function, push twice (quickly) to enable secondary function. I
>> don’t
>>>> want to push multiple buttons that may be on opposite sides of the front
>>>> panel.
>>>> 
>>>> 10) Exception to menu handling is allowed but only for things that
>> really
>>>> are “set once and forget”, such as defining filter slots and screen
>> color.
>>>> 
>>>> 11) Mic gain and CW Speed should be a dedicated knob. I’m OK with it
>> just
>>>> being one knob, but others might prefer concentric.
>>>> 
>>>> 12) Band stacking register. Don’t understand why it was left out.
>>>> 
>>>> 13) [finally] address the keying timing issues when using a non-Ten-Tec
>>>> linear amplifier. The Pre-dit and Post-dit (hang) time must be
>> adjustable.
>>>> Pre-dit can be inside the “set once and forget” menu, but Post-dit is a
>>>> value I change often. Either make it easy to adjust, OR make it
>> dynamically
>>>> linked to the keyer speed with user adjustable ratio. There are keyers
>> on
>>>> the market that have this feature.
>>>> 
>>>> 14) IF output to the real panel. Can be an option, but just plug one
>>>> cable.
>>>> 
>>>> 15) Pre-selector output to the real panel. Can be an option, but just 2
>>>> cables.
>>>> 
>>>> 16) AUX-RX ANT connection. It’s to the point now that often the low
>> bands
>>>> are only usable with some kind of special small receiving antenna, due
>> to
>>>> all the noise from consumer products.
>>>> 
>>>> 17) NO BAND SCOPE. (Use the IF connector on the rear panel). Or use an
>>>> ANT OUT, an external SDR, and Carl’s NP4Y software.
>>>> 
>>>> 18) Power Out indicator (not just an ALC LED)
>>>> 
>>>> 19) What else?
>>>> 
>>>> 20) Bright Red-Orange Dot! ;-)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I’m sure I have forgotten a few points, but mainly KEEP IT SIMPLE so
>> that
>>>> old eyes and old fingers can use it.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I intentionally began this thread here rather than in the Eagle group
>>>> because maybe if we get these changes, some of the people here (and not
>>>> currently in the Eagle group) will join us.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> PIMP MY EAGLE!
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
>>>> 
>>>> (Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>> 
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