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Re: [TenTec] The Eagle and the legacy TTs

To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] The Eagle and the legacy TTs
From: Rsoifer@aol.com
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:42:51 -0400 (EDT)
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Joe,
 
As an "old head" I do know what you're saying.  I have an FT-102,  which 
was my main HF radio from 1984 to 2005.  (It's now "retired," on the  shelf.)  
Its receiver was "famous" in its day, especially with the two  250 Hz Inrad 
filters I put in, but it's well below the better modern rigs.   Rob 
Sherwood doesn't list the FT-102 in his table, but look at his figures for  the 
FT-1000D, whose receiver is similar.  BTW, you're right about  sensitivity.  
When I needed more than the FT-102 could provide, I brought  my 75S-1 on line. 
 I've still got that too.
 
73 Ray W2RS  
 
 
In a message dated 9/27/2010 6:43:18 P.M. GMT Standard Time,  
jroberts@io.com writes:

On  9/27/2010 11:52 AM, mike bryce wrote:
> I haven't looked it up but in  1978 the triton was someplace around $700 
stripped with no noise blanker or cw  filters, analog version.
>
> today that's about over two  grand.


Yeah, I wouldn't call the Triton a cheap rig...even though  it is only 
$200 +/- now. It was a top of the line set in its day.

I  remember reading Triton ads as a kid, totally amazed at DIGITAL 
READOUT!  WOW!! Pretty impressive when you are used to bandspread dial.

I have  been a student and junk collector for almost 40 years, tried 
everything  from 1930 to recent in radios and audio gear. I have had 100 
high end  radios from decades gone by.

My feeling is that it takes 10 or 20 years  to begin to try to figure out 
what the standout rigs of a generation  really are. I can understand the 
idea of playing with the latest and  greatest for big fun, but I'll 
withhold judgment on what is the "good  stuff" for the historical record.

A few weeks ago I was listening to a  Triton 544 on 20m at midnight on a 
very quiet band and heard a dozen very  light, almost imaginary but 
copyable, Russian SSB stations. I switched to  a well maintained and 
tweaked up FT-102, the famous receiver FT-102, and  heard nothing except 
a fine hiss.

The reason I am on this list and  use miscellaneous (mostly older) Ten 
Tecs is that they proved their worth  and practical prowess to me. This 
is "the good stuff," within the  constraints of then-available 
technology--which was quite respectable in  terms of basic radio 
performance, if not digital add-ons.

You "old  heads" know what I'm saying...

I'm in grad school again and not in a  position to blow $2k on a rig but 
when I can I will look at Ten-Tec first.  And while I'm in self-imposed 
academic poverty, I'm looking at "legacy"  Ten-Tec first.

I work with a luxury tube audio electronics manufacturer  in Korea when 
not studying archaeology books. We have spent $6000 apiece  on chassis, 
real nice chassis, but even simple aspects of manufacturing  add up fast. 
$300 per unit evaporates in an instant. To me, most ham gear  looks very 
reasonably priced, even if I can't afford it right  now!

I can't imagine putting out a $600 rig beyond simplistic QRP-style  gear 
made in TN worthy of the Ten Tec logo. Maybe they could do it for  $1000, 
but it would take a very sophisticated buying public to recognize  the 
value in a barebones but super high performance TRX, and then actually  
buy it rather than a loaded-up import for the same price. I don't think  
we're there yet but some are moving in that direction, e.g.  Elecraft.

The Eagle also looks like it is aimed toward this  "sophisticated" user 
group...simple, with just enough options and  functionality to make sense 
in today's world.

I think Mike is  right. Many would laugh at a $1000 modern Triton with 
six knobs even if it  was the best basic radio ever produced. Some of us 
wouldn't  though.


Joe  N5KAT




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