The one item I might add to this discussion, having owned a Pegasus and now
owning an Omni VI, Option 3, and having put good time on other radios such as a
TS-870SAT, 756Pro 3, and K3:
Identify your particular receiving challenges, if there are any.
I am continuing to identify and have corrected noisy power line components that
often give me an S8 noise level on 40 meters, which is my main band of
operation. The Omni VI noise reduction is marginally effective. If the band
is empty, I am fine; if it is crowded, it will be pumped by strong signals even
several KCs away with the result that the noise appears. If I try to use the
9mhz IF filters, they delay the signal sufficiently as to defeat the NR. On
the other side when that line noise is absent, I can slide next to any strong
station and have good copy on a weak signal.
My point after all this? The more sophisticated noise reduction on an Omni
VII, and perhaps of a Pegasus/Jupiter, might prove superior to what the Omni VI
offers in my situation, despite the fact that on paper my roofing-filter
equipped Omni VI is marginally better in a band crowded with strong signals
than the O-VII, and significantly better than the Pegasus or Jupiter with their
16 bit DSP.
In my environment, wonderful noise reduction algorithms and execution are
probably more important than maximum selectivity. If you have a similar
problem with noise, the Jupiter would likely prove superior to the Corsair II
or Omni VI. Without that noise I bet you'd be thrilled with the Corsair II.
The one advantage of the Omni VI Option 3 to the Omni VI Plus is that the Six
Plus relies on surface mount construction; I at least have a shot at working on
the non-surface-mount boards of my Option 3.
73,
Art, KØRO
--- On Wed, 2/3/10, d.e.warnick@comcast.net <d.e.warnick@comcast.net> wrote:
From: d.e.warnick@comcast.net <d.e.warnick@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Old vs New = crunch time
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 12:10 PM
With a budget in the $600 to $1800 range, you can do quite well in a TT rig,
Please understand that because of the way the protective circuitry in TT rigs
is set up, it is best to run with a TT power supply. NOT MANDATORY, but you are
afforded better protection of the finals. You will also want some accessories.
I have had several Corsair II's. They fall in that range. They are excellent.
You may need to rebuild the PTO (not at all difficult if you have patience and
follow TT's directions).
The basic Corsair II is very affordable. When budgeting, however, don't forget
that you'll want the optional filters (you may wish to choose only CW as that
is what you indicate you operate(allow $100 to $130 for 2). With the amount of
contesting and DX that you do, you'll probably also want the external VFO
(Getting hard to find. Allow at least $150). Great accessory and well worth the
addition. Add to that a power supply (another $90 to $120) and you're still in
your price range. A good operator with a Corsair II can easily out-perform a
so-so operator on any other rig. Malcolm's right about the sidetone, though
there are some fixes to that.
My point is that the cost of your 'new' rig may not be just the cost of the
transciever. If you had indicated that you had a different budget, or that your
operating habits were different, my suggestion would have been different.
Never used a Jupiter, so can't comment on that option. Probably great for the
rag-chew part of your operating, but I suspect that it may leave you short for
the contesting and DXing.
Given the $1800 top of your budget, you can have an Omni VI+ with TT 961 or 962
power supply, all 5 optional filters and a remote 301 tuning pod (a real must).
With this rig, you can connect to your computer for logging and rig control.
Until you've used that feature, you can't really appreciate how nice it is to
have time, freq, etc in the log, or to jump to an exact freq by keying it in on
your computer's number pad and hitting enter. The Omni VI is a very easy rig to
use. All controls do what you would expect. Very well laid out front panel.
Dynamite receiver and legendary TT QSK
There you've got it. A choice for a rig in the lower half of your budget, and
one in the upper half.
Best of luck with your decision making, and when it is finally done, enjoy the
new rig, whatever it is
Dave
WA3MKB
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the question is "If you wanted a relative simple radio for CW work (use
is 75% rag chew; 15% contest; and 10% DX)and you had to keep the cost down,
would you opt for an older rig such as a Corsair II or a software driven
older rig such as an Omni VI or spring for something in the price range of a
new Jupiter? My budget is somewhere between $600 and $1800 which rules out a
number of options.
Any constructive thoughts would certainly be welcome either off-line or on
the list. Thanks and 73s
Roger Rippy W7RIP
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