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Re: [TenTec] Omni VI instability, TCXO worth it?

To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Omni VI instability, TCXO worth it?
From: "rick@dj0ip.de" <Rick@DJ0IP.de>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 17:17:12 +0200
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
The Icom radio looks nice but I'm afraid Icom may never address the
dither/randomization problem they have. This is a handicap in a contest, as
the radio blocks too early.

The JA companies just don't seem to be very interested in addressing
problems with their products.

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)


-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Paul Gates
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 4:43 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Omni VI instability, TCXO worth it?

If it were me Iwould get the Icom radio.
Paul, KW4BD

On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 6:36 PM, Jim Allen <jim.allen@longhornband.net>
wrote:

> It's not all bad.  When my Omni Vi opt. 3 had a transceive problem, I 
> sent it in.  I had a few chats with the head tech describing the exact 
> symptoms and eventually was told that there was no problem at all, 
> verified on two separate benches.  It was about $120 shipping out and 
> back.  No charge for the look-see.  Well, there WAS a problem.  It was 
> not transceiving on the same frequency, just as I claimed.
>
> I ended up sending it to a private repair guy, Wade, who used to 
> participate here.  I've not seen him here in a long time.  He found 
> some parts in the chain that needed replacing and that fixed it.  You 
> might consider getting in touch with him.
>
> 73 de W6OGC Jim Allen
>
> When it came back,
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Jul 12, 2016, at 17:02, Peter Klein <pklein@threshinc.com> wrote:
> >
> > A big thanks to everyone who responded. It's been two weeks now, and 
> > I
> have not heard a peep from Ten-Tec.  Not even a "sorry, we're swamped"
> acknowledgement.  Which in itself is a partial answer, I'm sorry to 
> say.  I love the radio. But if Ten-Tec is unwilling or unable to 
> answer a clearly-written request within two weeks, and won't take 
> phone calls, then one of the reasons why I bought Ten-Tec in the first 
> place apparently doesn't exist any more.  Add to that the prohibitive 
> and ever-increasing cost of even UPS Ground shipping, and Ten-Tec not 
> suggesting a permanent fix when the had the radio in their shop for 
> the same problem two and a half years ago.
> >
> > I am not impressed.  Yes, I sympathize with Ten-Tec's problems, and 
> > the
> general problem of supporting complex technical products. I spend over 
> 30 years in network administration and computer support. I know all 
> about overly needy and clueless customers, maddeningly complex 
> problems, and fire-breathing businessmen who think that anything 
> beyond token service is a waste of the bottom line.  But I also know 
> that I want my radio fixed, or at least be told how likely it is that it
can be fixed satisfactorily.
> >
> > I own a decent Tektronix DVM and a consumer-grade Radio Shack 
> > frequency
> counter (resolutio 100 Hz), but no scope, and my space is limited.  I 
> don't want to have to constantly fix my primary HF rig. Unless I hear 
> from Ten-Tec, I will probably do the connector deoxidation, and tweak 
> the 40m coil a bit in the same direction that fixed the problem 
> before.  We'll see how that goes.
> >
> > But I must say, the Icom 7300 is looking more attractive all the time.
> Icom service is right here in the Seattle area, so I could just drop an
> Icom radio off there if I needed service.   Apologies for the heresy  :-)
> >
> > --Peter, KD7MW
> >
> >
> >> On 7/4/2016 5:14 PM, Peter Klein wrote:
> >> I queried service@tentec.com by email about the following issue 
> >> last
> Tuesday. I have heard nothing so far, so I thought I'd get some advice
here.
> >>
> >> Background:  I live in the Seattle area. I have modest wire and
> vertical antennas. I'm not a contester or hard-core competitive DXer. 
> I do try to work DX when I can, and I might jump into a contest to 
> snag a new country. But mostly I do HF digital (PSK, Olivia, MFSK), 
> casual CW, or occasionally SSB.
> >>
> >> I've owned my Omni VI for 20 years. It has the Option 1 DSP upgrade.
> Over the years, the radio has several times developed a frequency 
> instability issue. Over a time ranging between less than a second to a 
> few seconds, the transceiver moves a few 10s of Hz off frequency, then
"snaps"
> back. It's mostly done this on 30m, occasionally on 20m, and now on 40m.
> Lately, it happens on 40m, with a short "period," so if I am listening 
> to a good, pure CW signal, it sounds like it has old-fashioned "chirp."
> >>
> >> The frequency shift occurs on both transmit and receive.  When it
> happens, if I switch to another band, it does not happen there. It is 
> intermittent. Sometimes it appears random, and sometimes appears 
> temperature-related (for example after transmitting for a while, or if 
> the radio has been just turned on in the last half-hour or so).
> >>
> >> When it first happened (1997), Ten Tec Service advised me to tweak 
> >> the
> trimmer coil to the 30m mixer crystal 1/8 to 1/4 turn in either 
> direction until the "drift and snap" stopped, and just live with the 
> slight display error. I did, and later did the same thing to the 40m 
> coil when that band acted up. It worked in both cases.
> >>
> >> When it started to do the frequency dance on 20m, I sent back to 
> >> the
> factory for a tune-up. This was in October 2013. Now, it's doing it 
> again on 40m.
> >>
> >> I spoke to TenTec's service manager a few months ago. He said that 
> >> the
> problem might be solved by installing a temperature compensated 
> crystal oscillator (the TCXO was never suggested before).  He said 
> that I could install this myself if I could solder a couple of wires. 
> He quoted me a price of $200 to send me the necessary circuit board 
> and instructions. He said it was up to me whether I wanted to spend $200
on "an older radio."
> He was also dead-set against my tweaking the trimmer coils to the 
> individual band crystals.
> >>
> >> I decided to wait and see if leaving the power supply on 24/7 would
> solve the issue. Nope. And while I was waiting, Ten-Tec was sold and 
> has new service policies.
> >>
> >> I would like to install the TCXO, *IF* it is very likely that it 
> >> will
> solve the problem, and I can get at least another couple of years of 
> good service out of the radio.  On the other hand, the radio is 20 
> years old. So if it's just as likely that I will continue to have the 
> problem, then maybe the TCXO isn't worth it, and I should think about a
new radio.
> >>
> >> So, what would you do if you were me?
> >>
> >> Thanks and 73,
> >> --Peter, KD7MW
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TenTec mailing list
> >> TenTec@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> >
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