> Please post replies to the group or direct to my e-mail for more specific
> stuff. I'm looking forward to sharing stores about these kits. Thanks!
>
First let me say that I love my TenTec 1340 kit.
The reciever is amazing. The noise level is almost non existent. For some
reason, it doesn't respond to QRN. I can hear signals more clearly on this
thing than any $3000 receiver I've ever tried.
I must recommend that you remove the internal speaker and toss it in the
trash.
That speaker has a huge magnet that changes the inductance of the vfo coil
to the extent that the frequency is pulled several kc when the lid is
installed. But mainly, the speaker is very power hungry. The volume must be
turned way up to hear anything. Try connecting an ammeter in series with
the power lead and watch the current fluctuate as cw is received at normal
volume levels.
Get an MFJ Clear-Tone 281 speaker, remove the resistors from the headphone
jack and plug the 281 into the headphone jack. You will be amazed how
beautiful the audio now sounds and how the power consumption has decreased.
If you have C1, remove it and the qsk will be smooth. Mine is an older
version and that may have been taken care of by now. Also change R44 from
470 to 1k ohm. Add
10k to gnd from pin 8 of U4. All of this makes the qsk the fastes,
smoothest qsk in existence.
This rig has no sidetone. Rather, you actually are able to monitor your own
transmitted signal. Hearing yourself through the rigs receiver is the
ultimate way to do QSK! There are no clicks, pops, relays, fan noise or
delay. I can say that QSK on this rig is Transparent.
Some things I'de like to do:
Replace vfo pot R18 with a 10 turn pot.
Install a vernier tuning knob
Install jack for frequency counter connection to monitor vfo freq.
Install my keyer board
Of course all of that is not necessary. For portable operation you want as
little power consumption as possible anyway.
Tonight, I connected the 1340 to my ground mounted Butternut vertical,
Yuasa 12v lead acid battery, MFJ speaker and SpeedX bug and let one short
CQ rip. N2UU came back instantly and we had a great QSO. Bob was running
his Omni A and we talked for at least 30 minutes without missing a word.
Next, I called VA3SJ for a good rag chew. Stan was running his Omni A and
gave me a solid 579. We talked until we wore out. Who says you need 100
watts?
So here I sit listening to 4X4BL calling cq dx and I figure why bother.
He's no challenge for this rig. I get a bigger thrill when another fellow
rag chewer tells me how good my 3 watts sounds!
My only suggestion to the factory is to find a more sensitive speaker. Not
only would it reduce power consumption but would be louder and might even
be cheaper!
73
Steve Ellington
Amateur Radio Operator N4LQ
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